Julian Lennon: From Vienna

Bernd Sebor: He looks and talks like his father and he also sings at least as good as Beatle John once did - Julian Lennon is visiting Vienna this week! He had started his sensational career with "Too late for goodbyes" in 1984, after that it was very quiet around him (private problems, changing the record company). Now he is back again with a new CD called "Photograph Smile".

What I'm the most interested in: What are you doing in your private life? I heard you like skiing!

Jules: Yeah, it's fun, it's therapeutic, it's realizing you know - you know going to the top of the mountain and ah - they have those little restaurant cafes and you sit and sun bathe and get - you know - you try to get some sun and you eat some great food and if it's a little chilly you have some hot red wine you know - and you ski down - it's like sailing or motor biking...I've already been motor biking since I was eleven years old! I've done a lot of tours, also around Europe, and what I love the most, it's another similar experience where there's no specific rules you can just go you know. And those are my favorite things.

("Too late for goodbyes")

Bernd Sebor: Today your new CD "Photograph Smile" has been released in Austria. The new single is called "Day after day". What is this song about?

Jules: The song is basically about someone at war and the only thing that enables him to stay alive - to survive - is because he doesn't give up hope to come back home to the people he loves some time - somehow this is also my life - being separated from the people I love and getting through life's battles....

("Day after day")

Bernd Sebor: The greatest Beatles single hit had been created for him and because of him. Paul McCartney wrote it in 1968 when John left his wife Cynthia and little Julian because of his new love Yoko Ono. Paul drove down to Waybridge where they were living and he was singing that song all the time: "Hey Jules, don't make it bad..." - later it was called "Hey Jude". Julian, what does that song mean to you today?

Jules: You know, the older I get the more it means to me that someone way back when - when I was just four years old - wrote a song about me thinking about how I was going to survive life. It's very interesting to think that someone thinks about you that way you know - that cares about you that way.

("Hey Jude")

Bernd Sebor: I have to ask Julian about that...there are still these rumors about a Beatles reunion since Live Aid in 1985 when it was said that he would replace his father and do a concert with the other three remaining members. But then it all turned out completely different...the original Beatles reunited in 1995, 15 years after the death of John. To explain this to non Beatles fans - how did that work...Paul, George and Ringo took an old demo of John singing and playing piano and then they added their voices and instruments. Julian, what were your feelings listening to "Free as a bird" for the first time?

Jules: It was goosebumps. It was pretty weird to hear him uh - you know from an old tape and to hear them playing live you know - kind of weird - but I enjoyed the song. I did like the song. It was definitely nice to see that they were still capable of melodies and harmonies etc. etc. You know they still had it after all those years.

("Free as a bird")

Bernd Sebor: Now I have one private question: What are the most important things in your life?

Jules: Feelings and relationships and love and respect for each other are the most important things in the world to me. You know there's nothing outside of that. Materialism doesn't exist outside of that you know - you can't take it with you when you die. The only thing you can experience in life is emotion - really, truly, deep down is love.

Bernd Sebor: Are you in love at the moment?

Jules: Heavily in love yes. Very, very, very happy at the moment. If it got to the point where the only way I was gonna survive in this relationship was to give up music I'd stop.

("Faithful")

Transcription by CJ & Su Translation by Su
Background/Flowers from the 'Photograph Smile' CD inlet by Angelika Letsch.
'Hey Jules' © 1998 - 2002 CJ Burianek
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88.6 Interview from Vienna, Austria