Julian Lennon on 
'Good Day Philadelphia'

Julian - Life.

Dave - Life?

Julian - Life and all the experiences we all go through, absolutely.

Dave - Now it's been a while since you've been back in the studio, what brought you back? I mean, Julian, you had some phenomenal hobbies and some great things you were doing with your time in Italy.

Tanya - And there was a great fervor about you and then you left the business.

Julian - Yea, well, I guess you could say that it was due to the fact that the record company that I was involved with and the managers I was involved with did not see eye to eye, really. And it literally took me about 5 years to get released from the contracts that I was tied into. So in that time I went back to living real life outside the industry, which was very wonderful. And it was a hard decision to come back here and I think the thing that motivated me to come back was the fact that if I was going to say goodbye to the industry, I just certainly didn't think the last 4 albums were a good enough legacy to leave behind. And I wanted to put out an album that I certainly felt proud of and was under my control, which was not the case before.

Dave - Photograph Smile, where does the name come from?

Julian - It's from a photograph that was of a person that I was in a relationship with, which was long distance, and the only things I had at the time was the photograph and my memories. And that's where the song came from. Yea, that's about it, really.

Dave - How has the music changed from your first album to now?

Julian - Has it changed? I don't think it's changed a lot. I just think that hopefully as anybody grows in what they do and matures in their work. That's what happens and if you are an observer of life, as I am, and have experienced a fair share of it as well, then hopefully your work does grow and mature over the years.

Tanya - And the older you get, do you find more inspiration from your dad's work? Do you see things that you didn't see when you were younger?

Julian - Not necessarily. I always thought he was a great artist, as well as the rest of the guys in the band, as well as every other artist that's inspired me.

Tanya - What else do you like? What other kinds of music do you listed to?

Julian - Many, many. That's a difficult one. Anyone from Keith Jarrett to Steely Dan to Led Zepplin to Beck, you name it.

Dave - Now, we were going over some faxes during the commercial break and I was reading one of them, and you said you were going to give me a straight answer. I'm not sure what that meant, but I'm going to ask it. A fax came in from one of our viewers asking what's your fondest memory of your father?

Julian - Well, that's a tough one you see because when you don't have much of a memory, at least I didn't between the ages of 1 and 4 and then he walked out the door, there wasn't any real fond memories there. Maybe I saw him a handful of times after that. So it's not a position that I could say it was a jolly happy time, cause it wasn't, cause he wasn't around.

Dave - So when the name John Lennon comes up it's more of a musical influence?

Julian - Oh, absolutely. I have the highest regard for him as a musical influence in my life, but obviously as a father, he was one of the worst.

Tanya - Personally, it's a different story.

Julian - Absolutely.

Tanya - We have another question for you, this one's a little easier I'm sure. "I'd like to know if Julian will be touring soon to promote this new album and will he be coming to Philadelphia?"

Julian - More than likely. Yes we will. I would say later on this year and I'm actually planning to do a limited charity tour - a charity based tour - where we find out the worst problems are in the locations that we are playing and we target that.

Dave - Julian, life on the road supporting an album, what's it like going from town to town?

Julian - You mean in the promo sense?

Dave - No, in the concert sense. Invigorating or exhausting?

Julian - Well, it depends who's organizing it, and it depends whether you have control over it and this time around that's why it's a limited tour. I've been on tours where you've been on the road where you've just done 150 shows and you look at the schedule and there's another 200 to go, and all you want to do is cry and go home. That side of it doesn't interest me anymore. I want to get up there for the sake of getting up there and having fun, but also to try to help some people along the way. That's the intention this time around.

Dave - Well, we've had the benefit of hearing you warm up. Our entire staff has come down to hear you. So why don't we turn it over to you and hear some great music. Then we'll spend some more time chatting.

Julian and Matt Backer perform "Day After Day"

Dave - That was fabulous

Julian - Thank you.

Dave - Now, we talked about a tour coming up and you're on a promotion tour right now. But the record is available in store now.

Julian - That's correct.

Tanya - And speaking of records, what I was talking about at the break was if you're gonna have some vinyl.

Julian - Yea, definitely, absolutely. Yea, a limited edition of vinyl. Absolutely.

Tanya - For purists.

Dave - I thought they weren't making those kinds of albums anymore.

Julian - I mean, I used to love the old albums, there was so much information, so many pictures and anything and everything you needed to know, plus all the lyrics clearly written, which these days you don't see.

Tanya - Any you worked so hard on the lyrics.

Julian - Yea, absolutely. Yea, well, hopefully you sing them clearly enough, but sometimes you loose a word here or there.

Dave - Now Julian, this has been a collaborative effort and Matt Backer is playing with you this morning. How did you and Matt come together, and the rest of your band mates, for this album?

Julian - Well, actually, I met Matt through Bob Rose, who co-produced the album with me. And we sort of put the band together to just initially go into the studio to try and put a few songs together to see how we worked together and as far as me working with Rob Rose on a co-producing level. And initially it was 3 days for 3 songs, but we came out the 1st week with 11 tracks. And it was a process that went on for a year. And we've got enough material to last for another couple of albums.

Dave - Well, we wish you the best of luck and as you strum us out, we'll say once again, Photograph Smile is available now in stores. Thanks for being with us.

Julian - My pleasure. I hope you like it.

Julian and Matt close the show playing Good to be Lonely.