Side One: Julian, The Musician
- Julian's been selected to sing the title song in
the upcoming film White Nights, starring dancers Mikhail
Baryshnikov and Gregory Hines. (This never happened..
- CJ)
- When they were in Texas rehearsing for the opening show
of their first tour, Julian convinced his band members to
wear two different colored socks for good luck.
- Julian's first guitar was a Les Paul copy his father gave
him for Christmas when he was eleven years old.
- Julian's list of musical influences is fairly diverse,
including Steely Dan, the Doobie Brothers, Keith Jarrett,
Prince, the Police and the Tubes.
- "Space," one of the songs on Valotte, was indirectly
inspired by Julian's girlfriend. He'd recorded the music
and wasn't sure what to write, and when she heard it she
told him it reminded her of icebergs -or space. Julian liked
the idea of space and worked around that.
- Julian was "shocked" that "Too Late For
Goodbyes" reached Number Six on the British charts,
because he doesn't think he's outrageous enough for the
English audience. "I kind of appeal to the mothers
of the normal kids," he's said.
- Julian has such a close relationship with his manager,
Dean Gordon, that sometimes they each carry a walkie talkie
so they can't lose each other.
- The songs Julian says he feels closest to on Valotte are
"Lonely," "Let Me Be," and 'Well I Don't
Know."
- On the night of the very first show of their U.S. tour
Julian and the band did push-ups and jumping jacks just
prior to taking the stage.
- Julian, along with U2, Donna Summer, the Romantics and
others, was commended by the National Committee on TV Violence
(NCTV) for having non-violent, pro-social music videos.
- Julian and guitarist Justin Clayton - a boyhood friend
- played their first gig at a school function.
- A self-taught piano player, Julian used a Steinway acoustic
piano while recording Valotte.
- On this last tour Julian used a magician as his opening
act.
- Julian didn't know he was being recorded when he played
drums on "Ya Ya," a song from his father's Walls
And Bridges album. Had he known, he says, he would have
played better.
- Julian's said, 'I think people approach my music out of
curiosity and then stay interested once the music takes
over.
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Side Two: Getting Personal
- Julian's mother, Cynthia, has been hosting a TV show in
the north of London.
- Julian's earliest ambition was to become an actor. Later
he thought he might like to be a recording engineer.
- Motorcycle riding is one of Julian's favorite hobbies.
- Julian has called himself a "homey" sort of
person, and says an ideal evening for him would be spent
sitting in front of the TV with a girl, a cup of tea and
a dog by his side.
- Julian's been living with his girlfriend, Debbie Boyland,
for the past two years.
- The wide silver ring he wears on his right hand was a
gift from Yoko Ono. The vintage Rolex watch he wears on
his left wrist was a gift from his mother.
- Julian often wears an earring that spells out the word
"om" in Sanskrit letters. He bought it because
he liked its shape.
- The night John Lennon was killed the chimney in Julian's
bedroom collapsed.
- Before his musical success, Julian did a stint as a waiter
and dishwasher and did a bit of modeling for the British
magazine Ritz.
- Though he's spent a lot of time on airplanes lately, Julian
says he sometimes worries about flying and finds it impossible
to sleep on a plane.
- When he wants to leave a party or a bar Julian signals
his road manager by touching his right hand to his left
earring.
- Julian, who has a reputation for being a prankster, thinks
he most resembles his father when he's clowning around and
"putting on a silly face."
- Julian's favorite actors are Dudley Moore and Steve Martin,
though he also likes Vincent Price.
- Julian's said he gets so nervous when engulfed by a huge
crowd of autograph seekers that he sometimes misspells his
own name!
- When he first entered Kingsmead School in Hoylake (where
he met Justin Clayton) Julian was introduced to his classmates
by a headmistress who said, "We will be joined by the
son of a pop star. Be nice to hirn.
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