Reaching For The Stars, Vol. 121

Chart Week: December 1, 1984
Song: “Valotte” – Julian Lennon
Chart Position: #18, seventh week on the chart. Peaked at #9 the week of January 12, 1985.

When Julian Lennon released his first album in the fall of 1984, there was no mistaking his genetics. His voice was eerily similar to that of his late father. Hell, I was 13 years old and far from a Beatles expert, and even I was shocked at how much son sounded like dad. “Valotte” could have been on Milk and Honey, John Lennon’s posthumous album which had been released earlier in 1984. There is little doubt that similarity was the biggest factor in Julian’s first two singles peaking in the Top 10 in the US. Because neither song was all that great.

Although he was a newcomer to the pop charts as a recording artist, 21-year-old Julian had already made an impact on them.

While still in nursery school, he drew a picture of a girl in his class with five stars around her. His father asked who was in the picture and Julian responded, “Lucy, in the sky with diamonds.” Thus the inspiration for the record of the same name.

When John divorced Julian’s mother, Paul McCartney wrote a song for the lad about not letting their split get him down or sour him on love. Originally titled “Hey Jules,” it morphed into “Hey Jude,” and became one of the biggest hits of the rock era.

Despite his connection to those two tracks, Julian was largely new to us Americans. In the UK, however, he was constant tabloid news fodder. Especially when he turned into a bit of a party boy in his late teens. During this show, Casey shared Julian’s reflection about those wild days.

“Now I’ve got a brain. I used to be a bit loose in the head. I didn’t think much. Now I think too much.”

What a quote! The beginning sounds very much like something his dad would have said, especially the “loose in the head” bit. The end sounds very much like an artist trying too hard to have his music taken seriously.[1]

The problem with Julian’s music, especially “Valotte,” are that they sounded too much like what his dad might have been recording in 1984 if he was still alive. In other words, middle-of-the-road music made by a middle-aged man. Julian doesn’t sing with the passion or energy that a 21-year-old who has been through some serious shit should sing with.[2] “Valotte” is about that key moment in a relationship when you aren’t sure which direction it will go. There is no sense of fear or excitement about those possibilities in Julian’s voice. It’s just a long sigh.

And while I’m not sure Julian can be held responsible for how the track was produced, “Valotte” has a sleepy quality that makes me think of background music you might hear at a dentist’s office. Worse, the song and album were named for the French chateau his record company sent him to on a writing retreat. That’s some very middle-aged, privileged man stuff right there. Just a few years earlier artists Julian’s age were living in squalor in London as they created punk and New Wave.

After those first two top ten hits – “Too Late For Goodbyes” reached #5 – Julian did not have much musical success. Eventually he got into other things, including acting, producing, photography, and writing. Most importantly, he and his half brother Sean became rather close over the years.

Julian Lennon’s father cast a huge shadow over his life and career. When he finally took a stab at making his own music, the world was desperate for a reminder of his father’s genius. That hunger and the Lennons’ common vocal traits got a lot of people to buy Julian’s albums and a lot of radio stations to play his singles. Sadly Julian was not talented enough to carve out his own musical niche. 5/10