Brand New Music From Julian Lennon: The Lucy EP

Tuesday, December 15 marks the release of new music by John Lennon’s son Julian for the first time in 11 years with the release of the Lucy EP.

The back story of the four-track EP goes back as far as The Beatles’ legendary Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band record and as recently as a couple of months ago. The song “Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds” was recorded by John Lennon for Pepper’s upon seeing a painting Julian did of his childhood friend and classmate Lucy Vodden.

During a conference call with journalists around the world last week – which included this author – Mr. Lennon revealed that he met a “developing artist” named James Scott Cook in New York just a couple of months ago and soon started recording new music. They eventually co-wrote what became the pop rocker “Lucy,” a tribute to Lucy Vodden, who died of Lupus disease during the recording sessions. By coincidence, Cook’s 89-year-old grandmother also suffers from Lupus.

Starting December 15, the Lucy EP can be purchased through Lennon’s new full-service, musician-based company and website The Revolution, as well as through Amazon. A copy of Julian Lennon’s original watercolor drawing of Lucy Vodden comes with all physical releases. The title track itself will be sold via iTunes exclusively from the 15th through the end of the year.

The EP also features an acoustic version of “Lucy,” a Cook-only composition (“Sober”) that will appear on his solo debut next year (via The Revolution), and Lennon’s sentimental piano-based number “Beautiful,” from his sixth album Everything Changes, also to be released in 2010.

It will be Julian Lennon’s first studio release since 1998’s Photograph Smile. He has been recording records sporadically since his much lauded 1984 debut record Valotte, which spawned radio hits including the title track and “Too Late For Goodbyes.”

Fifty percent of all proceeds of the Lucy EP will go to Lupus causes such as St. Thomas’ Lupus Trust and Lupus Foundation of America.