Julia

[BombaySapphire3]

Recently this song was mentioned on the Nicksfix "Ask the backround singer''in a question about demos that had been obtained by fans as a song that was very special to Stevie.I know the song was written by Stevie in the late 70s after she had seen the great 1977 film "Julia' starring Jane Fonda and with an incredible, luminous performance by Vanessa Redgrave as Julia.Stevie saw this relationship as a paralell to the long friendship of Robin Anderson and herself ,and reference to the film and it's characters appear in other songs such as "Rock a Little' and "Battle of the Dragon '.It was mentioned that the song was never officially released because Stevie felt it had never been done correctly.It seems that given the right production this song could be another "Sara'It just makes me wonder how something like this has been on the shelf for so long while much more mediocre and pedestrian material has been released.I am praying that if Stevie does another album that Julia ,an epic and masterpiece IMO will get her due.

[blinker12]

I remember hearing somewhere that Jimmy Iovine never liked it much. I don't know the source of that info -- anyone?
But I agree, it's a shame that one's never been released. I wouldn't rank it up there with "Sara," but it's very, very good.

[BombaySapphire3]

Iovine not liking the song would explain why it wasn't on 'Bella Donna 'or The 'Wild Heart.'An article from 'Hitparader' in 1980 stated the song along with "Think About It' might be on the next FM album."Think About It' as we know surfaced the next year and I could see how "Julia' might not have fit in on "Mirage'.I can also think of reasons why it didn't appear on various albums since that time .I was hoping it would turn up on SYW.If Stevie would take a chance on a producer like Daniel Lanois I could see songs like "Julia ' and 'Space Needle' being really incredible.

[LiquidBlue5000]

Originally Posted by BombaySapphire3

Iovine not liking the song would explain why it wasn't on 'Bella Donna 'or The 'Wild Heart.'An article from 'Hitparader' in 1980 stated the song along with "Think About It' might be on the next FM album."Think About It' as we know surfaced the next year and I could see how "Julia' might not have fit in on "Mirage'.I can also think of reasons why it didn't appear on various albums since that time .I was hoping it would turn up on SYW.If Stevie would take a chance on a producer like Daniel Lanois I could see songs like "Julia ' and 'Space Needle' being really incredible.

who's Daniel Lanois?

[HejiraNYC]

Originally Posted by BombaySapphire3

Iovine not liking the song would explain why it wasn't on 'Bella Donna 'or The 'Wild Heart.'An article from 'Hitparader' in 1980 stated the song along with "Think About It' might be on the next FM album."Think About It' as we know surfaced the next year and I could see how "Julia' might not have fit in on "Mirage'.I can also think of reasons why it didn't appear on various albums since that time .I was hoping it would turn up on SYW.If Stevie would take a chance on a producer like Daniel Lanois I could see songs like "Julia ' and 'Space Needle' being really incredible.

There's no way it would appear on an FM album. Isn't this song, with lines like "...I am freed from my slavery" and "no one has to tell me to be there," about Stevie breaking out of FM with a solo career? In a way, it's kind of a dig at them.

Discuss.

[catinthedark]

Originally Posted by BombaySapphire3

Iovine not liking the song would explain why it wasn't on 'Bella Donna 'or The 'Wild Heart.'An article from 'Hitparader' in 1980 stated the song along with "Think About It' might be on the next FM album."Think About It' as we know surfaced the next year and I could see how "Julia' might not have fit in on "Mirage'.I can also think of reasons why it didn't appear on various albums since that time .I was hoping it would turn up on SYW.If Stevie would take a chance on a producer like Daniel Lanois I could see songs like "Julia ' and 'Space Needle' being really incredible.

OMG - can you imagine the sheer brilliance that would produce?? You're absolutely right. Although, I have to say I'd hope he wouldn't alter Space Needle too much - but I think he'd understand the need for the starkness of it. Listen to me, talking as if this is a done deal. I have to say it's one of the best ideas I've ever heard of who should produce her next solo trip.

[LiquidBlue5000]

Originally Posted by catinthedark

OMG - can you imagine the sheer brilliance that would produce?? You're absolutely right. Although, I have to say I'd hope he wouldn't alter Space Needle too much - but I think he'd understand the need for the starkness of it. Listen to me, talking as if this is a done deal. I have to say it's one of the best ideas I've ever heard of who should produce her next solo trip.

uhhh.. who is he?

[face of glass]

Originally Posted by LiquidBlue5000

uhhh.. who is he?

Producer of Peter Gabriel, Emmylou Harris, Willie Nelson, U2, Bob Dylan, etc. Also an occasional solo artist.

Yeah, I too think he'd be appropriate for the next Stevie solo album. The girl needs a good kick in her butt.

[GateandGarden]

Originally Posted by HejiraNYC

There's no way it would appear on an FM album. Isn't this song, with lines like "...I am freed from my slavery" and "no one has to tell me to be there," about Stevie breaking out of FM with a solo career? In a way, it's kind of a dig at them.

Discuss.

'Talk amongst yourselves. Here's a topic: "Julia"-- dig at the band or simply nonsensical meanderings?'

Seriously though, I had never thought of that. You could be right. I've never thought of it as anything more than a love song, mostly because I don't know what to think of it. I just love the vocals and music so much that I hardly care what it's about.

[Nixxxed]

I think "Julia" is just about perfect as is with Stevie's awesome vocal and Roy Bittan's piano where he starts out gently, but nearly pounds the piano into splinters at the end.

I agree it didn't really fit on Bella Donna, but I think its inclusion on The Wild Heart would have been perfect. Or, it could have been the b-side to "If Anyone Falls" or "Nightbird", or sent to the movies on a soundtrack.

I've always found it bizarre that someone who started a solo career because she wrote more music than the Mac could use, then spends every spare minute recording demos at home and songs in the studio, could let something that heartfelt and dynamic just rot on the shelf.

[trackaghost]

Originally Posted by Nixxxed

I think "Julia" is just about perfect as is with Stevie's awesome vocal and Roy Bittan's piano where he starts out gently, but nearly pounds the piano into splinters at the end.

I agree it didn't really fit on Bella Donna, but I think its inclusion on The Wild Heart would have been perfect. Or, it could have been the b-side to "If Anyone Falls" or "Nightbird", or sent to the movies on a soundtrack.

I've always found it bizarre that someone who started a solo career because she wrote more music than the Mac could use, then spends every spare minute recording demos at home and songs in the studio, could let something that heartfelt and dynamic just rot on the shelf.

I agree with everything you've said.
Julia is by far my favourite Stevie demo. It sounds pretty complete to me too, I have no idea why Iovine hated it, but it should have found it's way to a B-side or a soundtrack. I mean Sleeping Angel, Blue Lamp, Violet And Blue, If You Ever Did Believe and Garbo all did, and they are all incredible tunes. Maybe they didn't fit on albums but at least Stevie got them out there.

[dissention]

Originally Posted by Nixxxed

I've always found it bizarre that someone who started a solo career because she wrote more music than the Mac could use, then spends every spare minute recording demos at home and songs in the studio, could let something that heartfelt and dynamic just rot on the shelf.

I always found it bizarre that someone who started a solo career to release more of her songwriting output began to record and release lots of songs that she didn't write. The whole "They wrote something I couldn't, but expressed what I was feeling" line seems like such utter crap to me.

[LiquidBlue5000]

Originally Posted by dissention

I always found it bizarre that someone who started a solo career to release more of her songwriting output began to record and release lots of songs that she didn't write. The whole "They wrote something I couldn't, but expressed what I was feeling" line seems like such utter crap to me.

lol... or someone who started a solo career to release more of her songwriting output, yet only puts out 2 solo albums in 16 years

[blinker12]

Originally Posted by dissention

I always found it bizarre that someone who started a solo career to release more of her songwriting output began to record and release lots of songs that she didn't write. The whole "They wrote something I couldn't, but expressed what I was feeling" line seems like such utter crap to me.

Good point. I think she got so caught up in having hits that it made her increasingly dependent on others' input (ironically, though, she had fewer and fewer as the years wore on). Also, the drugs probably interferred. At least TISL marked a partial reversal in this trend -- the proportion of self-written material was more than we'd seen since The Wild Heart.

[Highwayman]

Originally Posted by blinker12

At least TISL marked a partial reversal in this trend -- the proportion of self-written material was more than we'd seen since The Wild Heart.

But once again, the record company puts out Everyday (non-SN written) as the single, which would be fine at most adult, easy listening radio stations. But if they wanted to capture a younger audience, they should have released Love Changes (SN written). It is a much more radio-friendly tune.