John Lennon and Paul McCartney's sons team up for new song ‘Primrose Hill’
David Mouriquand
Last year, we got the release of the Beatles’ nal single ‘ Now And Then’.
This year, we get a new Lennon/ McCartney pairing. Except it's not another AI-aided regeneration.
John Lennon’s son, Sean Ono Lennon, has teamed up with Paul and the late Linda McCartney’s youngest, James McCartney, to release a new song titled 'Primrose Hill' - an ode to London's panoramic viewing spot in Regent's Park.
It is the rst-ever collaboration between Lennon, 48, and McCartney, 46.
"Today I am so very excited to share my latest song co-written by my good friend ( Sean Ono Lennon)," McCartney wrote on social media. "With the release of this song it feels like we're really getting the ball rolling and I am so excited to continue to share music with you."
Paul McCartney also took to social media to promote his son’s song, posting on Facebook about the collaboration: “My son James has a new song out called ‘ Primrose Hill’ - check it out! And lots of love to Sean Ono Lennon who cowrote the song.”
James McCartney, who has contributed to solo music from both of his parents and released a few of his own records, is also running a contest in relation to a music video for ' Primrose Hill'. The contest is open to couples of all ages and the submitted video "must capture the essence of love and romance while showcasing the beauty of the couple's favorite romantic location."
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But what’s the verdict on ‘Primrose Hill’, you ask?
It’s perfectly lovely - a lushlyproduced folk ballad that has a familiarity about it, both in delivery and mood. There’s a smidge of Beatles mimicry to it, and the lyrics to veer into saccharine territory (“Forever’s not long enough to be loving you / Forever and a day / I look into your eyes / It’s such a great surprise / You take my breath away”).
However, if you let yourself succumb to the warm glow, it’s delightful and, dare we say it, more listenable than ‘ Now And Then’ - which was a dreary curio that had little earworm quality to it and felt like an arti cial, cash cow-milking resurrection to re-release the Red and Blue compilations.
We’re not saying that suddenly Sean and James have been elevated to Rufus Rainwright and Nancy Sinatra levels of musicians that are following in family footsteps or anything, but it’s a woozy number that’s hard to get mad about.
Listen to it here:
'Primrose Hill' is McCartney's second release this year after returning with ' Beautiful' in February, his rst release since 2016. Earlier this year, Sean Ono Lennon’s album ' Asterisms' was released - and it’s pretty damn good.
Anything to make us forget about that godawful ‘ Now And Then’ video, to be honest. *Shudder*
John Lennon's smirk on that one is what Strawberry Fields Fornever dream paralysis nights are made of.