HAPPY 63RD BIRTHDAY TO JULIAN LENNON ON APRIL 8, 2026
It is hard to believe that a Beatle’s son is now turning 63 years old. It is a reminder of how fleeting time can truly be.
Would like to use this post to celebrate two earlier projects that Julian Lennon worked on as a younger man. One of those projects was helping out on the soundtrack to Mike Batt’s music that Batt composed for the album and a live performance of the famous author’s Lewis Carroll’s work of The Hunting of the Snark at the Royal Albert Hall!
LCSNA FALL21 06 Mike Batt – “Composing the Snark” + Interview
The album:
The back cover with track listing and the cast listing for the Royal Albert Hall performance which included singers Roger Daltrey, Art Garfunkel, Cliff Richard and Julian Lennon. All speakers’ verses were written by writer Lewis Carroll and the lyrics and music for the songs were written by Mike Batt.
Mike Batt – The Hunting of The Snark Vinyl LP Complete Promo Press Pack 1986. I was able to acquire this promo pack on eBay!
Explaining to the press, the concept behind the performance and album from the promo pack:
Background information about the Lewis Carroll poem that inspired the musical work provided in the promo packet:
The press release for the Hunting of the Snark:
Formats that were being used to promote the work:
Some of Mike Batt’s history and background:
The public performance and itinerary of the live work:
A closer view of some of the items in the promo pack:
A couple of Julian Lennon’s performances from the Royal Albert show which have been posted on YouTube:
The Vanishing ( julian lennon With Mike Batt & Maggie Reilly )
The back cover of the special Julian Lennon single from the soundtrack. Julian is in his special company on these tracks with narration by actors John Hurt & John Gielgud and with co-performers Mike Batt & Maggie Reilly!
The Hunting Of The Snark – Royal Albert Hall 1987– This post appeared on YouTube and the CD/DVD package below included the live performance of the album from the Royal Albert Hall.
The song on which ex-Beatle George Harrison makes a guitar contribution:
The back cover of the single which features George Harrison being listed on the track Children of the Sky:
The signed 45 that I recently acquired of Mike Batt’s signature, the composer of the music for this great piece inspired by the work of Lewis Carroll:
From Wikipedia:
Michael Philip Batt (born 6 February 1949) is an English singer-songwriter, musician, arranger, record producer, director, and conductor. He served as the Deputy Chairman of the British Phonographic Industry.
Batt created the novelty pop band The Wombles, after recording the theme song for the animated BBC series of the same name.
Batt has conducted the London Symphony, Royal Philharmonic, London Philharmonic, Sydney Symphony and Stuttgart Philharmonic.
The signed Mike Batt 45 from the track that George Harrison played guitar on from The Hunting of the Snark soundtrack:
ONE OF JULIAN LENNON’S EARLIEST RECORDED WORKS: SINGING ELTON JOHN’S SONG FOR GUY PERFORMED BY THE LATE SAX PLAYER RAPHAEL RAVENSCROFT:
This could be the earliest professional recording made by Julian Lennon possibly earlier than his recording of his first album Valotte. He was asked to sing the ending verse of the Elton John song entitled Song for Guy which was being performed by the late sax player Raphael Ravenscroft on his album called Lifeline. I acquired this rare and obscure vinyl album from well-known Beatles collector and author, Bill Last, who I have purchased several items from over the years! Bill also sold me a copy of the rare Ringo Starr, Scouse the Mouse LP!
The sax player Ravenscroft is well-known for his sax solo on Gerry Rafferty’s song Baker Street:
Gerry Rafferty – Baker Street (Official Video)
Julian Lennon sings at the end of this Elton John song on the Ravenscroft LP:
You will notice the album cover acknowledges both Julian Lennon and Kiki Dee at the bottom of the front cover
The Ravenscroft album was not the first interaction that Julian had with the sax player, Ravenscroft. In 1981 about a year after his dad’s murder Julian went into the studio and recorded a version of his dad’s then unreleased song called I Don’t Wanna Face It which featured Ravenscroft on sax. Yoko put a stop to the release of the recording as she had plans to release John’s version of the song and she eventually did in 1984 with the Milk and Honey album. Julian’s version remains unreleased though the bass player on the song actually posted it on YouTube several years ago and when Julian learned of that he had YouTube remove the song!
Back cover of the Lifeline LP with track listing and credits:
Hope you enjoyed these 2 earlier Julian Lennon projects that he was involved with as a young man. He is no longer a young man, but he continues to produce excellent photographic works and occasionally he will continue to issue wonderful new musical contributions to his wonderful legacy!
Be healthy and be happy!
Buzz
