Children of music legends may follow in their parents’ famous footsteps yet very few surpass their success. However, there are some who do, like Natalie Cole, daughter of crooner Nat King Cole, and Miley Cyrus, who eclipsed the stardom achieved by her father Billy Ray Cyrus. Nevertheless, practically all of them will tell you it can be difficult living in the shadow of an icon despite often inheriting similar gifts and talents. Recently, two sons of two Beatles teamed up to create a new single, “Primrose Hill.”
Paul McCartney’s son, James McCartney, and John Lennon’s son, Sean Ono Lennon, released the track on April 12, marking an Instagram post by the 46-year-old McCartney, “Today, I am so very excited to share my latest song co-written by my good friend @sean_ono-lennon. 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.”
In writing the song, McCartney said he was inspired by a vision he had as a child in Scotland. Proud papa Paul McCartney took to Facebook with a red heart emoji and caption, “My son James has a new song out called “Primrose Hill” – check it out! And lots of love to Sean Ono Lennon who co-wrote the song.”
“Primrose Hill,” which has an almost cosmic melody similar to John Lennon’s 1973 single “Mind Games,” comes on the heels of James McCartney’s February single “Beautiful.”
Sean, 48, Lennon’s oldest son Julian, 61, Ringo Starr’s sons Jason Starkey, 56, and Zak Starkey, 45, and George Harrison’s son Dhani, 45, are all musicians. Throughout the years, they’ve each addressed the challenges faced with living up to the legacies of their famous fathers.
In a 2013 interview with the Daily Mail, James McCartney told the outlet, “It’s hard to live up to the Beatles. When Wings toured they got slated. Even Dad found it hard living up to the Beatles. I started out playing under an alias because I wanted to start quietly. I had to serve my time as a musician and wait until I had a good body of songs and for a time when both myself and my music were ready. I don’t want to sit around. I want to earn my own living.”
Speaking of Wings, Paul McCartney’s post-Beatles band which featured Linda, his late wife and mother of James, there’s news on that front as well. The band’s fully restored double-decker, Yellow Submarine-style tour bus is expected to fetch a hefty sum at auction by late April. Wings toured 25 European cities between July 9 and August 24, 1972, by way of this psychedelic bus.
Also, Paul McCartney & Wings’ 1974 live studio sessions One Hand Clapping is set to arrive on June 14th. The album, one of their most bootlegged projects, was recorded at Abbey Road Studios over four days while director David Litchfield filmed the documentary, which has yet to be released in an official capacity.
-Sharon Oliver
Photo composite: James McCartney, ECR_Photos, Wikimedia Commons/Sean Lennon Gina Benedetti Wikimedia Commons
It’s a decent song, but why are the guitars not in tune with each other in the beginning? I can’t believe they let that slip by… John Lennon was a stickler for instruments being in tune with each other.
Correction: Zak Starkey is 58 years old.