Julia (Eurythmics song)

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"Julia"
Eurythmics Julia.jpg
Single by Eurythmics
from the album 1984 (For the Love of Big Brother)
B-side"Ministry of Love"
ReleasedJanuary 1985
Recorded1984
GenreNew wave, synthpop
Length4:05 (single version) 6:37 (album version)
LabelVirgin Records (UK)
RCA Records (US)
Songwriter(s)Annie Lennox and David A. Stewart
Producer(s)David A. Stewart
Eurythmics singles chronology
"Sexcrime (Nineteen Eighty-Four)"
(1984) 		"Julia"
(1985) 		"Would I Lie to You?"
(1985)

"Julia" is a song performed by British pop duo Eurythmics. It was written by group members Annie Lennox and David A. Stewart for their album 1984 (For the Love of Big Brother), which served as the soundtrack to the film Nineteen Eighty-Four, an adaptation of the political novel Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell. Julia plays during the credits to the movie. The band were chosen alongside the Dominic Muldowney orchestral composition, to much controversy. The song was produced by Stewart and was the second and final single released from the album.

Song information[]

Musical concept[]

The song is a ballad with very sparse electronic instrumentation and an almost a cappella performance by Lennox. Her vocals are accentuated by vocoder effects in the background. The title and lyrics of the song are based upon the novel's heroine and love interest, Julia. The cover artwork for the single is a still image from the film, featuring English actress Suzanna Hamilton as Julia.

Midway through the song, an instrumental line based on J. S. Bach's "Fugue #2 in C Minor" from The Well Tempered Clavier, Book 1, can be heard.

Breaking a string of six consecutive Top 10 hits, "Julia" peaked at number 44 on the UK singles chart.

Other versions[]

The version of "Julia" found on the soundtrack differs from the one being played during the end-credits of the film - which is more string based with less synthetic arrangements. This is also the case for many of the other songs on the soundtrack versus their version used in the film.

Music Video[]

The music video for Julia was directed by Chris Ashbrook (who had directed the previous promo for Sexcrime) and was filmed towards the end of 1984. The video consists simply of a closeup of Lennox's face whilst she sings and was later included on the VHS/DVD Eurythmics Greatest Hits, even though the song itself wasn't included on the compilation album of the same name.

Track listings[]

7"

  • A: "Julia" [edited]
  • B: "Ministry of Love"

12"

  • A: "Julia" (extended mix) *
  • B: "Ministry of Love" (extended)

* this version although labelled as "extended" is the same as the one found on the album 1984 (For the Love of Big Brother)

Charts[]

Chart (1985) Peak
position
Europe (European Hot 100 Singles)[1] 97
Ireland (IRMA)[2] 17
UK Singles (OCC)[3] 44

References[]

  1. ^ "European Top 100 Singles" (PDF). Eurotipsheet. Vol. 2, no. 4. 28 January 1985. p. 7. OCLC 29800226. Retrieved 4 June 2020 – via World Radio History.
  2. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Julia". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
  3. ^ "Eurythmics: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
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