"Now You're in Heaven" is a song written by Julian Lennon and John McCurry, recorded by Lennon and released as the lead single from his third studio album, Mr. Jordan (1989), on which the song appears as the opening track. A David Bowie-inspired song, it was the highest-charting single released from the album, topping the US Billboard Album Rock Tracks chart and reaching No. 5 in Australia. It was certified gold in the latter country by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) for shipments of over 35,000 units.
| "Now You're in Heaven" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Julian Lennon | ||||
| from the album Mr. Jordan | ||||
| B-side | "Second Time" | |||
| Released | 20 February 1989 | |||
| Studio | Johnny Yuma Recording (Los Angeles) | |||
| Length | 3:38 | |||
| Label | Virgin (UK), Atlantic (US) | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Julian Lennon, John McCurry | |||
| Producer(s) | Patrick Leonard | |||
| Julian Lennon singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Background and recording
edit"Now You're in Heaven" was recorded at the Johnny Yuma Recording studio in Los Angeles, California. It was produced by Patrick Leonard, who also performed keyboards and programmed drums on the track. The song along with the album was mixed at Skip Saylor Recording studios and mastered at Precision Mastering in Los Angeles.
The song features guitars inspired by hard rock of the early-1970s and marked a shift in Julian Lennon's musical style from mainstream pop to heavier rock. Lennon's deep vocals drew comparisons to David Bowie,[1] whilst the guitars drew comparisons to the Who.[2]
The song contains a dialogue sample of actor Robert Montgomery as Joe Pendleton in the film Here Comes Mr. Jordan (1941), for which the album Mr. Jordan is named. The line is "I've never seen anything as beautiful as that, even in heaven."
Release
edit"Now You're in Heaven" was first released as the lead single from Mr. Jordan on 20 February 1989 in the United Kingdom by Virgin Records;[3] in the United States it was released through Atlantic Records. The single was released in 12-inch, 7-inch, CD, and cassette format internationally. The European CD single includes a re-release of Lennon's 1984 hit "Too Late for Goodbyes", originally from his debut album, Valotte. The cover art for the single was photographed by Timothy White.
William Orbit produced a house remix of the song for its US 12-inch single release, known as the "In Orbit Mix";[4] a more rock-based remix by Orbit was released on the European CD single release with the subtitle "Orbit Mix". The B-side to the single in most releases is "Second Time", a song co-written by Justin Clayton and Lennon and featuring guest musician Peter Frampton on guitar.[4] The Mexican promotional 7-inch vinyl contains "Angillette", written by Lennon and John McCurry, a ballad in which the narrator addresses his suicidal lover.[2]
Reception
editIn People, the reviewers wrote of the track that it "swaggers while it rocks. It's a song with a cocky gunslinger's attitude".[5] Cash Box called it "a tough-edged rocker goes for the jugular, a departure for Lennon."[6]
Music video
editA music video was produced for "Now You're in Heaven" to promote the album, directed by Tony Kaye and filmed in London. It features Julian Lennon as a ventriloquist, singing the song with a dummy for a scarcely-populated theatre, whose patrons show signs of boredom and are falling asleep. After the performance, Lennon sits in the now empty theatre and applauds himself.[7]
Track listings
editAll tracks were produced by Patrick Leonard unless otherwise noted.
|
7-inch single, US cassette single, and Japanese mini-CD single[8][9][10]
UK 12-inch single[11]
UK mini-CD single and European CD single[12][13]
|
US 12-inch single[14]
Australian cassette single[15]
|
Personnel
edit- Julian Lennon – lead vocals, backing vocals, keyboards
- Patrick Leonard – keyboards, drum programming, production
- Jai Winding – keyboards
- Justin Clayton – guitar
- John McCurry – guitar
- Schuyler Deale – bass guitar
- Jonathan Moffett – drums
- Luis Conte – percussion
- Fee Waybill – backing vocals
Charts
edit
Weekly chartsedit
|
Year-end chartsedit
|
Certifications
edit| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[23] | Gold | 35,000^ |
|
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
References
edit- ^ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, "Mr. Jordan - Julian Lennon", AllMusic (Review), retrieved 17 April 2022
- ^ a b Kissinger, David (1 June 1989). "Julian Lennon: Mr. Jordan". Rolling Stone (Review). Archived from the original on 21 November 2007. Retrieved 17 April 2022.
- ^ a b "Julian Lennon – Now You're in Heaven". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 9 November 2022.
- ^ a b "Mr. Jordan". Julian Lennon. Retrieved 17 April 2022.
- ^ Hiltbrand, David; Abrahams, Andrew; Novak, Ralph (1989). "Song". People. Vol. 31, no. 15. p. 25.
- ^ "Top of the Pops" (PDF). Cash Box. 22 April 1989. p. 18. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
- ^ "Retrospect". Julian Lennon. Retrieved 17 April 2022.
- ^ Now You're in Heaven (UK 7-inch single sleeve). Julian Lennon. Virgin Records. 1989. VS 1154.
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ Now You're in Heaven (US cassette single sleeve). Julian Lennon. Atlantic Records. 1989. 7 4-88925.
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ Now You're in Heaven (Japanese mini-CD single liner notes). Julian Lennon. Virgin Records. 1989. VJD-10011.
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ Now You're in Heaven (UK 12-inch single sleeve). Julian Lennon. Virgin Records. 1989. VST 1154.
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ Now You're in Heaven (UK mini-CD single liner notes). Julian Lennon. Virgin Records. 1989. VSCD 1154.
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ Now You're in Heaven (European CD single liner notes). Julian Lennon. Virgin Records. 1989. VSCDT 1154.
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ Now You're in Heaven (US 12-inch single vinyl disc). Julian Lennon. Atlantic Records. 1989. 0-86417.
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ Now You're in Heaven (Australian cassette single sleeve). Julian Lennon. Virgin Records. 1989. VSC1154.
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 6330." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 9 November 2022.
- ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 9 November 2022.
- ^ "Julian Lennon Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 9 November 2022.
- ^ "Julian Lennon Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved 9 November 2022.
- ^ "Julian Lennon Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 9 November 2022.
- ^ "Julian Lennon Chart History (Dance Singles Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved 9 November 2022.
- ^ "Julian Lennon Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved 9 November 2022.
- ^ a b "ARIA Top 50 Singles for 1989". ARIA. Retrieved 9 November 2022.
External links
edit- Lyrics at Genius
- Music video on YouTube – Uploaded by Julian Lennon, 12 July 2011.