McCartney and Lennon’s Primrose Hill is a whimsical Beatles pastiche with big shoes to fill

Sean Ono Lennon and James McCartney – James McCartney/Instagram

A new song by Lennon and McCartney should be a joyous discovery. When I was told of the existence of a “new Beatles’ children’s song” I admit my heart leapt. I mean, Yellow Submarine and Octopus’s Garden might not be many fans’ favourite aspect of the Beatles, but just the notion of hearing unreleased material by two of the greatest songwriters and singers of all time is an enticing prospect. I was quickly disavowed of that notion. This wasn’t a new Beatles’ children’s song – it was a new song by the children of the Beatles.

Oh well, we can but dream. Primrose Hill represents the collaborative debut of Sean Ono Lennon and James McCartney, which is a Lennon and McCartney of a rather different order. Or McCartney-Lennon to be more accurate, since it has been released as a solo effort by James, who revealed that it had been “co-written by my very good friend Sean Ono Lennon.”

The sons of the Beatles have come up with a dreamy psychedelic ballad with very Lennon-esque (John Lennon-esque, naturally) ethereal tones and McCartney-esque (Paul McCartney-esque) chord changes and melodic flourishes. Recalling a dreamy day in the London park, it registers as a sweet but minor slice of whimsy that could pass as a creditable but unexciting Beatles pastiche if it wasn’t for the heritage of the artists involved. There are swells of luscious strings and some belated plodding drums of the kind that Jeff Lynne might have added if Ringo dialled in sick.

I don’t think Sean (let’s leave the confusing surnames out of it, shall we?) was actually involved in the recording, so it lacks the vocal frisson that might have come from a Lennon-McCartney duet, even the Mark II version. Macca senior posted about it on his socials and seemed proud of his son’s efforts, as any father might be if their son paid such dutiful homage to their paternal heritage. James also released a photo of himself with Sean, which, if you squint, could pass as a picture of their famous fathers mysteriously reunited in middle age, albeit you might think one was losing his hair and going to seed whilst the lusciously bearded Sean (at 48) is now almost a decade older than his late father ever got the chance to be.

There is an undoubted poignancy about this union of the scion of two such remarkably talented friends. What Beatles fan hasn’t wondered (as James himself has previously intimated) what it might be like if James and Sean got together with George’s talented singer-songwriter son Dhani Harrison (45) and Ringo’s fantastic drummer son Zak Starkey (58) to make some music? Would they rekindle the connection of their famous parents… or just conjure a hollow echo of unearned glories?

James and Paul McCartney in 2014 – Dave Bennett/Getty

But Primrose Hill is not some experiment in nature versus nurture, it is a heartfelt love song by two talented musicians who have each struggled in their own ways to emerge from the giant shadows cast by their parents. And the truth is the Beatles overshadow almost every band to have emerged in their wake, so it is hard not to have some sympathy for this latest undynamic duo.

Of all the Beatles’ musical offspring, Sean and Zak have forged the most individual and committed careers. Dahni has kept busy with various minor musical projects since venturing forth with his band Thenow2 in 2008, Julian Lennon has switched between music, photography and philanthropy since a brief flourish of 1980s stardom, belatedly garnering a fair reputation as an interesting talent in his own right.

Oddly, James, who is clearly in love with music, has seemed the most dilettantish, managing to release just two albums since his debut as a singer-songwriter in 2013. Another is belatedly on the way, but Primrose Hill does little to suggest that it will be the moment the son outshines the father. It is a sweet, whimsical little ditty that shows promise. Outside of the harsh glare of obsessively Beatle-focussed publicity, perhaps that should be enough.

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