Released January 1985 Recorded 1984 | Format 7", 12" Genre New wave, synthpop | |
Label Virgin Records (UK)
RCA Records (US) Writer(s) Annie Lennox and David A. Stewart | ||
"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.
Contents
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.
Track listings
7"
12"
* this version although labelled as "extended" is the same as the one found on the album 1984 (For the Love of Big Brother)