Help Yourself

US 20 August 1991 - Atlantic Records
UK 26 August 1991 - Virgin Records

Julian's fourth solo album which scored him a number one hit with Saltwater everywhere except the US where Atlantic records did very little to promote the album.

"There's a tiny bit of a story behind the title of the album which is that…Bob Ezrin and I, who produced the album, were sitting around and we were trying to think what the title could be. I was looking for something that was catchy, was warm though, was honest and I really, after working on the album for over 6 months, really was unsure of what I should call it and, funny enough, this guy who used to work with Bob Ezrin years and years ago, maybe 15-20 years ago, called Arian Zero, called him up and they hadn't spoken up until this point, called him up about 3 in the morning and Bob says, 'Hello, who is this calling me up at this time?' He says, 'This is Arian Zero. Do you remember me? You know, we used to work together. I used to be in this band years and years ago and he said, 'Vaguely yeah, why? What are you calling me for?' He said, 'Well, I just had a dream. You're working on Julian Lennon's album aren't you?' and he said 'Yeah, yeah, why?' He said, 'Well, I had a dream that it should be called Help Yourself' and Bob thought nothing of it and said, 'Well, thank you very much' and went back to sleep and then in the morning when I came into the studio he said, 'Listen, this guy called me up last night and says the album should be called Help Yourself, came to him in a dream.' So I sat and thought about it and said, 'Yeah, that's brilliant. That's just what I'm looking for' so that's what we went with and it sort of captured everything that was trying to be said in the album."

- Julian Lennon on 'Help Yourself' from the Julian Lennon Profiled Interview CD

Tracks:

Rebel King1 Saltwater  Get A Life Would You
Maybe I Was Wrong Help Yourself Listen
  Other Side of Town New Physics Rant Take Me Home 
Imaginary Lines Keep the People Working*

All compositions written or co-written by Julian Lennon except * written by A. Moore.

Produced by Bob Ezrin, the album was recorded at Amigo Studios and The Enterprise and mixed at The Enterprise by James Guthrie.

Musicians:

Julian Lennon: vocals, guitars, keyboards, mandolin, percussion, bass & drum programming
Scott Humphrey: keyboards, computer and synth programming
Steven Hunter: guitars
John McCurry: guitars
Justin Clayton: guitars
Louis Moline: Drums
Matt Bissonette: bass
Bob Ezrin: keyboards, percussion  & programming
Bobbye Hall: percussion
Allan Schwartzberg: additional drums

Cameo Appearances:

Paul Buchanan: Duet on "Other Side of Town"
Background Vocalists: Paul Winger, Peter Fletcher, Scott Humphrey, Julian Lennon, Bob Ezrin, Carmen Twillie, Clydene Jackson-Edwards, Maxine Anderson, Bobette Jamison-Harrison, Clarise Wilkins, Kim Edwards-Brown, San Fernando Valley Girl Scout Troop 592, Olivia D'Abo, Mark Spiro

Photography by Mark Hanauer / Art Direction and Design: Ph.D