Tag Archives: Elton John

Love Stuff #30, January 25, 1986.

Once upon a time, way back in the 1980’s, I made mix tapes for a girlfriend of mine.  We dated for about 5 years, and so there ended up being over 100 of these cassette mixes.  She understood exactly what I was trying to do, which was to communicate through the songs, and with her encouragement and appreciation I kept on, knowing I had an audience of at least one.  This is when I started to take mixes very seriously.

When I first started this series, I didn’t even have my own cassette recorder.  I went to my friend Nick and asked if I could use his- I brought a pile of LP’s, and even used some of his.  He’s the one who gave the series its name.

At a certain point I began to use whole albums as the basis for a mix.  I kept lists of songs I wanted to use, and then when I had enough I’d start to arrange the songs.  In January of 1986 I had wanted to use a song from the Blind Faith album.  Then, I decided I wanted to use two songs from it.  Then I thought, why don’t I use the whole album, even if some of the songs might not normally make it to the list on their own?  Thus began a concept that I feel is unique and one that, 35 years later, I continue to explore.

My girlfriend’s 19th birthday was approaching, and so I had a few birthday songs in mind.  The idea was to place all the Blind Faith songs on the mix, in the same order as the album, with the original list of birthday songs in between.  Later, I even thought of it as a theme and a sub theme- very serious stuff that at least my girlfriend got;  a random listener might or might not notice- but the juxtaposition of songs thrilled my imagination.

On this mix the birthday songs in between didn’t seem to have much musical similarity to the Blind Faith songs, but they had a continuity of their own which made it valid.  I used 7 songs from the Basement Tapes, which my girlfriend had recently bought for me, including both Bob Dylan and The Band’s material, and a few other random songs.  The funny thing is, after hearing these songs in this particular order for so many years now, it seems like they belong together.

I didn’t realize it then, but now I describe it like this- I was presenting the Blind Faith album as a work of art, and the other songs were inhabiting and informing that work of art- separating the songs on the album and yet keeping the same running order.  Since cassettes had a side one and side two, there was just enough space on each side to place two songs in between each song from an album.

This wasn’t the first time I had used this concept for this series- previously I had done similar mixes based on other albums- McCartney, Plastic Ono Band, Blue, A Little Touch of Schmilsson in the Night, Days of Future Passed, Don Juan’s Reckless Daughter, Blue Moves, etc.  Most of these had the concept intact, but lacked cohesiveness.    

If I look at the tapes today, I can follow the various artist obsessions I went through back then- Bob Dylan, obviously; Harry Nilsson, Joni Mitchell, Laura Nyro, Marc Bolan, The Beach Boys, Elton John, Leonard Cohen, Frank Zappa.  The series led me to this mix, where the songs in between complimented the songs on the album, and told a story of their own.

Here’s the song list from that first cohesive one- I have since gone back and recreated the mix on cd, even though the 90 minute cassette gave me an extra 10 minutes, and some songs would not fit on the cd.

  1. Had to Cry Today– Blind Faith (Steve Winwood.) My girlfriend had just started going to college about 100 miles away, and it was the first time we had been away from each other for long periods of time.  So we were sad, and the mixes became an even more important form of communication while we were apart. This song is many things at once- a heavy electric guitar workout featuring Steve Winwood and Eric Clapton repeating a powerful riff over and over, which then gives way to a gentle song about being sad enough to cry.  
  2. Birthday– The Beatles.  An obvious birthday choice, and because it is also based on a riff it fits nicely here.
  3. Million Dollar Bash– Bob Dylan.  We were big Bob Dylan fans- I was kind of obsessed with discovering all of his albums, and luckily my girlfriend really liked him too.  A silly, nonsensical song about a big (birthday?) party- so much fun!
  4. Can’t Find My Way Home-Blind Faith. (Steve Winwood.) This was probably the song I had originally wanted to use on the mix, which led me to use the entire album.
  5. Clothes Line Saga– Bob Dylan.  Another light hearted song, supposedly influenced by Ode to Billie Joe, which was a big hit on the radio at the time the Basement Tapes were recorded.  It seems to point fun at the mundane subject matter of that song, where Bobbie Gentry describes everyday scenes, with a heavy subject lurking somewhere in the background.  The Saga randomly mentions January 30th, which was my girlfriend’s birthday.
  6. Katie’s Been Gone– The Band.  One of their sweetest and saddest songs, sung beautifully by Richard Manuel.  It captured perfectly a lot of what I was feeling then.
  7. Apple Suckling Tree– Bob Dylan.  One of Bob’s happiest songs, the lyrics are at least partially unintelligible, and yet they make perfect rhythmic sense.  Bob plays piano, and Garth Hudson displays his awesome talents on organ.
  8. Well Alright– Blind Faith (Buddy Holly.)  A faithful and reverent cover of this rocknroll classic, with a polyrhythmic riff added at the beginning and the end for good measure.
  9. Long Distance Operator– The Band (Bob Dylan.)  In those days I used to work at the old Sears in Union City, in the customer service department- a lovely job.  I used to call my girlfriend from there, long distance, on Sears’ dime. Dylan wrote these simple yet profound lyrics about the good old days before cell phones, and Richard Manuel gives them a comic tone.  Robbie Robertson’s guitar is BLASTING.  
  10. Operator- Grateful Dead (Ron “PigPen” McKernan.) Another song about a forgotten part of life, pre- cell phones.  Quintessential PigPen.
  11. Presence of the Lord– Blind Faith (Eric Clapton.) A sublime song about faith, blind or not. 
  12. The Weight– The Band.  A hymn, not merely a song.  It has become all the more poignant to me just recently, as we lost Jack, our dog, to time.
  13. Sea of Joy– Blind Faith (Steve Winwood.) This song would probably never have been chosen for one of these mixes outside of the context of the Blind Faith album, and yet it adds so much.
  14. You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere– Bob Dylan.  I was used to the version on Greatest Hits Vol. II with Happy Traum singing harmony on a wonderful melody with slightly different lyrics.  This version is more deadpan, but just as sweet.
  15. The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys– Traffic (Steve Winwood.) I think I used this song because it was familiar and well known, and it would offset side two of Blind Faith, most of which is obscure and far out.
  16. Bluebird*– Buffalo Springfield. (Steve Stills.) This was the long version that was released on their Retrospective album, later covered by Joe Walsh and the James Gang.
  17. Do What You Like– Blind Faith (Ginger Baker.) A bombastic song in 5/4 time signature, this unfolds as a solo vehicle for Steve Winwood (organ) Clapton (guitar) Rick Grech (bass) and mostly, Ginger Baker (drums.)
  18. Please Mrs. Henry*– Bob Dylan.  A perfect song to wrap up this mix- the irreverent silliness of it picking up on the humorous ending to the previous song, after 15 minutes of ‘serious’ music.

Perhaps the most important thing is that after listening to the songs in this order, the Blind Faith album has been presented and elevated, the birthday songs have done their job, and there’s something new in the world- a personal musical letter.  The Gestalt theory says that in art, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, and that’s what’s happening here.

The songs marked with * were deleted from the cd version.

The original song list, with other mixes from the series in the background.

Rocketman- An Elton John curation, pt. 5

This series was started over 10 years ago.  The Desert Island mix was done first, and that one was just my personal Elton faves, sort of avoiding most of the big hits.   I then made another mix that ended up being about half country and half gospel, so I obviously thought I could make two separate mixes out of it.  Fast forward to 2019, and I heard the RocketMan movie was coming out soon.  I went back to these mixes and made a few more.  This mix immediately came to mind- Nondescript Elton is not a putdown, just a category- a selection of the ‘other’ songs that perhaps weren’t as well loved as the classics, but represent discipline, hard work, excellent production, and the Taupin-John magic.  Right away I wanted to place Shoulder Holster next to You’re So Static, and Mellow next to Pinky. His less well-known songs are so finely crafted, with a workman like attitude, that they surpass the best songs of many other artists.  The point of these mixes is how good ALL of his material between Empty Sky and Blue Moves is.

Nondescript Elton 1969-1976

  1. Pinball Wizard Released as a promotional only single in the U.S. in 1975, Elton’s version of this song is from Ken Russell’s film version of Tommy.  The scene is many people’s favorite from the film- those boots! The song features the piano instead of guitar for the main riff, and features outstanding contributions from the Elton John Band Mach I- Dee Murray’s confident bass playing rivals John Entwistle.  The arrangement cleverly interpolates “I Can’t Explain” in various spots- see if you can spot where!  Elton’s second best cover song, after “Lucy in The Sky.”
  2. Sails Caleb Quaye shines here on electric guitar, treated with wah-wah and heavy reverb.  This is one of the strongest tracks from Empty Sky, released in England in 1969.
  3. I Think I’m Gonna Kill Myself  Humorously maudlin, a sprightly, tongue in cheek ode to suicide, this track again features outstanding bass playing by Dee Murray, and tap dancing by “Legs” Larry Smith.  From Honky Chateau, 1972.
  4. Elderberry Wine  A low profile wonder, this was the B side to “Daniel.”  After Caribou, this was the second Elton John album that I owned.  In those days department stores had a record section, and I distinctly remember asking my dad to buy me various Elton John albums whenever we’d wander in.  I asked for GYBR once, but my dad took it out of my hands and put it back in the rack.  But I was successful with this one- Don’t Shoot Me, 1973.
  5. Honey Roll  Funky honky-tonk piano and excellent drumming by Nigel Olsson help this low profile track succeed.  The drums are recorded so clearly, showcasing Nigel’s laconic, backbeat oriented style- it seemed he would leave as many spaces between beats as possible, and never fall out of the pocket.  In this one it feels like the drums are in the room with us.  From the Friends soundtrack, 1971.
  6. Grimsby Opinions differ as to the origin of this song- evidently Elton asked Bernie to write about this sleepy fishing village on the Lincolnshire coast of England because Randy Newman had immortalized Cleveland in his song Burn On.  Recorded with the full band, Elton also performed this solo on the Old Grey Whistle Test- dig that video up to see the essence of the riff.  From Caribou, 1974.
  7. Island Girl/Grow Some Funk of Your Own Both songs in this one-two punch from Rock of the Westies were released as singles from the album, with Island Girl reaching #1 in the U.S.  As great as it is, Island Girl is probably Elton’s weakest single- but this proves the point of this mix- other artists would kill to have a song of this caliber be one of their weakest.  Grow Some Funk of Your Own is built around a great riff, co-written by Davey Johnstone, that the Elton John Band Mach II would jam out on in their concerts.  Since the space between these songs is so short on the album but hard to recreate with mp3’s, for my cd mix I used a vinyl rip.
  8. (Gotta Get A) Meal Ticket  Built around a heavy guitar riff, this is one of Elton’s hardest rocking tracks, even if it gets buried amidst all the great songs from the Captain Fantastic album.  Based on their desire to sell songs in order to eat, it is one of the more dense and oblique parts of this autobiographical album.  1975.
  9. One Horse Town Again built around great guitar riffs, at times embellished by the nimble string arrangement, which also closely follows the vocal melody in places.  Blue Moves also has many songs with American themes- One Horse Town is ironically about the deep south, even though it ends up sounding almost space age thanks to the slick production, James Newton Howard’s synthesizer parts and Paul Buckmaster’s string arrangement.  1976.
  10. Western Ford Gateway  This relatively unknown song from Elton’s very first album also features great guitar by Caleb Quaye, doubletracked for the main riff.  From Empty Sky, 1969.
  11. Stinker One of Elton’s only straight blues, with a minor blues change similar to “Pretzel Logic” by Steely Dan.  From Caribou, 1974.
  12. Mellow  Another low profile gem, this is a surprisingly steamy love song, extolling the virtues of rolling in bed with a lover, knocking over empty beer bottles.  Features a nearly unrecognizable violin solo by Jean Luc-Ponty, recorded through a Leslie speaker, as well as stately bass from Dee Murray.  From Honky Chateau, 1972.
  13. Pinky  This track fits neatly after Mellow, with a similar theme.  Comparing his lover’s perfection to the Fourth of July, it’s just one example of the overtly American themes on Caribou, 1974.
  14. Valhalla  This gentle tune about Viking heaven fits in with other mystical songs from the 60’s.  From Empty Sky, 1969.
  15. Shoulder Holster  Again featuring an American setting, this time a mid-western girl, Dolly Somers, who takes off after her unfaithful lover with a pistol ‘between her breast’ in a shoulder holster.  The hard hitting arrangement is punctuated by a great horn section by the Brecker Brothers, and a fine saxophone solo by David Sanborn.  Elton could write great music for the least interesting of Bernie’s lyrics, and still end up with a song that other artists would be happy to release.  Spoiler alert- Dolly follows her unfaithful husband across the country, finds him with his new girl, takes her gun out but decides not to use it, and tosses it into a ditch.  A rare double tracked Elton-only vocal, with the overdubbed second vocal taking the lower harmony line and the chorus vocal featuring a heavenly reverb, this song does not feature a guitar player.  Blue Moves, 1976.
  16. You’re So Static  This time taking place in New York City, here’s another of Bernie’s American themes from Caribou, about a prostitute who steals his watch.  With Davey’s guitar fed through a Leslie speaker and a wah-wah pedal, this lesser known track features the Tower of Power horn section in an arrangement that would sound at home on an Amy Winehouse track.  1974.
  17. High Flying Bird  Hidden as the last track on Don’t Shoot Me, hearing this one out of that context gives it new life.  Nondescript Elton, indeed.  1973.

This is the 5th post in this Elton series, and there are 5 left, but I will get to those later on.

Nondescript Elton from the Blue Moves LP.

Rocketman- an Elton John curation, pt. 4

This Elton mix features epics (and mini-epics.)  Even prog rock fans can see the beauty in Funeral For A Friend/Love Lies Bleeding, and there are several more extended and complex pieces here, which, when separated from the albums they were featured on, shine even more brilliantly.  Some of them have a dark, almost scary overtone- another deep, prominent color in Elton’s palette; almost always accompanied by edgy, complex orchestral arrangements.  I really recommend listening to the songs in this order- that’s the whole point of this exercise.  You can ALWAYS go back to the original albums, and after listening in this order, you’ll go back with open ears.

For those of you just joining this series, don’t miss the other installments!

Lowbrow Opera 1969-1976

  1. Funeral for A Friend/Love Lies Bleeding This extended piece is among his most well-known and loved.  The Goodbye Yellow Brick Road album remains his best-selling, and what an opener! Millions of us sat entranced staring at the amazing album cover as kids, being blown away by the visions this medley conjures.  Futuristic synthesizer and eerie sound effects, multiple monster guitar parts by Davey Johnstone, awesome claves by Ray Cooper? – all leading into one of Elton’s hardest rocking songs, lending this epic monstrosity perennial appeal.
  2. Medley: Yell Help, Wednesday Night, Ugly In 1975 Elton did the unthinkable- he fired Nigel Olsson and Dee Murray and formed a new Elton John band.  The first release was a laid back, groove laden album, Rock of the Westies, which indeed shows off this new band to spectacular effect.  The new members were old friends Caleb Quaye and Roger Pope, who had played on earlier EJ albums, as well as James Newton Howard.  This is another medley, albeit less bombastic than Funeral>Bleeding- more fun and lighter in subject matter- the first section is obscure lyrically, but it seems to be the punchline, presented before the joke. (In other words, this medley only becomes decipherable after repeated listenings.)  The third section is about a funky, UGLY prostitute the narrator falls for in the French Quarter, and features some of Elton’s wildest rocknroll vocals.  It also features Labelle on wild backing vocals in the coda.
  3. Tonight Blue Moves was the second album by the new band, but the songwriting, arrangements and production were much more well-crafted than Rock of the Westies.  By 1976 Elton’s reign was ending- punk had arrived and music was trending away from the type of pop of which he had been the almost untouchable, indisputable king since 1972.  Blue Moves was the culmination of this reign, and even though it ONLY reached #3 on the U.S. Billboard album chart, a relative failure for Elton that other artists only dream of, it  was almost universally panned at the time as overly slick and weepy.  It took me years to fully enjoy the album, since by 1976 KISS had taken over for me and my friends, and Elton was suddenly passé.  But I have since realized that this is perhaps his most perfectly realized album- Elton considers it his favorite.  Tonight is a ballad with an extended orchestral arrangement that certainly belongs in this list of epics.
  4. First Episode at Hienton An underappreciated mini opera from the Elton John album, 1970.  The story is about first love- a girl becoming a woman.   The location Hienton remains mysterious, but this song seems invulnerable to time and place- it exists strongly in the mind of the listener.
  5. Candle in The Wind I love the juxtaposition of this popular and well known epic song among some of the lesser-known pieces.  A true classic from GYBR, 1973, in loving tribute to Marilyn Monroe.
  6. Tower of Babel A mini epic, again shining on its own released from the original running order.  It refers to the seedy underbelly of… Hollywood, and the movie business?  London, and the music business?  New York, with every drug imaginable readily available?  

It’s party time for the guys in the Tower of Babel, Sodom meet Gomorrah, Cain meet Abel

Have a ball, y’all  See the leches crawl, with the call girls under the table…

Shades of Marilyn…  From Captain Fantastic, 1975.

  • Hard Luck Story This had been previously recorded by Kiki Dee, who it was originally written for. The writing credit goes to Ann Orson/Carte Blanche- a pseudonym Elton came up with for songs he wrote the music and lyrics to (An ‘orse an’ cart / carte blanche.)  The fade up at the beginning of the song is similar to the one used on Social Disease, as well as the next song.  From Rock of the Westies, 1975.
  • Crazy Water Another well produced, well arranged track with a slight fade up, this song is one of several that must have seemed incredibly boring at the time- perhaps because they so clearly represent that the writers and have grown into early middle age.  Again, as time has passed this one now seems comfortably well adjusted.  What a band- listen to how James Newton Howard’s clavinet locks the rhythm section together!  Super imaginative and complex backing vocals too.  Blue Moves, 1976.
  • I Need You to Turn To An operatic love song, with harpsichord and prominent string arrangement, from the Elton John album, 1970. It occurs to me that this album was made in obscurity and later became very well known, whereas Blue Moves was released under the intense scrutiny of Elton’s fame, and yet they generally share the same mature subject matter- appreciated in the first album, excoriated in the latter.
  • I’ve Seen That Movie Too This cinematic, atmospheric song can also stand mightily on its own, taken out of the context of the original album.  It perfectly evokes a smoky, darkened movie theatre; a lonely, spurned lover in the audience being painfully reminded of lost love by the story of some low budget ‘B film.’  GYBR, 1973.
  • The Greatest Discovery This is about a new baby brother joining a family, seemingly from another child’s point of view.  Several songs from this album seem wise beyond their years- this one again features harp, cello and a lovely string arrangement, as well as Elton’s piano and a drummer.  From Elton John, 1970.
  • Madman Across the Water The song embodies, perhaps most fully and concisely of any of these, Elton’s propensity to write EPIC songs. From the album of the same name, 1971.
  • Gulliver/Hay Chewed The final track from Elton’s first album, Empty Sky, released in England in 1969, which wasn’t released until 1975 in the U.S.  Many of us always consider ‘Elton John’ to be his first album- one reason I kept going back and refining these mixes was that I needed to incorporate more songs from Empty Sky- I have definitely listened to it WAY less than his others.  This track starts with an ominous, epic ballad, then gives way to a jazz influenced jam, which is followed by snippets of each song from the album.  
  • Out of the Blue  When Blue Moves was released, one of the things the negative reviews mentioned was that there were several instrumentals done ‘to the exclusion of sense.’  But this tune is a showcase for the band, both collectively and individually as soloists. Elton’s piano solo has overtones of atonal jazz, with some Latin sounds as well, leading into well-arranged stops, and back to the head.  A section of it was used as the closing title music for Top Gear, a British TV music program.  Oddly, credit for the music goes to Elton and Bernie.  Blue Moves, 1976.
The CD booklet page for Funeral For A Friend/Love Lies Bleeding.

Rocketman- An Elton John curation, pt. 3

Gospel is an obvious category for Elton’s music, even though it took me several months to shake out all the ‘Gospel’ songs from his 1969-1976 catalog.  I’m sure there are more gospel influenced songs from the albums released after 1976 too.  Elton is a white boy from Pinner, but he’s very comfortable writing, arranging and performing with a gospel feel.

Several of the songs feature gospel choirs, even ‘Bite Your Lip’ which could be described as disco gospel.  Others have church or religious themes, even if the music is full on rock.

Elton Gospel 1970-1976

  1. Border Song This was famously covered by Aretha Franklin, and Elton sang it with her on her Duets special in 1993.  Elton himself actually wrote the last verse.  One of his most perfect songs, with almost universal appeal. From Elton John, 1970.
  2. Salvation  A hopeful song that generally doesn’t get a lot of attention, but fits in this list perfectly.  Excellent bass playing from Dee Murray.  From Honky Chateau, 1972.
  3. If There’s A God in Heaven, What’s He Waiting For? Excellent vocal, featuring Elton’s full range and a fantastic arrangement- check how the strings mesh with the guitar solo.  From Blue Moves, 1976.
  4. All the Nasties An autobiographical piece, for which Elton wrote many of the lyrics, this was a veiled ‘coming out’ song that was too obscure lyrically to have a big impact on the public.  From Madman Across the Water, 1971.
  5. Sugar on the Floor   Written by Kiki Dee. Elton performs this one solo on piano, except for slide guitar from Davey Johnstone, and he delivers an impassioned vocal which this gospel ballad deserves.  The B side of Island Girl, 1975.
  6. Where’s the Shoorah? The debate goes on about the exact meaning of ‘shoorah.’  Some say it refers to a Hebrew sentence or verse, and others claim it is a council or debate among many on a topic.  Whatever the meaning, Elton transforms this into a somber gospel song that is a hidden surprise in his catalog.  From Blue Moves, 1976.
  7. Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me A giant hit in 1974, Elton always disliked his own performance on it, even though he ended up being nominated for a Grammy for best pop vocal, male.  Background vocals from Bruce Johnston, Carl Wilson, and Toni Tennille.  From Caribou, 1974.
  8. Someone Saved My Life Tonight Another big hit from 1975, this autobiographical song tells the story of Elton’s attempted suicide in the late 60’s- in his own words, “a very Woody Allen-type suicide.”  He stuck his head in the oven, turned on the gas, opened all the windows, and waited to be rescued!  On the Rocketman dvd there is a deleted scene depicting this story, which was brought on by his imminent marriage to a woman, which he knew he could not consummate.
  9. Boogie Pilgrim Gospel funk!  Complex horn arrangements featuring the Brecker brothers, tasty slide guitar by Davey Johnstone, and outrageous bass playing by Kenny Passarelli.  From Blue Moves, 1976.
  10. Burn Down the Mission A Civil War period piece from Tumbleweed Connection.  Elton has said in interviews that the tempo changes were influenced by Laura Nyro.
  11. Can I Put You On A very under-appreciated track from the Friends soundtrack that was also released on the live album 11.17.70.  Here, as in several songs in this list, the end builds up to a gospel flavored peak, while most of the song is a mid-tempo funky rocker.  Great wah-wah guitar from Caleb Quaye.
  12. Where to Now, St. Peter?  No gospel music here, but rather full on rock.  Told from the point of view of a Civil War soldier waiting at the pearly gates for St. Peter to let him know which way he should go.  More wah-wah from Caleb.  From Tumbleweed Connection, 1970.
  13. Sixty Years On Another one that’s not really gospel, but the subject matter concerns an aging narrator returning to the church.  This version is very much a studio creation with harp and a prominent string arrangement, although the live version from 11.17.70 shows that Elton, Dee Murray and Nigel Olsson could sound just as orchestral.  From Elton John, 1970.
  14. My Father’s Gun This could have been included on the country mix as well, since its subject matter is the thoughts of a Rebel soldier returning home after the Civil War, but the awesome build up at the end make  gospel the prevailing attribute. From Tumbleweed Connection, 1970.
  15. Bite Your Lip (Get Up and Dance!) Funky rock dance tune, not quite disco, but real close- featuring a choir that must have loved recording this- you can imagine them dancing away!  From Blue Moves, 1976.
The label from the 45 of Aretha Franklin’s version of Border Song.

Rocketman- an Elton John curation, pt. 2

Putting this list together was super insightful- Elton has written and recorded many songs that could be loosely classified as country.  If not the music itself, then the subject matter and instrumentation- but you’d be surprised how often he reaches into his bag of tricks to write, arrange and sing as if he was born in Kentucky.  

This goes double for Bernie, the Brown Dirt Cowboy. Bernie was born on a farm, and spent his youth in the countryside of Lincolnshire.  He must have seen a few western movies as a kid, and they seem to have made a lasting impression.  In the film Rocketman, their first meeting ended with them singing “The Streets of Laredo” in a café with the other customers looking on.  Country roots indeed.

Elton Country 1970-1976

1.   Ballad of A Well Known Gun The Band’s influence is huge on this track, especially the guitar playing.  Listen at 2:54 for some the best Robbie Robertson licks this side of… Robbie Robertson.  (The guitar in question was played by Caleb Quaye, and the drums are by Roger Pope, both of whom would later return for a stint in the Elton John Band mach II.) The subject matter brings us back to the wild west- a gunslinger on the run.  Tumbleweed Connection, 1970.

2.   Jackrabbit  B side of Saturday Night’s Alright For Fighting, from the GYBR sessions, 1973.  Elton could write music in seemingly ANY style- here’s some bluegrass boogie with Davey Johnstone on mandolin.

3.   Dixie Lily Taken out of context, this innocuous song about a steamboat heading down the Mississippi suddenly stands out.  A hidden country gem from Caribou, 1974.

4.   Country Comfort  How does he do this?  He had only been in America briefly at this point, and usually on tour, playing show after show and flying back to England.  How does he write a genuine country song to die for?  Rod Stewart did an excellent cover of this song.  Tumbleweed Connection, 1970.

5.   Holiday Inn The pitfalls of an English touring musician in the States.  Davey Johnstone had initially been hired because of his acoustic abilities, he’s featured here on mandolin.  Madman Across the Water, 1971.

6.   Between Seventeen and Twenty  At first listen, in the context of the album it was originally on, this doesn’t sound like country, but in this setting it fits perfectly.  More mandolin by Davey Johnstone, and a twangy electric solo from Caleb Quaye- an underappreciated song from Blue Moves, 1976.  

7.   Texan Love Song Prescient subject matter in 2021- good ole boys from Texas, mourning the long haired hippy liberals stealing their girlfriends, and disrespecting their president.  

      “The minds of our daughters are poisoned by you, With your communistic politics and those Negro blues…”  

       Yes, more mandolin from Davey.  From Don’t Shoot Me, 1973.

8.   Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy  Bernie and Elton letting their roots show- an autobiographical tour de force.  Again, amazingly authentic, and again, Davey on mandolin.  From the album of the same name, 1975.

9.   Slave This was one of the easiest and most satisfying Elton mixes to work on.  He certainly isn’t renowned for the facility with which he and Bernie wrote and Elton performed with such hillbilly songs, but they are EVERYWHERE on his albums.  Davey on banjo this time. From Honky Chateau, 1972.

10. Cage The Songbird  Another sneaky country song from Blue Moves, this time as a tribute to Edith Piaf. David Crosby and Graham Nash on vocals.

11. Roy Rogers  I rest my case.  Elton on a rare double tracked harmony vocal.  Dolly Parton could easily do a convincing cover!  GYBR, 1973.

12. Social Disease  More banjo from Davey Johnstone, not to mention precise tambourine by Ray Cooper. 

13. No Shoestrings on Louise This seems to be about a madam at a whorehouse.  Someone has suggested on Wikipedia that this was intended as an homage to the Rolling Stones, and if so it succeeds.  From the Elton John album, 1970.

14. Rotten Peaches  Written from the point of view of an inmate at a “U.S. state prison.” Country gospel from Madman Across the Water, 1971.  Exquisite bass by Dee Murray.

15. Son of Your Father Misunderstanding and murder on an East Virginia farm.  Chromatic harp gives this a honkytonk feel.  Tumbleweed Connection, 1970.

16. Dan Dare (Pilot of the Future) Along with Rocket Man and I’ve Seen the Saucers, here’s yet another Taupin-John song about a space traveler.  Country funk from Rock of the Westies, 1975.

17. The Ballad of Danny Bailey (1909-1934) This one isn’t country music, but it’s definitely country in theme.  

      “We’re running short of heroes, back up here in the hills, without Danny Bailey we’re gonna have to break up our stills.  So mark his grave well, cos Kentucky loved him, born and raised proper, I guess life just bugged him.”  

       Enthusiastic strings arranged by Del Newman.  GYBR, 1973.

18. Planes  Even Elton’s extra songs are better than many artist’s A sides.  Unreleased bonus track, mandolin by guess who, from Rock of The Westies, 1975.

19. House of Cards  The B side of Someone Saved My Life Tonight, 1975.

Elton and Bernie on the cover of Tumbleweed Connection, a snapshot from their collective country consciousness.

Rocketman- an Elton John curation.

I went to see Rocketman in a movie theatre in June of 2019.  (Remember going to a theatre to see a movie?)  It was a revelation- as big of an Elton fan as I have been throughout my life, I never knew many details of his childhood that are wonderfully depicted in the film. Like many people I noticed that the songs in the film were not in chronological order, but this hardly mattered- the songs served the screenplay well.  Rocketman is exceedingly honest, and it’s hard not to develop a deep empathy for Elton that is rare in such biopics.

After seeing the film I went back to some mixes I had started 10 years earlier, and began to refine and expand them.  I had started with the mix below- my own personal favorite Elton songs, popular or not.  I had also done a Country mix, and a Gospel mix, which were obvious categories to place his songs in.  The scene in the film where Elton writes Your Song really touched a nerve- I hadn’t listened to that song with an open mind for many years, and now I went back and made a mix of his most famous songs, favorites or not.  And then I realized ALL of his songs were worth listening to, and I was determined to use EVERY song he recorded between 1969 and 1976.

So I ended up with TEN mixes.  Having listened to his albums so many times over the years it was liberating to hear the songs out of their original context and instead put them together by subject matter, style, etc.- essentially these mixes are curated like paintings in an exhibition.  The mixes reinforce the point that ALL of his songs were of the highest caliber, whether they were obscure album tracks, instantly recognizable singles, or rare B sides.  I also included a few songs that Elton played on with other artists during his meteoric career from 1969 to 1976.

I secretly wished I could send the mixes to Elton and Bernie.  I actually sent Bernie a message on his website about them.  Then, lo and behold, in November of 2020, Elton released a box set of HIS OWN curated mixes, along with two discs worth of rare B sides.  I haven’t seen the actual track listing for this set, called Jewel Box, but I know that mine is more detailed, and Monika can tell you just how much time I spent listening to and making slight changes to each one last year.  (A LOT of time.)

The idea was out there in the universe, and now it’s here for you to enjoy.  The premise of my blog is to point people back to deep listening- not an attack on the Spotify concept, but rather an invitation to look up songs for your playlists.  Most of my posts consist of a mix that was done on an 80 minute cd, and this one is no different.  I’ll be posting all ten throughout the year.  

(For some background on my history with Elton, see my previous post about Goodbye Yellow Brick Road.) https://jeffsanchezwordsandmusic.com/2013/10/.

#1 Desert Island Elton 1970-1976

  1. Your Starter For…  A rare instrumental track, this was actually written by guitarist Caleb Quaye and shows off the tight Elton John Band mach II, as well as Gus Dudgeon’s outstanding recording and production skills.  From Blue Moves, 1976.
  2. Friends  Elton has SO many more-than-great songs- although lesser known, this album is well worth finding.  From the Friends soundtrack, 1971.
  3. Skyline Pigeon  The original version of this was on Empty Sky- this version is a sublime remake that wound up as the B side of the Daniel single, 1973.  
  4. This Song Has No Title  This song took me a while to appreciate- as an 8 year old it sailed over my head, but now it’s obviously a favorite.  Artists only.  From GYBR, 1973.
  5. Come Down in Time  Beautifully arranged, written and performed, an exquisite love song.  From Tumbleweed Connection, 1970.
  6. Philadelphia Freedom  Written for Elton’s friend Billie Jean King, a perfect song in every way.  Released as a stand-alone single, 1975.
  7. Sweet Painted Lady  A true depiction of a sailor’s life, this one became quite dear to me during my time in the merchant marines, especially when visiting the former Soviet Georgia on the Black Sea.  GYBR, 1973.
  8. Amoreena  I wonder if Bernie made up this name as a play on the Latin word for love.  From Tumbleweed Connection, 1970.
  9. Bennie and the Jets  Elton was surprised when this became a MONSTER hit- it even went to #1 on the soul charts.  Sheer perfection. One of Donald Fagen’s favorite songs as well.  GYBR, 1973.
  10. Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds  Such was Elton’s confidence in the mid-seventies that he chose to remake a Beatles classic, and actually IMPROVE on it.  Featuring John Lennon on guitar and vocals, this was a stand-alone single in 1974.
  11. Whatever Gets You Through the Night  As I was refining these mixes it occurred to me there was nothing stopping me from including this, even though it was written by John Lennon.  From Walls and Bridges, 1974, Elton on piano and vocals.
  12. One Day at A Time  A rare B side, again written by John Lennon, and featuring a beautiful piano solo from Elton. It was the B side to Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds.
  13. Empty Garden  This particular sequence of Elton/John Lennon collaborations had to include this sad tribute.  It was a single from the Jump Up album, 1982.
  14. Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters  The penultimate song in the Lennon sequence on this mix, made ever more poignant in this context.  From Honky Chateau, 1972.
  15. Levon  It’s hard to pick just one favorite Elton John song, but this one comes mighty close.  From Madman Across the Water, 1971.
  16. We All Fall in Love Sometimes  Another one that took me years to appreciate, but of course it’s never too late.  From Captain Fantastic, 1975.
  17. Harmony  Yet another nearly perfect song.  GYBR, 1973.
  18. The King Must Die  Long Live the KING!  From Elton John, 1970.
  19. I Saw Her Standing There (live)  The last song of my Lennon sequence, this is from John’s last concert appearance in 1974 with the Elton John Band, mach I.  Elton thought Whatever Gets You Through the Night was good enough to go to #1, and he made Lennon promise that if it did he would make a guest appearance at one of his concerts.  B side of Philadelphia Freedom, 1975.
  20. Variation on Friends  Another instrumental, with kudos to Paul Buckmaster.  From Friends, 1971.
A snap I took in the theatre.

Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, 40 years later

I read somewhere that this week is the 40th anniversary of the release of Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, which means I have been listening to records for 40 years.  I was seven in 1973, obsessed with AM and later FM radio, and this album made a huge impression on us all-myself, my friends, and their older brothers (who actually owned this album).  At that time Elton permeated pop radio, and I was still too young to have such a contemporary rock album, but I heard his songs while my mom drove me to school or when we drove to Florida for vacation, on the FM car radio; and especially at my friend John’s house in Dumont, gazing at his brother’s copy of Elton’s gigantic, amazing album cover.

The album cover itself.

The album cover itself.

This is one case where the cd is lovely, and sounds great, but it can never recreate the impact of the album cover itself- staring at it on your bed for hours, or like we did at John’s house, on the table in the middle of the one bedroom that four boys shared, with bunk beds in each corner. It just reeked of adolescence, sex, and bursting into adulthood; with rock n roll on the radio and the jukebox. Me and John would sit and look at the cover and listen to the record and wonder what real girls were like, aside from his brothers’ girlfriends. Punk goddesses, like Bennie? Tragically sad and beautiful like Marilyn, or confident like your funky, sophisticated older sister? I still remember being entranced by the sweet painted lady, the dirty little girl, and wondering why all the young girls loved Alice… We wondered about Danny Bailey, Roy Rogers, Jamaica Jerk offs and social diseases, and Elton swigging from a whiskey bottle; we were amazed by this album, and its cover.

The 30th anniversary cd booklet does present each song’s lyrics with the corresponding image from the cover, and digging it in that format is different- each song is sliced off into cd booklet size pages, where before it was this amazing monstrosity that was bigger than you were. Simply put, the vinyl album cover is really the only way to fully enjoy the original artwork. Go get your copy and look at it! For those of you born too late, go get a vinyl copy! You’ll soon fetish it! For those of you with a vinyl copy and a turntable… you know what to do.
And if you had the singles, then the B sides were mostly extras. So if you had “Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting” as a 45, then you had “Jack Rabbit” AND “Whenever You’re Ready We’ll Go Steady Again” on the flip side. If you bought “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” as a 45, like millions of other people did, then you got “Screw You (Young Man’s Blues)” as the B. These B sides are standout tracks from these sessions, and should not be missed. The B side for “Bennie and the Jets” was the album track “Harmony”, which actually went to number one in the U.S. as a separate entry; no wonder- it’s astonishing.

The effect of all 21 of these songs and the cover was staggering to me then as a 7 year old, and I’m still staggered today. This album taught me so much about life, and if I can say I’ve had a musical career, it started there in John’s room. I was so lucky to have encountered Goodbye Yellow Brick Road when I did, all those 40 years ago. It still gives me chills, challenges me, and fills me with memories of a more innocent time.
About six months after I first heard it, I asked my dad if I could get an album for my 8th birthday. He collected albums himself, so it was a no brainer. Of course I asked for Caribou, then Elton’s newest album. I’ve never looked back.

Still staggered.

Still staggered.