Elton John, The #3 Artist of the Rock Era, Part Seven

 

(Continued from Part Six)

Elton released his Greatest Hits Volume II album in 1977, which has sold over five million copies in the U.S. alone.  He began working with a lyricist other than Taupin for the first time in his career when he teamed with Gary Osborne for the 1978 album A Single Man.

 

The result was one of the worst albums of his career, although it eventually did reach Platinum status.  "Part-Time Love" failed to make the Top 10 in any country in the world.  Guy Burchett was a 17-year-old messenger boy for his company who had died in a motorcycle crash "at virtually the same time I was writing the song", Elton said. Ray Cooper can be heard playing wind chimes and shakers on this track. "Song For Guy" did reach #4 in the U.K. and has stood the test of time.

Elton embarked on a groundbreaking tour of the former Soviet Union and Israel in 1979.  EJ had recorded the album The Complete Thom Bell Sessions in 1977 but it was not released until 1979.  It was a departure for Elton; not only did he not work with Taupin but none of the members of his band played on the album either.  His single "Mama Can't Buy You Love" reached #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart and #9 overall in the U.S. and sold over one million copies.  John picked up a Grammy nomination for Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male for the song.

 

 

But Victim of Love was the first album to perform poorly since his debut.  EJ returned to relevance on the album 21 at 33, featuring the smash "Little Jeannie", #1 in Canada and on the U.S. AC chart and #3 in Switzerland and #4 in New Zealand. 

"Little Jeannie" became Elton's 20th Gold single and 21 at 33 his 16th Gold album.  His next project, The Fox, was recorded at the same time as its predecessor and represented a regrouping as he and Bernie began to write together again.

  

The Fox is another album that was dismissed in 1980 but time has been good to it.  Part of the problem may have been the choice of singles--"Nobody Wins" and "Chloe" went nowhere when there were songs like this one on the album--"Carla Etude"/"Fanfare".

Chris Thomas, who would go on to produce many more of John's albums in the years to come, came aboard for the first time on The Fox.  

"Breaking Down The Barriers" is strong enough to have been released as a single.

 

John accepted Olsson and Murray back into the fold in 1980 and the band played before 400,000 fans in a free concert in New York City's Central Park.  This is a very personal song for Elton with the lyrics coming from Tom Robinson.  Unlike Taupin, Robinson is gay and wrote words that Elton could relate to.  "Elton's Song" is his most-performed song from the album.  

 

In 1982, Elton released the album Jump Up!.  "Blue Eyes", with a peak of #12 (although it too hit #1 among adults), is one of The Top Unknown/Underrated Songs of the Rock Era*.

"Blue Eyes" earned a Grammy nomination for Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male.  "Empty Garden (Hey Hey Johnny)" was Bernie and Elton's tribute to friend John Lennon, who was murdered the year before by a psycho.  Elton was godfather to Lennon's son Sean.

 

John reunited with Taupin full-time for the album Too Low for Zero in 1983, and the results showed.  "I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues", with Stevie Wonder on harmonica, was his biggest hit since "Little Jeannie".  It catapulted to #2 on the Adult chart for four weeks and #4 Popular in the U.S. and #5 in the United Kingdom and to date has sold over two million copies.

 

Although the lyrics reflected Bernie Taupin's recovery from a recent divorce, "I'm Still Standing" served as a declaration that Elton had withstood the pressures of stardom while also emerging victorious over his vices of alcohol, drugs and bulimia.  The single topped charts in Canada and Switzerland and reached #2 in Germany, #3 in Australia and #4 in the U.K. and even though it sold over one million singles, Billboard still showed a peak of #12.  It is an easy candidate for The Top Unknown/Underrated Songs of the Rock Era*.

 

"The Retreat" features great lyrics from Taupin and production from Chris Thomas.  David Paich (Hammond organ) and Steve Lukather (guitar) of Toto helped out on this fine song.

 

In 1984, Elton married Renate Blauel, but they divorced three years later.  EJ released the album Breaking Hearts, led by the single "Sad Songs (Say So Much)", a #2 AC and #5 Popular smash in the United States and attained #2 in Germany, #3 in Switzerland, #4 in Australia and Canada and #7 in the U.K.

Sure, he had the great early years and the phenomenal period in the mid-70's, but his longevity is a thing to behold.  Don't miss Part Eight, only on Inside The Rock Era!

Elton John, The #3 Artist of the Rock Era, Part Six

 

(Continued from Part Five)

Elton mysteriously fired Murray and Olsson, who had been two of the star performers in his band, and brought in Quaye, Roger Pope and bassist Kenny Passarelli.  This new lineup debuted before 75,000 fans at Wembley Stadium in London.  

Elton's stage show was elaborate, with his costume wardrobe including a pair of $5,000 glasses that spelled out his name in lights, a closet of hundreds of pairs of shoes and costumes specially designed for him such as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and the Statue of Liberty.

 

Elton had signed 60's star Neil Sedaka to his Rocket Records in 1974 and helped him achieve a big comeback with his hit "Laughter In The Rain" and album of the same name.  Elton joined Neil in 1975 for this #1--"Bad Blood".

 

EJ received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1975.  John's Captain Fantastic had achieved the unprecedented feat of debuting at #1, and Elton did it again with the album Rock of the Westies.  This Reggae-influenced song, with Kiki Dee singing backing vocals, gave Elton his fifth #1--"Island Girl", knocking off "Bad Blood" above from the top spot.

"Grow Some Funk Of Your Own" is the story of a man who wakes up after a bad dream of a night in Mexico, where the protagonist falls for a young senorita but is ceremoniously dismissed by her boyfriend, telling him to go back where he came from!

  

But the hectic life of being a superstar for a sustained period was taking its toll.  Elton overdosed on cocaine while in Los Angeles.  This song compares the shooting of Jesse James by James' partner in crime, Robert Ford, to Taupin's failed marriage to wife Maxine--"I Feel Like A Bullet (In The Gun Of Robert Ford)".

 

Elton also became bulimic during this time, a problem he finally admitted and got treatment for in 1990.  Here is "Hard Luck Story".

"Street Kids" contains brilliant lyrics from Bernie about his days frequenting a rough pub.  The music is a clever nod to the Who and the Rolling Stones, two groups that Elton has long admired.

It was one of the most phenomenal runs of the Rock Era, as EJ set a record with seven consecutive #1 albums from 1972-75. 

EJ then starred in the movie of the Who's Tommy and performed the group's "Pinball Wizard".  Elton wore 54-inch high fiberglass boots which were actually stilts for that performance. 

   Pete Townshend, who wrote the song for the Who, described John's recording session in the Who autobiography, Who I Am:

              Elton arrived at the Battersea studio in a

              Phantom 5 limousine, similar to the one used

              by the Queen; I hadn't seen one in the Rock

              world since Andrew Oldham's (manager of

              the Rolling Stones) in 1967.  It was a 

              revelation to observe how quickly and

              efficiently Elton and his band worked, nailing

              a driving track with solos, lead and backing

              vocals in less than four hours.

Elton has always been a soccer fan, and from 1976 to 1987 and again from 1997 to 2002, he owned Watford Football Club.  He remains a honorary life president of the club.

 

John wanted to record this song with Dusty Springfield, but presumably, Dusty was ill.  Enter Kiki Dee, who sang backup for both Dusty as well as Elton.  She had enjoyed a pretty big hit in 1974 with "I've Got The Music In Me".  "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" was a #1 smash in the United States, U.K., Canada, Australia and France.  The song was a two-million seller in the U.S. alone and Elton earned the American Music Award for Favorite Pop (Rock) Song and another Grammy nomination for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance.

Elton cut his teeth in the early days at the Troubadour in Los Angeles and five years later, he went back to the intimate club and performed four shows.  In 1976, Elton released the double album Blue Moves.  

Normally, the writing process was that Bernie would write the lyrics, give them to Elton, and he would write the music.  On this occasion, Elton began playing a melody in Los Angeles and also wrote most of the lyrics.  "I was sitting there and out it came, 'What have I got to do to make you love me'" Elton explained to Smoothradio.com. Bernie elaborated:

                 I don't think he was intending on writing a

           song, but there we were sitting around an

           apartment in Los Angeles, and he was

                 playing around on the piano and he came

                 up with this melody line.

                  For some reason this lyrical line, "Sorry

                  seems to be the hardest word" ran

                  through my head, and it fit perfectly with

                  what he was playing.  So I said, "Don't

                  do anything more to that, let me go write

                  something," so I wrote it out in a few

                  minutes and we had the song.

"Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word" remains one of Elton's most popular songs and favorites at his concerts.

 

John won an American Music Award for Favorite Pop (Rock) Male Artist in 1977.  Here is one of the best Elton songs from the album that at first was largely ignored compared to the other releases of the era but it has since gained appreciation.  John gave James Newton-Howard his start with James' first symphonic arrangement, which was masterful.  This is a brilliant piece of music--"Tonight".

 

The tracks for the album were recorded at Eastern Sound in Toronto, Ontario, Canada with overdubs added at Abbey Road Studios in London, Brother Studios in Santa Monica, California and Sunset Sound in Los Angeles.  This song is a tribute to French singer Edith Piaf, originally worked on for the Rock of the Westies album.  Its intricate, acoustic sound didn't fit that project, so Elton released "Cage The Songbird" on Blue Moves.

More from the gifted piano-playing madman in Part Seven!

Elton John, The #3 Artist of the Rock Era, Part Five

 

(Continued from Part Four)

"Philadelphia Freedom" was written by Taupin about Elton's friend Billie Jean King.  King at the time was a player/coach for the Philadelphia Freedoms tennis team.  It was one of the biggest hits of the year, reaching #1 in both the United States and Canada and a Platinum record.

John released the album of his career in 1975, Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy, the first album in history to debut at #1.  The concept album tells the story of Elton and Bernie Taupin struggling in the early days, when Dick James & company just wanted to use of the talents of these legendary songwriters for his own purposes.  

 

While most of the Taupin/John compositions must be marveled at for the interpretative musical arrangements which Elton came up with to someone else's lyrics, "Someone Saved My Life Tonight" is clearly about Elton.  

The song tells the story about his secretary in the 60's, Linda Woodrow, who also helped get Elton and Bernie off the ground with financial assistance.  Woodrow and John became romantically involved, but Elton ended it two weeks before they were due to be married after listening to the advice of former bandmate and friend Long John Baldry.

In 2020, Elton helped pay for Woodrow's medical fees, despite the two losing contact for 50 years.  "Someone Saved My Life Tonight" is underrated even at #2 in Canada and #4 in the U.S.; most stations had it #1.

 

Get set to hear some great album tracks as treats from this amazing album.  This one wasn't released as a single but should have been.  It perhaps better than any other track tells the despair the pair felt in their early days, to wit:  "The world's in front of me in black and white; I'm on the bottom line."  Taupin wrote more great lyrics:  "While the Diamond Jim's and the King's Road pimps breathe heavy in their brand new clothes..."  Another of Elton's great rockers (with a great riff from Johnstone) is "(Gotta' Get A) Meal Ticket".

"Bitter Fingers" is another song about the pair's frustration at writing songs for other artists instead of themselves.

  

"Tower Of Babel" is about the tough times the songwriting duo underwent to escape the doldrums of the industry and finally make it big.

Elton has said he felt a real connection with the lyrics in this song.  The line "Our Empty Sky was filled with laughter" is of course a reference to the early days which included that album.  Casual fans might interpret the song to be Elton's words, but it is Bernie putting the words in Elton's mouth--"We All Fall In Love Sometimes".

Captain Fantastic was already certified Gold before it shipped, reached the Top 5 in nearly every civilized country and has topped three million in sales.  But it's even better than that and here's another reason why--"Better Off Dead".

One of the greatest timekeepers and beatmakers of the Rock Era, Nigel Olsson, is superb with the sticks. It makes it even more amazing to know that the music was written for this classic album in about a week.  Percussionist Ray Cooper told Uncut magazine about the experience:

               Elton decided to take everybody on the

               boat to New York, and then we would go to

               Caribou Ranch out in Colorado to record.  

               His idea, which worked perfectly, was that

               he would write the material on the boat.  

               We went on the SS France, and it turned

               out to be the last voyage of that ship.  He

               had a suite with a grand piano, and he 

               wrote all the material for "Captain

               "Fantastic" on that boat trip, which was 

                six days.  Go figure that one!

 

Elton was nominated for a Grammy for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance, and rather than be cited for a song, as was customarily the case, the Academy recognized him for the work on the entire album.  Here is the outstanding title song that takes listeners to the early days of the partnership, and enjoy the great percussion of Ray Cooper--he is an unsung hero!

 

This track, while always well thought of, has been picking up steam the last few years (sorry for the pun!).  It is another song where we can feel Taupin just aching to go back to the country life.  According to Barry Toberman's biography of Elton, the whistle in the song refers to the train back to rural Lincolnshire.  Another great track here--"Tell Me When The Whistle Blows".

"Curtains" is the conclusion of "We All Fall In Love Sometimes" above, with the narrator speaking of life's regrets, told by Taupin and his memory of relationships and the lamentation of the end of those relationships (particularly the one with his wife Maxine) while Bernie and Elton were climbing the ladder of musical success.  Tension is created and then released with the thunderous and wonderful bashing of Nigel Olsson's drums.

Hold that thought to see what happens in Part Six!

Elton John, The #3 Artist of the Rock Era, Part Four

 

(Continued from Part Three)

 

Elton released this Taupin song about a science-fiction Rock band, told from the perspective of a fan speaking to friends Candy and Ronnie, who had seen the group.   Bernie told Esquire he saw the band as "a prototypical female rock 'n' roll band out of science fiction."  The audience sounds are from a show Elton did at the Royal Festival Hall.  "Bennie And The Jets" has sold over four million copies, #1 in both the United States and Canada.

 

Here is the heartfelt tribute to Marilyn Monroe written by Taupin but Bernie says the message can apply to many stars who died prematurely.  "[It was about] the idea of fame or youth or somebody being cut short in the prime of their life," Bernie said.  "The song could have been about James Dean, it could have been about Montgomery Clift, it could have been about Jim Morrison...how we glamorize death, how we immortalize people."  

"Candle In The Wind" flew to #5 in New Zealand and reached #11 in the U.K.

Goodbye Yellow Brick Road has exceeded eight million in U.S. sales and 30 million worldwide.  The lyrics to this song, "Grey Seal" are open for misinterpretation.  Taupin, who we know can write clear messages in his lyrics, says that with this one, even he does not understand them but they work.

 

Like "Grey Seal" above, "Harmony" also attracted tons of airplay.  Many thought it should have been a single, but it was the B-side to "Bennie And The Jets".  "We could have taken singles off that album for years," Elton said.

 

Roy Rogers, who Elton said was one of his childhood heroes, was a famous singing cowboy, a star on Hollywood as well as on radio and television, and his name was recognizable throughout the world until his death in 1998.  Taupin of course loved the Old West, so Rogers was someone both agreed would make a good subject for a song.  Here is their tribute to him.  

The fast-paced "Your Sister Can't Twist (But She Can Rock 'n Roll") is one of the best rockers on the album.  In the last chorus, Elton sang "Your sister can't surf but she can rock and roll," a tribute to the Beach Boys.

Taupin's lyrics are super, and the ever-dependable Nigel Olsson does a great job, but the cry in that guitar of Johnstone's elevates this to another level--"I've Seen That Movie Too".

"This Song Has No Title", perhaps fitting the narrator's unfinished life, is another standout track.

 

 

The two pieces of this song were recorded separately.  The intro instrumental was composed by Elton with music he would want at his funeral. The whirling wind and subtle organ introduction set the tone of mortality.  Engineer David Hentschel's ARP 2500 synthesizer kicks in and as the song picks up energy, Davey Johnstone's guitar is featured.  The tone then turns into a frenzied battle between Elton's piano, Nigel Olsson's percussion and Johnstone's guitar.  

The second part of the song then kicks in with Bernie's lyrics describing what the hectic rock & roll lifestyle does to relationships.  Elton often chose this brilliant piece of songwriting to open his concerts.  Never released as a single, "Funeral For A Friend"/"Love Lies Bleeding" is one of the great accomplishments in Bernie's and Elton's careers.

Elton formed his own label, Rocket Records and signed acts such as Neil Sedaka and Kiki Dee.  But he signed an $8 million contract to continue recording his own music with MCA.  

EJ released the album Caribou, his third consecutive #1 in the U.K. that also went to #1 in the U.S., Canada and Australia.  The project was named after Gus Dudgeon's ranch in Colorado where the album was recorded.  

 "Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me" was the opening single featuring backing vocals by Carl Wilson and Bruce Johnston of the Beach Boys and Toni Tennille (who soon would enjoy success of her own as the Captain & Tennille).  It hit #1 in Canada and #2 in the United States and was nominated for Record of the Year and Best Male Pop Vocal Performance at the Grammys.

 

This song results from one day when Elton was in a bad mood, complaining about everything.  Bernie's wife Maxine heard him and said, "Uh-oh, the bitch is back."  Bernie thought it to be a great title for a song and started putting together the lyrics.  "The Bitch Is Back" was a #1 smash in Canada and #4 in the U.S. and has sold over one million copies.  Dusty Springfield sang backing vocals on the track while Denny Pickett played the fine sax solo and the great horn section from the Tower of Power contributed on both singles.

In 1974, EJ released the compilation album Elton John's Greatest Hits.  The #1 blockbuster album on both sides of the Atlantic (#1 for 10 weeks in the United States and #1 for 11 in the U.K.) has now sold over 17 million copies in the U.S. alone and 24 million worldwide.  

 

John teamed up with John Lennon for Elton's remake of the Beatles' "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds", another #1 in both the U.S. and Canada, #2 in Australia and New Zealand and #3 in the U.K. and John's third consecutive Gold record. The Beatles gave permission to record their songs....almost never. That they gave it to Elton speaks volumes for his greatness, and their trust in him.

Elton returned the favor by helping out Lennon on the #1 "Whatever Gets You Thru The Night". 

 

Caribou was nominated for Album of the Year at the Grammy Awards.  The Tower of Power mentioned above also lent their talents to and shine brightly on this solid album track--"You're So Static".

Elton was still rolling down the fast lane.  We are just getting started in our chronicling of his fabulous career.  Join us for Part Five!

Elton John, The #3 Artist of the Rock Era, Part Three

 

(Continued from Part Two)

Guitarist Davey Johnstone, who played on the aforementioned track on Madman Across the Water, joined the band in time for the release of the album Honky Château in 1972.  

 

This classic was released at a time of great curiosity in outer space and mankind's desire to push the limits.  The subject is a son who longs to be an astronaut just like his father.  The son's idol doesn't seem to be fully committed to his cause, being tempted to go to the stars while also mournfully regretting leaving his family behind.  He agrees to one last mission that has disastrous results.  "Rocket Man" soared to #2 in the U.K., #6 in the United States and Ireland and #8 in Canada, and has also now sold over six million.

 Honky Chateau became the first of a string of #1 albums which carried John to superstardom.  There was no one hotter than Elton from 1972-75.  The riffs that EJ came up with, including on "Honky Cat", were from another world.  Like other early songs, there can be no doubt just who the "honky cat" is.  Taupin, born on a farm in Lincolnshire, made it known in no uncertain terms where he would rather be.  But he purposely made the lyrics ambiguous as to whether the honky cat made it back to his roots or made his fame and fortune in New Orleans.  The single peaked at #4 in New Zealand and #8 in the U.S.

 

Here is Bernie's ode to New York City:  "Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters".  Elton, who identifies with the subject matter which alternates between despair and optimism, says it is one of his favorites.  In spite of his nearly unparalleled talent and success, he also experienced his own psychological problems including extreme bulimia as well as the problems resulting from alcohol and drug abuse.

 

The album Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player followed, the first to be released by MCA, which had consolidated Uni into the parent organization.  Elton scored his biggest career hit to date with the #1 smash "Crocodile Rock" (#1 in the U.S., Canada, New Zealand and Switzerland), another of The Top 500 Songs of the Rock Era*.

One of Elton's most memorable performances of this song was on September 7, 1973 at the Hollywood Bowl.  His engineer, Clive Franks, played electric piano behind him while wearing a giant crocodile head. 

 

"Daniel", about a Vietnam veteran, reached #1 in Canada and on the Adult chart in the U.S. (#2 overall) while topping out at #2 in New Zealand and Norway, #4 in the United Kingdom, Germany and Ireland, #5 in Switzerland and #8 in the Netherlands.

 

John was nominated for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance at the Grammy Awards for "Daniel".  The album's title is from a placque Bernie saw while in an American novelty shop.  "Elderberry Wine" was released as the B-side to "Crocodile Rock" and received a lot of airplay on AOR (Album-Oriented Rock) stations.  Taupin had his tongue firmly in cheek when he wrote this one.

This tender ballad is another example of Bernie's best lyrics--"High Flying Bird".

In 1973, John released the phenomenal album Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, not only one of The Top Double Albums of the Rock Era* but one of The Top 100 Albums*.  This song was the only one recorded in Jamaica but Elton and the band were dissatisfied with the recording equipment and re-recorded it and the rest of the album in France.

GYBR was Elton's sixth album in four years, and those six contained some of the most beloved songs of his career.  "Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting" was the opening single, #7 in the U.K. but with a peak of #12 in the United States, another of The Top Unknown/Underrated Songs of the Rock Era*.  The single highlighting Johnstone's guitar playing has to date sold over four million units, very much defying the #12 peak position. and was a solid #2 in the U.S.  Taupin was happy with the direction Elton took the song.  In the Eagle Vision documentary, Classic Albums:  Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, Bernie said it features one of the greatest "strident, blistering guitar chords ever created in Rock & Roll.

 

It really was a magical time for Elton and the band, as they took just two weeks to record this masterpiece.  "I would write at breakfast at the table," he told the BBC.  "The band would join in.  And by the time breakfast was over, we'd written and rehearsed two songs, and we went in the studio and recorded them.  The boys did the backing vocals while I was in bed.  It was the height of our powers.  

In the title song, the Yellow Brick Road leads to cunning and deceit, a long way from the owls, hedgehogs and toads on the farm in Lincolnshire from where Taupin grew up.  He wants to break away from the controlling romantic partner who wants to display him at parties "where the dogs of society howl".

"Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" roared to #1 in Canada and New Zealand, #2 in the U.S., #4 in Australia and Ireland and #6 in the U.K.  The single has gone over four million in sales.

 

After a very successful year that included two albums, John and Taupin wrote this as a "thank-you card to fans".  They wrote it on a Sunday morning and Elton and the band recorded it at Trident Studios that afternoon.  "Step Into Christmas" has become a holiday favorite.

Don't worry, there's much more from the classic double album Goodbye Yellow Brick Road--hear that in Part Four, exclusively on Inside The Rock Era!

Elton John, The #3 Artist of the Rock Era, Part Two

 

(Continued from Part One)

 

Elton released the album Tumbleweed Connection, a #2 effort in the U.K. and #5 in the United States.  This third release, also recorded at Trident Studios, features songs about one of Taupin's inspirations, the American West.  Absent of hits, Tumbleweed Connection is nonetheless loaded with quality songs featuring evocative lyrics from Taupin and melodic compositions from John.  This Top Track* tells the story of a fugitive who is finally caught, but instead of being proud of his reputation, the villain laments it in "Ballad Of A Well-Known Gun".

Like its predecessor and the album that followed, Tumbleweed includes superb string arrangements from Paul Buckmaster.  Three tracks that we will hear, "Country Comfort", "Come Down In Time" and "Burn Down The Mission" were recorded during the Elton John sessions but saved for this album.  Rod Stewart recorded "Country Comfort" on his album Gasoline Alley.  Here is the original.

 

Two fixtures in Elton's backing band, bassist Dee Murray and drummer Nigel Olsson, appeared for the first time as the rhythm section on "Amoreena".  Olsson had played on one of the tracks on the Empty Sky album in 1969.

 "Amoreena" was later used in the opening credits of the 1975 movie Dog Day Afternoon with Al Pacino.  This song tells the story of a young Confederate whose father was killed during the American Civil War.  After putting his father to rest, the son takes up his father's gun to take his place on the battlefield and to carry "My Father's Gun".

Tumbleweed is decidedly melancholy.  "Where To Now St. Peter?" is another brilliant tale about the death of a soldier who is passing over to the other side.  We aren't told about which conflict felled the man, but from the other tracks on the album, Taupin likely was inspired to write it from the American Civil War. 

 

In the superb "Come Down In Time", Bernie and Elton melt together into one, with John summoning the strength to sing each line as if it were his own words and his own feelings.  His piano playing and his imaginative music got a lot of attention, but his emotive, interpretive and solid vocals, especially in his early years, must not be overlooked.

 

We saved the best song on Tumbleweed for last--the fantastic "Burn Down The Mission".  The lyrics tell a basic story but their vagueness leave them open to personal interpretation.  A poor community is oppressed by the greed and power of a rich man, and the protagonist is motivated to take action.  Alas, however, he fails and must suffer the consequences, although he maintains his actions were justified.

This is one of Elton's most complicated pieces in which the key changes four times before returning to the opening key.  He masterfully designed the music to complement the narrative with his slow piano introduction to introduce the character and tell his story.  The middle section, much faster and featuring full instrumentation, is symbolic of the struggle that the hero has undertaken.  Finally, after the struggle, the music returns to its basic beginning, representing the defeat of the hero.  

But then, suggesting that the others have picked up the cause for which our hero fought for, the tempo again picks up at the end!

"Burn Down The Mission" is one of many Elton John works of art and such a fan favorite that Elton plays it often in concert.

John's live album 11-17-70 was recorded at A&R Studios in New York City.  Elton and Bernie wrote the soundtrack to the movie Friends in 1971.  Although it stalled at #13 in Canada and #17 on the U.S. Adult chart, it is another of his career best.  Elton's work  was nominated for Best Original Score from a Motion Picture at the Grammys.

 "Michelle's Song" is also featured in the movie.  

 

John released his fourth solo album, Madman Across the Water, in 1971.  It was on this album that Elton and Bernie began to click as a songwriting team to be reckoned with.  

This song, a simple character sketch about a family, is as relatable today as it was then.  "Levon" is about three generations of the Tostig family:  Alvin is Levon's dad and Jesus is his son.  Each is a good man who wants the best for their son, and each wants their son to achieve more than they did.  

Levon owns a fairly successful balloon company, but when Jesus looks at the balloons, he just dreams of becoming an astronaut.  Levon is happy that Jesus wants to improve himself but privately disappointed that Jesus doesn't want to continue the family business.  The theme is universal, but there isn't a father or a son who cannot identify with it.  "Levon" initially peaked at #24.  Proving it's worth and long-term relevance, "Levon" has now gone Gold.

 Looking back almost 40 years later, it is hard to believe that "Tiny Dancer" peaked at #35.  Some Elton John fans insist it is the best song he ever did. From the fact that the single now tops six million in sales, we agree that it is certainly one of his best--it ranks high in our list of The Top Unknown/Underrated Songs of the Rock Era*!  This analysis by Rupert Lenz of Rateyourmusic.com captures the reaction of listeners very well:

             It blew my ears off from the start,

            There's a feel to it I can't describe,

            especially when Elton's voice enters the

            higher registers,

            It's so damn cool.

            And his piano...the strings...

            the guitar licks...

            the way that bass and drums wave the rhythm... 

            somehow loose but just tight enough to 

             make it soar...

             It's just magic.

"Rotten Peaches" is a grand, anthemic piano ballad that is complemented by a Gospel choir (the Cantores em Ecclesia Choir) and features Rick Wakeman of Yes on the Hammond organ.  It is the tale of a prisoner, holding onto a long-lost love, a relationship lost because of his crimes, a relationship he's pining over although it's already gone.

"Goodbye" is the conclusion to the album, a simple ballad that mixes well with the more-complicated musical compositions of "Levon" and "Tiny Dancer".

Davey Johnstone plays the great mandolin on "Holiday Inn", a glimpse into life on the road for Elton and Bernie.  

 

The title song is another of Elton's best and Ray Cooper, who would play on several projects to come, makes his first appearance on an Elton John song.  

Putting yourself in the role of a composer, imagine being handed a sheet of paper with the lyrics of this song by Bernie Taupin.  We don't know if the song is about anyone in particular, nor if the person, who is in a mental institution, belongs there or not.  And Taupin's line "Is the nightmare black or are the windows painted" is one of his best from one of the great lyricists of all-time.  

If you haven't heard some of these songs, that is what this site exists for--to possibly expose you to some music you will cherish forever.  Much more to come from Elton John!