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Elton John

In terms of sales and lasting popularity, Elton John was the biggest pop superstar of the early '70s. Initially marketed as a singer/songwriter, John soon revealed he could craft Beatlesque pop and pound out rockers with equal aplomb. He could dip into soul, disco and country, as well as classic pop balladry and even progressive rock. His versatility, combined with his effortless melodic skills, dynamic charisma and flamboyant stage shows made him the most popular recording artist of the '70s. Unlike many pop stars, John was able to sustain his popularity, charting a Top 40 single every single year from 1970 to 1996.

During that time, he had temporary slumps in creativity and sales, as he fell out of favor with critics, had fights with his lyricist Bernie Taupin, and battled various addictions and public scandals. But through it all, John remained a remarkably popular artist and many of his songs — including "Your Song," "Rocket Man," "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road," and "Don't Let the Sun Go Down On Me" — became contemporary pop standards.

The son of a former Royal Air Force trumpeter, Elton John was born Reginald Kenneth Dwight in 1947. Dwight began playing piano at the age of four, and when he was 11, he won a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music. After studying for six years, he left school with the intention of breaking into the music business. In 1961, he joined his first band, Bluesology, and divided his time between playing with the group, giving solo concerts at a local hotel, and running errands for a London publishing house. By 1965, Bluesology were backing touring American soul and R&B musicians like Major Lance, Doris Troy and the Bluebells.

In 1966, Bluesology became Long John Baldry's supporting band, and began touring cabarets throughout England. Dwight became frustrated with Baldry's control of the band and began searching for other groups to join. He failed his lead vocalist auditions both King Crimson and Gentle Giant before responding to an advertisement by Liberty Records. Though he failed his Liberty audition, he was given a stack of lyrics Bernie Taupin, who had also replied to the ad, had left with the label. Dwight wrote music for Taupin's lyrics and began corresponding with him through mail. By the time the two met six months later, Dwight had changed his name to Elton John, taking his first name from Bluesology saxophonist Elton Dean and his last from John Baldry.

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Album Review

Rolling Stones: Hackney Diamonds (2CD)

Read "Hackney Diamonds (2CD)" reviewed by Doug Collette


The Rolling Stones have taken some risks of greater and lesser proportion over the course of their sixty-plus- year career, but perhaps no gamble is so great as the decision by the surviving members of the band to continue on after the passing of drummer Charlie Watts. With the blessing of their co-founder in place for the presence of musician/producer Steve Jordan at the kit, the self-appointed 'greatest rock and roll band in the world' carried on with ...

3
Live Review

Elton John at The NYCB Live at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum

Read "Elton John at The NYCB Live at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum" reviewed by Mike Perciaccante


Elton John NYCB Live at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour Uniondale, NY November 16, 2019 Reg Dwight, Captain Fantastic, Rocketman, Elton John--they all put it on the line on a cool Saturday evening in mid-November at the Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, Long Island. The Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour is a 3-year extravaganza and odyssey during which Sir Elton and his fantastic band are criss-crossing the globe to say ...

5
Live Review

Elton John at the FedEx Forum

Read "Elton John at the FedEx Forum" reviewed by C. Michael Bailey


Elton John FedEx Forum Farewell Yellow Brick Road Memphis, TN October 30, 2019 The New York Times movie critic A. O. Scott made what seems an antithetical remark regarding Elton John when reviewing Dexter Fletcher's stylized biopic Rocket Man (New Republic Pictures, 2019): “But the point of “Rocketman" isn't self-aggrandizement. It's fan service of an especially and characteristically generous kind. It's certain that Elton John has nothing left to prove, but it's ...

7
Live Review

Montreux Jazz Festival 2019

Read "Montreux Jazz Festival 2019" reviewed by Martin McFie


Montreux Jazz Festival Montreux, Switzerland June 28 to July 13, 2019 Montreux Jazz festival began in 1967, driven by the vision of Claude Nobs in collaboration with Geo Voumard, Rene Langel, and the Office of Tourism in their hometown Montreux, on Lake Geneva. This year 2019, was the 53rd edition. For two weeks in July, the small town expands to entertain a quarter of a million visitors. Montreux has managed to maintain the original ...

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Event

Columbus Jazz Orchestra Celebrates Jazz Appreciation Month With "piano Men: The Music Of Billy Joel, Elton John & Stevie Wonder"

Columbus Jazz Orchestra Celebrates Jazz Appreciation Month With "piano Men: The Music Of Billy Joel, Elton John & Stevie Wonder"

Source: Scott Vezdos

Columbus, OH – In celebration of Jazz Appreciation Month, the Jazz Arts Group of Columbus (JAG) returns to the historic Southern Theatre to pay tribute to your favorite keyboard legends in “Piano Men: The Music of Billy Joel, Elton John & Stevie Wonder," April 11 - 14. The powerful vocals of Chester Gregory and keyboard wizardry of Dave Powers join Bobby Floyd and the CJO on timeless classics like “Piano Man," “Just the Way You Are," “Your Song," “Rocket Man," ...

138

Recording

"Love Song" by Elton John

"Love Song" by Elton John

Source: Sound Insights by Doug Payne

Bet you'd never guess that the first musician I ever obsessed over—really obsessed over— was Elton John. My earliest memories of Elton include “Crocodile Rock," “Tiny Dancer," “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" and “Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting," all of which were blasted endlessly over the AM radio channel I listened to back in the day (13-Q, for the record, which I think is now an oldies/easy-listening station still operating in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania). My first Elton John album was 1974's Caribou—a ...

190

Recording

Elton John - Greatest Hits (2002)

Elton John - Greatest Hits (2002)

Source: Something Else!

By Nick DeRiso The truth is, she never really left me. We would ride around, listening to eight-track tapes—or else pull a stereo speaker outside and swing on the back porch—then sing. We listened to Elton John, me and Mom. “They say Spain is pretty," I can hear her echoing, in a high voice, one summer day, “though I've never been." For too long, I felt the pain of scars that wouldn't heal. And, to be honest, very old Elton ...

165

Recording

Elton John and Leon Russell - The Union (2010)

Elton John and Leon Russell - The Union (2010)

Source: Something Else!

By Nick Deriso Elton John's long and often dispiriting journey back to his 1970s muse led him to an early idol, Leon Russell. The result is “The Union," a sturdy new collaboration full of spiralling soul and timeless revelations about starting over. Produced by T Bone Burnett and set for issue by Decca on Oct. 19, the album refurbishes John's tattered legacy even as it restores the legend of Russell—a consummate musician who saw his career stalled by a stubburn ...

125

Recording

Deep Cuts: Elton John, "Come Down in Time" (1970)

Deep Cuts: Elton John, "Come Down in Time" (1970)

Source: Something Else!

By Nick DerisoThis song, taken from a brilliant album called “Tumbleweed Connection," is the reason why you have to hate Elton John's last period.John is never in half light any more—never so patient, so bravely remote, so note perfect. Back then, he put out piano music, with an active and jazzy rhythm section, and there was uncommon beauty.The emotion around “Come Down in Time," a track about lost love, is only deepened by the ...

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Performance / Tour

Billy Joel and Elton John | 02.16 | CA

Billy Joel and Elton John | 02.16 | CA

Source: JamBase

Images by: Casey Flanigan

Billy Joel & Elton John :: 02.16.10 :: HP Pavilion :: San Jose, CA

On Wednesday night (2/16), Billy Joel and Elton John continued their Face 2 Face tour at San Jose's HP Pavilion. Considered one of the most successful and longest-running concert pairings in pop history, JamBase photographer Casey Flanigan was there to capture this special night of legends.

Setlist

Elton and Billy Together: Your Song, Just the Way You Are, Don't Let the ...

167

Recording

Tim Brantley is Like "A Young Elton John" - Performing Songwriter Mag

Tim Brantley is Like "A Young Elton John" - Performing Songwriter Mag

Source: Seth Cohen PR

Performing Songwriter Magazine: “Think of Him as a Young Elton John with an Even Larger Heart on his Sleeve” “One of the Best Albums of 2009…is Here” PERFORMING SONGWRITER MAGAZINE JUNE 2009 Issue By Beth Walker “Georgia native Tim Brantley offers a refresher to the pop-rock scene with Goldtop Heights, his debut LP. The 10 self-produced, piano-driven arrangements are a cool throwback to the '70s with an urgency in the here and now, despite the retro feel. Each ...

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Recording

MTV for Tim Brantley; Goldtop Heights Compared to Early Elton John

MTV for Tim Brantley; Goldtop Heights Compared to Early Elton John

Source: Seth Cohen PR

MTV FOR BRANTLEY, MONDAY MAY 4TH Tune in to MTV’s THE HILLS on Monday evening, May 4th, as southern rocker Tim Brantley’s hit single ‘Damage’ is featured during the show. Check local listings for details. Recent reviews have compared Brantley’s debut CD ‘Goldtop Heights’ to early Elton John, Bruce Springsteen, Hall and Oates, Billy Joel and Warren Zevon. Performing Songwriter Magazine described his live show as “awesome,” and will cover the new CD in their June issue. Other reviewers have ...

151

Performance / Tour

Elton John and Billy Joel in Concert

Elton John and Billy Joel in Concert

Source: Michael Ricci

Saturday night's alright for the piano men, who gave fans a three- hour show full of hits.

Partnerships between pop superstars usually deliver less than the sum of their talents. Nostalgia isn't always enough, but a surprising collaboration between Elton John and Billy Joel, who play nothing more than their best-known hits from the '70s and '80s, has been going strong since 1995.

That was enough to land the singer-pianists in front of a full house at the Honda Center ...

159

Performance / Tour

Billy Joel, Elton John to Play Wrigley Field

Billy Joel, Elton John to Play Wrigley Field

Source: All About Jazz

The Piano Man and the Rocket Man are pairing up for a concert this summer at Chicago's Wrigley Field. Promoters announced Tuesday that Billy Joel and Elton John will play together at the home of the Chicago Cubs on July 21.

The singer-songwriters will perform duets playing twin pianos and trading vocals. Each will play a set with his own band, followed by both bands joining for a finale.

Tickets, which go on sale Saturday, range from $55 to $175 ...

Photos

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Hackney Diamonds (2CD)

Rolling Stones Records
2024

buy

Peachtree Road

Elton Dean Tapes
2005

buy

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