Tag Archives: Bernie Taupin

Elton John: The Fox

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The Fox

On May 20, 1981, “Rocket” label released “The Fox”, the fifteenth Elton John album. It was recorded August 1979; January–June 1980, at “Super Bear Studios” in Nice, France and “Sunset Sound” in Los Angeles, and was produced by Chris Thomas, Elton John and Clive Franks.

Personnel:

  • Elton John – lead and backing vocals, piano
  • Richie Zito – guitars
  • Stephanie Spruill – tambourine, backing vocals
  • James Newton Howard – synthesizers, vocoder, Fender Rhodes, organ, synthesizer programming, strings arrangements, conductor
  • Mickey Raphael – harmonica
  • Reggie McBride: bass guitar
  • Dee Murray: bass guitar, backing vocals
  • Jeff Porcaro: drums
  • Alvin Taylor: drums
  • Nigel Olsson: drums
  • Roger Linn: drum synthesizer programming
  • Victor Feldman – percussion
  • Jim Horn – alto saxophone
  • London Symphony Orchestra – strings
  • Colette Bertrand – French girl
  • Bill Champlin – backing vocals, tambourine
  • James Cleveland – spoken voice, choir director
  • Cornerstone Baptist Church Choir – choir
  • Clarence Ford – backing vocals
  • Roy Galloway – backing vocals
  • James Gilstrap – backing vocals
  • Varl Carwell – backing vocals
  • Chuck Cissel – backing vocals
  • Ronald Baker – backing vocals
  • Max Gronenthal – backing vocals
  • John Lehmanb – acking vocals
  • Tamara Matoesian now Tamara Champlin – backing vocals
  • Gary Osborne – backing vocals
  • Oren Waters – backing vocals

Track listing:

  1. Breaking Down Barriers – Elton John, Gary Osborne
  2. Heart in the Right Place – Elton John, Gary Osborne
  3. Just Like Belgium – Elton John, Bernie Taupin
  4. Nobody Wins – Jean-Paul Dreau, Gary Osborne
  5. Fascist Faces – Elton John, Bernie Taupin
  6. Carla/Etude – Elton John
  7. Fanfare – Elton John, James Newton Howard
  8. Chloe – Elton John, Gary Osborne
  9. Heels of the Wind – Elton John, Bernie Taupin
  10. Elton’s Song – Elton John, Tom Robinson
  11. The Fox – Elton John, Bernie Taupin

Elton John: Captain Fantastic And The Brown Dirt Cowboy

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Elton_John_-_Captain_Fantastic_and_the_Brown_Dirt_Cowboy

On May 19, 1975, “DJM” label released “Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy”, the ninth Elton John studio album. It was recorded June–July 1974, at “Caribou Ranch” in Nederland, Colorado, and was produced by Gus Dudgeon. In 1993, the album was certified 3 x Platinum in the US by the “RIIA”. In 2003, “Rolling Stone” magazine ranked “Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy” at number 158 on its list of the “500 Greatest Albums of All Time”.

Personnel:

  • Elton John– vocals, acoustic and electric pianos, clavinet, mellotron, ARP String Ensemble synthesizer, harpsichord
  • Davey Johnstone– acoustic, electric and Leslie guitars, mandolin, piano , backing vocals
  • Dee Murray– bass, backing vocals
  • Nigel Olsson– drums, backing vocals
  • Ray Cooper– shaker, congas, gong, jawbone, tambourine, bells, bell  tree, cymbals, triangle, bongos
  • David Hentschel– ARP synthesizer
  • Gene Page– orchestral arrangements
  • Jeff Guercio – engineer
  • Mark Guercio – engineer assistant
  • Gus Dudgeon, Phil Dunne – remix
  • David Larkham – art direction, graphic concept
  • Bernie Taupin – art direction, graphic concept
  • Alan Aldridge – cover design
  • David Larkham – package design
  • Alan Aldridge – illustration

Track listing:

All tracks by Elton John and Bernie Taupin, except where noted.

  1. Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy
  2. Tower of Babel
  3. Bitter Fingers
  4. Tell Me When the Whistle Blows
  5. Someone Saved My Life Tonight
  6. (Gotta Get a) Meal Ticket
  7. Better Off Dead
  8. Writing
  9. We All Fall in Love Sometimes
  10. Curtains

Elton John: Same

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Elton_John_-_Elton_John

On April 10, 1970, “DJM” label released the self-titled, second Elton John album. It was recorded in January 1970, at “Trident Studios” in London, and was produced by Gus Dudgeon. This was John’s first album released in US,  “Rolling Stone” magazine ranked the album at number 468 on its list of the “500 greatest albums of all time”. On 27 November 2012, it was inducted into the “Grammy Hall of Fame” as an album cited as exhibiting “qualitative or historical significance”.

Personnel:

  • Elton John– vocals, piano,  harpsichord
  • Colin Green – guitars, Spanish guitar
  • Roland Harker – guitar
  • Clive Hicks – acoustic guitar, rhythm guitar, twelve-string guitar
  • Alan Parker– rhythm guitar
  • Caleb Quaye– lead guitar, additional guitars
  • Brian Dee– organ
  • Diana Lewis – Moog synthesizer
  • Frank Clark – acoustic bass, acoustic guitar
  • Les Hurdle – bass guitar
  • Dave Richmond – bass guitar
  • Alan Weighall – bass guitar
  • Barry Morgan– drums
  • Terry Cox– drums
  • Dennis Lopez – percussion
  • Tex Navarra – percussion
  • David Katz – violin
  • Paul Buckmaster– cello solo
  • Skaila Kanga– harp
  • Barbara Moore – backing vocals, choir leader
  • Madeline Bell– backing vocals
  • Tony Burrows– backing vocals
  • Roger Cook– backing vocals
  • Lesley Duncan– backing vocals
  • Kay Garner – backing vocals
  • Tony Hazzard– backing vocals
  • Paul Buckmaster – arranger
  • David Katz – orchestra contractor
  • Robin Geoffrey Cable – engineer
  • Gus Skinas – editing
  • David Larkham – art direction
  • Gus Dudgeon, John Tobler – liner notes

Track listing:

All tracks by Elton John and Bernie Taupin.

  1. Your Song
  2. I Need You to Turn To
  3. Take Me to the Pilot
  4. No Shoe Strings on Louise
  5. First Episode at Hienton
  6. Sixty Years On
  7. Border Song
  8. The Greatest Discovery
  9. The Cage
  10. The King Must Die

Elton John: Don’t Shoot Me I’m Only The Piano Player

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Elton_John_-_Don't_Shoot_Me_I'm_Only_the_Piano_Player

On January 26, 1973, “DJM Records” released “Don’t Shoot Me I’m Only the Piano Player”, the sixth Elton John studio album. It was recorded in June 1972, at the “Château d’Hérouville” in Hérouville, France, and was produced by Gus Dudgeon.

Personnel:

  • Elton John– vocals, acoustic piano, electric piano, Leslie piano, Farfisa organ, harmonium, mellotron
  • Davey Johnstone– acoustic, electric, and Leslie guitars, banjo, sitar, mandolin, backing vocals
  • Dee Murray– bass guitar, backing vocals
  • Nigel Olsson– drums, maracas, backing vocals
  • Ken Scott– ARP synthesizer
  • Jean-Louis Chautemps, Alain Hatot – saxophone
  • Jacques Bolognesi –trombone
  • Ivan Jullien – trumpet
  • Gus Dudgeon– brass arrangements
  • Paul Buckmaster– orchestral arrangements

Track listing:

All tracks by Elton John and Bernie Taupin.

  1. Daniel
  2. Teacher I Need You
  3. Elderberry Wine
  4. Blues for My Baby and Me
  5. Midnight Creeper
  6. Have Mercy on the Criminal
  7. I’m Going to Be a Teenage Idol
  8. Texan Love Song
  9. Crocodile Rock
  10. High Flying Bird

Aretha Franklin: Young, Gifted And Black

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ArethaFranklinYoung,Gifted&Black

On January 24, 1972, “Atlantic” label released “Young, Gifted and Black”, the nineteenth Aretha Franklin studio album. It was recorded August 1970 – February 1971, and was produced by Tom Dowd, Arif Mardin and Jerry Wexler. In 1972, the album won Aretha Franklin “Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance”. In 2003, the TV network “VH1” ranked it the 76th greatest album of all time.

Personnel:

  • Aretha Franklin – lead vocals, acoustic piano, celesta, electric piano
  • Don Arnone – acoustic guitar
  • Cornell Dupree- guitar
  • Hugh McCracken- guitar
  • Donny Hathaway- organ, electric piano
  • Billy Preston- organ
  • Eric Gale- bass
  • Chuck Rainey- bass
  • Robert Popwell- bass, percussion
  • Bernard “Pretty” Purdie- drums
  • Al Jackson, Jr.- drums
  • Ray Lucas – drums
  • The Memphis Horns- horn section
  • Andrew Love (of the Memphis Horns) – tenor saxophone
  • Neal Rosengarden – trumpet, vibraphone
  • Wayne Jackson (of the Memphis Horns) – trumpet
  • Hubert Laws- flute
  • Tom Dowd- horn arrangements
  • Pat Smith – backing vocals
  • Ronald Bright – backing vocals
  • R. Bailey – backing vocals
  • Carolyn Franklin- backing vocals
  • Erma Franklin- backing vocals
  • Margaret Branch – backing vocals
  • Ann S. Clark – backing vocals
  • The Sweet Inspirations- backing vocals
  • Sammy Turner – backing vocals
  • Stanislaw Zagorski – cover design
  • David Nathan – liner notes

Track listing:

  1. Oh Me Oh My (I’m a Fool for You Baby) – Jim Doris
  2. Day Dreaming – Aretha Franklin
  3. Rock Steady – Aretha Franklin
  4. Young, Gifted and Black – Weldon Irvine, Nina Simone
  5. All the King’s Horses – Aretha Franklin
  6. A Brand New Me – Theresa Bell, Jerry Butler, Kenny Gamble
  7. April Fools – Burt Bacharach, Hal David
  8. I’ve Been Loving You Too Long – Jerry Butler, Otis Redding
  9. First Snow in Kokomo – Aretha Franklin
  10. The Long and Winding Road – John Lennon, Paul McCartney
  11. Didn’t I (Blow Your Mind This Time) – Thom Bell, William Hart
  12. Border Song (Holy Moses) – Bernie Taupin, Elton John

Elton John: Goodbye Yellow Brick Road

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Elton_John_-_Goodbye_Yellow_Brick_Road

On October 5, 1973, “DJM” label released “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road”, the seventh Elton John’s studio album.  It was recorded in May 1973, at the “Château d’Hérouville, in France, and was produced by Gus Dudgeon. “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” is ranked at no. 91 on “Rolling Stone’s” magazine list of “500 Greatest Albums of All Time”. In 2003, the album was inducted in to the “Grammy Hall of Fame”.

Personnel:

  • Elton John– vocals, piano, Leslie piano, electric piano, organ, Farfisa organ, mellotron
  • Davey Johnstone– acoustic, electric, slide and steel guitars, banjo
  • Ray Cooper– tambourine
  • David Hentschel – ARP synthesizer
  • Dee Murray– bass
  • Nigel Olsson– drums, congas, tambourine
  • Leroy Gómez– saxophone
  • Dee Murray, Davey Johnstone, Nigel Olsson – backing vocals
  • Kiki Dee– backing vocals
  • Del Newman[– orchestral arrangements

Track listing

All tracks by Elton John and Bernie Taupin, except where noted.

  1. Funeral for a Friend – Elton John / Love Lies Bleeding
  2. Candle in the Wind
  3. Bennie and the Jets
  4. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
  5. This Song Has no Title
  6. Grey Seal
  7. Jamaica Jerk-off
  8. I’ve Seen That Movie Too
  9. Sweet Painted Lady
  10. The Ballad of Danny Bailey
  11. Dirty Little Girl
  12. All the Girls Love Alice
  13. Your Sister Can’t Twist
  14. Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting
  15. Roy Rogers
  16. Social Disease
  17. Harmony