Tag Archives: Elton John

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: Honky Château

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Elton John Honky Chateau HIGH RESOLUTION COVER ART

On May 19, 1972, “DJM” label released “Honky Château”, the fifth Elton John studio album. It was recorded in January 1972, at “Château d’Hérouville” in Hérouville, France, and was produced by Gus Dudgeon. In 2003, “Rolling Stone” magazine ranked “Honky Château” at number 357 on its list of the “500 Greatest Albums of All Time”. In 1995, the album was certified Platinum in the US by the “RIIA”.

Personnel:

  • Elton John– vocals, piano , organ
  • Davey Johnstone– guitars, banjo, steel guitar, mandolin, backing vocals
  • Dee Murray– bass guitar, backing vocals
  • Nigel Olsson– drums, congas, tambourine, backing vocals
  • Jean-Louis Chautemps, Alain Hatot – saxophones
  • Jason Barnhart – trumpet
  • Jacques Bolognesi – trombone
  • Jean-Luc Ponty– electric violin
  • Legs” Larry Smith– tap dance, mastering
  • David Hentschel– ARP synthesizer
  • Ray Cooper– congas
  • Gus Dudgeon– rhino whistle, backing vocals
  • Madeline Bell, Liza Strike, Larry Steel,Tony Hazzard – backing vocals
  • Gus Dudgeon – brass arrangements
  • Ken Scott – engineer
  • Tony Cousins – remastering
  • Gus Skinas – editing
  • Ed Caraeff – cover photographyr

Track listing:

All tracks by Elton John and Bernie Taupin.

  1. Honky Cat
  2. Mellow
  3. I Think I’m Going to Kill Myself
  4. Susie (Dramas)
  5. Rocket Man (I Think It’s Going to Be a Long, Long Time)
  6. Salvation
  7. Slave
  8. Amy
  9. Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters
  10. Hercules

Nina Simone

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On April 21, 2003, Eunice Kathleen Waymon aka Nina Simone, died aged 70. She was singer, songwriter, musician (piano), arranger, and civil rights activist. In her career, Simone has recorded more than forty albums. Many famous musicians have cited Simone as their influence, among the others: Aretha Franklin, Adele, David Bowie, Antony and the Johnsons, Dianne Reeves , Sade , Beyoncé,  Janis Joplin , Nick Cave, Jeff Buckley, Van Morrison, Elkie Brooks, Lena Horne, Bono, Cat Stevens, Peter Gabriel, Mary J. Blige, Lauryn Hill, Elton John, Alicia Keys and Lana Del Rey. John Lennon cited Simone’s version of “I Put a Spell on You” as a inspiration for the Beatles’ song “Michelle”.

For her work, Simone received various awards including:

  • In 2000, “Grammy Hall of Fame Award”for her interpretation of “I Love You, Porgy”
  • Honorary degrees in music and humanities, from the “University of Massachusetts Amherst” and “Malcolm X College”
  • Honorary degree by the “Curtis Institute of Music”
  • In 2002, city of Nijmegen, in Netherlands, named a street the “Nina Simone straat”
  • In 2009, Simone was inducted into the “North Carolina Music Hall of Fame”
  • In 2010, her home town Tryon, in North Carolina, placed her statue in the “Trade Street”

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: Jump Up!

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Jump Up

On April 9, 1982, “The Rocket Record Company” released “Jump Up!”, the sixteenth Elton John album. It was recorded 1980; 1982 at “AIR Studios” in Montserrat, and “Pathe Marconi Studios” in France, and was produced by Chris Thomas.

Personnel:

  • Elton John– lead and backing vocals, piano, harpsichord
  • Pete Townshend– acoustic guitar
  • Richie Zito– guitars
  • James Newton-Howard– synthesizers, electric piano
  • Dee Murray– bass guitar, backing vocals
  • Jeffrey Porcaro– drums
  • Steven Holly –tambourine, synth drum
  • Gary Osborne– backing vocals
  • James Newton Howard – strings and brass arrangements,  conductor
  • Gavin Wright – orchestra leader
  • Bill Price – recording
  • Greg Fulginiti – mastering

Track listing:

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

  1. Dear John – Elton John,Gary Osborne
  2. Spiteful Child
  3. Ball and Chain – Elton John, Gary Osborne
  4. Legal Boys – Elton John, Tim Rice
  5. I Am Your Robot
  6. Blue Eyes – Elton John, Gary Osborne
  7. Empty Garden (Hey Hey Johnny)
  8. Princess – Elton John, Gary Osborne
  9. Where Have All the Good Times Gone
  10. All Quiet on the Western Front

T. Rex: Tanx

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Tanx

On January 28, 1973, “EMI” label released “Тanx”, the eighth T.Rex studio album.  It was recorded February – December 1972, at the “Abbey Road Studios” and “Air Studios” in London, “Strawberry Studios” in Paris, “EMI Toshiba Studios” in Tokyo, and was produced by Tony Visconti.

Personnel:

  • Marc Bolan– vocals, guitar
  • Mickey Finn– vocals, conga, hand percussion
  • Elton John- piano
  • Steve Currie– bass
  • Bill Legend– drums
  • Tony Visconti– mellotron, string arrangements, backing vocals, recorder
  • Howard Casey– saxophone

Track listing:

All tracks by Marc Bolan.

  1. Tenement Lady
  2. Rapids
  3. Mister Mister
  4. Broken Hearted Blues
  5. Shock Rock
  6. Country Honey
  7. Electric Slim and the Factory Hen
  8. Mad Donna
  9. Born to Boogie
  10. Life is Strange
  11. The Street and Babe Shadow
  12. Highway Knees
  13. Left Hand Luke and the Beggar Boys

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

George Harrison: Cloud Nine

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Cloud Nine

On November 2, 1987, “Dark Horse” label released “Cloud Nine”, the eleventh George Harrison studio album.  It was recorded January – August 1987, at the “FPSHOT” in Oxfordshire, and was produced by Jeff Lynne and George Harrison. This was the last studio album released during Harrison’s lifetime.

Personnel:

  • George Harrison– lead vocals, guitars, keyboards, sitar, backing vocals
  • Jeff Lynne– bass, guitars, keyboards, backing vocals
  • Eric Clapton– guitar
  • Elton John– piano
  • Gary Wright– piano
  • Ringo Starr– drums
  • Jim Keltner– drums
  • Ray Cooper– drums, percussion
  • Jim Horn– baritone and tenor sax
  • Bobby Kok – cello
  • Vicki Brown– vocals

Track listing:

All tracks by George Harrison, except where noted.

  1. Cloud 9
  2. That’s What It Takes – George Harrison, Jeff Lynne, Gary Wright
  3. Fish on the Sand
  4. Just for Today
  5. This Is Love – George Harrison, Jeff Lynne
  6. When We Was Fab – George Harrison, Jeff Lynne
  7. Devil’s Radio
  8. Someplace Else
  9. Wreck of the Hesperus
  10. Breath Away from Heaven
  11. Got My Mind Set on You – Rudy Clark

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