This week we asked Elton fans which producer they would like the rocketman to work with on his forthcoming 2024 album.
We reduced the pain by letting fans opt for more than one choice. And you delivered your verdicts in droves. We thank you for that.
But what was extremely pleasing was that fans focused on whom they really want to produce Elton’s much-anticipated album. The fans were not like kids in a sweetshop.
Two outstanding producers came out on top.
We can now reveal the results of the poll conducted on Elton’s bithday and closed end of 26 March, 2024.
The singer-songwriter and producer Jeff Lynne of Electric Light Orchestra fame and Marc Bolan and David Bowie’s producer Tony Visconti were the outright winners.
They polled equal top. Neither of them has worked directly with Elton before.
At the other end of the extreme it was interesting to see fans gave Babyface a wide berth.
You can see the results below.
But first a quick reminder of what Lynne and Visconti are famous for:
Jeff Lynne. credit: jefflynneselo.com
Jeffrey Lynne OBE (born 30 December 1947) in Birmingham UK is most famous for band ELO as well as a very successful solo career interlude before reforming ELO. During the 1980s and 1990s, Lynne collaborated on various projects with former members of the Beatles.
Lynne produced George Harrison’s Cloud Nine, a successful comeback album for Harrison, released in 1987, featuring the popular singles Got My Mind Set on You, When We Was Fab and This Is Love, the last two of which were co-written by Lynne. The formation in 1988 of the Traveling Wilburys, a studio “supergroup” that also included Tom Petty, Bob Dylan and Roy Orbison continued that success.
Lynne’s song One Way Love was released as a single by ABBA’s Agnetha Fältskog. Lynne co-wrote and produced the track Let It Shine for Beach Boys founder Brian Wilson’s first solo album in 1988. Lynne also contributed three tracks to an album by Duane Eddy and Falling in Love on Land of Dreams for Randy Newman.
In February 1994, Lynne worked with the three surviving Beatles on the Anthology album series. This spawned the songs Free as a Bird and Real Love by digitally processing John Lennon’s demos for the songs and overdubbing the three surviving band members to form a Beatles reunion.
Tony Visconti. credit: visconti-studio.co.uk
Anthony Edward Visconti (born April 24, 1944) in Brooklyn, New York USA is a record producer, musician and singer who has worked with Marc Bolan, David Bowie and jazz cross-over artist Georgie Fame.
Visconti’s work on Blackstar was awarded the Grammy Award for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical and his production of Angelique Kidjo’s Djin Djin received the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary World Music Album.
Visconti scored the orchestral arrangements for Paul McCartney and Wings’ 1973 album Band on the Run. He later produced two albums for the Moody Blues, The Other Side of Life (1986) and Sur La Mer (1988). He also produced the No. 1 UK album by Morrissey Ringleader of the Tormentors.
Two clear winners. Both titans of their trade. Elton might choose neither or he might bring in at least one of them. Elton and Rod Stewart once produced Long John Baldry’s 1971 album It Ain’t Easy. And in the days of a Side A and Side B each performer did one side. If we think of a 2024 album the same way, the fans could get the best of both votes! Elton, over to you.
Poll results. Conducted 25-26 March 2024:
