Elton may be off the road now, but he still makes regular ”best of” appearances. In the case of uDiscover Music, they have published a list of Elton’s best live appearances. This includes the Dodger Stadium concerts in Los Angeles, California . . . in 1975 as well as in 2002. And Billboard has come out with a summary of Elton’s styles throughout the years. Oddly enough, the singer’s outfits at New York City’s Central-Park in 1980 weren’t cited–not even his Donald Duck look!
Elton John: The Rock & Style Icon Through the Yearshttps://t.co/oYKO5IqYLm
— billboard (@billboard) June 18, 2023
Radar Online has a less flattering profile. They claim that Elton is a diva at home, and was one on the road. David Furnish is reportedly frustrated, as he now wants to concentrate on his own career as a film producer, and wants his husband’s support.
It was 53 years ago, on the 25th of August, that Elton-John kick-started his career–when he made his U.S. debut at the Troubadour in Los Angeles, California. So there’s now a new line of apparel to celebrate that momentous occasion in 1970. Some items are apt, with the slogan ”Elton John has arrived” (like the sign on the red double-decker bus which picked him up at the airport), but we find most of the designs to be mediocre.
You may remember that Jeff Beck had asked Elton to start his American tour with him. It sounds like an easy deal to turn down, as Elton would have received only 10% of the proceeds.
The 25th of August in 1979 was another important date. That was when Mama Can’t Buy You Love hit #9 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart. ”Mama” was part of the Thom Bell Sessions. Sadly, Bobby Eli, a guitarist on the sessions, passed away. The 77-year-old was a founding member of the Philadelphia studio band, MFSB (Mother, Father, Sister, Brother).
The Spinners contributed to the Thom Bell Sessions, too. They are to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in November. So will Bernie Taupin.
When asked what advice he’d give aspiring songwriters, Bernie has said that it ”has to be there.” He thinks there’s ”a gene” involved, and that a book won’t do the trick. Bernie added that musicians need to believe in what they’re doing, and sympathises with today’s young artists who don’t get many chances to make it.
Bernie has supported Elton’s efforts to address post-Brexit travel issues faced by touring musicians. Now the Independent Society of Musicians has released what it calls the first comprehensive report following the UK’s departure from the European Union. 47.4 percent of its 400 respondents have seen a decline in work across EU countries, following Brexit.
Elton has been known to write music for Bernie’s lyrics within 20 minutes. He topped himself when he came up with an on-the-spot song for Michael Parkinson in 2000 and James Lipton, the host of Inside-The-Actors-Studio, in 2005.
When you think of Michael Caine, it’s likely that his movies come to mind. However, the actor has also released music, thanks to Elton. Far Out magazine recalls that upon learning of Michael’s love and knowledge of music, Elton got him a record deal. Instead of performing on Cained, his ”chill-out” album, Michael played DJ and selected an array of music, including a house remix of Nina Simone‘s Sinnerman.
An orchestral version of Elton’s Rocket-Man is part of Starfield‘s live-action trailer. It was previewed last week at Gamescom, considered the world’s largest event for video and computer games.
We’ve mentioned a couple of milestones, and will close with another: Eltonjohn.world launched Radio-Elton last August, so host George Matlock looks back at highlights in a special episode. Listeners can also expect a sampling of ”less-aired Elton music.”
