Elton John (P2)

Source: eltonjohn.com
Writer Bernie Taupin was born in Lincolnshire, UK, on May 22, 1950. In 1967, both Bernie and Elton aswered a "Talent Wanted" advert that placed in the New Musicak Express by Liberty Records. Ray Williams at Liberty Records put Elton in touch with Bernie, and they started to write songs together, initially corresponding by mail. They have maintained this method of songwriting throughout their career, and have still never written a song together in the same room. Most unusually, Bernie writes the lyrics first and Elton then composes the music.

Elton John and Bernie Taupin 

In 1968, they became staff songwriters for Dick James' DJM label. From the start Elton and Bernie were prolific songwriters, writing for other artists as well as creating and recording songs for Elton.

Elton's touring career in Great Britain began in 1970 when he played clubs such as The Revolution, The Roundhouse, The Marquee and The Speakeasy in London, as well as Mothers in Birmingham and The Twisted Wheel in Manchester. On August 25, 1970, he played his debut concert in America, appearing at The Troubadour in Los Angeles, CA, with his band, which included Nigel Olsson on drums and Dee Murray on bass. The gig received ecstatic reviews and Elton became, literally, an overnight sensation. Since that day he has toured constantly all over North America and throughout the rest of the world.

In 1970, Elton's self-titled breakthrough album and evergreen hit Your Song introduced him to an international stage, and in the period between 1970 and 1976, with producer Gus Dudgeon at the helm, Elton recorded an astonishing fourteen albums: Elton John; Tumbleweed Connection; 11-17-70; Friends Soundtrack; Madman Across The Water; Honky Chateau; Don't Shoot Me, I'm Only The Piano Player; Goodbye Yellow Brick Road; Caribou; Greatest Hits; Captain Fantastic And The Brown Dirt Cowboy; Rock Of The Westies; Here And There and Blue Moves. Amongst these, Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy was the first album ever to enter the Billboard Chart at #1. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, with its string of hit singles (Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, Bennie And The Jets and Candle In The Wind), and unbroken two-month run at the top of the Billboard Top 100, became and remains an all-time classic.'

ENJOY: Your Song - Elton John

Many — though certainly not all — of Elton's greatest hit singles were released during the 1970s: Rocket Man, Honky Cat, Crocodile Rock, Daniel, Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, Step Into Christmas, Bennie And The Jets, Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me, The Bitch Is Back, Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds (^^), Philadelphia Freedom, Someone Saved My Life Tonight, Island Girl, Don't Go Breaking My Heart (the duet with Kiki Dee) and Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word. In 1973, Elton founded The Rocket Record Company, and later left DJM to record on his own label.

In 1974, Elton performed on John Lennon's comeback single Whatever Gets You Thru The Night, and later that year was joined by Lennon onstage at New York's Madison Square Garden. This performance, always cited by Elton as one of the most memorable of his entire career, was to be John Lennon's final concert.

John Lennon and Elton John

(to be continued)