Elton John - The Union Is Top Charting Album In More Than 30 Years

Bill's Top 40 / Pop Blog

By Bill Lamb, Top 40 / Pop Guide

The Return of Elton John - The Union Is Top Charting Album In More Than 30 Years

http://top40.about.com/b/2010/10/27/the-return-of-elton-john-the-union-is-top-charting-album-in-more-than-30-years.htm

Wednesday October 27, 2010

Elton John has not landed an album inside the top 3 on the Billboard album chart for 34 years...until now. The Union, his collaboration with legendary American singer-songwriter Leon Russell, will debut at #3 when the chart is released tomorrow morning. That is the highest position for Elton John since Blue Moves reached #3 in 1976. Elton John has not reached the top 10 on the album chart in the US since 2007 when Rocket Man: Number Ones spent a week at #9. The last time he topped the 80,000 copy sales week of The Union was Christmas week 2002 with another compilation album. This is Elton John's best single week sales for a studio album since 1997's The Big Picture.
The Union is being widely celebrated as a return to the form of Elton John's early 1970s albums as influenced by Leon Russell. Rolling Stone awarded the collection a rare 5-star review. Among the guest musicians on the album are Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys, Neil Young, Booker T, and Don Was. Elton John is one of the top pop singles artists of all time. He ranked #1 among artists on the Billboard Hot 100 in the 1970s. He followed that by ranking in the top 10 in both the 1980s and the 1990s. Check out the single "If It Wasn't For Bad" below.

• Watch "If It Wasn't For Bad"

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

The Union Gives Elton John Best Chart Position in 34 Years; 38 Years for Russell

http://www.vintagevinylnews.com/2010/10/union-gives-elton-john-best-chart.html

Elton John and Leon Russell are seeing chart popularity that they haven't had since the 70's as The Union debuts on the Billboard Album chart at number 3.

While that might seem surprising for John, the fact is that he has not been that high on the chart since 1976's Blue Moves which also peaked at number 3.  Moves was the followup to Elton's Rock of the Westies, the last of his seven number 1 albums.

For Russell, it has been even longer, all the way back to 1972's Carney which went up to number 2.   The Union becomes the second highest charting album of Leon's career if you don't count his appearances on the Mad Dogs and Englishmen and Concert For Bangladesh albums.

The other veteran artists debuting high this week is Rod Stewart with Fly Me to the Moon: The Great American Songbook Volume 5.  The album starts at number 4 with sales of 79,000, one thousand less than John and Russell.  That equals the first volume of the series and is lower than the starts for volumes 2 (#2), 3 (#1) and 4 (#1).

The Union has also helped Russell secure a new co-publishing deal with Universal Music Publishing Group.  Universal now reps all three of the principals who worked on the album (Bernie Taupin being the third).

"Representing three of the greatest songwriters who have ever lived, on one project, is a once in a lifetime opportunity. It doesn't get any better than this and we intend to do everything we can, here at Universal Music Publishing Group, to make this an incredibly successful project around the world," said Evan Lamberg, Executive VP of Creative, East Coast, Universal Music Publishing Group. 

Read more: http://www.vintagevinylnews.com/2010/10/union-gives-elton-john-best-chart.html#ixzz13lHDryOF

Elton John Not Changing For The Times
Robert Spuhler // Staff Writer

http://kearth101.radio.com/2010/10/27/elton-john-not-changing-for-the-times/

Music,News & Gossip
10/27/2010
12:33 pm

Elton John has a very diverse music collection, and he keeps up with all the newest bands and trends. But the music legend has no interest in changing up what has worked for him all this time, he said.
“I’m always listening to new music,” he explained. “I really love electronic and dance stuff, like Royksopp and Robyn. But I could never do stuff like that because I’m 63 and too old. If I ever tried I wouldn’t be true to myself.”
John stepped outside of his comfort zone recently – slightly – with The Union, a collaborative effort with one of his idols, Leon Russell.

Though John keeps up to date with more modern acts, he admitted that he’d often pop in an old Rolling Stones CD.
“The Rolling Stones album Exile On Main Street is one of the greatest rock ‘n’ roll records ever made,” he said. “It was done live, so it’s very loose, a little rough around the edges and isn’t always in perfect time. But that’s the beauty of it, the qualities that make it special.”
Do you think it’s important for someone like John to keep up to date with the Billboard charts nowadays? Or should he feel comfortable just doing his thing – which his fans clearly love?
[Source: Music-News.com]

Thursday, October 28, 2010

The Most Holy of Unions: Elton John and Leon Russell

http://www.fellinlovewithadrummer.com/2010/10/most-holiest-of-unions-elton-john-and.html

Pianists and master songwriters Elton John and Leon Russell will release The Union, an album full of gospel soul and balladry that may make you cry during at least one listen. The ages of John and Russell mean nothing to them at this point; for them, age has no boundaries, only more songs to be sung and stories to tell. The Union, as David Fricke puts it, seems like a "conversation" between two friends. And that's exactly was it is. The album is touching and sassy at times--despite their ages, John and Russell are as sincere and saltier than ever. More importantly, the duo represent the legendary musical friendships that we never had the pleasure of seeing in our generation: Lennon and McCartney, Hendrix and Townsend, Cash and Lewis. However, this perfect union says it best: "Your my best friend. You've shared my crazy ways."

Elton John: 'Michael Jackson Ate On His Own For 10 Years'

Singer says the King of Pop was 'damaged'...

By CJ Rutter on Thursday 28th October 2010
http://www.taletela.com/news/3469/elton-john-michael-jackson-ate-on-his-own-for-10-years



Elton John described a meeting that he had with Michael Jackson, and the 'Candle In The Wind' legend said that the late King of Pop was a "damaged man" as he couldn't grow up and put too much pressure on himself.
John revealed that Jackson used to come to his shows with Elizabeth Taylor and he said that the 'Thriller' hitmaker kept pressuring himself to be better.
John described a time when Jackson visited him at home. Talking to The Daily Telegraph, John said: "[He was] charming, sweet, lovely - but damaged.
"He came down here and we closed all the curtains and had lunch. He said it was the first time he’d sat down and had a meal with people for 10 years. He would always eat on his own.
"Fame infantilises people. You don’t ever grow up. But thank God, I did."
John, who is releasing a new album called 'The Union' next week, also said: "I remember talking to Michael once when he did Thriller and I said, 'How are you going to top that?' He said, 'Oh, the next one's going to do twice as much', and I thought, Michael, it’s not. You can’t. You put so much pressure on yourself."
Check out our pictures of Michael Jackson's children in Hawaii on the first anniversary of their father's death...

Elton John, Leon Russell tuneful

http://www.caller.com/news/2010/oct/29/john-russell-tuneful-stewart-phones-one-in/

Rod Stewart phones one in

• Jesse De Leon/Special to the Caller-Times
• Corpus Christi Caller Times
• Posted October 29, 2010 at 5:23 a.m.

Contributed photos

Elton John’s latest addition to his impressive album list is “The Union” (Decca/Rocket), a collaboration with Leon Russell. HH½

CORPUS CHRISTI — Elton John’s impressive discography reaches back nearly 40 years.
His first collection, Elton John, began an unbroken streak of album releases in 1970 that have included such essential titles as “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road,” “Blue Moves” and “The One.” The latest addition to that long and impressive list is “The Union” (Decca/Rocket), a collaboration with Leon Russell that finds the often times flamboyant pianist scaling back his musical approach that allows him to focus more sharply on his playing and singing and less on his reliance on lavish studio production.
That more organic sound is largely due to the presence of Grammy-winning producer T Bone Burnett at the control board. Burnett’s deft touch and masterful, understated way of creating the perfect aural backdrop for each track allows John and Russell the luxury of being able to turn in warm, comfortable performances on each of the album’s 16 tracks. Considering Russell’s impressive resume, (he’s got a string of well-regarded albums of his own, as well as having played with George Harrison, the Rolling Stones, and Bob Dylan, just to mention a few), his teaming up with Elton makes sense.
Highlights include the romantic dream that comes to life on “The Best Part of the Day” and the equally sentimental “Never Too Old (To Hold Somebody).” The only misstep is a klutzy “Monkey Suit” that sounds like it was an outtake from one of Elton’s ‘80s albums. Still, from the sound of such interesting entries as the world-weary “There’s No Tomorrow,” the heartbreaking “When Love Is Dying” and the gently rocking “Jimmie Rodgers’ Dream,” it’s clear that the admiration these two piano pros have for each other is personally and musically mutual.
Rod Stewart has traveled a long way from where he started. Initially garnering attention as the gravelly-voiced lead singer of the Faces, the rock and roll showman struck out on his own at the beginning of the ‘70s and met with even greater success as a solo artist largely due to “Maggie May,” his chart topper from 1971. His string of hits continued well into the early ‘90s, and his “Unplugged and Seated” album in 1993 was an unexpected hit that marked a career renaissance for the spiky-haired singer. But as the new millennium approached, Stewart became unsure of which direction he should take. Perhaps the flood of covers albums by more than a handful of artists influenced him to take a similar route, and he opted to take a risk and record an album of standards.
These were songs that came from an era so far removed from the rock and roll territory in which he felt the most comfortable. On the resulting “Great American Songbook” series of albums, Stewart attempted to reclaim songs originally performed by the likes of Frank Sinatra, Louis Armstrong and Billie Holiday. The discs were so well received that Stewart eventually released four volumes of the highly successful Songbook series. With the exception of a ‘70s rock covers album he recorded in 2006, Stewart has obviously been more inclined to croon than to rock, and he returns to that old formula on “Fly Me to the Moon: The Great American Songbook, Vol. 5” (J Records), his latest.

Rod Stewart has been more inclined to croon than to rock, and he returns to that old formula on “Fly Me to the Moon: The Great American Songbook, Vol. 5” (J Records), his latest. H

Stewart wastes no time loosening his tie and getting comfortable behind the microphone with martini in hand to warble on such evergreens as “I’ve Got You Under My Skin,” “Beyond the Sea,” and “I’ve Got the World On A String.” Perhaps the most embarrassing moment here is his version of “Moon River,” Andy Williams’ signature tune. One can’t help but remember Williams’ velvety vocal delivery, and Stewart’s attempt is the album’s most incongruous moment. Unfortunately, throughout much of the rest of the album, it sounds like Stewart is more than mildly removed from the whole affair, as if he’s barely enjoying himself. Of course, one wouldn’t expect anything edgy or gritty from the man who once asked the world if it thought he was sexy, but judging from “Fly Me to the Moon,” the resounding answer this time around would clearly be a “no.”


Preview: BBC Radio 2 Electric Proms 2010 by Michael Hubbard
http://festivals.musicomh.com/pr_electric-proms-2010_1010.htm


BBC Radio 2 Electric Proms: Elton John
The rebranded BBC Radio 2 Electric Proms this year channels all its energy and resources into three nights of programming at the festival's base, Camden's Roundhouse. Each night is headlined by a certifiably huge act of the sort that appeals direct to the audience of the nation's most listened-to radio station, BBC Radio 2.
Elton John opens the series in the week his album The Union, made with Santa Claus-bearded Leon Russell, is released. Russell will be on hand along with assorted other guests to help the knight of the piano through his set. Support comes from Rumer, whose debut album follows the week after and is being talked of in hushed tones as less '70s homage and more companion piece to the greats. Plan B's also about, continuing to build on his change-of-direction success and revisiting the Roundhouse after headlining a Camden Crawl gig there earlier this year.
The middle night is the domain of Robert Plant, whose reconstituted Band Of Joy released an eponymous album earlier this year and who shows no sign at all of needing Led Zeppelin reunions to keep his creativity flowing.
Closing the series is Neil Diamond, whose album of covers, Dreams, is released the week after the festival. Joining him will be Amy McDonald and, oh yes indeed, Lulu.
In past years the Electric Proms has sought to entertain a wide variety of audiences, showcasing new bands, commissioning collaborations and promoting acts whose profiles would be boosted by the exposure. By focussing on radio-friendly artists with giant reputations the series has done much to define itself, though the loss of the edgier, hungrier acts is to be lamented. Yet with the Camden Crawl expanding to a three-day jamboree in 2011, there's room still for all in NW1; having what for all the world looks like a gala series underlines that Camden Town really is the heartland of London's thriving music scene.

BBC Radio 2 Electric Proms takes place from 28 to 30 October 2010 in the Roundhouse, London. Tickets, live broadcasts, post-show highlights and further information are available from bbc.co.uk/electricproms.

Elton John on MJ: “He Was Charming, Sweet, Lovely – But Damaged”

http://mediaoutrage.com/2010/10/28/elton-john-on-mj-he-was-charming-sweet-lovely-but-damaged/

Posted by Media Outrage on October 28th, 2010

Elton John was asked about his relationship with Michael Jackson and he had this to say:
While promoting his new album “The Union,” Elton John was asked about his close relationship with Michael Jackson, and described the late singer as a “damaged” man in the later years of his life.
John, who revealed that Jackson came to his gigs with Elizabeth Taylor, said that he put too much pressure on himself to be successful. Recalling a time Jackson visited his home, John told the Telegraph: “[He was] charming, sweet, lovely – but damaged.
“He came down here and we closed all the curtains and had lunch. He said it was the first time he’d sat down and had a meal with people for 10 years. He would always eat on his own.”
“Fame infantilizes people. You don’t ever grow up. But thank God, I did,” said John.
He continued: “I remember talking to Michael once when he did ‘Thriller’ and I said, ‘How are you going to top that?’ He said, ‘Oh, the next one’s going to do twice as much’, and I thought, Michael, it’s not. You can’t. You put so much pressure on yourself.”