Elton John is bringing his World Tennis Team Smash Hits charity event to D.C. this November, so get ready for a good cause complete with a legendary pop star here on our home turf.
The 18th annual event will take place on November 15 at American University’s Bender Arena with tennis greats such as Andre Agassi, Anna Kournikova and Stefanie Graf all making an appearance on the court. If we’re lucky, Sir Elton might just take a few serves as well seeing as he has a private tennis trainer who travels on tour with him (so says Politico).
All funds raised through the event will benefit the Elton John Aids Foundation and local Washingon, D.C. Area AIDS charities.
J-Lo, Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler & Elton John could all join Idol shake-up
Rumour and innuendo is running at fever pitch Stateside today as the great American Idol shake-up has captured the imagination of the American online press and reality TV viewing public.
The news that chat-show host Ellen DeGeneres is to leave the programme after only one season as a judge has begun a torrent of speculation over who will replace her, and suggestions of further personnel changes on the Fox prime-time singing show as Simon Cowell also walks away.
Although DeGeneres claimed in an official statement that she had decided to step down because Idol “didn’t feel like the right fit for me” , many TV insiders are claiming today that she was forced out by producers after receiving less than positive reviews in the press. Furthermore, Fox may be planning a complete overhaul of the format with the return of “Nasty” Nigel Lythgoe as executive producer, making Ellen’s exit just the first stage in a shake-up that will give the tenth season of the show a brand new feel … perhaps even with just three judges, who could all be new faces – I’m sure both Randy Jackson (who has been a judge since the start) and Kara DioGuardi will both be frantically on the phone to their agents.
Although no official announcement has been made by Fox, a raft of American entertainment websites are reporting Jennifer “J-Lo” Lopez is just hours from signing up as a new judge, with some adamant that ink on the contract has already dried.
It would make sense that J-Lo might want a little positive exposure on TV after a faltering music career led her to be dropped by Sony’s Epic Records earlier this year and recent film releases have underperformed at the box office.
But even if J-LO is a definite (and that’s a big if at this stage), who is going to fill Simon Cowell’s rather large shoes as he takes the X-Factor on an American road show, leaving Idol behind?
We here at the Beehive are hearing Elton John is a popular choice with producers but he may be a little bit too expensive, even for Fox’s deep pockets.
Steven Tyler, the Aerosmith front-man also looks like he’s in with a shot too, with many reports circulating that he’s already been made a firm offer by Fox.
Other names doing the rounds include Harry Connick Jnr (who has recently been a mentor on the show), actor and singer Jamie Foxx, Justin Timberlake, Jessica Simpson and Chris Isaak.
We’ll just have to keep waiting to find out who get’s the nod, but for what it’s worth, I think it’s fairly likely we’ll be seeing J-LO and Steven Tyler in the next series of the show … who knows, maybe Elton John’ll be there too – blimey, that would be a shake-up
After several hugely successful private media playbacks “The Union” is scheduled for release October 19th in the US and October 25 in the UK, with a track being released to radio sometime in August.
As an exclusive to this web-site the track listing is as follows:-
1. If It Wasn’t For Bad
2. Eight Hundred Dollar Shoes
3. Hey Ahab
4. Gone To Shiloh
5. Jimmie Rodger’s Dream
6. There’s No Tomorrow
7. Monkey Suit
8. The Best Part Of The Day
9. A Dream Come True
10. When Love Is Dying
11. I Should Have Sent Roses
12. Hearts Have Turned To Stone
13. Never To Old (To Hold Somebody)
14. The Hands Of Angels
Two bonus tracks “Mandalay Again” & “My Kind Of Hell” will be included on both the vinyl and extended deluxe CD edition of the album.
RIO - Substituir Simon Cowell em "American Idol" é uma missão difícil, mas não impossível. Tanto é que nomes de peso, como Justin Timberlake e Elton John são cotados para a vaga do jurado carrasco do programa, segundo o The Hollywood Reporter.
E o futuro dos outros jurados é incerto. O produtor Nigel Lythgoe tem intenção de fazer uma limpa na casa. Segundo sua vontade, somente Randy Jackson continuaria. O problema é que a apresentadora Ellen DeGeneres tem um longo contrato com a emissora. Já Kara DioGuardi renova seu contrato a cada ano e corre risco de não voltar na próxima temporada.
Sala de velas do Elton John
O site Contact Music publicou uma matéria sobre a sala de velas do cantor Elton John, pelo qual Danny Jones ficou fascinado e onde Dougie Poynter acabou quebrando algo.
A sala de velas de Elton John Sir Elton John tem um quarto para guardar suas velas e tem muitos vasos, eles cobrem quase que toda superfície disponível em sua casa.
Sir Elton John tem um quarto de velas.
O cantor de ‘Candle in the Wind’ – que vive em uma luxuosa mansão nos Estados Unidos com seu marido David Furnish – gosta tanto delas que tem um armário cheio deles para ele usá-los quando quiser.
O vocalista do McFly Danny Jones, que visitou recentemente a casa da lenda da música com seus companheiros de banda, revelou: “Minha parte favorita foi o quarto das velas – era como um grande armário e ele tinha velas em cada quarto, e tinha um cheiro incrível. Muito limpo!”
Enquanto ele claramente ama velas, Elton também coleciona vasos, e tem tantos que mal sobra uma superfície livre em toda a casa.
Danny explicou: “O lugar dele é cheio de arte, é como um museu. Vasos! Ele coleciona vasos e não tem espaço suficiente na mesa para colocar sua bebida.”
O companheiro de banda de Danny, Dougie Poynter – que também aparece ao lado de Tom Fletcher e Harry Judd – teve um ótimo momento olhando a luxuosa casa, mas estava apavorado pois ele acabou quebrando algo.
Ele disse à revista Attitude “Ele tinha uma estátua que era de 200 a.C. ou algo assim, você sabe, as coisas muito velhas com estilo grego? As pessoas de ‘O Rei Leão’ compraram um para dizer ‘obrigado por todas as músicas’. Eu posso facilmente ter derrubado ela.”
Elton John estaria se unindo novamente ao roteirista Lee Hall, com o qual trabalhou ao adaptar "Billy Elliot" para o palco, para uma nova empreitada teatral, segundo o "Jornal da Tarde", deste domingo (25).
De acordo com a publicação, o novo projeto de Elton John é inspirado no livro "A Revolução dos Bichos", de George Orwell. O projeto, que ainda não conta com um produtor teatral, não tem data prevista para sair do papel.
Elton John planeja musical baseado no livro "A Revolução dos Bichos"
Elton John está com planos ambiciosos. O cantor e compositor inglês quer realizar um musical baseado no famoso livro "A Revolução dos Bichos", de George Orwell.
Segundo o jornal "Daily Mail", o projeto seria uma parceria de Elton com Lee Hall - com quem o cantor já produziu outro musical, "Billy Elliot", inspirado no filme homônimo.
Lee comentou a parceria. "Ter trabalhado com Elton me fez ver que ele gosta de terminar a parte das letras para depois compôr as melodias. Elton já está mergulhado nisso, escrevendo canções para os porcos e seus outros amigos quadrúpedes", disse, referindo-se aos personagens do livro.
Em meio ao trabalho, Elton continua casado com David Furnish, com quem se uniu oficialmente em 2005, depois de 12 anos de relacionamento. Recentemente, Furnish comentou que Elton não sabe cozinhar e que tem pânico de cozinha.
Elton Passa Mal e cancela show
O cantor Elton John passou mal antes de subir no palco da Arena Tucson, no Arizona, EUA, onde se apresentaria para 9 mil pessoas.
No hospital, foi diagnosticado que Elton estava com infecção alimentar. O site oficial do cantor publicou um comunicado com um pedido de desculpas: "Elton pede desculpas pelo inconveniente, devido ao seu problema de saúde, mas, os médicos o asseguraram que ele estará bem para realizar o show na noite de hoje."
Elton John tem uma sala de vela!
O cantor, que vive em uma luxuosa mansão em os E.U. com seu marido David Furnish, adora as iluminações de velas, tanto que ele tem um armário cheio delas toda para ele usar quando quiser.
"Minha parte favorita foi a sala de vela ... era como se uma coisa grande armário e tinha velas em cada quarto, e cheirava surpreendente. Tão limpo ", disse o cantor McFly Danny Jones, que recentemente visitou a casa da lenda musical com seus companheiros de banda.
Enquanto ele claramente adora velas, Elton também recolhe os vasos, e tem tantos, não existe praticamente uma superfície vazia em sua casa inteira.
"Seu lugar está cheio de arte, é como um museu. Vasos! Ele coleciona vasos e não há espaço suficiente na mesa para colocar a nossa bebida embaixo ", disse o McFly.
Danny's bandmate Dougie Poynter had a great time looking around the lavish home, but was terrified he'd end up breaking something.O colega Danny Dougie Poynter passou um longo tempo olhando ao redor da casa luxuosa, mas estava com medo que pudesse quebrar alguma coisa.
“Ele tinha uma estátua que foi a partir de 200 aC ou algo assim, você sabe, o velho estilo grego?
Elton John has always been passionate about his musical taste, always ready to throw his support behind new acts that capture his imagination, whether it’s the Scissor Sisters or Lady Gaga.
But in recent years he’s also been on a special mission to turn the spotlight on veteran artists who never got the attention he and other pop stars received, a key reason he dreamed up the Sundance Channel music interview and performance series “Spectacle,” and persuaded his friend Elvis Costello to take on the job as host.
That mission is front and center with “The Union,” his forthcoming duet album with fellow piano-pounding rocker Leon Russell, to whom John doffed his cap during the first episode of “Spectacle.”
John, Russell and the album’s producer, T Bone Burnett, invited a few friends, family members and journalists for a preview of the project in a playback session earlier this week at the West Los Angeles studio where they recorded it.
John didn’t waste a moment telling the audience of about two dozen people how much this one means to him. He prefaced the music with a touching story of how much he’d idolized Russell, the Oklahoma-born pianist, singer, songwriter and producer who had toiled for years as a highly regarded session player before coming into his own as a performer and bandleader in the late-’60s and early-'70s. That’s when Russell fronted Joe Cocker’s Mad Dogs and Englishmen touring band and then the all-star conglomeration that George Harrison assembled for the Concert for Bangladesh.
“All I wanted for Leon,” John said, “is to have, in his later life, the accolades that seem to have been missing for him in the last 35 years. I want his name written in stone. I want him in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. I want his name to be on everybody’s lips again, like it used to be. So we made this record.”
At the playback, John took the lead, sitting in front of the 96-channel mixing board, energetically pounding air piano and drums along with the various tracks -- songs with touches of country, blues and gospel woven into some of the most mainstream-sounding rock that Burnett has shepherded.
Russell, who had undergone a 5½-hour brain surgery operation to relieve a chronic condition shortly before the recording sessions began, sat at the back of the control booth, his flowing white hair and beard cascading over a recliner chair he relaxed in while occasionally fingering left-hand piano runs. Burnett also attended, along with Recording Academy President Neil Portnow, KCRW music director Jason Bentley, keyboardist-composer James Newton Howard and some of the musicians who played on the album, including drummers Jim Keltner (who played in Russell’s band in the ’70s) and Burnett regular Jay Bellerose.
The album is slated for release Oct. 19, and features songs written by John, his longtime lyricist Bernie Taupin, Russell and Burnett. John also noted that the sessions were filmed by Cameron Crowe, but John’s spokeswoman said a decision hasn’t been made as to how that footage might be used.
-- Randy Lewis Photo: Elton John and Leon Russell. Credit: Joseph Guay/Rogers & Cowan PR
The songwriter is reteaming with screenwriter Lee Hall on a stage version of George Orwell’s classic Stalinist allegory, reports the Daily Mail. John and Hall worked together on the stage adaptation of Billy Elliot. It’s taken the pair two years to obtain all the necessary rights. The CIA was covertly involved in buying the film rights from Orwell's widow Sonia, enabling Halas & Batchelor to make their 1954 cartoon. There’s no theatre producer attached yet. I imagine they’ll be falling over themselves.
Much as I love Orwell, I can’t help but feel Animal Farm is a bit tired around the edges. I’m picturing lots of masks and actors singing, “Four legs good, two legs bad.” Animal Farm just doesn’t resonate in the way 1984 still does. I’d much rather see the stage musical David Bowie was planning of 1984 back in the 70s until Sonia Orwell blocked him. That score eventually became the basis for the album Diamond Dogs.
ELTON JOHN continues to help rap pal EMINEM with his battle to stay sober by calling him once a week.
The rapper reached out to Elton, who he performed with at the 2001 Grammy Awards, and asked the British rocker to unofficially counsel him as he attempted to get clean after a four year hell of painkiller abuse.
The hip-hop star felt Elton's past battles to kick his drug habit would serve as lessons for him - and he was right. So much so that he still looks forward to his pal's weekly chats.
He tells Spin magazine, "Elton John calls me once a week. He used to tell me stuff like, 'You're going to start seeing certain things you've been overlooking'. And it came true.
"I'd walk around like, 'Damn, that tree does look crazy, look at all those leaves!' Things I didn't notice when I was f**ked up."
‘Elton John, Live at Liseberg 8/7 1971′
courtesy of ‘yabosid’
Elton John is bringing his World Tennis Team Smash Hits charity event to D.C. this November, so get ready for a good cause complete with a legendary pop star here on our home turf.
The 18th annual event will take place on November 15 at American University’s Bender Arena with tennis greats such as Andre Agassi, Anna Kournikova and Stefanie Graf all making an appearance on the court. If we’re lucky, Sir Elton might just take a few serves as well seeing as he has a private tennis trainer who travels on tour with him (so says Politico).
All funds raised through the event will benefit the Elton John Aids Foundation and local Washingon, D.C. Area AIDS charities.
Elton John Plans 'Animal Farm' Musical
'Billy Elliot' team "deep into" new show based on Orwell classic
Elton John and writer Lee Hall are reportedly teaming up for a new stage show based on George Orwell's Animal Farm. "I'm deep into it, writing songs for pigs and other four-legged friends," Hall told The Daily Mail about penning songs based on Orwell's satire about the Stalinism era. "It's taken about two years. We almost gave up, but there was always that one last license to go after." Hall added that he and John have yet to acquire the necessary rights to stage a musical based on Orwell's book and that the show is at least two years away from the production stages. Keep up with rock's latest news in Random Notes.
John and Hall have worked together in the past — the two last collaborated on the musical Billy Elliot — and Hall says the two have got their creative process down to a science. "I know that Elton likes to have the lyrics done and have them in front of him so I'll work on a batch before I give him anything to look at," Hall said.
Orwell's novella may seem like an odd choice for a musical, but Elton isn't the first musician to try and turn the works of Orwell into a rock opera: David Bowie once hoped to turn Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four into a musical, but the Orwell estate rejected his proposal. Instead, Bowie used many of the songs he penned for the musical to lay the groundwork for Diamond Dogs, which included a song called "1984."
Sir Elton John was in a bad way Wednesday night after catching a bought of food poisoning before his concert at Arizona’s Tucson Arena. The illness was so debilitating that it forced the singer to postpone his show to a later date.
It must have been all that caviar and lobster tails or whatever a knighted musician eats while on the road. When will the ”Rocket Man” be fit to return to the stage to finish out his tour?
It just goes to show no one is safe from food bourne illnesses, even international superstars like Sir Elton John can eat one bad thing and they’re writhing in stomach pain for the next two days.
He had to postpone his nearly sold out show at Arizona’s Tucson Arena Wednesday night after the illness prevented him from performing.
“Elton apologizes for the inconvenience caused due to his illness, but doctors assure him he will be fine,” the venue’s spokesperson, Kate Calhoun stated.
Doctors checked out the singer and okayed him to perform at the Arena on Thursday, and he will wrap up the rest of his U.S. tour in San Diego’s Cricket Wireless Arena and the Harvey’s Lake Tahoe Amphitheatre this weekend.
This isn’t the first time Elton John has come down with food poisoning either. In 2009, he had to cancel dates on the west coast after being hospitalized with an E. coli infection and symptoms of the flu.
I don’t know about you, Elton John, but I would consider switching caterers.
Elton John Suffering From Food Poisoning – Tucson, Arizona Concert Postponed 104.3 WOMC
Getty Image/ Daniel Berehulak
TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) – A bout of food poisoning has caused the postponement of Elton John’s scheduled concert at Tucson Arena. The Arizona Daily Star reports that Wednesday night’s show was nearly sold out with about 8,800 tickets purchased. Organizers say the British rocker will perform Thursday night instead.
A spokeswoman for the Tucson concert venue says John apologizes for the inconvenience caused by his illness, but doctors say he will be fine to take the stage Thursday.
Information from: Arizona Daily Star
Thursday 22nd July 2010 - 13:15:08
Sir Elton John has cancelled a concert in Arizona, stating he is too ill to sing after contracting food poisoning. Sir Elton John has cancelled a concert after falling ill with food poisoning.
The 63-year-old musician - who is currently touring America - was due to perform to 8,800 fans at Arizona's Tuscon Arena last night (21.07.10) but was too ill to sing.
Kate Calhoun, a spokesperson for the venue, apologised to fans on the singer's behalf and said doctors have advised he should be better for tonight's replacement gig.
Elton apologises for the inconvenience caused due to his illness, but doctors assure him he will be fine.
She explained: "Elton apologises for the inconvenience caused due to his illness, but doctors assure him he will be fine."
Elton John returns the ball during his Advanta Tennis Smash Hits match Wednesday, Oct. 10, 2007, in Villanova, Pa. | Photo by APClose
Elton John's name might bring giant sunglasses to mind more than tennis whites, but that will change for Washingtonians when he brings his World Tennis Team Smash Hits charity event to D.C. in November.
The 18th annual event, which John founded with Billie Jean King, will take place on Nov. 15 at American University. Andre Agassi, Anna Kournikova and Stefanie Graf will all play. John will very likely hit the court, too, to show off his skills. (He has a private tennis trainer who travels on tour with him.)
John and King have a long history together: They first hit it off at a party in the '70s. John told King to contact him when she came to London for Wimbledon, but he ended up calling her hotel when she arrived and went on to attend all of her matches. Voilà! A friendship was born.
In fact, John's 1975 song "Philadelphia Freedom" was written for King, who at the time was the coach of the World Team Tennis team of the same name.
Today we can exclusively reveal the fabulous Annie Leibovitz photograph for the front cover of The Union, the new album by Elton John and Leon Russell.
Set for release by Universal in October, 2010, and produced by T Bone Burnett, The Union marks the culmination of a mutual musical adoration that began in the late 1960s, ahead of Elton's debut US performance in 1970 at The Troubadour Club in Los Angeles. The album is a collaboration between Elton and Leon Russell, with songs by Elton and Bernie Taupin; by Elton, Bernie and Leon; by Elton and Leon and by Leon alone. The Union was recorded in Los Angeles earlier this year, with guest musicians including Brian Wilson, Booker T, Don Was and Neil Young. Cameron Crowe has filmed the sessions for a documentary, creating too a moment of history as this is the first time that the genesis of Elton's music has been recorded on film. Critics who have had an early preview of the album are united in praise for the work that Elton describes as a "Seventies record with a modern feel."
Look out for more eltonjohn.com exclusives on The Union very soon!
Sir Elton John returns to Rome, performing in one of the most illustrious music halls, Auditorium Parco della Musica in mid-September. Sir Elton will serenade audiences, journeying through the annals of time to bring you some of his greatest hits.Accompanied by legendary percussionist Ray Cooper, the event promises to be an exciting and memorable occasion for tourists and locals alike.
Elton John with Ray Cooper
19th - 20th September, 2010
Auditorium Parco della Musica www.auditorium.com
FRANCISCO SECO / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS British singer and composer Elton John performs during the Rock in Rio music festival Saturday, May 22, 2010 in Lisbon, Portugal. (AP Photo/ Francisco Seco) **EDITORIAL USE ONLY, NO SALES**
• When: 8 p.m. Wednesday.
• Where: Tucson Arena, 260 S. Church Ave.
• Tickets: Sold out except for about 200 seats ($141 each) still available through www.ticketmaster.com.
• We saw him here last: Feb. 15, 2000, at the Tucson Arena. Sold out in 31/2 hours.
• We can't wait to hear him sing: Everything. The man has more than 50 charted singles. Thankfully, this tour is dubbed "Rocket Man - the Greatest Hits Live."
• New music: "The Union," a collaboration with legendary singer/songwriter/pianist Leon Russell, comes out in October.
• On the charts: John scored his first Top 10 hit in America with "Your Song" in 1971, followed soon after by "Rocket Man" and "Honky Cat."
His first No. 1 hit was "Crocodile Rock" in 1973, a song that started a streak of chart-toppers over the next three years that included "Bennie and the Jets," "Whatever Gets You Through the Night," "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds," "Philadelphia Freedom," "Island Girl" and "Don't Go Breaking My Heart."
John, who was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994 knighted by Queen Elizabeth in 1998, didn't top the charts again until 1997 when his Princess Diana tribute, a reworking of "Candle in the Wind," sold more than 35 million copies worldwide. It remains the biggest-selling single of all time.
• Most memorable tabloid/media moments: In 2005, he made international headlines when he and longtime partner David Furnish tied the knot.
• Most recent tabloid/media splash: John bucked an artists' boycott of Israel over the country's Palestinian flotilla fiasco and played a show in Tel Aviv last month.
A week earlier, the 63-year-old gay icon sang at the wedding of Rush Limbaugh, who loudly opposes giving gay men and women the right to marry.
• Last word: "The singles chart is not one I'm going to be in very often any more, so my view is to make records that fit my age (63). I don't think I'm going to do 'Crocodile Rock' any more." - July 7 in an interview with radio and TV personality Paul Gambaccini. Cathalena E. Burch
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Last updated: Thursday July 15, 2010, 1:20 AM
Verona-Cedar Grove Times
Cassandra Conklin and Giselle Jandoli, both 6 and of Verona, dance to the music of former Verona resident Bobby Lynch and his band "Bobby and the Jets," performing their tribute to Elton John. The performance opened the sixth-annual summer concerts series in the square. Concerts run through July 21. Bobby Lynch is a professional piano player who is best known for his time playing with Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes and many other international touring acts. See the video at www.northjersey.com/multimedia/video/
Cassandra Conklin and Giselle Jandoli, both 6 and of Verona, dance to the music of former Verona resident Bobby Lynch and his band "Bobby and the Jets," performing their tribute to Elton John. The performance opened the sixth-annual summer concerts series in the square. Concerts run through July 21. Bobby Lynch is a professional piano player who is best known for his time playing with Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes and many other international touring acts. See the video at www.northjersey.com/multimedia/video/
It's a little bit odd to sit here at Georgia Soul's (somewhat neglected) blogger desk to deliver such news, and as you'd expect, there won't be much attention given to either Elton John or Leon Russell given here in the future. However, maybe Elton John's time spent in Atlanta hasn't been poorly spent.
Mojo Magazine has verified some news, which had been circulating around the rumor mills for a couple of months now. Though we heard it from a reliable source, it is easy to understand why there was some hesitation to publish this news before it was official. The details are still somewhat sketchy, but Elton John and Leon Russell are either covering or sampling The Mighty Hannibal's hit "Hymn No. 5" on their upcoming collaborative album, "The Union". Says Mojo:
The Union was recorded at the end of 2009 with producer T-Bone Burnett. The record - a southern-fried mix of gospel, R&B and expansive ballads - features both Russell and Elton playing piano and singing, with a band made up of legendary drummer Jim Keltner,Tom Waits-connected guitar iconoclast Marc Ribot and assorted session hotshots. The record also features contributions from special guests including Neil Young, Booker T and incorrigible soul star The Mighty Hannibal.
Strange though this may sound, if this is indeed a full cover of the song and not just a sample, I'm (morbidly) curious to find out how they treat a Vietnam protest song in 2010, when it seems that everyone else in the world has forgotten about the current nonsense going on in Afghanistan, Iraq, etc. Alas, we'll have to wait until October 19 to hear it, most likely. Until then, here's Hannibal's version.
Who: Leon Russell
Where: Crown Room, Crystal Bay Casino (only 250 tickets available for seated show)
When: 9 p.m. Saturday, July 17 (doors at 8)
Cost: All seats $27
Leon Russell, “pop music’s most anonymous big shot,” has written a song for everybody else.
And he still has “A Song For You,” Lake Tahoe.
Russell, who has played on, produced, arranged and written some of the most successful records in pop music history, returns to the Crystal Bay Casino for the fourth time Saturday, July 17. The Crystal Bay has made only 250 tickets available at $27 apiece for the seated show. Doors open at 8 p.m., and the show will follow at 9.
Russell teamed up with Elton John, another summer marquee name for Tahoe, for a recent project, and his Crown Room show comes on the heels of his performance with the Zac Brown Band at this year’s Grammy Awards, which took place just two weeks after his brain surgery.
While it was other artists who perhaps made the songs famous, Russell has written a number of influential Grammy-winners and No. 1 tracks. George Benson’s cover of “This Masquerade” was the first song in music history to occupy the top of the jazz, pop and R&B charts before the 1976 Record of the Year netted a Grammy. The Carpenters struck gold with Russell’s “Superstar,” Ray Charles covered “A Song For You,” and his “Delta Lady” helped propel Joe Cocker to fame.
Born in 1942, Russell began playing the piano at age 14 at a nightclub in Oklahoma, where he backed touring artists. Jerry Lee Lewis was so impressed with the performance of Russell and his band when they backed him at Cain’s ballroom in Tulsa that he hired them for two years of road tours. Russell later moved to Los Angeles and became part of the “Wrecking Crew,” an elite group of studio musicians including Glen Campbell and Hal Blaine.
Russell rose to prominence as a studio musician, producing and playing on sessions with Bob Dylan, Frank Sinatra, the Rolling Stones, the Byrds, Ike and Tina Turner, Bobby Darin, Wayne Newton, Sam Cooke, Johnny Mathis, and Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass. He also played on most of Phil Spector’s landmark records, helping the producer establish his trademark “Wall of Sound.”
“Leon was there for the solos and the fancy stuff,” session bandleader Jack Nietzsche said in a news release.
That’s Russell’s piano you hear on Jan and Dean’s “Surf City” and the Beach Boys’ “California Girls” and “Pet Sounds.” In turn, George Harrison played guitar on Russell’s first album, which led to the studio ace’s part in the pioneering benefit Concert for Bangladesh with the likes of Beatles bandmates Harrison and Ringo Starr, Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan, Badfinger and Ravi Shankar.
Billboard Magazine reported Russell as the top concert attraction in the world by 1973 and certified three of his solo albums — “Leon Russell and the Shelter People” (1971), “Carney” (1972) and “Leon Live” (a three-album set from 1973) — as gold. Russell’s opening acts included Elton John, ZZ Top, Willie Nelson and Charlie Daniels.
Ever a “ChameLeon,” Russell scored a hit record in Nashville under the pseudonym of Hank Wilson, which influenced other musicians in the genre. In the mid-’70s, he also founded Paradise Records, which spawned Concrete Blonde and Steve Ripley, later of the Tractors. Ripley and his band now make their home in the former First Church of God at Third and Trenton in Tulsa, which Russell converted into the “Church Studio.”
His country influence would extend even further after he teamed up with Willy Nelson for “One for the Road.”
These days, Russell is the head of his own record label, which began with three releases from its founder. With Elton John, he recently finished recording “The Union,” which is due out in October. T-Bone Burnett is producing the album, the first collaboration by the twosome since a 1970 concert at the Fillmore East, which includes guest appearances by Booker T. Jones and Neil Young.
Elton John will play Harveys’ summer outdoor concert series July 25.
"Song for Guy" is a mainly instrumental piece of music by Elton John. It is the closing track of his 1978 album, A Single Man and is the best known song from that album.
Although it has words - "Life... Isn't ever-y-thing" - this Elton John composition can rightly be classed as an instrumental. Guy Burchett was a messenger for Elton's label, Rocket Records. According to reviewer Claude Bernadin, Elton wrote and recorded this piece on the afternoon of Sunday, August 18, 1978. He had felt it was a song about death, and only learned the next day that Guy had been killed that very afternoon in a motorcycle accident.
The single was released November 28, backed by "Love Sick;" it was Elton's first UK top 5 hit for six years.
The album version runs to a lengthy 6 minutes 53 seconds, although there have been various edits including a CD single released in 2000, running to 3 minutes 52 seconds. This is the Sunstorm Radio Edit by Hurley and Todd; another version, the Sunstorm Mike Koglin Remix, also by Hurley and Todd, was likewise put out in 2000, and runs to 8 minutes 12 seconds.
"Song For Guy" shows an introspective, thoughtful Elton, obviously reflecting on his own mortality. (thanks, Alexander Baron - London, England, for all above)
Elton said this in the sleeve notes of the 7" single: "...As I was writing this song one Sunday, I imagined myself floating into space and looking down at my own body. I was imagining myself dying. Morbidly obsessed with these thoughts, I wrote this song about death. The next day I was told that Guy (Burchett), our 17 year-old messenger boy, had been tragically killed on his motorcycle the day before. Guy died on the day I wrote this song."
The song opens with solo piano. Shortly after the intro, a percussion section comes in, with additional wind chimes and synthesizers layered in as the melody repeats. The song is instrumental until the end, in which the line "Life, isn't everything" is repeated over the primary melody line of the song.
A Single Man é o décimo segundo álbum de estúdio do cantor e compositor britânico Elton John, lançado em 1978.
É o primeiro álbum criado sem o seu antigo colaborador Bernie Taupin. Como Gary Osborne era um desconhecido na época, muitas pessoas interpretaram mal o título do álbum afirmando que Elton escreveu o álbum inteiro sozinho.
O hit "Song for Guy" foi um tributo a Guy Burchett, um jovem funcionário da gravadora Rocket Records que foi morto em uma de acidente de motocicleta. A canção quase foi um sucesso mundial, sendo bem colocada em todas as paradas, exceto nos Estados Unidos e Canadá, onde a MCA, gravadora de Elton, não acreditou que a canção tinha potencial, devido ao recente sucesso de "The Music Box Dancer".
Elton John ficou de mal da música pop. Ou pelo menos não quer mais saber dela. Ele fez essa declaração ao site americano Aceshowbiz. Para o cantor, compositor e tecladista britânico, a partir de agora seu projeto de vida é escrever canções que, segundo ele, reflitam a sua idade atual, 63 anos.
O curioso é que, desde 1970, quando Your Song o colocou pela primeira vez nas paradas de sucesso, Elton sempre foi um apaixonado por conquistar os primeiros postos no setor do rock e da música pop. Ele explicou o que o levou à nova atitude.
- Nos anos 70, 80 e 90, as gravadoras diziam que você precisava ter um single. Creio que já fiz o que tinha de fazer nesse formato. Não quero mais saber de álbuns pop, e não penso que farei novamente algo como Crocodile Rock (um de seus singles de maior sucesso).
Em breve, ele lançará o álbum que gravou em parceria com o tecladista e compositor Leon Russell, mais uma vez contendo letras escritar por seu inseparável parceiro musical desde 1967, Bernie Taupin.
The next studio album by Elton John will be a collaboration with Leon
Russell, titled “The Union". Some of the tracks recorded for that
project have been mentioned in various places: Mandalay Again, Never Too
Old (to Hold Somebody), When Love is Dying, Hey Ahab, Hymn #5, The
Hands of Angels, Monkey Suit, A Dream Come T...rue, I Should Have Sent
Roses, If It Wasn’t for Bad, Gone to Shiloh. Presumably a total of 16
songs were written for this project.
Elton John is set to release two new albums with the first being a double live CD called 'At The Verona Arena' which will be released on August 2nd 2010.
At The Verona Arena is a recording of a performance in Italy last summer and the tracks include:
'Funeral / Love Lies', 'Saturday Night', 'Burn Down the Mission', 'Goodbye Yellow Brick Road', 'Blues', 'Daniel', 'Honky Cat', 'I Want Love', 'Rocket Man', 'Sad Songs', 'Pilot', 'Sorry', 'Tiny Dancer', 'Sacrifice', 'Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me', 'All The Young Girls Love Alice', 'Candle In The Wind', 'Skyline Pigeon', 'Are You Ready For Love', 'Bennie', 'Bitch Is Back', 'Crocodile Rock', 'Im Still Standing', 'Your Song'.
Elton has also confirmed that a brand new studio album is expected in October 2010. Sixteen tracks are currently being mixed for the follow up to 2006's The Captain and the Kid and it will feature legendary guest performances from Neil Young and Brian Wilson.
Elton John and veteran US singer/songwriter Leon Rusell are working on an album together featuring guests including Neil Young, it has been revealed.
Booker T Jones, guitarist Marc Ribot and drummer Jim Keltner contribute to the album, reports Billboard. Long-time Elton John collaborator Bernie Taupin has also been working on the record, it was revealed on Taupin's official website, Berniejtaupin.com.
"Basic tracks for Bernie and Elton's new album with Leon Russell have been recently completed and the gang is about to start vocals and overdubs immediately," it was explained on the site.
The message continued, "The trio has cut 15 songs ranging from Stones-like rockers, country-tinged ballads, gospel and even a Sinatra-like weepy similar to something torn from the grooves of 'In the Wee Small Hours' [1955 Frank Sinatra album].
"It's varied in scope and drenched in a rich tapestry of atmospherics. Don't expect to hear the old EJ/BT sound; this is organic recording unlike anything you've heard from our duo before."
A release schedule for the abum is yet to be revealed.
ELTON JOHN ESTARÁ LANÇANDO UM NOVO CD EM 19 DE OUTUBRO DE 2010 CHAMADO "THE UNION"
Elton John e Leon Russell estão a trabalhar num novo álbum. Este contará com canções escritas por Elton John e Bernie Taupin e produção de Henry Burnett, vencedor de alguns Grammy.
É no sítio oficial de Bernie Taupin que se encontra notícia, relatando que Russel sempre foi um ídolo musical para Elton. Assim sendo, o registo contará com influência deste, nomeadamente no estilo de piano, que contará com acompanhamento das vozes dos dois.
O trio começou a trabalhar nesta produção no passado mês de Novembro, em Los Angeles, completando material diverso. T-Bone Burnett, Jum Keltner, Jay Bellerose, Dennis Crouch, Marc Ribot e Keefus Ciancia são os músicos que colaboram como banda.
Russel submeteu-se a uma cirurgia cerebral no passado mês de Janeiro. Segundo o «Music-News», o artista continua a melhorar dos problemas de hemorragias nessa zona que o afectam há mais de vinte anos.
http://www.tvi24.iol.pt/musica/elton-john/1144510-4060.html
TITULO DAS CANÇÕES DO PRÓXIMO CD DE ELTON, "THE UNION"
Mandalay Again,
Never Too Old (to Hold Somebody),
When Love is Dying,
Hey Ahab,
Hymn #5,
The Hands of Angels,
Monkey Suit,
A Dream Come True,
I Should Have Sent Roses,
If It Wasn’t for Bad,
Gone to Shiloh
DOIS CDS DE ELTON ESSE ANO
Elton John se prepara para lançar dois novos álbuns, sendo a primeira de um CD duplo ao vivo chamado "At The Arena de Verona", que será lançado em 02 de agosto de 2010.
At The Verona Arena foi gravado na Italia no verão de 2010
American Roots Radio with Bernie Taupin Sat 7/3 10:00 pm ET Join The Loft this July 4th weekend for the debut of a brand new show featuring legendary songwriter Bernie Taupin doing what he loves the most, sharing his mind-blowing collection of American Roots music! American Roots Radio with Bernie Taupin debuts on Saturday July 3 at 10 pm ET with an encore the following Thursday at 12 pm ET.
"I'm thrilled about this opportunity as it gives me an outlet to share my passion and library with listeners on The Loft. All my life I've collected and loved American roots music, so the chance to serve it up on my own eclectic show is a dream come true. Expect a little conversation and a whole lot of tunes." — Bernie Taupin, June 15, 2010
Rebroadcast: Thurs 7/8 12:00 am ET
This weekend Bernie Taupin will present his own radio show, American Roots Radio with Bernie Taupin, on Sirius/XM Satellite Radio.
On Saturday, July 3, The Loft http://www.sirius.com/theloft will feature American Roots Radio with Bernie Taupin, the first of a new series featuring Bernie Taupin sharing his mind-blowing collection of American Roots music. Bernie said: "I'm thrilled about this opportunity as it gives me an outlet to share my passion and library with listeners on The Loft. All my life I've collected and loved American roots music, so the chance to serve it up on my own eclectic show is a dream come true. Expect a little conversation and a whole lot of tunes." American Roots Radio with Bernie Taupin debuts on Saturday July 3 at 10 pm ET, with an encore the following Thursday, July 8, at 12 pm ET, and continuing on every other Saturday.
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