Elton John

Classic Albums: Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
Seen this so many times, surprised I've not reviewed it before. From 2001, with Elton, Bernie, producer Gus Dudgeon, Nigel Olsson and Davey Johnstone, Tim Rice and many others, considering about half the tracks on the double album, the early years, the aborted Jamaica trip, and how the album reflects a series of vignettes from Hollywood and elsewhere, and how at that time, the creative process was at such a peak that all their shots hit coconuts, so to speak. Throw in the mysterious success of Bennie and the Jets, the other candidates for Candle in the Wind, and weird singing styles in Roy Rogers and others, and it's a cracking little treat of a show.

Better news for once:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-45599730

Sir Elton John and David Furnish have accepted "significant" libel damages over a newspaper allegation that their dog inflicted "Freddy Krueger-like" injuries on a child at a play date.
The couple brought proceedings against News Group Newspapers over a front page story in The Sun on Sunday in February.

He's getting the biopic treatment, with Taron Egerton taking the lead role in "Rocketman" (I recently saw him in the lead role in "Eddie the Eagle", in which he was very good).

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/rocketman-first-look-taron-egerton-transforms-elton-john-1147705

Rocketman is now on release. Same director, Dexter Fletcher, as the Queen effort, but early reviews are less positive towards this.

Rocketman - Special
Half-hour promo piece with Alex Zane talking to star Taron Egerton, the director, producer and some of the other cast. Taron did his own vocals, and impressed with his contribution to the animated film Sing. Elton's music crops up in a surprising amount of other films. And so on.

The soundtrack album entered the charts at #5!   

Less good news from Russia, which has censored parts of the film, and Elton himself ranted onstage about his dismay over the ongoing Brexit fiasco, he being very much a Remainer.

France have awarded Sir Elton their Legion of Honour, their highest civilian award:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-48727639

Elton John wrote: "I have a huge love affair with France: I have a house here, I've always loved coming here, I love the French culture, the way of life and the French people."

The performer's charity, The Elton John Aids Foundation, has generated more than £310m for HIV prevention, education and support.

Well done then.

His much-awaited memoir, Me, was on sale from yesterday.

Elton John: Uncensored
Apparently his only interview of the year, with Irish talk show host Graham Norton. They talked about the farewell tour, the biopic, theatre projects, meeting Winifred Attwell and Liberace (separately), how he met Bernie Taupin by chance, his penchant for costumes on stage, battles with his hair, and the press, being sober for 29 years (after 16 dodgy years), being introduced to martinis in Nice by Duran Duran, introducing David Furnish to his mother at a lunch with Michael Jackson, brushes with death and prostate cancer, and hopes for a future residency at which he could perform less famous chunks of his repertoire.

The Rocketman biopic won 2 gongs at the Golden Globes, both for Taron Egerton in the main role, and for a new song, I'm Gonna Love Me Again.

misery guts wrote:The Rocketman biopic won 2 gongs at the Golden Globes, both for Taron Egerton in the main role, and for a new song, I'm Gonna Love Me Again.

IGLMA also won an Oscar!

Less happy news as he was forced to cancel a gig partway through as he was suffering with a form of pneumonia that rendered his voice inadequate.

A somewhat surprising name from his past has resurfaced:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-53184151

Sir Elton John's ex-wife, Renate Blauel, has launched a legal action against the singer at the high court.
The German-born sound engineer is seeking an injunction against Sir Elton, who she married in 1984.

Showreel: Elton John
More of the usual selection of hits, though a few surprising choices like Healing Hands and Something About The Way You Look Tonight.

Also connected was a tribute from the Royal Mint:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-53299892

Rock legend Elton John is to be commemorated on a £1,000 gold coin celebrating his musical legacy.

He said it was a "fabulous honour" and a "truly humbling milestone".

The Royal Mint at Llantrisant in south Wales is to sell coins featuring Sir Elton's glasses and straw boater hat to mark his career of more than 50 years.

Artist Bradley Morgan Johnson from Norwich used a musical note design to create round spectacles topped with hat and bow-tie on a Union flag background.

"It really is a fabulous honour to be recognised in this way," said Sir Elton.

misery guts wrote:A somewhat surprising name from his past has resurfaced:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-53184151

Sir Elton John's ex-wife, Renate Blauel, has launched a legal action against the singer at the high court.
The German-born sound engineer is seeking an injunction against Sir Elton, who she married in 1984.

More about this now. She wants £3m over stuff from his memoir and the Rocketman biopic which related to the time of their marriage, which he wasn't supposed to.

misery guts wrote:

misery guts wrote:A somewhat surprising name from his past has resurfaced:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-53184151

Sir Elton John's ex-wife, Renate Blauel, has launched a legal action against the singer at the high court.
The German-born sound engineer is seeking an injunction against Sir Elton, who she married in 1984.

More about this now. She wants £3m over stuff from his memoir and the Rocketman biopic which related to the time of their marriage, which he wasn't supposed to.

They've resolved it now:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-54544607

misery guts wrote:His much-awaited memoir, Me, was on sale from yesterday.

Got a copy of this. Fairly in-depth stuff, since the paperback runs up to mention of the pandemic (at his age and health, he's in a high risk category or three). A good read, though, somewhat graphic, but some would say honest. For those more interested in his music than his personal life, there's a decent mix of material.

Elton John - Electric Proms
From 2010 at the Roundhouse venue in London, when he was pushing an album made with Leon Russell. He did tracks of his own, had guest vocal help from the now forgotten Plan B and Rumer, and did several tracks with Leon.

MTV Unplugged: Elton John
This 1990 edition was an amusing repeat - Sacrifice was the most up-to-date track included in what was a fairly predictable short set (amusingly he did Tiny Dancer, supposedly "rediscovered" in 2002, and also Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me, which he would revive with George Michael in 1991). He also managed a rant about how oldies like him could do a show like this, and not the dreaded "lip-synchers". Miaow, etc 

BBC One Sessions presents Elton John
From back in 2006, when he was plugging his The Captain and the Kid album, from which he did a few tracks here, among some other lengthy efforts like Funeral For A Friend (Love Lies Bleeding) and Someone Saved My Life Tonight. Good to see again.

He's had to postpone his lengthy farewell tour, after a bad fall left him with hip discomfort.

On the plus side, new P'nau effort Cold Heart, with Elton and Dua Lipa in a redo of Sacrifice, Rocket Man and Kiss the Bride, is up to #4 in the UK, his best effort since Electricity back in 2005.

Elton John - The Red Piano : Live From Las Vegas
At the Caesars Palace Coliseum in 2005, a lively enough show with some curious big screen footage accompanying tracks. Notably, though the version of Rocket Man goes on for 11-12 minutes, the footage never runs short, which gives the lie to how spontaneous it seemed. The most recent track was Believe, from the mid-90s.

misery guts wrote:
On the plus side, new P'nau effort Cold Heart, with Elton and Dua Lipa in a redo of Sacrifice, Rocket Man and Kiss the Bride, is up to #4 in the UK, his best effort since Electricity back in 2005.

After spending 3 weeks at #2, it finally crept up to #1 last night, displacing Ed Sheeran, and giving him his first #1 since Ghetto Gospel (which was more 2pac's work, to be honest) in 2005.
It was also claimed as giving him #1's across six decades, although as the other statistic shows he didn't have a #1 in the 2010's, then I expect there's some other shenanigans going on. Well done to P'nau, really, whose bright idea it almost certainly actually was.

Later w/Jools Holland - Elton John
He appeared via screen from Windsor (still convalescing). He discussed his new album The Lockdown Sessions, which was released last Friday, and features duet projects with all and sundry (both his excellent tunes with Dua Lipa and Rina Sawayama, and his crappy one with Years & Years - also one with the rather dead Glen Campbell). He picked performances from Glen, Christine and the Queens, Brandi Carlile and Gorillaz. He spoke of friendships with Stevie Wonder and Brandi. He's done a radio show for 6 years, and is cross about Brexit. His advice to the young was to play live.

Said album went to #1, ahead of Lana Del Rey at #2. It's his 8th UK #1 album