In the confidence of its songs and even in the image on its front cover, Elton John’s self-titled album was the record that brought the young English singer-songwriter out of the shadows. Two Rooms: Celebrating the Songs of Elton John & Bernie Taupin is a 1991 tribute album consisting of interpretations of sixteen songs written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin.The title refers to a song on John's album 21 at 33, 'Two Rooms at the End of the World', and to the duo's unusual collaborative style; it is also the title of a 1991 film documenting their collaboration.
Empty Sky | |||
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Studio album by | |||
Released | 6 June 1969 (UK) 13 January 1975 (US) | ||
Recorded | December 1968 – April 1969 | ||
Studio | Dick James Music Studios, London | ||
Genre | Psychedelic rock, soft rock,[1]progressive pop, folk rock | ||
Length | 41:00(original release) 54:56 (1995 reissue) | ||
Label | DJM (UK) MCA (US) | ||
Producer | Steve Brown | ||
Elton John chronology | |||
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Alternative cover | |||
U.S. album cover |
Empty Sky is the debut studio album by British singer-songwriter Elton John, released on 6 June 1969. It would not be released in the United States until January 1975 (on MCA), with different cover art, well after John's fame had been established internationally.
- 3Track listing
Background[edit]
Recorded during the winter of 1968 and spring of 1969 in a DJM Records8-track studio, Empty Sky is the only album in the early part of Elton John's career not produced by Gus Dudgeon, instead helmed by friend and DJM staffer Steve Brown. The album was released in the UK in both stereo and mono with the latter now being a rare collector's item.
John plays harpsichord on several tracks, including 'Skyline Pigeon', which John has described as being 'the first song Bernie and I ever got excited about that we ever wrote.'[2]
John used musicians who were either his or Brown's friends. Guitarist Caleb Quaye and drummer Roger Pope, both members of the band Hookfoot at the time, played on many of the tracks. (Quaye and Pope would rejoin John a few years later as part of his studio and touring band behind Rock of the Westies in 1975 and Blue Moves in 1976.) Tony Murray from The Troggs played bass. Empty Sky is the first appearance with John of then Plastic Penny and Spencer Davis Group member Nigel Olsson, who played drums on 'Lady What's Tomorrow?' (Olsson and fellow Spencer Davis bandmate, bassist Dee Murray, would soon join John as his early '70s touring band.) Also listed in the production credits is Clive Franks, who would later produce John's live sound in concert for a tremendous amount of his touring career, as well as occasionally co-produce with John on albums such as A Single Man and 21 at 33. The original sleeve design was done by David Larkham (billed as 'Dave'), who would go on to create designs for John and other artists.
'Skyline Pigeon' is the most popular and best known song on the album, and is the only one which John, albeit infrequently, performs as part of his live shows. The more definitive version of 'Skyline Pigeon' featuring an orchestra and piano backing in place of harpsichord was recorded for 1973's Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player, and initially appeared as the B-side of 'Daniel' in 1973. Another appearance of the song was in 1974, when a version recorded in London was featured as the opening track on the Here and There live LP and CD reissue. A version of the title track, 'Empty Sky,' was also included at various stops on John's 1975 tour.
Although John has since called the album naive, he does have fond memories of making the record. These include walking home from recording at 4 a.m. and lodging at the Salvation Army HQ in Oxford Street, which was run by Steve Brown's father. 'I remember when we finished work on the title track - it just floored me. I thought it was the best thing I'd ever heard in my life,' John recalled.[3]
Elton later recalled that he was 'unsure what style I was going to be ... [maybe what] Leonard Cohen sounds like.'[4]
Reception[edit]
Professional ratings | |
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Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [1] |
AllMusic's retrospective review showed a subdued reaction to the material, concluding 'There aren't any forgotten gems on Empty Sky, but it does suggest John's potential.'[1]
Track listing[edit]
All songs written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin.
Side one
- 'Empty Sky' – 8:28
- 'Val-Hala' – 4:12*
- 'Western Ford Gateway' – 3:16
- 'Hymn 2000' – 4:29
Side two
- 'Lady What's Tomorrow' – 3:10
- 'Sails' – 3:45
- 'The Scaffold' – 3:18
- 'Skyline Pigeon' – 3:37
- 'Gulliver/Hay Chewed/Reprise' – 6:59*
Notes
- 'Val-Hala' was properly titled 'Valhalla' on the 1975 US reissue.
- 'Hay Chewed' was mistakenly titled 'It's Hay-Chewed' on the 1995 CD reissue.
1995/96 reissue Bonus tracks[edit]
1995 Mercury and 1996 Rocket reissue
- 'Lady Samantha' – 3:02
- 'All Across the Havens' – 2:52
- 'It's Me That You Need' – 4:04
- 'Just Like Strange Rain' – 3:44
Personnel[edit]
- Elton John – vocals, piano, organ, Hohner Pianet, harpsichord
- Caleb Quaye – electric guitar, acoustic guitar, congas
- Tony Murray – bass guitar
- Roger Pope – drums, percussion
- Nigel Olsson – drums on 'Lady What's Tomorrow'
- Don Fay – saxophone, flute
- Graham Vickery – harmonica
Production
- Steve Brown – producer
- Frank Owen – engineer
- Clive Franks – tape operator, whistling
- Dave Larkham – sleeve design, illustration
- Jim Goff – sleeve production
- Tony Brandon – original sleeve notes
- David Symonds – original sleeve notes
- Gus Dudgeon – liner notes
- John Tobler – liner notes
Charts[edit]
Album - Billboard (United States)
Year | Chart | Position |
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1975 | Pop Albums | 6 |
References[edit]
- ^ abcEmpty Sky at AllMusic
- ^'Skyline Pigeon' track from 'Here And There', Disc 1, Track 1. Released 30 April 1976, MCA Records.
- ^Liner notes from 'Empty Sky'. 1995 Rocket/Island CD Reissue.
- ^'Elton John'. Spectacle. Season 1. Episode 1. 2008.
Two Rooms: Celebrating the Songs of Elton John & Bernie Taupin | |
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Compilation album by | |
Released | October 22, 1991 |
Recorded | various |
Genre | Rock |
Length | 78:54 |
Label | Polydor |
Producer | many |
Singles from Two Rooms | |
|
Professional ratings | |
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Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
Evan Cater, AllMusic | [1] |
Two Rooms: Celebrating the Songs of Elton John & Bernie Taupin is a 1991 tribute album consisting of interpretations of sixteen songs written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin. The title refers to a song on John's album 21 at 33, 'Two Rooms at the End of the World', and to the duo's unusual collaborative style; it is also the title of a 1991 film documenting their collaboration.
Critical reception[edit]
The album gained an uneven reception,[2] though some performances were singled out for praise, including Sinéad O'Connor's interpretation of 'Sacrifice'[3] and Kate Bush's reggae-inflected version of 'Rocket Man', which in 2007 won The Observer readers' award for Greatest Cover of all time.[4][5]
Singles[edit]
Two singles were released from the album: Oleta Adams' version of 'Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me' peaked at number 33 in the UK Singles Chart and Kate Bush's 'Rocket Man' peaked at number 12 in the UK and number two in Australia. Wilson Phillips' cover of 'Daniel', while not released as a single, peaked at number seven in the US Adult Contemporary chart due to strong radio airplay[6].
Track listing[edit]
- 'Border Song' – Eric Clapton 4:21
- 'Rocket Man (I Think It's Going to Be a Long, Long Time)' – Kate Bush 4:57
- 'Come Down in Time' – Sting 3:38
- 'Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting' – The Who 4:32
- 'Crocodile Rock' – The Beach Boys 4:21
- 'Daniel' – Wilson Phillips 4:03
- 'Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word' – Joe Cocker 3:57
- 'Levon' – Jon Bon Jovi 5:27
- 'The Bitch is Back' – Tina Turner 3:38
- 'Philadelphia Freedom' – Hall & Oates 5:12
- 'Your Song' – Rod Stewart 4:49
- 'Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me' – Oleta Adams 6:02
- 'Madman Across the Water' – Bruce Hornsby 6:10
- 'Sacrifice' – Sinéad O'Connor 5:12
- 'Burn Down the Mission' – Phil Collins 6:58
- 'Tonight' – George Michael 7:23
Kate Bush[edit]
Kate Bush's reggae-inflected version of 'Rocket Man' was released as a single and peaked at number 12 in the UK and number two in Australia (where it beat the original version's chart position by several places). In 2007 the track won The Observer readers' award for Greatest Cover of all time.[4][5]
'I was really knocked out to be asked to be involved with this project,' Bush said, 'because I was such a big fan of Elton's when I was little. I really loved his stuff. It's like he's my biggest hero, really. And when I was just starting to write songs, he was the only songwriter I knew of that played the piano and sang and wrote songs. So he was very much my idol, and one of my favourite songs of his was 'Rocket Man'. Now, if I had known then that I would have been asked to be involved in this project, I would have just died… They basically said, 'Would we like to be involved?' I could choose which track I wanted… 'Rocket Man' was my favourite. And I hoped it hadn't gone, actually – I hoped no one else was going to do it… I actually haven't heard the original for a very long time. 'A long, long time' (laughs). It was just that I wanted to do it differently. I do think that if you cover records, you should try and make them different. It's like remaking movies: you've got to try and give it something that makes it worth re-releasing. And the reggae treatment just seemed to happen, really. I just tried to put the chords together on the piano, and it just seemed to want to take off in the choruses. So we gave it the reggae treatment. It's even more extraordinary (that the song was a hit) because we actually recorded the track over two years ago. Probably just after my last telly appearance. We were quite astounded when they wanted to release it as a single just recently.'[7]
The B-side of Bush's single was her version of 'Candle in the Wind'. The CD single added an instrumental version of the same song.
Certifications[edit]
Region | Certification | Certified units/Sales |
---|---|---|
France (SNEP)[8] | Platinum | 300,000* |
United Kingdom (BPI)[9] | Platinum | 300,000^ |
United States (RIAA)[10] | Platinum | 1,000,000^ |
*sales figures based on certification alone |
References[edit]
- ^Evan Cater, AllMusic review
- ^Rolling Stone, 'Elton by Others is an Uneven Enterprise', October 2, 1991.
- ^People magazine, 'Two Rooms But One Great Songbook', September 23, 1991.
- ^ ab'The top 50 greatest covers as voted by you', The Observer, UK 2007.
- ^ abLinskey, Dorian. 'The 10 best Kate Bush moments'.
- ^''Daniel' peaked at number seven in the US Adult Contemporary chart'. Billboard.
- ^BBC Radio 1 interview, 14 December 1991
- ^'InfoDisc : Les Certifications (Albums) du SNEP (Bilan par Artiste)'. Institut français d'opinion publique (in French). InfoDisc.fr. Retrieved October 23, 2015.
- ^'British album certifications – Various – Two Rooms'. British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved October 23, 2015.Select albums in the Format field.Select Platinum in the Certification field.Type Two Rooms in the 'Search BPI Awards' field and then press Enter.
- ^'American album certifications – Various – Two Rooms'. Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved October 23, 2015.If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH.