Tag: Elton John

The Sunday Six

Celebrating music with six random tracks at a time

Is it really Sunday again? And where did January go? Welcome to another musical excursion through space and time! As always, our itinerary includes six stops in different decades with music in different flavors. Let’s do it!

Kenny Dorham/Blue Friday

Opening today’s trip is American jazz trumpeter, composer and occasional vocalist Kenny Dorham. Over his relatively short 25-year career, he became one of the most active bebop trumpeters. He played with the likes of Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, Thelonious Monk, Sonny Rollins and Max Roach. Starting from late 1953 Dorham also released some 20 albums as leader. Sadly, he passed away from kidney disease at age 48 in December 1972. Blue Friday, a Dorham composition, appeared on his February 1960 album Quiet Kenny. His quartet included Tommy Flanagan (piano), Paul Chambers (bass) and Art Taylor (drums).

Elton John/Club At the End of the Street

Let’s next head to August 1989 and a song by Elton John I’ve always liked. I was reminded of Club At the End of the Street the other day when I caught it on the radio in my car. While I generally prefer the piano man’s music during the first half of the ’70s, he has also had some great songs thereafter. Composed by Elton John with lyrics from his longtime collaborator Bernie Taupin, Club At the End of the Street is from John’s 22nd studio album Sleeping with the Past. The song was also released separately as a single in March 1990.

Mudcrutch/Scare Easy

A great tip from my longtime German music buddy Gerd takes us back to the current century. Before Tom Petty founded the Heartbreakers, he formed Mudcrutch in 1970, together with Tom Leadon, brother of Eagles co-founder Bernie Leadon, and Mike Campbell who would later join the Heartbreakers. While Mudcrutch gained regional popularity in central Florida and southern Georgia and in 1974 got a deal with Shelter Records in Los Angeles, a single they released failed to chart. Therefore, the label dissolved them, keeping only Petty under contract. Subsequently, he formed the hugely successful Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Fast-forward to August 2007 when Petty invited original Mudcrutch members Randall Marsh and Tom Leadon, Campbell and Benmont Tench (also of the Heartbreakers) to reform Mudcrutch. The first outcome was an eponymous album that appeared in April 2008. Another one, Mudcrutch 2, would follow eight years later. From the first album, here’s Scare Easy, written by Petty.

Fats Domino/I’m Walkin’

Let’s jump back 51 years to February 1957. That’s when Fats Domino put out one of his most successful singles, I’m Walkin’. Written by him with frequent collaborator Dave Bartholomew, it was Domino’s third single in a row to top the U.S. R&B Best Sellers chart and also peaked at no. 4 on the pop charts, indicating his crossover appeal. Domino wrote the song after his car had broken down and he overheard a fan say, “Hey, look at Fats Domino, he’s walking!” It’s amazing what a car breakdown can do!

Led Zeppelin/All My Love

Our next stop is August 1979, which saw the release of Led Zeppelin’s eighth and final studio album, In Through the Out Door, prior to their breakup in early December 1980 after the death of drummer John Bonham in September that year. Unlike on Zep’s previous albums, bassist and keyboarder John Paul Jones and vocalist Robert Plant played a much more prominent role. Bonham and guitarist Jimmy Page, who were in the throes of alcoholism and heroin addiction, respectively, oftentimes didn’t show up in time at the recording studio. This left Jones and Plant to put together the songs, with Plant and Bonham adding their parts separately. One of the consequences was the prominent use of the Yamaha GX-1 synthesizer Jones had recently purchased. All My Love is a great example of what this baby could do!

Lenny Kravitz/Rock And Roll Is Dead

Time to wrap up our trip. For this we shall go to September 1995 and the fourth studio album by Lenny Kravitz, Circus. Peaking at no. 10 in the U.S. on the Billboard 200, it became his first top 10 album there. In the UK where Kravitz had enjoyed more chart success up to that point, the album hit no. 5, marking his third in a row to reach the top 10. Circus was most successful in Switzerland and The Netherlands where it topped the charts, as well as Australia and Austria where it peaked at no. 2 and no. 3, respectively. Here’s the great opener Rock And Roll Is Dead, whose title Kravitz said was widely taken at face value when he actually was poking fun at life as a rock star.

Last but not least, here’s a Spotify playlist of the above goodies. As always, I hope there’s something for you and that you’ll be back to join me for more music time travel next Sunday!

Sources: Wikipedia; YouTube; Spotify

New Music Musings

Favorite Albums of 2023

Just in time before seeing off the year, I’d like to take a final look at new music. This post highlights my six favorite albums of 2023 I reviewed.

Highway 61 – Driving South

After 30 Years and an incredible background story including the global pandemic, a near-fatal cancer episode and the death of a music mentor, Los Angeles blues rock four-piece Highway 61 released their debut album Driving South on March 24. While after their formation in the early ’90s the band managed to establish themselves on the Southern California club circuit, the record deal they sought remained elusive, and they broke up in 1993. Fast forward to the summer of 2022 when they reconvened for the first time in decades at an L.A. studio to finally record their first album. Highway 61 blend flavors of The Rolling Stones and Tom Petty with dashes of The Black Crowes and Stevie Ray Vaughan. For a little taste, here’s the kickass opener Walk On Water (full album review). Thanks again to Gregg Bell of Wanted Management, who brought Highway 61 on my radar screen!

Ian Hunter – Defiance Part 1

Ian Hunter may be an octogenarian, but he sure as heck can show all the young dudes how to rock. After his departure as lead vocalist from British glam rockers Mott the Hoople in 1974, Hunter launched a solo career and has released his own albums at a fairly steady pace. He frequently collaborated with Mick Ronson until the untimely death of David Bowie’s former sideman in 1993 at the age of 46. His 15th and latest album Defiance Part 1, recorded during COVID lockdown and released on April 21, features the late Jeff Beck, Slash, Billy Gibbons, Todd Rundgren and Ringo Starr, among others, who all added contributions at their home studios. The album also includes Hunter’s longtime collaborator Andy York, one of John Mellencamp’s guitarist, who also served as co-producer. Here’s This Is What I’m Here For, written by Hunter and featuring the late Taylor Hawkins (formerly of Foo Fighters) on drums, Waddy Wachtel (guitar) and Def Leppard’s Joe Elliott (backing vocals) (full album review).

Lucinda Williams – Stories From a Rock n Roll Heart

Lucinda Williams may be among the ultimate rock & roll survivors. Only two and a half years ago, things looked pretty bleak for the singer-songwriter, who turned 70 in January. After her East Nashville home had been damaged by a tornado in March 2020, she suffered a debilitating stroke in November of the same year. Not only did the stroke limit Williams’ physical mobility, but it also took away her ability to play guitar, the instrument she had relied on to write her songs. None of this stopped Williams. After intense rehab, she returned to the stage. Still unable to play guitar, she adjusted her way to write music, collaborated with her husband and co-producer Tom Overby and others, and recorded the incredible album Stories From a Rock n Roll Heart, which dropped on June 30. I don’t mean to romanticize hardship, but I find Williams’ strength truly inspiring. Here’s the de facto title track Rock n Roll Heart, co-written by Williams, Overby and Travis Stephens, guitarist and Williams’ road manager. The song features Bruce Springsteen and Patti Scialfa on backing vocals (full album review). Only select songs of the album are available on streaming services.

Cordovas – The Rose of Aces

East Nashville, Tenn.-based Americana and country rock band Cordovas have become one of my favorite contemporary groups since the summer of 2018 when I coincidentally caught them at a free open air summer concert in New Jersey. Their three-part harmony vocals and warm sound remind me of other groups like The Band, Grateful Dead, Eagles and Little Feat. Cordovas were formed in 2011 by songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Joe Firstman  after he had put out a series of solo projects and served as bandleader on NBC’s former late-night TV show Last Call with Carson Daly from 2005 to 2009. On August 11, they released their fourth studio album The Rose of Aces, another gem. Here’s Love Is All It Takes, a song written by Firstman with a neat Allman Brothers Band vibe (full album review).

The Rolling Stones/Hackney Diamonds

Hackney Diamonds is no Sticky Fingers or Exile On Main St., but the first new Rolling Stones album with original music in 18 years still marks a late-stage career highlight. Released on October 20, Hackney Diamonds sounds remarkably fresh and dynamic for a band that has existed for 61 years! The first Stones album since the 2021 death of longtime drummer Charlie Watts features Elton John, Lady Gaga, Stevie Wonder, Bill Wyman, Paul McCartney and even Watts, among others. One of the most effective contributions are Lady Gaga’s backing vocals on Sweet Sounds of Heaven, a great soulful ballad credited to Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. It also includes Wonder on keyboards and piano, but you don’t notice unless you carefully listen to Jagger telling Wonder, ‘Play me something, Steve’, at around the 5:30-minute mark or check the credits – a relatively small wrinkle on what I think is the Stones’ best studio album since 1989’s Steel Wheels (full album review).

Raze Regal & White Denim Inc. – Raze Regal & White Denim Inc.

The collaboration between Raze Regal, who AllMusic calls an eclectic, psych, jazz, and rock-influenced guitarist, and James Petralli, vocalist of Austin, Texas indie rock band White Denim who he co-founded in 2006, is one of my most intriguing new music discoveries this year. The album’s sophisticated sound blending jazz, rock, soul and pop at times reminds me of Steely Dan and some of Gino Vannelli’s work I’ve heard. Here’s the cool opener Ashley Goudeau, named after a local Austin morning news anchor, a song about a parasocial relationship with a TV personality (full album review).

Sources: Wikipedia; AllMusic; YouTube; Spotify

Still Only Rock & Roll, Still Liking It

The Rolling Stones hit a remarkable late-stage career high on Hackney Diamonds

Unless you’ve lived under a rock, which I largely did in the ’90s when it came to music, by now, you’ve heard The Rolling Stones are out with their long-awaited new album. Hackney Diamonds dropped on Friday, October 20, and I’ve since spent some time with it. I guess you already figured out my overall sentiment is pretty positive. To me, Hackney Diamonds represents a late-stage highlight in the Stones’ remarkable 61-year career, which sounds surprisingly dynamic and fresh!

When I listened to the first single Angry about a month ago, I certainly wasn’t mad, thinking it sounds like the Stones but I wasn’t exactly floored either. The second upfront single Sweet Sounds of Heaven, which I covered here around the time it was released, definitely got my attention and raised expectations about the album. So did the punkish Bite My Head Off, featuring Paul McCartney on bass. I included that song in my latest weekly new music review.

The Rolling Stones are rocking on, 61 years into their career (from left): Ronnie Wood, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards

Hackney Diamonds is the Stones’ first album with new material since A Bigger Bang, which dates back to September 2005 – that’s a whopping 18 years! They released a blues covers collection, Blue & Lonesome, in December 2016, after abandoning their initial plan to create new music. I immediately liked Blue & Lonesome for what it was and posted about it at the time. To me, it felt like the Stones had come full circle with their early days when they actually were a blues cover band.

When reading Hackney Diamonds features prominent guests, including Elton John, Lady Gaga, Stevie Wonder, Bill Wyman and Paul McCartney, you could be forgiven to think it’s a playbook we’ve seen before, especially by more mature artists. In this case, I don’t feel this had any negative impact on the overall outcome but will add you really wouldn’t know that Elton John, Stevie Wonder or Bill Wyman are on the album, if they wouldn’t be listed in the credits.

The Rolling Stones with some of the guests on their new album (from left): Lady Gaga, Elton John, Paul McCartney, Stevie Wonder and producer Andrew Watt, who also provided bass, guitar, percussion, keyboards and backing vocals

I wish these artists would be more noticeable, particularly John and Wonder with their distinct piano and harmonica sounds, respectively. By contrast, Lady Gaga provides compelling backing vocals on Sweet Sounds of Heaven, the same song on which Stevie Wonder plays keyboards and piano. If it wasn’t for Mick Jagger who says, ‘play me something, Steve,’ at around 5:30 minutes into the track, frankly, it would be easy to miss Wonder. McCartney, on the other hand, is way more noticeable with a short punkish fuzz bass solo on Bite My Head Off. As such, he and Gaga not only were able to showcase their chops but also added to what are two highlights on the album.

Another key player I’d like to call out is producer Andrew Watt. The 33-year-old, who McCartney suggested to Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood, has produced for a remarkable variety of artists, including Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus, Ozzy Osbourne, Pearl Jam and Iggy Pop, among many others. Watt also is a multi-instrumentalist who plays guitar in the Earthlings, Eddie Vedder’s backing band for solo endeavors.

While Watt is a talented musician, I was surprised to see him listed in the credits as playing bass instead of the Stones’ longtime bassist Darryl Jones. Last year, American Songwriter reported the Stones including Jones and their current drummer Steve Jordan had laid down basic tracks for the album in New York. Evidently, whatever was recorded then with Jones didn’t make the final mix. I also like to call out two other individuals listed in the credits: Benmont Tench (Hammond organ), previously with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers; and prominent producer Don Was who co-produced album track Live by the Sword.

Time for some music! I’m skipping Angry and go right to Get Close. It very much feels like a classic guitar riff-driven Stones song without coming across as dusty – kudos to Watt! Mick Jagger’s vocals sound outstanding, which also is the case on all of the other tracks. James King throws in a nice saxophone solo. Get Close is the first of two songs featuring Elton John on piano, except you can’t hear him. Perhaps the caveat here is I have some high-frequency hearing loss, so I cannot make out John’s piano, not even with headphones, but maybe others can when they get close! 🙂

On Dreamy Skies, the Stones remind us of their country chops, which they illustrated a long time ago on songs like Dear Doctor, Country Honk, Sweet Virginia and, of course, Dead Flowers. While the guitar work doesn’t reach the brilliance of the latter, Dreamy Skies still is a song I could well picture on my all-time favorite Stones album Sticky Fingers, released in April 1971.

Mess It Up is one of two tracks featuring drums by the late Charlie Watts thanks to modern technology. It’s great to hear the man again! The guitar work is pretty solid and resembles classic Stones. I also like the funky vibe of the song, which would fit well on Steel Wheels. Their August 1989 album saw the Stones return to a more classic style after they had embraced a commercial ’80s sound on their two previous albums.

Live By the Sword not only is the second track on Hackney Diamonds with drums by Watts, but it also pairs them with bass provided by Bill Wyman, thus recreating the Stones’ classic rhythm engine. The song, which as noted above was co-produced by Don Was, also is the second track to feature Elton John. Unlike Get Close, at least I can hear the piano man occasionally in the background. Once again, I feel it would have been even better to give Sir Elton at least a short solo or make his honky piano more prominent in the mix.

Next up is Tell Me Straight, another highlight on the album, featuring Keith Richards on lead vocals. I have to agree with various reviews I read that noted Richards hasn’t sounded as good in many years. I also think the song’s reflective lyrics are noteworthy:…I need an answer, how long can this last?/Just tell me straight/ Don’t make me wait/Is my future all in the past? Yeah, tell me straight, tell me straight…

This brings me to the final track I’d like to highlight, even though it’s “only a cover.” In fact, it’s the sole cover on the album, Rolling Stone Blues, an obvious nod to the past. Originally titled Rollin’ Stone, it was recorded by Muddy Waters in 1950, who in turn based it on Catfish Blues, a delta blues dating back to the 1920s. The Stones worshipped Muddy Waters, and it was that very song that inspired the name The Rolling Stones.

“We had a lot of material recorded, but we weren’t very excited with the results,” Jagger told Spanish daily newspaper El País in a recent interview about the album. “Some of the songs were okay, but they weren’t great. We said, ‘We’re going to work harder and we’re going to set a deadline.’ And that’s when the magic started to happen. We recorded the whole thing in three or four weeks. We wanted to make the record fast and keep ourselves excited the whole time. And I think we achieved our goal.”

During the same interview, Jagger was also very complimentary about producer Andrew Watt. “Andy is fantastic because he’s young and he plays guitar, bass, he sings… He knows the history of music. When he talks to me, Keith, or Ronnie, you can tell he knows all of our records. He knows all the chords to Tumbling Dice or any song. He’s not someone who approaches recording from an intellectual or electronic point of view.”

Overall, Hackney Diamonds has been well received. Variety called it the best album by the Stones since 1981’s Tattoo You, which is widely considered their last great album. I would perhaps characterize it as their most compelling work since the aforementioned Steel Wheels, an album I’ve always enjoyed. Regardless which of the two albums you want to use, the Stones sound remarkably classic, vital and fresh on Hackney Diamonds.

Now perhaps to the obvious question: Is it the last time we will have heard new music by the greatest rock & rock band in the world? It goes without saying the Stones don’t have the luxury to wait for another 18 years; even another seven years (the time span between Blue & Lonesome and Hackney Diamonds) look like a stretch. Based on the speed Hackney Diamonds ultimately came together, there may be some reason to be optimistic. In case Hackney Diamonds should turn out to be their final studio album, it would mean The Rolling Stones certainly ended on a high note.

Sources: Wikipedia; American Songwriter; El País; Variety; The Rolling Stones website; YouTube; Spotify

New Music Musings

Billy Raffoul, Sun June, Skinny Lister, Dirt Buyer, Blues Traveler and The Rolling Stones

Lately, the weeks seem to be flying by ever-faster. I can’t believe it’s Saturday again! Welcome to my weekly new music review. This time, the first four of the six featured artists/bands are entirely new to me. All picks are from albums that dropped yesterday (October 20).

Billy Raffoul/Tangerine

First up is Canadian singer-songwriter Billy Raffoul from Leamington, Ontario. A previous announcement of Raffoul’s latest full-length album For All Those Years notes his father Jody Raffoul was a regionally prominent and prolific performer introducing his son to music at an early age. After signing with Interscope Records in 2017 and a few singles and EPs, he released his full-length debut album A Few More Hours at YYZ in 2020. AllMusic characterizes Raffoul’s music as recalling a mixture of Jeff Buckley, Joe Cocker and Bruce Springsteen. From For All These Years, his third album, here’s Tangerine. His ragged vocals and his soulful delivery drew me in.

Sun June/Mixed Bag

Sun June are an indie pop band from Austin, Texas. Starting with their 2018 debut album Years, they have released three albums to date. Their latest it titled Bad Dream Jaguar. Here’s Mixed Bag, which is credited to all six members of the band: Laura Colwell (vocals, guitar, keyboards), Michael Bain (lead guitar), Stephen Salisbury and Santiago Dietche (guitar, vocals each), Justin Harris (bass) and Sarah Schultz (drums). This song has a pleasant laidback feel to it.

Skinny Lister/Company of the Bar

Skinny Lister are a British folk band blending elements of folk punk and folk pop. AllMusic notes The Pogues and Mumford & Sons. I’m also bit reminded Boston’s Dropkick Murphys. Skinny Lister were formed in London in 2009 and have released six albums to date. Their new one is titled Shanty Punk. Here’s the upbeat Company of the Bar. I like this!

Dirt Buyer/Gathering Logs

Dirt Byer are an Emo folk group around singer-songwriter and guitarist Joe Sutkowski who hails from New Jersey is now based in Brooklyn, New York. He started as a duo in 2018 with drummer Ruben Radlauer when both were students at Berklee College of Music in Boston, Mass. After the release of Dirt Buyer’s eponymous debut album in January 2019, Radlauer left. Dirt Buyer subsequently became a trio who in addition from Sutkowksi includes Tristan Allen (bass) and Mike Costa (drums). Gathering Logs is a song off the second album appearing under the Dirt Buyer name, Dirt Buyer II.

Blues Traveler/Qualified

If the name Blues Traveler doesn’t ring a bell, chances are you know the blues rock and alternative rock band’s catchy 1995 hit Run-Around. They were formed eight years earlier in Princeton, New Jersey and put out their eponymous debut album in May 1990. Led by John Popper (lead vocals, harmonica, acoustic guitar), Blues Traveler have since released 13 additional albums. Apart from Popper and co-founders Chan Kinchla (guitar) and Brendan Hill (drums), the group’s current line-up features Tad Kinchla (bass) and Ben Wilson (keyboards), who each have been members for more than 20 years. Off their new album Traveler’s Blues, here’s Qualified a great tune with a soulful vibe

The Rolling Stones/Bite My Head Off

The Rolling Stones are finally out with Hackney Diamonds, their long-awaited first album of new music in 18 years. I previously covered the second upfront single Sweet Sounds of Heaven, a great soulful ballad featuring Lady Gaga on backing vocals and Stevie Wonder on Fender Rhodes. There are other prominent guests on the album, including Elton John, Bill Wyman and Paul McCartney. The late Charlie Watts can be heard on two tracks as well. The other drum parts are handled by the Stones’ current drummer Steve Jordan. Based on scanning some reviews, Hackney Diamonds appears to have been well received. Variety called it the best album by the Stones since 1981’s Tattoo You. Here’s Bite My Head Off, featuring Macca on fuzz bass, who even throws in a short solo. While unfortunately I haven’t had the time yet to give the album the attention it deserves, I know this: Bite My Head Off rocks!

Sources: Wikipedia; Nettwerk Music Group website; AllMusic; Dirt Buyer Bandcamp page; You Tube, Spotify

Elton John’s Goodbye Yellow Brick Road Hits the Big 50

Fifty years ago today, on October 5, 1973, Elton John released Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, one of my all-time favorites by the British piano man. To celebrate the 50th anniversary of this gem, I’m republishing a post that first appeared in December 2020.

While I became aware of Elton John more than 40 years ago and have listened to him on and off ever since (admittedly more off for the past three decades), I mostly know him based on specific songs. Except for John’s 1983 album Too Low for Zero, which I really dug at the time and still enjoy to this day, I haven’t explored his albums in greater detail. This occurred to me the other day when I put together a post on Elton John rockers.

I always had been more fond of John’s earlier songs, so perhaps not surprisingly, once I decided to further explore his albums, it made the most sense to me to start looking at his releases from the first half of the ’70s. From there, it didn’t take long to get to Goodbye Yellow Brick Road and realize why it’s widely considered to be John’s best album.

By the time Goodbye Yellow Brick Road was released in October 1973, John had established himself as one of the most successful pop music artists of the ’70s. With predecessors Honky Château and Don’t Shoot Me I’m Only the Piano Player, he already had two internationally successful studio records under his belt that had generated hits like Rocket Man, perhaps my favorite Elton tune, Crocodile Rock, and Daniel.

Goodbye Yellow Brick Road gatefold

Appearing only nine months after Piano Player, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road came together during what arguably was the most productive period for John and his close partner in crime, lyricist Bernie Taupin. They had a total of 22 tracks, for which Taupin wrote the lyrics in just two and a half weeks while John composed most of the music in a whopping three days. Narrowing down the songs to 18 tracks still meant there were too many to fit on one LP. That’s why the album became a double LP, marking the first of John’s four such studio releases.

Inspired by The Rolling Stones’ Goats Head Soup, John wanted to record the album in Jamaica. Production there started in January 1973, but things became quickly hampered by technical challenges with the sound system and the studio piano, along with external distractions, including a professional box fight and political unrest. Work was speedily shifted to Studio d’enregistement Michel Magne at Château d’Hérouville located in the northwestern suburbs of Paris, France, where John had recorded his two previous above noted albums. The last-minute studio change apparently didn’t have a negative impact: Goodbye Yellow Brick Road was recorded in just two weeks. Time for some music!

I’d like to kick things off with the magnificent opener Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding. The first part is an instrumental of music John felt he’d like to be played at his funeral – one wonders a bit in what state of mind he was! It’s followed by Love Lies Bleeding, which Songfacts describes as an angry song about a broken relationship. Had it not been fused together with Funeral, something producer Gus Dudgeon had come up with, I would have included Love Lies Bleeding in my previous post about great Elton John rockers. While due to the total length of over just 11 minutes the track initially wasn’t released as a single, it became a fan favorite and staple of John’s live set lists. It’s easy to understand why!

I could easily fill up the remaining post with just the hits the album generated:  Saturday’s Night’s Alright for Fighting, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, Bennie and the Jets and Candle in the Wind. The one I really cannot ignore is the title track, another contender for my all-time favorite Elton song. According to Songfacts, the yellow brick road is an image taken from the movie The Wizard of Oz, and it was rumored the ballad is about Judy Garland. But instead the song seems to be about Taupin. Songfacts: The lyrics are about giving up a life of opulence for one of simplicity in a rural setting. Elton has enjoyed a very extravagant lifestyle, while Taupin prefers to keep it low key.

Grey Seal initially was recorded for John’s eponymous sophomore studio album from April 1970, but the tune didn’t make the record. Songfacts notes Taupin has said that it’s one of the songs he wrote with lyrics he never really understood, but somehow work. As for Elton, the song is one of his favorites, as he loves the way the music matches up to the lyrics. In the tradition of “A Whiter Shade Of Pale,” the lyrics form a series of images that are open to translation. Elton called it “Procol Harum-ish absurd, like a Dali painting.” I love this tune and can easily see why it appealed so much to John.

Next up is Sweet Painted Lady, a deeper cut from the album. From Songfacts:  Written in the style of the British composer Noël Coward, this song is about sailors back from the sea and the “sweet painted ladies” – prostitutes – waiting for them at harbor brothels.

Let’s do one more: Harmony, the album’s closer, and a track that had been considered as a single. But the timing was deemed too close to Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me, the lead single to John’s follow-on album Caribou. Instead,  Harmony became the B-side to the U.S. version of the Bennie and the Jets single. Songfacts notes the tune gained a fervent following, especially on the New York City radio station WOR, it won the “Battle of the Hits,” voted on by listeners, for 33 consecutive weeks.

Goodbye Yellow Brick Road became Elton John’s best-selling studio album. In February 2014, it reached 8x Platinum certification in the U.S. In 2003, the album was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. It’s also included in Rolling Stone’s list of 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. In the most recent revision from September 2020, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road held up pretty well, coming in at no. 112, down from 91 in the corresponding lists for 2012 and 2003.

Following is the Spotify link to this magnificent album, an addition to the original post.

Sources: Wikipedia; Songfacts; YouTube; Spotify

Song Musings

What you always wanted to know about that tune

Once again we’ve hit the middle of another week, which means it’s time to take a deep dive into a song I’ve only mentioned in passing or not covered at all to date. My pick for this Song Musings installment is by a great singer-songwriter who it appears will remain a one-hit wonder, which is unfortunate: Romeo’s Tune by Steve Forbert.

Forbert who started his recording career in 1978 only entered my radar screen in 2020. In May that year, I reviewed his then-latest studio album, Early Morning Rain, a covers collection of his favorite folk rock songs by Gordon Lightfoot, Elton John, Ray Davies, Leonard Cohen and others. Romeo’s Tune takes us all the way back to Forbert’s sophomore album Jack Rabbit Slim released in December 1979.

Solely written by Forbert who was 25 years at the time it came out, Romeo’s Tune also appeared separately as a single. The song peaked at no. 11 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. It did best in Canada where it surged to no. 8 on the Top Singles Chart. Elsewhere, it climbed to no. 10 in South Africa, no. 13 in Australia, no. 21 in New Zealand and no. 30 in Italy. Forbert’s follow-up single Say Goodbye to Little Jo made it to no. 85 in the U.S. and apparently remains his only other charting song!

Romeo’s Tune is a song about fading away from the world in the company of a lover. It features a distinct piano part, which was played by Bobby Ogdin who is best known for his short association with Elvis Presley. In early 1977, the Nashville-based recording session pianist became a member of Presley’s show band and backed him during 45 shows until Presley’s death in August 1977. Forbert performs Romeo’s Tune in live shows to this day, often as an encore. Here’s a clip from January 2020, captured in Asbury Park, N.J. – dang it, where was I that night!

Forbert’s most recent album, Moving Through America, appeared in May 2022. I listened to most of it the other day and want to revisit it. In fact, this is what triggered the idea to dedicate a Song Musings installment to Forbert. Meanwhile, following are some additional tidbits for the excellent Romeo’s Tune from Songfacts:

He might not be Shakespeare, but Steve Forbert’s song about fading away from the world in the company of your lover was worthy of the title “Romeo’s Tune,” which does not appear in the lyrics. Forbert had most of the song written when he recorded his debut album Alive On Arrival, which was released in 1978. He didn’t include it on that album because it didn’t fit the theme, which turned out to be a good thing because he was able to refine the song.

The first attempt at recording it was with producer Steve Bergh, and the results were underwhelming. Forbert went on tour and started playing it in clubs, where it got a great reaction. A breakthrough came when his manager suggested that the song needed another verse, so he wrote the part at the end that begins, “Let me see you smiling back at me.”

Forbert’s next attempt to record the song was in Nashville with producer John Simon, whose credits include “Red Rubber Ball” by the Cyrkle and The Band album Music From Big Pink. They liked the results but weren’t thrilled with it, so they tried again to record it in New York at CBS Studios (the record company thought the song had hit potential so they were willing to indulge Forbert). This recording wasn’t much better than their original demo, so they went back to Nashville and recorded the song yet again, where they finally got the sound they were looking for and had their hit.

It took a year and four recording sessions, but Forbert knew that if he didn’t capture the right mood on record he wouldn’t sound like a modern day Romeo. He told us, “We got it right away. I mean, the first day was like, Right, this is the right band, and this is all happening. When all the musicians came into the room and listened to the playback, everybody said, That’s it, that’s the version we’ve been looking for. I think it was the third take that day.”

You can hear the beauty of a rough mix on this track. Forbert had engineer Gene Eichelberger roll tape to record the full mix, which ended up being what they released. Producer John Simon tried to improve the mix by working with the individual tracks, but couldn’t come close to what they put to tape all at once. Forbert explained: “I said to John Simon, ‘You won’t be able to top Gene’s rough mix.’ You know, he was playing the song as an engineer; he had all the levels up like it was a live show. It had a lot of apparent volume and a certain magic about it. I still like hearing it.”

…Said Steve: “After the second album, I had a lot of things I wanted to try. A lot of things were changing at that time and records were getting a little more crafted. It was the beginning of the MTV era. Records were being more manufactured rather than recorded live. So I was having to respond to that. I was trying to take some of the changes in the air into account. But it didn’t produce another ‘Romeo’s Tune.’ It just didn’t.”

Things worked out well for Forbert, since he earned a living making music, thanks in no small part to his one hit, which he always plays as an encore. By 2012, he had released 15 studio albums. Said Steve: “Maybe I didn’t turn into the kind of monster hitmaker that Stevie Wonder is, but I was able to go my own way, and if it didn’t turn out to be superstar status, well, I did it myself. I was allowed to make my own mistakes, my own choices, my own good ideas.”

According to the Jackrabbit Slim album sleeve, the song was dedicated to the memory of the late Supreme, Florence Ballard, who died in 1976. However, Forbert actually wrote the song about a girl from his hometown of Meridian, Mississippi, rather than the Supremes singer. The reference to Ballard was because, as Forbert explained, “that seemed like such bad news to me and such sad news. She wasn’t really taken care of by the music business, which is not a new story.”

When The Supremes started, Ballard was the strongest vocalist and their de facto leader. When Diana Ross became the focal point of the group, Ballard became frustrated and was eventually replaced by Cindy Birdsong. Plagued by addiction and bad relationships, her health deteriorated and she died in 1976 at age 32.

Forbert has never disclosed publicly the identity of the girl he wrote about in this song, although he tells us “She was real pretty.” He says she knows who she is, and they have been in contact from time to time over the years.

Sources: Wikipedia; Songfacts; YouTube

The Rolling Stones Drop Second Single From Long-Awaited Upcoming New Album

“Sweet Sounds of Heaven” features Lady Gaga and Stevie Wonder

Yesterday, The Rolling Stones released their second upfront single from Hackney Diamonds, their long-awaited upcoming first album of original music in 18 years. Sweet Sounds of Heaven features Lada Gaga on backing vocals and none other than the great Stevie Wonder on Fender Rhodes, Moog and piano, as reported by Pitchfork and other entertainment outlets. While I may not exactly go ga ga over the soulful ballad with a gospel vibe, I feel the Stones have done a pretty decent job here and look forward to the album, which is scheduled for release on October 20.

SPIN reported Jagger penned Sweet Sounds of Heaven at his London home and was inspired by rustling leaves and slight wind blowing through the trees outside of his window. “Sweet Sounds of Heaven” was written by Jagger and Keith Richards, and was recorded at studios in Los Angeles, London, and the Bahamas. It comes three weeks after the first upfront single Angry.

As a longtime fan of The Rolling Stones, I can’t deny the possibility of bias here. I don’t know about you, after years of speculation about a new Stones album, I had largely given up on it until more specific news reports emerged. The fact that after 18 years since A Bigger Bang Mick Jagger (80) and his longtime Glimmer Twin Keith Richards (79) pulled off writing new music together is remarkable in and of itself, at least in my book.

‘But Lady Ga Ga?’, some observers may wonder (no pun intended!). Well, I humbly have to agree with Sir Mick who told Zane Lowe in an interview for Apple Music that “she’s really a great singer.” That’s different from saying I love her music. ‘Okay,’ some may think, ‘you can do a lot in the studio to make a voice sound great.’ True, but check out this live performance of Gimme Shelter, captured in 2012 during the Stones’ 50 & Counting Tour. If you’re in a hurry, forward to around 1:30 minutes into the clip and tell me this lady didn’t kill it!

The core members of The Rolling Stones (from left): Keith Richards, Ronnie Wood and Mick Jagger. Photo: Toby Melville/Reuters

Lady Ga Ga and Stevie Wonder aren’t the only notable guests appearing on Hackney Diamonds. To start with, there are also these two lads who originally hail from Liverpool and 60 years ago were in a band called The Beatles. Of course, I’m talking Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, who appear on one track. Additional contributions include Elton John, former Stones bassist Bill Wyman and even the band’s late drummer Charlie Watts. The album was produced by Andrew Watt who won the 2021 Grammy Award for Producer of the Year. Watt has worked with a diverse group of artists, such as Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus, Ozzy Osbourne, Pearl Jam and Iggy Pop.

I’m under no illusion there are cynics out there saying the Stones decided to embrace a playbook we have seen before where aging rockers beyond their prime time pack their album with prominent guests. Everybody is entitled to their opinion. All I can say is I’m happy, baby, not angry about what I’ve heard thus far!

Sources: Wikipedia; Pitchfork; SPIN; Apple Music; YouTube

Song Musings

What you always wanted to know about that tune

Happy Wednesday and I’d like to welcome you to another installment of Song Musings, in which I take a closer look at a tune I’ve only mentioned in passing or not covered at all to date. This week, my pick is Shape of My Heart by Sting, a gem off his fourth studio album Ten Summoner’s Tales. And guess what, today happens to be the 30th anniversary of that very album, which I feel is Sting’s artistic Mount Rushmore. A dear friend reminded me of the anniversary last week after I had earmarked the tune for today’s post – so, yes, I suppose the stars were aligned!

Co-written by guitarist Dominic Miller and Sting (credited with his birthname Gordon Sumner), Shape of My Heart first appeared as the 10th track on Ten Summoner’s Tales. Five months later, on August 23, 1993, it was also released separately as the album’s fifth single. While unlike If I Ever Lose My Faith In You and Fields of Gold, the album’s first and fourth singles, respectively, Shape of My Heart didn’t gain much traction in the charts, Wikipedia notes the tune has become a “pop classic” and one of the songs that are most closely associated with Sting’s solo career.

The official music video for Shape of My Heart (see below), filmed at Sting’s lake house in Wiltshire, southern England, was directed by Doug Nichol. Apart from Sting, the American filmmaker and video director also worked with the likes of David Bowie, Billy Joel, Bruce Springsteen and U2 and was the director of photography on Madonna’s 1991 documentary Truth or Dare. Nichol won the 1994 Grammy Award for Best Long Form Music Video for Ten Summoner’s Tales.

Upon its release as a single, Shape of My Heart reached an underwhelming no. 57 on the UK Official Singles Chart. In Canada, it did somewhat better, climbing to no. 44. Elsewhere, including the U.S., Australia and various European countries other than the UK, the single didn’t chart at all. I find that a bit mind-boggling. Perhaps, audiences felt it was too mellow!

When it comes to the album, fortunately, the picture looks very different. Ten Summoner’s Tales topped the Austrian charts, reached no. 2 in the UK, the U.S., France and Germany, no. 3 in Norway and Switzerland, and no. 5 in The Netherlands, among others. It also became one of Sting’s best-selling albums, gaining 3x and 2x Platinum certifications in the U.S. and the UK, respectively, as well as Platinum status in each Australia, Canada, Spain and Switzerland. The album was also nominated for multiple awards in the U.S. and UK, and won three Grammy Awards and one Brit Award.

Following are additional insights from Songfacts:

Sting talked about “Shape Of My Heart” in a 1993 promotional interview: “I wanted to write about a card player, a gambler who gambles not to win but to try and figure out something; to figure out some kind of mystical logic in luck, or chance; some kind of scientific, almost religious law. So this guy’s a philosopher, he’s not playing for respect and he’s not playing for money, he’s just trying to figure out the law – there has to be some logic to it. He’s a poker player so it’s not easy for him to express his emotions, in fact he doesn’t express anything, he has a mask, and it’s just one mask and it never changes.”

This is one of the rare songs that is co-written by Sting’s longtime guitarist, Dominic Miller. In Lyrics By Sting, the singer remembered Miller bringing him the “beautiful guitar riff” and going for a walk along the riverbank and through the woods to figure out the lyrics. “When I got back, the whole song was written in my head. Dominic now thinks that I find lyrics under a rock somewhere… He could, of course, be right,” Sting wrote.

This song was edited into the end of the 1994 movie Leon: The Professional.

Both the Sugababes and Craig David sampled this and had hit singles with it in 2003 in the UK. The Sugababes’ “Shape” made #11, and Craig David’s “Rise And Fall” made #2. On the latter, Sting even made an appearance in the video and performed the track with Craig David on live music shows.

15 years later, US rapper Juice WRLD had a worldwide hit with “Lucid Dreams (Forget Me)”, which also makes major use of this track.

Renowned harmonica player Larry Adler played on this song. Before collaborating with popular musicians like Sting, Elton John and Kate Bush in his later career, Adler worked with composers like George Gershwin, Ralph Vaughan Williams, and Darius Milhaud – many of whom composed works specifically for him. Unfortunately, he would be blacklisted during the anti-Communist crusade led by Senator Joe McCarthy in the ’50s.

This was featured on the TV crime drama Hustle in the 2011 episode “The Delivery.”

Miller was just warming up his fingers by playing Chopin-style chords on the guitar when he happened to catch Sting’s ear. He explained in a 2018 interview at Jazzklub Divino in Denmark: “I was just playing that in front of the fireplace at Sting’s house in England and he said, ‘What’s that?’ ‘Oh, it’s nothing, it’s just a little movement.’ He said, ‘That’s a song.’ I went, ‘Really? Are you kidding me?’ Then ten minutes later we went into the studio – ’cause we were at his studio anyway in his lake house – and we put a drum machine up, just the two of us. And then he went out in the garden for a walk and he came back with those lyrics. And so we recorded it! It was just an acoustic guitar and it was finished in one day – it was written in one day and recorded.”

He continued: “It’s one of those nice moments that happen in your life when things just fall on top of each other naturally, like nature. It’s not always like that… Sting’s genius with lyrics made it into a very, very ambiguous kind of narrative, which really goes well with that kind of arpeggio, with those Chopin-esque chords, you know? That Chopin-esque harmony kind of lends itself to those kind of lyrics, with Sting’s timbre of his voice and the sound of my guitar and just a little bit of a groove. It was the perfect storm.”

Sources: Wikipedia; Songfact; YouTube

Song Musings

What you always wanted to know about that tune

It’s Wednesday and I hope this week has been kind to you. Time to take another look at a song I’ve only mentioned in passing or not covered at all to date. My pick for this installment is I Guess That’s Why They Call It The Blues by Elton John. A search of the blog for this tune came up empty – hard to believe, given I’ve loved this tune since 1983 when I first heard it, and it remains one of my favorite ’80s pop songs.

I Guess That’s Why They Call It The Blues was composed by John and his longtime guitarist and collaborator Davey Johnstone. The lyrics were provided by Bernie Taupin, who first became John’s lyricist in 1967 and for the album resumed his full-time partnership with John, which had been paused in 1977 and had only partially been restored since the early ’80s. And, yes, that beautiful harmonica was played by the great Stevie Wonder. The song first appeared in April 1983 as the lead single for Too Low for Zero, the 17th studio album by the English music artist.

Following three non-charting singles in 1982, I Guess That’s Why They Call It The Blues marked John’s return to the international charts. In the U.S., it climbed to no. 2 on Billboard’s Adult Contemporary chart and no. 4 on the Hot 100. In his home country, the tune peaked at no. 5, the same as in Ireland. It also made the top 30 in various other European countries, including Switzerland (no. 12), Belgium (14) and Germany (no. 22). Elsewhere, it reached no. 4 in Australia, no. 12 in New Zealand and no. 9 in Canada.

Too Low for Zero also did well, marking a comeback for John, whose previous four albums had failed to yield many enduring international hit singles and had disappointing sales. In each New Zealand and Australia, the album climbed to no. 2. In Europe, it was most successful in Germany (no. 5) and Norway (no. 6). In the UK and the U.S. it reached no. 7 and no. 25, respectively. Too Low for Zero became one of John’s best-selling records in the ’80s, especially in Australia where it was certified 5x Platinum. In England, Canada and the U.S., it earned Platinum status.

The above original music video was directed by Russell Mulcahy, an Australian film director who also directed 19 other videos for John. Filmed in the Rivoli Ballroom in London and at Colchester Garrison Barracks, Essex, the video tells the tale of two 1950s-era lovers. They get separated when the man needs to leave for National Service in the armed forces. After going through trials and tribulations there, he is finally reunited with his girl.

I Guess That’s Why They Call It The Blues became a fan favorite and a staple of John’s concerts. Later, he also performed the tune live with Mary J. Blige and separately with Luciano Pavarotti. Here’s a clip of John and Blige captured at New York’s Madison Square Garden in October 2000.

Following are some additional tidbits from Songfacts:

Elton’s lyricist Bernie Taupin wrote this song as a love letter to his wife at the time, Toni Russo, who is the sister of the actress Rene Russo. In the album credits, Bernie wrote, “Hey Toni, this one’s for you.”

Discussing the meaning of the song, Bernie Taupin said: “I wrote this in Montserrat, an island that, tragically, no longer exists. [Devastating volcanic eruptions in 1995 left the entire southern half of the Caribbean island uninhabitable – CMM] Basically, it’s a letter home with a small tip included about making the most of time, not wishing it away just because you can’t be with the one you love. Time is precious; read books, paint a picture, bake a cake. Just don’t wallow, don’t be content.”

Too Low for Zero was the first Elton John album since Blue Moves in 1976 with Bernie Taupin as the exclusive lyricist. During their time apart, each had success working with other artists. Taupin collaborated with Alice Cooper, and Elton turned to Gary Osbourne for lyrics.

…This song contains one of the few lyrics that Bernie Taupin regrets. He said: “The whole ‘loving you more than I love life itself’ is something I would never say now. It’s kind of a crass sentiment and totally false. It’s quite another thing to love someone deeply with your whole heart without stooping to this kind of lie. I loathe giving songwriting advice, but were I pushed, I’d say, ‘Never say you love someone more than life or that you’d die for someone in a song.’ It’s just such a disservice to your own spirit. I’d like to think that I’d lay down my life for my children, but until you’re faced with the reality, it’s kind of a moot point. Rambling, I know, but relative nonetheless.”

The Too Low For Zero album has special meaning for Elton, as it reunited him with Taupin and is also where he met his first spouse, Renate Blauel, who was an engineer on the sessions. Elton cites this song as his favorite from the set, telling Rolling Stone, “It’s just a great song to sing. It’s timeless.”

The album also reunited John with the core of his backing band of the early ’70s: Johnstone (guitar, backing vocals), Dee Murray (bass, backing vocals), and Nigel Olsson (drums, backing vocals). Perhaps that explains at least in part the album’s great sound!

Sources: Wikipedia; Songfacts; YouTube