QA: T Bone Burnett on 'Nashville,' Elton John's Comeback and Retiring as a Producer | Music News | Rolling Stone

QA: T Bone Burnett on 'Nashville,' Elton John's Comeback and Retiring as a Producer | Music News | Rolling Stone:

The Elton portion of the RS article;

What's the current status of Elton John's The Diving Board record?
We're gonna record some more songs in January, I think.

Really?
I hope so. I can't – you know, you can imagine what [Elton's] schedule is like. But we're gonna go in at some point after the first of the year and do some recording. I think he's been writing some more tunes; he's written a whole suite of tunes for something else; he's been productive as hell, so I don't know. It's nice to have the luxury of time to be able to look over a piece of work and see how it wears with you.

Would this be the third time you guys have gone in to work on it and track?
It may be. We may have come in two or three different times. We did with The Union, for certain – there were three or four different spells of that one, so, yeah. The first batch of songs went incredibly fast and they were powerful, you know, it was an explosion! So, I'm looking forward to seeing what happens next.

Is it still gonna be a more raw, stripped-down affair?
Yeah, yeah. We're going in with the same guys; we're not retooling or anything like that, we're just keeping going.

Why do think it's the right time for Elton to do a record like that?
It was totally personal for me, because I was at the Troubadour – he did a week at the Troubadour that changed this town [Los Angeles] and changed the world, really. . . . [Former Los Angeles Times music critic] Robert Hilburn wrote a very eloquent piece on him and everybody in town went to see him because he was killer, he was just killing it. So they were talking, this was maybe the 20th-year anniversary of it, or 50th-year anniversary or whatever anniversary it was. [Laughs.]

I think 40th year.
Fortieth, yeah! And they were talking about it and I thought, "Let's just do that – let's just go in with a killer trio and do a rock & roll record." So [Elton] just went, "OK, let's go!" I don't know, maybe that's just where he's at, you know?

What's the extent of Raphael Saadiq's involvement?
So far he's just been playing bass like crazy, man. I'm looking for a place for him to sing; I hope he'll do a little singing, but so far Elton's done all the singing.

Well, he's good at that.
Yeah. [Laughs.]

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Elton John Writing More Songs For His 'Diving Board' LP | Music News | Rolling Stone

Elton John Writing More Songs For His 'Diving Board' LP | Music News | Rolling Stone:



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Bob Birch of Elton John's Band Dead in Apparent Suicide | Billboard.com

I am stunned!

Bob Birch of Elton John's Band Dead in Apparent Suicide | Billboard.com:



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Elton John, statesman - Bill O'Reilly

Elton John, statesman - Bill O'Reilly:



 "Sir Elton John did an extraordinary thing last week. He praised President George W. Bush in an interview with the ABC News/Yahoo! Power Players series, reminding us in the process that there are still statesmen in the world. Cross-ideological kindnesses are so rare these days that John's remarks were downright jolting."

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So what do you all think of this latest project?  Elton vs Pnau

Elton John "Doing Incredibly Well" After Health Scare, Says David Furnish - E! Online

Elton John "Doing Incredibly Well" After Health Scare, Says David Furnish - E! Online:

Elton John is back in business!

Last week, the 65-year-old singer was hospitalized due to a serious respiratory infection and forced to cancel a week's worth of shows. Fortunately, though, his partner, David Furnish, has told the BBC John is "doing incredibly well and recovering."

Read more: http://www.eonline.com/news/elton_john_doing_incredibly_well_after/319882#ixzz1wSE2s36t

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Elton John treated at L.A. hospital for 'serious' respiratory infection - latimes.com

Elton John treated at L.A. hospital for 'serious' respiratory infection - latimes.com:




Elton John spent a day in a Los Angeles hospital for a "serious respiratory infection" that forced the premature end to the legendary singer's Las Vegas show.

John became ill last weekend while performing his show, "The Million Dollar Piano," at the Colosseum at Caesar's Palace, according to a statement on his website.

"This week the condition worsened, even with medication and rest," the statement said.


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Somehow I missed this...disappointing but hopefully worth the wait

Bernie Taupin :: Articles: "04.09.12

"THE DIVING BOARD" RELEASE RESCHEDULED

“The Diving Board” Release Rescheduled Due to promotional time frames and related marketing opportunities Elton & Bernie’s new studio album “The Diving Board” will not be released until February 2013.

“It’s disappointing that our new music won’t hit the streets sooner but in order to get things done right it makes sense to delay its release by a few months” says Bernie. “It’s no fun having to sit on something you’re truly excited about but hopefully our fans will understand and that eventually the wait will be worth it.” "

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Elton John planning second child

Elton John planning second child

Sir Elton John and David Furnish are planning to have another child via surrogate so their son will have a sibling. The couple became parents to 13-month-old Zachary on Christmas Day 2010, and have doted on the tot ever since.




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Elton John on the Band's Levon Helm: "Their Music Changed My Life" - E! Online

Elton John on the Band's Levon Helm: "Their Music Changed My Life" - E! Online:


The Woodstock generation and loyal fans of the Band mourn the tragic death of Levon Helm, who passed away today after battling cancer. And of those remembering the late musician is an artist who's become one of music's biggest names himself, Elton John.





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No. 37: Elton John, ‘Rocket Man’ – Top 100 Classic Rock Songs

No. 37: Elton John, ‘Rocket Man’ – Top 100 Classic Rock Songs:
Elton Johns Rocket Man is not the first classic rock song about a lonely dude drifting through space. Hell, it may not even be the best, although a debate on the merits of this track versus David Bowies Space Oddity (which, hint-hint, we just might see later on in the Top 100 Classic Rock Songs list) is a conversation for another day.


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Rejuvenated Leon Russell returns to Knuckleheads

Rejuvenated Leon Russell returns to Knuckleheads


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Don’t go breaking Elton John’s heart: Buy his condos already!

Don’t go breaking Elton John’s heart: Buy his condos already



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Tracklist for "The Diving Board" revealed on Bernie Taupin's official site

Tracks are as follows:

•   1. Oscar Wilde Gets Out
•   2. A Town Called Jubilee
•   3. Can’t Stay Alone Tonight
•   4. My Quicksand
•   5. Candlelit Bedroom
•   6. The Ballad Of Blind Tom
•   7. The New Fever Waltz
•   8. 5th Avenue
•   9. Mexican Vacation (Kids In The Candlelight)
• 10. The Diving Board

See the rest here.

Elton to release The Diving Board in the fall.

 In recent years, Elton John has returned to his musical roots – reviving characters from previous albums (The Captain and the Kid), recreating the rootsy vibe of his Tumbleweed Connection era (Peachtree Road), and cutting an album with longtime hero and early Seventies touring partner Leon Russell (The Union). With his just-completed new album, John revisits another storied part of his past – the piano-bass-drums trio format heard on classic early records like the live 11-17-70. The result, says John, is "the most exciting solo record I've done in a long, long time."

Read more: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/elton-john-cuts-raw-lp-with-t-bone-burnett-20120315#ixzz1pl3Gbdfu

Cameron Crowe's Elton John Documentary The Union To Premiere On HBO This Thursday

Cameron Crowe's Elton John Documentary The Union To Premiere On HBO This Thursday:

When thinking of musical unions between Elton John and someone else, Broadway fans might automatically think of Tim Rice, while music enthusiasts would likely think of Bernie Taupin. However, the Cameron Crowe directed documentary The Union chronicles a collaboration between John and fellow Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee Leon Russell as they work together on their album, which shares a title with the film.

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Elton John to Madonna: Sync well at the Super Bowl | Detroit Free Press | freep.com

Elton John to Madonna: Sync well at the Super Bowl

Sir Elton John has some advice for Madonna in advance of her halftime gig during Sunday's Super Bowl XLVI: "Make sure you lip-sync good."
The "Rocket Man" singer said on "Good Morning America" Monday that outside of recent Super Bowl performances by the Rolling Stones and Prince he's never seen a decent Super Bowl halftime show -- "never ever."
Fans of John should expect to see him in a Pepsi advertisement Sunday with "X Factor" winner Melanie Amaro.

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Mr. Kraft, ‘Elton John is on the line for you’

Mr. Kraft, ‘Elton John is on the line for you’:

FOXBORO  As Robert Kraft was holding the new-fangledLamar Hunt trophy as AFC champions and talking about his late wife being the heavenly force that blew Billy Cundiffs 32-yard field goal wide left, he was handed a cell phone.
Its my pal Elton John, Kraft announced, after hosting Aerosmiths Steven Tyler in his owners suite as the Patriots beat the Ravens, 23-20, to advance to Super Bowl XLVI.
Hello, Elton! How are you my friend, Kraft said. Youre so kind.

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Murdoch Was Angry Over Sun’s Elton John Story, Inquiry Hears - Businessweek

Sounds like he was angry over the false story and not the money paid, which is the implication in the Guardian headline.

Murdoch Was Angry Over Sun’s Elton John Story, Inquiry Hears - Businessweek:

Jan. 9 (Bloomberg) -- News Corp. Chairman Rupert Murdoch took a hands-on approach to his U.K. newspapers, the Sun tabloids former editor told an inquiry into press ethics, recounting Murdochs reaction to a story about Elton John.

Murdoch was angry about the Sun paying a 1 million-pound ($1.54 million) settlement to the pop singer over a false news story in 1987, the inquiry heard today from Kelvin MacKenzie, who edited the Sun from 1981 to 1994. The story wrongfully claimed Elton John had paid for sex with underage rent boys.

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Elton John to pen personal story about AIDS | Reuters

This could be interesting...

Elton John to pen personal story about AIDS | Reuters:

(Reuters) - Elton John will write a personal account of his life during the AIDS epidemic, including his friendship with Queen frontman Freddie Mercury who died of an AIDS-related illness in 1991 aged 45.

The "Rocket Man" musician founded the Elton John AIDS Foundation around 20 years ago to raise funds to help fight the disease, and proceeds from "LOVE IS THE CURE: Ending the Global AIDS Epidemic" will go to the charity.

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Elton John on gnomes, lost songs and Justin Timberlake - chicagotribune.com

Interesting article...of course they screw up on one minor thing referring to the video for "This Train Don't Stop There Anymore" but aside from that a good read.

Elton John on gnomes, lost songs and Justin Timberlake - chicagotribune.com:

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