Elton John News from Crazy Water

Elton John previews new album at concert

By NEKESA MUMBI MOODY, AP Music Writer
37 minutes ago

NEW YORK - Though he's one of the most successful pop stars in history, Elton John says he's given up on the idea of making hit records now that he's 59.

"Our day in the sun has gone, as far as radio play goes," John told an audience Wednesday night. "And we're OK with that."

He and longtime writing partner, Bernie Taupin, are now focused on making excellent songs, John said, and he previewed their new efforts while celebrating their old favorites at a concert to benefit his charity, The Elton John Foundation.

"OK, now we've come to the scary bit — for us, and maybe for you," he joked before playing the new material.

During the 2 1/2-hour concert, held at Jazz at Lincoln Center's intimate Frederick P. Rose Hall, John explained the inspiration behind the songs on "The Captain and the Kid," a complement to his classic 1975 album, "Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy."

"It was really an album about how we struggle with failure," John said. "The next 36 years were about struggling with success."

Among the songs he debuted were "Tinderbox," which referenced the struggles Taupin and John have shared as creative partners, and "Wouldn't Have You Any Other Way (NYC)," a tribute to New York.

He also played many of his biggest hits, including "Tiny Dancer," "Rocket Man," "Bennie and the Jets" and "Believe," about the power of love, which he said spoke to the climate in the world today.

"We live in a funny old world at the moment and this song says everything I want to say about the situation," he said.

John was to perform at the Fashion Rocks concert at Radio City Music Hall on Thursday night, along with Beyonce, Kanye West, Nelly Furtado, the Black Eyed Peas and others.

The event will air Friday on CBS (9 p.m. EDT).

Fashion Rocks ™ presents the World Premiere Performance of Elton John’s new album on the AT&T blue room!!

“If you can’t wait for Elton John’s new album The Captain and the Kid to hit stores on September 19th, then join the club! However, Fashion Rocks is teaming up with the AT&T blue room to present a world premiere Elton John Performance on Sunday, September 10th at 7 pm et ONLY at blueroom.att.com.

From Fred Bronson of Billboard;

The most successful artist in the history of the Adult Contemporary chart solidifies his lead position with his first new entry of 2006. Elton John's "The Bridge" (Rocket) debuts at No. 29.

It is his 66th AC chart entry, the highest total of any artist. Barbra Streisand is in second place with 64. Elton is tied with the Carpenters for having the most No. 1 hits, with 15 (he also sang on "That's What Friends Are For," a No. 1 hit credited to "Dionne and Friends"). Elton also leads with the highest number of top 10 hits (38). Neil Diamond is in second place with 36.

The debut of "The Bridge" stretches Elton's AC chart span to 35 years, eight months and one week, dating back to the debut of "Your Song" the week of Dec. 26, 1970.

From Mojo:

"A LIFE LESS ORDINARY - THE CONTINUED COMEBACK OF THE QUEEN MUM OF POP"

by David Buckley

"ELTON JOHN can, so it seems, do anything he likes. A national treasure, at almost 60 he's the nearest the rock world has to a Grade One Listed Building. After 35 years at the top, he simply cannot be touched. He can be amusingly candid about fellow pop stars without fear of censure, he can swear on daytime television with equal impunity, he can tell of his disappointment over Live 8, and he can voice the nation's dissatisfaction with their football team with the authority of an absolute monarch.

Songs From The West Coast, Elton's dramatic return to form in 2001, saw him strip back the clunk and clatter of his '80s and '90s productions to reveal the basic sonic core of the Elton sound - piano, vocal. The strategy was continued through the less impressive Peachtree Road, and finds its natural conclusion on The Captain And The Kid, his 29th studio album of original material (the press release boasts 44, but who's counting?).

Here, Elton is in supremely confident mood, while at the sametime very unprotected indeed. In fact, there seems to be very little production on the record at all. Yet it is this, the album's major flaw, that is likely to be praised in some quarters as its greatest strength. But this isn't, as some might claim, a return to the classic sound of the '70s. Elton's songs have often been written in frantic spells before but, in the '70s, the sweeteners and detail of the production always gave depth to the music. Today, there's a curious demo-like quality to the sound.

This caveat aside, what more than saves the day here is a better-than-good melodic performance from Elton, and an outstanding set of lyrics by Bernie Taupin. The Captain And The Kid has the sort of narrative weight seldom found elsewhere today. The concept - namely that of a sequel to 1975's "Captain Fantastic And The Brown Dirt Cowboy" - was suggested by Elton's current manager, Merck Mercuriadis. "Captain Fantastic" contained a formidable set of Elton melodies married seamlessly to lyrics which saw Taupin critique the emergent music scene of the late '60s, a time when the would-be star and the teenage lyricist broke free of the constraints of hip London with their 'tra-la-las and la-de-das'. The sequel attempts, perhaps over-ambitiously in just 10 songs, to bring the story up to date, from the original's point of closure (roughly around the time of Elton's first album in 1969, "Empty Sky") to the present day, a present in which Taupin has become the Brown Dirt Cowboy, raising and training cutting horses on his estate in California, while Elton is nothing if not Captain Fantastic. If the original album was in part about prophecy, the sequel is a mature, and at times deeply moving, analysis of what went right and what went wrong.

The Captain And The Kid opens jauntily with Elton and Bernie's arrival in America. Postcards From Richard Nixon's honky-tonk piano run is a signature moment, Taupin's lyrics depicting the wide-eyed wonderment of their first
engagement with the American Dream during the crisis of Vietnam and Watergate. The love affair with all things American continues in the soaring ballad Wouldn't Have It Any Other Way (NYC). But it's the fourth track, Tinderbox, which is the real gem: a lyric which details the huge pressures the partnership encountered at the very height of their international fame set to one of Elton's best ever melodies. Tinderbox is proof that, perhaps alone among his contemporaries, Elton still has the ability to write a brilliant four-minute pop song.

Taupin is on top form throughout, smoothly weaving two or three major themes into one song, as the story of success and hedonistic excess gives way to middle age and poignant reflection on the rock business. Blues Never Fade Away is a moving song about AIDS victims while The Bridge, lyrically the pivotal song on the album, seems to comment on the tasks faced by all music stars as they move from youthful iconicity to maturity. There's humour too:
Elton's dog, Arthur, makes a guest appearance on the bluesy rock of Just Like Noah's Ark, while I Must Have Lost It On The Wind looks back wryly on relationships (and plenty of them) which obviously came part and parcel with international fame."

The official release date for "The Captain & The Kid" is September 19 according to EltonJohn.com . They are also offering a preview of the opening track "Postcards From Richard Nixon." The track picks up where the original album left off with Elton and Bernie coming to America and taking it by storm!

Hercules website reports the following;

Elton plans a special show in New York City on September 6, 2006, during which he will debut songs from the forthcoming studio album, "The Captain and the Kid".

Tickets for the concert at Lincoln Center's Rose Theatre are expected to be priced between $500 and $1,000.

Stay tuned for details about advance ticket sales and more details.

Amazon.com lists "The Captain and The Kid" with a release date of September 12. Also they have two imports listed with release dates of 9/14 and 9/19. See here.

Eil.com also lists a vinyl version of the album being released in the UK on September 11.

MusicTap.net says September 12 is the US release date for Elton John's new album "The Captain and The Kid" .

Interscope also plans the release of The Captain and The Kid by Elton John on September 12 as well as a Rock title from TV on the Radio called Return to Cookie Mountain.

Postcards From Richard Nixon
Just Like Noah's Ark
Wouldn't Have You Any Other Way (NYC)
Tinderbox
And The House Fell Down
Blues Never Fade Away
The Bridge
I Must Have Lost It On The Wind
Old '67
The Captain and The Kid

UPDATE:A website called TopHitsOnline.com is listed a September 19th release date for "The Captain and The Kid".

Happy Birthday to Bob Birch who turns 50 today!

Several Spanish websites have reported that the release date for Elton John's new studio album "The Captain and The Kid" will be September 11 making the US release date probably September 12. Tuesdays is new release day in the US and September 12 is a Tuesday. The websites reporting this date are via EltonToolBarBlog;

BangBangRadio.com
Nuevoexcelsior.com.mx
Cronica.com.mx
ElUniversal.com.mx

Old '67

So now we have the following from "The Captain and The Kid"

Postcards For (From) Richard Nixon
Noah's Ark
The Bridge
Old '67
The Captain and The Kid

Hard at work? Me thinks Billboard is a bit behind in the news cycle...

Elton Curating Fashion Rocks, Busy With New CD

July 06, 2006, 10:25 AM ET

Jonathan Cohen, N.Y.
Elton John will curate and perform at the third Fashion Rocks concert, to be held Sept. 7 at New York's Radio City Music Hall. The event will air the following evening on CBS. Proceeds from ticket sales will benefit John's own AIDS foundation.

The artist has selected a host of superstar artists to join him at the show, including Beyonce, Christina Aguilera, Kanye West, Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, Nelly Furtado, Jamie Foxx, the Black Eyed Peas, Bon Jovi, Scissor Sisters, Rihanna, the Pussycat Dolls and Daddy Yankee.

The evening's fashion segments will produced by KCD, known for its work with Versace and Calvin Klein.

John is currently hard at work on his next studio album, "The Captain and the Kid," and debuted a song from the project, "The Bridge," last week at his annual White Tie & Tiara Ball in England. Details of the album, due late this year, were first revealed by John to Billboard last September.

The artist will resume his ongoing Red Piano show at Las Vegas' Caesar Palace on Tuesday (July 11). He also appears on "I Don't Feel Like Dancin'," the first single from the upcoming Scissor Sisters album "Ta-Dah," due Sept. 26 via Universal Motown

Click here for pictures from "The Captain and The Kid" recording sessions courtesy of John Mahon.

Marshall, NBC duet to mark Bennett's 80th

Tuesday, June 27, 2006 1:27:11 AM ET

By Nellie Andreeva

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Tony Bennett will celebrate his 80th birthday in style -- with a star-studded music special on NBC to be directed and executive produced by "Chicago" helmer Rob Marshall.

"Tony Bennett: An American Classic" is based on Bennett's upcoming album featuring duets with some of the music business's biggest names. A number of them -- including Elton John, Stevie Wonder, Diana Krall, k.d. lang, Michael Buble, John Legend, Juanes, trumpeter Chris Botti and violinist Pinchas Zukerman -- will perform with Bennett on the show.
Also set to appear on the hourlong program are Robert De Niro, Billy Crystal and Catherine Zeta-Jones, who was an Oscar winner for her role.

"It's a tribute and celebration to Tony," Bennett's son/manager, Danny Bennett, said of the special, whose genre he describes as a "documusical," a musical journey through his father's life.

Each musical performance will be shot as a short movie about a milestone in the entertainer's career, with sets re-creating such pivotal venues as the Greenwich Village club where Bennett was discovered by Bob Hope in 1949; Carnegie Hall, where he held one of his most successful concerts in 1962; and the Sahara Hotel and Casino, where he performed in the late '70s.

Zeta-Jones, De Niro and Crystal will be setting the stage for the performances with narrative insights into Bennett's life during the time period highlighted by the song.

At the end of the special, Bennett will take the stage alone to sing his signature number, "I Left My Heart in San Francisco."

"American Classic" has begun filming at the historic Los Angeles Theater in downtown Los Angeles. The special is set to air in the fall in conjunction with the September 26 release of Bennett's RPM Records/Columbia Records album "Tony Bennett: Duets/An American Classic," which also includes duets with Bono, Paul McCartney, Barbra Streisand, Sting, Dixie Chicks, Elvis Costello, Billy Joel and Tim McGraw. The first single from the album will be released on Bennett's 80th birthday, August 3.

Referred to as "the greatest singer ever" by Frank Sinatra, Bennett has sold more than 50 million albums worldwide, recorded more than 100 songs and garnered 13 Grammys, including a Lifetime Achievement Award.

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter

An article in the latest issue of EEL reveals several song titles from Elton John's upcoming album "The Captain and The Kid" due in September. The article quotes Davey Johnstone with the following information;

"The tracks were done live. I'd say about 50% of the songs were done live, meaning we cut the piano, guitars, bass, drums, live."
"Very organic, meaning it's very piano, bass, drums, guitar based. Kind of like the old days".
"The first song is called 'Postcards for Richard Nixon'. So it's basically from then until now, and he talks about what it was like when they first came over there, and basically what's happened from then on."
"There's even some talk of a vinyl release."
Davey says that he is most proud of a song called 'Noah's Ark.' "Because it is a real rocker, and it seriously rocks. It rocks very hard, and we have a surprise guest on the track actually (Elton's dog-Arthur). We decided to do things like we used to do in the old days."

Several other track titles have emerged, however I do not know the source for these additional titles; UPDATE: (ok, they are also from EEL)

Postcards For Richard Nixon (from EEL)
Noah's Ark (from EEL)
The Bridge (from EEL)
The Captain and The Kid (from EEL)

A few more tidbits on the new album from EEL;

Davey said that the album ended up with 10 songs on it. Apparently there was an 11th song, but "Elton took it off the album because he felt that it was a little bit flippant. It talked about the way he dressed, his sexual preference, the scandals and all that stuff, and he said, you know we've
been down that road, lets get away from that. We don't need to be going there.
"There's another song called 'The Bridge'. "It's gonna be an all-time classic. You hear it one time and you go oh holy sh*t this is what it's all about. It's about what you have to give up and what you have to do to get to where you get to. But it just gives you shivers."
"The song 'The Captain and the Kid' is a great song itself. It's actually the last song on the cd"And he talked a little about the album art.
"There's talk about doing a substantial vinyl release, to do an album cover, it will be intricate, do a little mirror thing back to the original one."

Elton John joins Tony Bennett on his 80th birthday celebration disc, from Billboard;

As first reported here in February, some of the biggest names in music have joined Tony Bennett for his 80th birthday celebration album, "Duets -- An American Classic." The 18-track project arrives Sept. 26 via RPM/Columbia and boasts guest appearances by Bono, Dixie Chicks, Billy Joel, Paul McCartney, Sting, Stevie Wonder, James Taylor, Barbra Streisand, Elvis Costello and Elton John, among others.

The track list;

"Boulevard of Broken Dreams," with Sting
"Smile," with Barbra Streisand and Pinchas Zukerman
"Put on a Happy Face," with James Taylor
"The Shadow of Your Smile," with Juanes
"Rags to Riches," with Elton John
"The Very Thought of You," with Paul McCartney
"Lullaby of Broadway," with Dixie Chicks
"Cold, Cold Heart," with Tim McGraw
"The Best Is Yet To Come," with Diana Krall
"For Once in My Life," with Stevie Wonder
"Are You Havin' Any Fun?," with Elvis Costello
"Because of You," with k.d. lang and Chris Botti
"Just in Time," with Michael Buble
"Sing You Sinners," with John Legend
"The Good Life," with Billy Joel
"I Wanna Be Around," with Bono
"How Do You Keep the Music Playing," with George Michael
"I Left My Heart in San Francisco" with Bill Charlap

Probably not. This is more likely a partner logo image similar to the "top hat" image used with the original "Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy" album back in 1975. Look here and try and make out the image that is in the lower right corner of a ticket to one of Elton's recent concerts in the Uk...

Elton John was inducted into the MoJo Hall Of Fame in recognition for his 4 decades of music.

Mojo triumph for Sir Elton
By This is London
6 June 2006
Music veteran Sir Elton John and newcomer Corinne Bailey Rae were among the winners at the Mojo music awards.

Sir Elton was inducted into the Mojo Hall of Fame for a career which has spanned four decades.

AP reports that Lestat will close on May 28.

"Him and Us" not picked up by any US TV networks.

Well at least Elton did win his libel suit against the Daily Mail.

I think someone needs to explain Elton that this is NOT the way to create hype for his upcoming album "The Captain and The Kid"...

Elton John says photographers "should all be shot"

CANNES, France (Reuters) - British pop star Elton John launched an expletive-laden tirade against the press in Cannes late on Saturday while presenting an award to a young actor during the annual film festival.

At a ceremony held by luxury jeweller Chopard, everything seemed to be going smoothly enough as John presented the Chopard Trophy to young Canadian actor Kevin Zegers, who co-starred in the film "Transamerica" with Felicity Huffman.

"He (Zegers) is only 21 years old, already he showed incredible talent and maturity," said John, wearing dark glasses and accompanied by actress Elizabeth Hurley.

"I sincerely believe he will be a huge star and a great actor for many, many years to come."

Then, as photographers called out during his address, he added: "If you saw 'Transamerica' ... I'm talking ... you f*ckwit, f*cking photographers you should be shot, you should be all shot. Thank you."

After handing the award to a smiling Zegers, he added: "They are a nightmare."

John, who is 59, is no stranger to strong language. Most recently, viewers complained when he swore during the Paul O'Grady Show on British television.

Ticketmaster and the Seattle Times have a 9/22 date listed for "The Captain and The Kid" tour.

Elton John at Key Arena

Elton John and his band will play Sept. 22 at KeyArena as part of his "The Captain and the Kid" tour. Tickets will go on sale at 9 a.m. May 22.

Tickets are $45-$125 and will be sold at the KeyArena box office, by phone at 206-628-0888 and online at www.ticketmaster.com.

There is a limit of eight tickets per person.

Copyright © 2006 The Seattle Times Company

Whether its the fact that vampire Broadway shows have not fared well or that theater critics are just aching to sink their teeth (sorry, couldn't resist) into Elton John and Bernie Taupin or that the show just isnt that good, the reviews are coming in and, well, lets just say they could be better...

NY Times
Washington Post
NY Daily News
NY Post
New York Newsday
USA Today

An interview in the New Jersey Star-Ledger with Bernie Taupin discussing Lestat, a nugget related to The Captain and The Kid appears;

Taupin and John were not only collaborating on "Lestat" the last few years. In the fall, they will release the CD "The Captain and the Kid," a sequel to "Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy," from 1975.

"It's very folk-y and country, with just Elton playing the piano," he says. "It's the first album we've made together that I actually listen to at home. I love it."

Sounds good to me, as long as it country and folk-y like Honky Chateau or Tumbleweed Connection or Madman Across The Water and not like Elton's last studio album.

NEW YORK -- Elton John is selling thousands of pieces of his personal wardrobe to raise money for his AIDS charity.

The sale, which runs Tuesday through Saturday, includes 10,000 coats, sweaters, suits and other garments worn by John and his partner, David Furnish.

A temporary shop, Elton's Closet, was set up in the concourse of Rockefeller Center in midtown Manhattan for the sale. Proceeds benefit the Elton John Aids Foundation.
Items include a black Versace suit with John's song titles -- including "Tiny Dancer" and "Rocket Man" -- woven into the fabric and the polka-dot Richard James suit John wore when he performed with Eminem at the 2001 Grammy Awards.

"The clothes have hardly been worn. Some of them haven't been worn," said the 59-year-old singer, dressed in a dark suit, gingham-check shirt and sherbet-stripe tie, at a ribbon-cutting ceremony Monday afternoon. "There's the most extraordinary collection of T-shirts, your baseball caps, your shoes, from flamboyance to classic. And spend some money to help other people who desperately need their lives to be changed and improved, and you'll be doing a really good thing."

This wasn't the first time John had cleaned his closet to raise money for his foundation. Sales have been held in London and in Atlanta, where John and Furnish have a home.

Some pieces had been plucked from the racks to be featured in the windows of the nearby Saks Fifth Avenue department store, one of the fundraiser's sponsors.

Michael Macko, Saks' men's fashion director, also eyed some pieces for himself.

"In my hands, right now, I've got two short-sleeve Prada shirts, an orange -- the color of highlighter -- cashmere blazer and Y-3 track pants," Macko told The Associated Press. "Surprisingly there's something for everybody. Either everybody wants to have a piece of Elton's closet for the historical perspective -- there probably isn't a more famous wardrobe in our lifetime -- or because having a fluorescent jacket that used to be owned by Elton John makes a great story."

Pieces up for grabs also include a forest green-and-magenta Jean Paul Gaultier jacket with yellow stars, eight Versace Asian-printed silk robes and a Brioni mink-lined coat with the $8,795 price tag still attached.

There are his-and-his Gucci couture blazers, one features gold on a white background and the other silver on black; a feather chalk-stripe suit; and a silver Versace trench coat.

The items are mostly bargains, including $150 for a Gucci shirt in a swirly pattern and $30 for Nike and Adidas sneakers.

A few of the special stage pieces are expected to be sold for thousands of dollars.

"There's a lot of off-the-rack Abercrombe T-shirts, and there's custom designer costumes," Macko said. "He (John) also knows how to pick out important and special pieces. He knows his designers, and you can see he has selected the most important pieces from the collections. And he's from the give-it-to-me-in-any-color ilk."

According to Elton's official website "The Captain and The Kid" which was originally advertised to be released March 2007 to coincide with Elton's 60th birthday is now scheduled for a September 2006 release.

The recording sessions for The Captain and the Kidare now complete and the album is set for release in September 2006. (And what a beautiful album it is!)

...and many more!

Elton John locks in more 'Red Piano' shows
March 21, 2006 11:00 AM
by Rob Evans
liveDaily Editor
Elton John has firmed up his schedule through October for "The Red Piano," his two-year-old Las Vegas production.
About two-dozen new shows have been announced for July and October. As previously reported, John's next stint of Vegas dates is set to get underway March 28. Tickets for all confirmed shows are on sale now.

"The Red Piano"--a production created by John with photographer David LaChapelle to spotlight the songs of John and longtime writing partner Bernie Taupin--made its debut at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in 2004. John's initial agreement with Caesars called for 75 shows over three years, but the production proved to be a hot seller, prompting the resort to book John for more than the initially planned 25 shows per year.

Last year, the singer/pianist signed a new agreement that calls for an additional 150 shows through 2008, according to Caesars.

The Colosseum is a 4,100-seat theater originally designed to host Celine Dion's production, "... A New Day." "The Red Piano," plays on select nights when Dion is off.

A development that somehow escaped me over the last couple of weeks...

Former Sex and the City star Kim Cattrall has been added to the cast of ABC's
Elton John-produced pilot Him & Us, while Lev Spiro will direct -- and Annie
Potts is set to star -- in the Fox comedy pilot Julie Reno: Bounty Hunter,
reports Variety.

Cattrall will play Freddy Lazarus, manager to the rock
star at the center of the pilot. The role had originally been designed for a man
but was rethought when Cattrall became available. Touchstone TV is behind the
show.

As for Julie Reno: Bounty Hunter, Potts (Designing Women) is set
to play the mother of the lead character (played by Erin Daniels). The show
comes from 20th Century Fox TV.

In other pilot casting news, Lizzy
Caplan (Related) has been added to the CBS comedy The Class, from Warner Bros.
TV. Caplan is in second position for the pilot, in the event that Related
doesn't return for a second season.

Camille Guaty (Prison Break) will
play Franny in ABC's untitled hostage drama from Hank Steinberg. Warner Bros. TV
is behind the pilot.

Scott Cohen (Kissing Jessica Stein) is set as
Shane, husband to Gina Gershon's character, in the NBC comedy pilot Lipstick
Jungle, from NBC Universal TV Studio.

Luke Goss (Blade II) has signed on
as a cast member on the Fox drama pilot 13 Graves, from 20th Century Fox TV.

Noah Gray-Cabey (My Wife And Kids) will play the son of Ali Larter's
character on NBC's drama pilot Heroes, from NBC Universal TV Studio.

Sir Elton works on ‘Captain’ sequel in Atlanta
By RICHARD L. ELDREDGE
Wednesday, March 8, 2006, 01:27 AM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

HOLLYWOOD — Perhaps sensing our Aretha Franklin-esque aversion to air travel, Elton John generously gave Buzz a scoop Sunday night during his 14th annual Elton John AIDS Foundation benefit Oscar party at the Pacific Design Center. The singer-songwriter confided that in addition to readying “Lestat” for Broadway and performing his “Red Piano” tour dates in Las Vegas, he’s been spending time in his adopted U.S. hometown recording.

“I’ve been in Atlanta recording for the past three weeks,” John said. “It’s going brilliantly. We’re halfway through.”

The pop star has been working with Atlanta engineer Matt Still, who also assisted John in producing his 2004 studio disc “Peachtree Road” in Atlanta.

The upcoming album is “The Captain and the Kid,” a long-awaited sequel to Sir Elton and lyricist Bernie Taupin’s classic 1975 recording “Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy.” Presumably, the new album would pick up the storytelling threads of the first album’s song cycle 30 years later.

John told Buzz the new album is due in stores in September.

Grammy Award-winning artist John Legend will perform with Elton John at his
14th annual Oscars after-party next month at the Pacific Design Center in West
Hollywood.
The March 5 soiree co-hosted by John and partner David Furnish
will benefit the Elton John AIDS Foundation.

"I have been a huge fan of
John's since I first heard his album `Get Lifted," Elton John said. "I am so
thrilled that he won three Grammys last week and even more thrilled that he will
be playing at our Oscar party." Legend, who hit the music scene in 2004 with the
release of "Get Lifted," was named "Best New Artist" at last week's Grammy
Awards ceremony at Staples Center.

He was nominated for a total of eight
Grammys and took home three.

This is the first time I have heard of the lead character being gay, although its not surprising. I just haven't read this anywhere else, or I just haven't noticed.

‘Buffy‘ star channeling Elton John in ABC comedy
01 February, 2006
By Nellie Andreeva
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - British actor Anthony Stewart Head , formerly of WB series "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," has landed the lead in "Him & Us," ABC‘s comedy pilot inspired by the life of Elton John .
The project revolves around an over-the-hill gay rock star and his relationship with his long-time manager and the rest of his colorful entourage.
Head, who played Rupert Giles on "Buffy," also co-starred in the HBO film "And Starring Pancho Villa as Himself."
Reuters/Hollywood Reporter

UPDATE:
The press release has be pulled back and corrected. Here is the new release with the corrections explained at the top. Interesting.

please read "... ABC's comedy pilot executive produced by Elton John" instead of "... ABC's comedy pilot inspired by the life of Elton John."

and In paragraph 2, please read, "The project revolves around a fictitious, popular rock star..." instead of "The project revolves around an over-the-hill gay rock star..."

Also makes headline conform to corrected information.

A corrected repetition follows.
'Buffy' star starring in ABC's Elton John comedy
By Nellie Andreeva

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - British actor Anthony Stewart Head, formerly of WB series "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," has landed the lead in "Him & Us," ABC's comedy pilot executive produced by Elton John.

The project revolves around a fictitious, popular rock star and his relationship with his long-time manager and the rest of his colorful entourage.

Head, who played Rupert Giles on "Buffy," also co-starred in the HBO film "And Starring Pancho Villa as Himself."

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter

The previews and opening night for Lestat have been pushed back two weeks.

Choreographer Jonathan Butterell, who worked on such shows as The Light in the Piazza and the recent revival of Fiddler on the Roof, has been brought in as a creative consultant "to provide an objective overview as it undergoes revisions," the producers, Warner Bros. Theatre Ventures, said Thursday in a statement

UPDATE: A good article on the changes being made appeared today in the NY Post (free registration required).

John is taking the brutal notices — including one that called his score "bland" — in stride and with a sense of humor.

"I can take it," he says. "I've been called worse things than bland, believe me.

"I did read one review that said I've obviously been watching 'The Phantom of the Opera,' 'Les Miserables' and 'Jekyll and Hyde.'

"Well, thank you very much. I nearly killed myself. Where is the Golden Gate Bridge?"

John concedes the critics had a point when they complained that the show, especially the first act, is weighed down by too much plot.

Spanning centuries, "Lestat" tells the story of a lonely vampire searching for companionship and love.

"Right now, we've got too much information. The first act is a history lesson," John says. "A lot of it isn't necessary. We've done a lot of pruning, and I think I'm going to have to write another song or two."

UK music group Sanctuary has unveiled a £110m rescue deal after revealing a fivefold increase in annual losses. Sanctuary said it would raise the cash through a shares issue after revealing losses had surged to £142.6m from £26.7m a year earlier.

It blamed the loss on an "awful" year in which it was hit by record release delays and a string of profit warnings.

Many of the losses stemmed from Urban Records, a firm it bought from singer Beyonce Knowles' father, it added.

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

The Good:
Lestat - Visually Rich - Beyond Chron San Francisco's Alternative Online Daily
Back Stage - Review: "Lestat"

The Bad:
Lestat Bites - InsideBayArea.com
Toothless - San Jose Mecury News
The vampire Lestat has settled in San Francisco. And he's singing in a new musical. Quick! Someone fetch the garlic and a wooden stake! - San Francisco Chronicle
The Stage - A vampire musical without bite
East Bay Express - Emo Vampire Chateau

Difficult to sink teeth into unconvincing 'Lestat' - Contra Costa Times
Bloody awful - ‘Lestat’ stage adaptation proves anemic - San Francisco Examiner

The Indifferent:
Lestat - Dennis Harvey of Variety

So the reviews for Lestat have been less than enthusiastic, putting it mildly. Thats not to say that the perceived problems with the play cannot be fixed before it move to Broadway. But the reviewers have not been kind to just about any aspect of the play.

That being said when a critic makes a comment like this one you have to question if said critic has been living under a rock for the past 30 years;

Lyricist Bernie Taupin, who has collaborated with John on many other
ventures, shares responsibility for this woeful lack of musical vitality.

You don't say? Many other ventures? You mean that little venture called Elton John's career? What an absolutely stupid comment. He makes it sound as though Bernie Taupin and Elton John are familiar with each others work and when they have the time they team up to write a few songs together, now and then. HELLO? These two are arguably one of the greatest writing teams in music history. Geez!

In a turn of events the word "marriage" is being removed from register office signs and replaced with "ceremony" in order not to offend gay couples who are entering into a civil partnership. Excuse me if I find this ironic and humorous.

OFF THEIR WEDS
Word 'marriage' removed so gays aren't offended
By Rod Chaytor
THE word "marriage" is being taken off register office
signs - in case it offends gay couples entering into a civil partnership.

Councils are following guidelines which also suggest altering couples'
stationery from "Your Wedding" to "Your Ceremony".

Wolverhampton
Register Office's two marriage rooms have been renamed ceremony rooms while the
Crown Marriage Suite in Stourbridge is now the Crown Suite after recommendations
from the Local Authorities Coordinators of Regulatory Services.

Pastor Paul Chamberlain from nearby Kingswinford blasted: "Political correctness is
rearing its ugly head."

But Lacors said: "Any decisions by individual authorities may be taken as an attempt to reflect the needs of all members of the public that might use these rooms."

Elton John and David Furnish became one of the first couples to have a civil partnership last month.

Lestat Opens in San Francisco Jan. 8 Prior to Spring Bow on
Broadway

By Kenneth Jones08 Jan 2006

Lestat, the new musical that reunites the legendary pop songwriting
team of Elton John and Bernie Taupin, collaborating together on a legit musical for the first time, opens in its pre-Broadway tryout Jan. 8, following previews from Dec. 17, 2005.
Before critics viewed the lush, shadowy, romantic world
of the title vampire character (drawn from the novels of Anne Rice and played by Hugh Panaro) at the Curran Theatre in San Francisco, the cast and creative team have been refining the show. Jack Noseworthy, who created the role of Armand for a handful of performances, was replaced by Drew Sarich in previews. The run at the Curran continues to Jan. 29.

WINDSOR, England -- Britain's most famous gay couple _ Sir Elton John and Canadian filmmaker David Furnish _ tied the knot Wednesday in a much-anticipated ceremony that capped the first week of legalized civil unions in the United Kingdom.

Let's have a standing O for the old guys.

Of the 10 top-grossing concert tours of 2005, eight of the acts are considered, well, veterans.

U2 had the top-grossing tour, according to year-end figures from Billboard magazine. Bono and company's Vertigo tour grossed $260 million and attracted 3 million people to 90 sellout concerts.
1. U2, $260 million.

2. The Eagles, $117 million.

3. Neil Diamond, $71 million.

4. Kenny Chesney, $63 million (with the second-highest attendance draw, 1.1 million)

5. Paul McCartney, $60 million

6. Rod Stewart, $49 million

7. Elton John, $45.5 million, plus $30 million for his Las Vegas show

8. Dave Matthews Band, $45 million

9. Jimmy Buffett, $41 million

10. Green Day, $36.5 million

Because Billboard ranks only completed tours, the list doesn't include the Rolling Stones, an otherwise likely contender for the top spot.

Pollstar, the concert industry's leading trade magazine, will release its 2005 ranking by month's end.

Pamela Anderson was cut from TV screens after her steamy pole dance proved too hot for viewers.

The curvy star was dropped from an Elton John television special after her performance on a giant screen behind Elton singing his hit 'The Bitch is Back' was deemed too provocative for family viewing.

The show, called 'Elton John: The Red Piano' and filmed at the eccentric singer's show at Las Vegas' Caesars Palace, was broadcast by American TV giant NBC without the song.

Critics, who had watched preview copies of the show, had suggested the accompanying on-stage video of the scantily-dressed star could offend audiences.

Meanwhile, sexy Pammy has confessed she won't be inviting her ex husband Tommy Lee to the family's Christmas dinner - because she wouldn't be able to resist having sex with him.

The beautiful blonde - who has two sons with the Motley Crue drummer - says Tommy makes her think of nothing but sex.

The 38-year-old former 'Baywatch' babe said: 'Tommy still makes me think of sex, not mashed yams and turkey.'

Bernie nominated for a Golden Globe award (isn't everyone...);

and Taupin's collaboration with Gustavo Santaolalla, "A Love That Will Never Grow Old," is from Ang Lee's cowboy romance Brokeback Mountain, with a performance by country legend Emmylou Harris.

It seems the NBC special "Elton John: The Red Piano" was down 17% from what normally airs in the 8-9PM timeslot, sci-fi drama "Surface." Maybe it had something to do with the predictable song selection that NBC bored us all with. Or maybe its just that music specials generally do poorly these days.

Network TV concert specials haven’t done particularly well this
holiday season. Just ask Faith Hill, Kenny Chesney, and now Elton John. His
NBC special “Elton John: The Red Piano” averaged just a 2.5 overnight rating
among viewers 18-49 in the 8 p.m. timeslot last night, down significantly from
“Surface,” which usually airs in that timeslot. “Red Piano” was off 17
percent versus a 3.0 overnight average for the last four original episodes of
“Surface,” and the show had improved in each of those four weeks. The
concert special wasn’t lacking in holiday glitz. NBC used 36 high-definition
cameras to capture John’s Las Vegas stage show. But that wasn’t enough to pique
the interest of viewers, who similarly shunned country stars Faith Hill and
Kenny Chesney last month in separate specials the night before
Thanksgiving

.

UPDATE: NBC has moved the show to December 12 @ 8PM.
From the AP:

NEW YORK Nov 15, 2005 — Elton John brings his Las Vegas show to television with his first NBC special, "Elton John: The Red Piano," on [Dec. 12. ]

The special will feature John's show from Caesars Palace, incorporating his performance with videos from director David LaChapelle, including two that feature Justin Timberlake as a young Elton John and Pamela Anderson performing a pole dance, NBC announced Monday.

Last December, the rock legend was honored in a star-studded tribute at the Kennedy Center in Washington.

It was 25 years ago today...

Elton and John Lennon, November 28, 1974.

This is from eltonjohn.com;

A message from Elton
6-December-2005

" I am excited to let you know that I have partnered with Amazon.com and will be kicking off a very important effort to help the victims of hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

Please join me in helping the rebuilding process for those who have lost a place to call home during the holidays, and make a donation to my charity of choice, The Red Cross.

As thanks for your support, beginning December 7, 2005, I would like to give you an exclusive never-been-released recording of a song titled Make Me As You Are that Bernie Taupin and I wrote for the new musical Lestat, where Anne Rice's most beloved vampire character is brought to life on stage.

For more information about Amazon.com’s Holiday A-List for Hurricane Relief program, please visit this link, and be sure to check out my exclusive content on Amazon.com beginning December 7, 2005.

Happy Holidays,

Love
Elton"

From everyone's favorite, and not always accurate, music news site Contact Music;

SIR ELTON JOHN's ex manager and lover JOHN REID is threatening to cast a shadow over the pop superstar's 21 December (05) wedding to partner DAVID FURNISH, by releasing a tell-all autobiography about his time with the star.

Reid and John ended a tempestuous 28-year relationship in a messy 2000 court case when the rocker attempted to recover $25.2 million (GBP14 million) he claims he was owed by one of Reid's former employees.

The battle lost him $14.4 million (GBP8 million) in legal fees and exposed his extravagant lifestyle to the public, including the staggering $72 million (GBP40 million) John spent in a 20 month period.

More details about their partnership will enter the public domain if Reid carries out his threat and publishes the memoir.

He recently said of the rocker - who will marry Furnish when gay civil partnerships become legal in Britain - "(He is) a modern day potentate - everything revolves around him."

LONDON (AP) - Billy Elliot, the crowd-pleasing stage adaptation of the hit film about a miner's son who wants to dance, was honoured Monday as best musical at the Evening Standard Theatre Awards.

Rock legend Elton John, who did the score, was at the ceremony to watch the show beat out rivals Mary Poppins and The Big Life.

Legendary musician Elton John has announced that he intends to make an honest man of his longtime partner David Furnish next month in a small civil ceremony to seal their union .

On December 21, laws go into effect in the couple's home of the UK that recognize gay partnerships as legal unions and the two have chosen that date to marry in a civil ceremony.

It seems Elton John's new label is being sued for $50,000,000.

Parton, John to Sing at CMA Awards

The Associated Press
November 01. 2005 9:29AM

Dolly Parton and Elton John will sing "Turn the Lights Out When You Leave" at "The 39th Annual CMA Awards," which will air live on CBS from Madison Square Garden on Nov. 15.

"I've always admired Sir Elton's songwriting, musicianship and singing and I'm thrilled to be working with him," Parton said in a statement released Monday by the Country Music Association. "It should be a very passionate performance."

The CMA Awards will be hosted by Brooks & Dunn, who will also perform.

Other confirmed performers include Kenny Chesney, Garth Brooks, Faith Hill, Alan Jackson, Brad Paisley and Lee Ann Womack.

Paul Simon and Willie Nelson will perform and then present the CMA song of the year award.

In a survey of musicians, journalists and records execs, Queen's Live Aid performance from 1985 has been ranked as the "worlds greatest rock gig." Elton John's 1974 Madison Square Garden performance with John Lennon comes in at number 19. You will notice one sorta major band is missing.

Here is the entire list;

1. Queen – Live Aid – July 13, 1985
2. Jimi Hendrix – Woodstock – August 18, 1969
3. The Sex Pistols – Manchester Lesser Free Trade Hall – June 4, 1976
4. Bob Dylan – Manchester Free Trade Hall – May 17, 1966 (Dylan goes ‘electric’)
5. David Bowie – Hammersmith Apollo, London – July 3, 1973 (Bowie retires the Ziggy Stardust persona to the surprise of the sold-out crowd and, indeed, the Spiders From Mars, whom he had neglected to tell)
6. Bob Marley – One Love Peace Concert – April 22, 1978
7. Bruce Springsteen – The Roxy – July 7, 1978
8. U2 – Red Rocks – June 5, 1983
9. Rolling Stones – Hyde Park, London – May 7, 1969
10. Radiohead – Glastonbury Festival – June 28, 1997
11. Rock Against Racism – Victoria Park, London – May 7, 1977
12. The Who – Isle of Wight Festival – August 29, 1970
13. Pink Floyd – Earl’s Court, London – June 17, 1981 (‘The Wall’ show, also Pink Floyd’s final UK appearance until this year’s Live8 concert)
14. James Brown – The Apollo, Harlem – October 24, 1962
15. Oasis – Maine Road, Manchester – April 27, 1996 (80,000 people at Britpop’s tenuous height)
16. Beastie Boys – Brixton Academy, London – May 24, 1987 (hip-hop invades the UK)
17. Johnny Cash – San Quentin Prison – August 29, 1969
18. Brian Wilson – Royal Festival Hall – February 20, 2004 (the ‘Smile’ concert)
19. Elton John & John Lennon – Madison Square Garden, New York – November 28, 1974 (John Lennon’s final live performance)
20. Nirvana – Reading Festival – August 30, 1992

UMPG Signs Elton John

By Chris M. Walsh, N.Y.

Universal Music Publishing Group has signed an exclusive agreement with Elton John and his songwriting collaborator Bernie Taupin, that will put the entire Elton John catalog under one publishing roof.

The two new long-term, exclusive, worldwide agreements are to administer John's and Taupin's post-1974 publishing interests. Each songwriter controls his own interest in the songs they've written, and separate arrangements were entered into with each. UMPG already owns the copyrights in the John/Taupin catalog written up to 1974.

Through the new arrangement with Elton John, the company will administer all his songs written between 1974 and 1992 (as well as new works), with immediate effect, and his songs written between 1993 and 2004 commencing in 2006. More than 250 copyrights are covered by the arrangement.

Through the new arrangement with Bernie Taupin, the company will administer all of his songs written between 1974 and the present, as well as new works written with or recorded by Elton John.

Both deals were previously administered by Warner Chappell.

Elton John's proposed comedy about an aging rocker and his manager has gotten the green light from ABC, the usually unreliable Contact Music reports.

Pop superstar SIR ELTON JOHN is close to realising his Hollywood career - America's ABC network has agreed to broadcast a pilot episode of his TV show.

The ROCKET MAN star is following in the footsteps of his long-term love, producer DAVID FURNISH, by executive producing HIM AND US.

The project stars an ageing rocker, his manager and his group of hangers-on.

SEX AND THE CITY executive producer CINDY CHUPACK is currently writing the script, writes trade paper Hollywood Reporter.

An article from Zap2It.com that has a little more information, some of it being wrong;

LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) After kicking around the various developmental corridors of ABC for the past year, a comedy pilot backed by Elton John has finally received the green light.
The pilot, based loosely on John's life and those of some of his peers, will follow the life of a graying rock star, his manager and other assorted hangers-on. Its title, "Him and Us," is also the name of a song on John's most recent album, "Peachtree Road."

Cindy Chupack, a veteran of "Sex and the City" and "Everybody Loves Raymond," is writing the pilot, which will likely be a single-camera comedy, the showbiz trade papers report. She'll also executive produce with John; the singer's manager, Bob Halley; "Desperate Housewives" exec producer Michael Edelstein; and Bruce Roberts.

John is also expected to write original songs for the series with long-time collaborator Bernie Taupin.

"Him and Us" first went into development about a year ago, but it passed through last spring's pilot season without a formal pilot order. With a script now written, ABC and sister studio Touchstone TV decided to forge ahead.

Universal Music and Starbucks Hear Music are set to release

"Elton John's Christmas Party"

which features 21 tracks chosen by Elton. The set also includes a duet between Elton and Joss Stone on a new John/Taupin track titled "Calling It Christmas" which is also rumored to be released as a single. Starbucks and Universal will donate $2 for every CD purchased to the EJAF.

Here is the complete track listing for for Elton John’s Christmas Party:
1. Step Into Christmas-Elton John
2. Feliz Navidad- El Vez
3. Frosty the Snowman-The Ronettes
4. Santa Claus Is Coming to Town-Bruce Springsteen
5. The Man with All the Toys-The Beach Boys
6. A Change at Christmas (Say It Isn’t So)-The Flaming Lips
7. It Doesn’t Often Snow at Christmas-Pet Shop Boys
8. Spotlight on Christmas-Rufus Wainwright
9. Jingle Bell Rock-The Ventures
10. Run Rudolph Run-Chuck Berry
11. Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer-The Crystals
12. Playa’s Ball-Outkast
13. Merry Christmas Baby-Otis Redding
14. Christmas Island-Jimmy Buffett
15. St. Patrick’s Day-John Mayer
16. Please Come Home for Christmas-The Eagles
17. Christmas Must Be Tonight-The Band
18. 2000 Miles-The Pretenders
19. December Will Be Magic Again-Kate Bush
20. New Year’s Day-U2
21. Calling It Christmas-Elton John and Joss Stone

Elton John will perform at a benefit gala for the tenth anniversary of the New York Restoration Project and founder Bette Midler's sixtieth birthday in New York City on October 31st. Sting will also be honored at the event for his environmental work. The NYRP, which reclaims and restores city gardens and open spaces, is also conducting an online auction, through November 8th, with chances to record with Faith Hill in her studio and go backstage at a Dave Matthews Band concert.

“I’ve always wanted to marry Elton John.”
Singer Barry Manilow at the Society of Singers’ annual Ella Awards (Reuters, Oct. 10)

Elton looking a little retro at the Ella Awards...

Elton John will be featured on several charity release during the months of October and November. "Hurricane Relief: Come Together Now" is a compilation album to be released on November 22 featuring Coldplay, Fats Domino, Barbra Streisand, Dave Matthews Band, James Brown and many others. Elton's contribution is a live version of "I'm Still Standing" which Elton reportedly recorded in New Orleans.
The second charity release is a tribute to the late DJ John Peel. Elton will sing and play piano on a cover of the Buzzcocks hit "Ever Fallen in Love," alongside The Who's Roger Daltrey and Led Zeppelin's Robert Plant. The song was debuted on October 10 over all BBC radio stations and will be released as a CD single on November 21 in the UK.

And finally another charity single release "Tears in Heaven" to raise money to help the victims of the Asian Tsunami and Hurricane Katrina for Save The Children. The song was originally written by Eric Clapton as a tribute to his four-year-old son, Conor, who died in 1991. Sharon Osbourne is behind the project, which also features Mary J Blige, Gwen Stefani, Pink, Phil Collins, Rod Stewart and Andrea Bocelli.

Bolstered by a strong musical soundtrack and some mixed reviews, Cameron Crowe's latest film "Elizabethtown" opens in 3rd place taking in $11 million dollars. "The Fog" and "Wallace and Grommit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit" opened in first and second place respectively. Crowe's fascination with Elton John continues with the tune "My Father's Gun" being featured prominently in the film. Previously Crowe has used Elton's "Tiny Dancer" and "Mona Lisas And Mad Hatters" in his semi-autobiographical film "Almost Famous." Some reviews can be found here.

Bravo is running "Inside The Actor's Studio" with Elton John. At first glance it seems a bit odd to see Elton on this show however other musical artists have been featured, Billy Joel for example. The show offers not much new information for any of us die-hard fans but probably would prove interesting to the casual music fan. One interesting segment is Elton demonstrating the differences in chord structures on a piano as opposed to on a guitar. And Elton composing a song to a page from a book has to be seen to be believed. Bravo will be re-airing "Inside...." with Elton on the following dates;

October 16 11AM, 8PM
October 22 11AM
November 18 3PM
November 20 11AM

Elton and Bernie were on BBC 2 today being interviewed to promote the release of "Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy" Deluxe Edition in the UK. You can hear the entire show by clicking here. It's a fantastic interview where Elton and Bernie discuss the making of Captains Fantastic and also talk about the planned sequel "The Captain and The Kid".

On the heels of the "Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy" Deluxe Edition, Universal will be a Collectors Edition of "Peachtree Road" on November 22, according to Music Tap. No other details are available.

The New York Post weighs in with a mostly rave review;

September 23, 2005 -- IN the last breaths of a marathon, three-hour concert, Elton John pounded his piano and wailed though his classic "The Bitch Is Back."
Yes, he is — and the gap-toothed crooner was glorious at the opener of his three sold-out shows at Madison Square Garden.

On paper, three hours of anybody — especially ballad-heavy Elton — seems excessive, except for the Rocket Man's most die-hard followers. And it would have been if John hadn't cracked the show into three distinct segments, tailored to suit his fans' level of devotion.

He started with tunes from his latest album, "Peachtree Road," followed by selections from "Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy" to warm the house.

An hour and a half into the concert, John and his large rock band became an all-hits jukebox — great for those who know the man from his signature radio classics.

The NY Times chimes in also with basically the same review written in NYT style;

Sir Elton is a relentless tourer, so it's a good thing he's also a restless one. This was, as he promised, a long show, especially for him: he sang almost nonstop for three hours. As usual, the audience greeted nearly every song with a standing ovation, which Sir Elton himself often joined. And the unusual set list helped give the night a weird, memorable structure.

A lot of veteran acts sneakily slip the new songs in among the old, hoping you won't notice. Maybe more of them should be required to do what Sir Elton did: stack eight of them up at the beginning and see how they fare. (The surest beneficiaries of such a plan? Concession stands.) On Wednesday night, the "Peachtree Road" songs certainly didn't flop, though they didn't kill, either. The album is Sir Elton's tribute to Southern traditions: gospel, old-fashioned R&B, country. If anything, "Freaks in Love," a sweet song about lovers who know they're "damaged goods," is too plain and straightforward to be an Elton John classic. The classics tend to flirt treacherously with inanity.

If you're going to issue a press release that says the following;

Elton is commemorating the event not only with the release of the expanded, two-CD Captain Fantastic And The Brown Dirt Cowboy - Deluxe Edition (Island/UMe), but also by performing a series of historic sold-out concerts on September 16 and 17 at TD Banknorth Garden, Boston and September 21, 23 and 24 at Madison Square Garden, New York where included in the repertoire he will perform the album in its entirety for the first time in over 30 years.

You should then do just that. Last night Elton omitted "Writing" and "Tower Of Babel" from the 30th Anniversary celebration concert. Doesn't make much sense but we talking about Elton. Lets hope he drops "I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues" and "Daniel" or maybe two of the Peachtree Road songs and adds back the two CF songs missing last night. Here is the complete setlist;

Weight of The World
Porch Swing on Tupelo
Answer In The Sky
Turn Out The Lights When You Leave
My Elusive Drug
They Call Her The Cat
Freaks In Love
All That I'm Allowed
Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy
Bitter Fingers
Tell Me When the Whistle Blows
Someone Saved My Life Tonight
Meal Ticket
Better Off Dead
We All Fall In Love Sometimes/Curtains
Funeral For A Friend/Love Lies Bleeding
Bennie and the Jets
Daniel
Take Me to The Pilot
Rocket Man
I Guess That's Why The Call it the Blues
Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word
Tiny Dancer
Philadelphia Freedom
Sad Songs
Levon
Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me
The Bitch Is Back
Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting
Crocodile Rock
Your Song

From the AP:

Pay-Per-View Televising Katrina Concert

By Associated Press
September 16, 2005, 9:29 AM EDT

NEW YORK -- An upcoming benefit concert at Madison Square Garden for those affected by Hurricane Katrina will be available live on pay-per-view television.

Major cable operators will give all proceeds to support the long-term relief and rebuilding efforts on the Gulf Coast, it was announced Thursday. The telecast, which will be available at a cost of $19.95 to viewers, will begin Tuesday at 7 p.m. (EDT).

The "Big Apple to the Big Easy" concert will feature performers including Simon & Garfunkel, Jimmy Buffett, Elton John, Lenny Kravitz, Bette Midler, Elvis Costello, John Fogerty and Diana Krall. New Orleans natives the Neville Brothers and the Meters will also play.

All money raised through sponsorship and ticket sales will go to various relief funds. MSG has also pledged a $1 million donation.

The show will also extend across the city to Radio City Music Hall, where Dave Matthews, Tom Waits, Trey Anastasio, John Mayer and others will perform.
The participating cable operators are Adelphia, Cablevision, Charter, EchoStar's DISH Network and DIRECTV, along with iN DEMAND partners Bright House Networks, Comast, Cox Communications and Time Warner cable systems.

Universal may have pushed the release date of "Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy" Deluxe Edition back by as much as one month. HMC.uk.co has a release date of 10-10-05 while amazon.uk.co has 09-19-05. In the US, CD Universe and Amazon.com are still showing 09-13-05. The reasons for the delay, if true, are most likely due to the recreation of the orginal artwork that came with the album when it was released in 1975.

UPDATE 9/12: EltonJohn.com is still reporting that the US release for the 30th Anniversary "Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy" Deluxe Edition is September 13th in the US. Here are the release dates I have been able to find;

US: 9-13-05
UK: 10-10-05 from HMV.co.uk and WhatRecords.com
UK: 09-19-05 from Amazon.co.uk

UPDATE2: Jim McKay of the 22nd-row picked up a copy of the CFDE on Saturday and is loving it. So there is no delay in the US.

Elton, Fats among perfomers at Katrina benefit
By Jonathan Cohen
NEW YORK (Billboard) - Big names such as Elton John and Rod Stewart will team up with some of New Orleans' most notable musicians, including recently rescued veterans Fats Domino and Allen Toussaint, during a September 20 benefit for victims of Hurricane Katrina at Madison Square Garden.The concert, dubbed "From the Big Apple to the Big Easy," will also feature Jimmy Buffett, Stevie Nicks, Lenny Kravitz, Bette Midler, John Fogerty, Loggins & Mussina and Earth, Wind & Fire. New Orleans will additionally be represented by the Neville Brothers, the Original Meters and the Dirty Dozen and Rebirth Brass Bands.In addition to underwriting the show, Madison Square Garden will donate $1 million to Katrina-related fundraising efforts. All proceeds from the event will benefit like-minded causes. Tickets go on sale September 13.Reuters/Billboard

"Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy" Deluxe Edition comes out Tuesday 9/13/05. You can hear sound samples of the June 1975 Wembley Stadium concert at the Tower Records site.

Elton performed a free concert before a crowd of 200,000 people in Rome on Saturday night 9/3.

Associated Press

ROME — Elton John played the piano and delighted hundreds of thousands of fans with old hits such as "Daniel" at a concert outside the Colosseum on Saturday night.

People of all ages clapped and danced at the free concert on the Via dei Fori Imperiali, the large boulevard that leads to the Colosseum and is lined with ancient Roman relics.

Fans included families with babies, and security officials estimated the crowd at 200,000. Some had been there since dawn to grab good spots.

"We like him very much, he's a great one, there's nothing else to say," said Sara Stanghetti, 18, who came with four friends.

Francesca Savina, 23, who said she started listening to John because her parents did, left home at early in the afternoon to make sure she could get a good view of the singer.

Some took a more modest view of the event. "I would not have paid a lot of money to see Elton John," said Daniele Casale, 29.

John performed in Italy for the first time in 1973, according to a release from the Rome municipality.

"I love places that have an incredible history," John said in taped remarks that were released to news organizations before the concert. "I love the Italian way of life, I love the food, I love the people, I love the attitudes of Italians."

Last year, a Simon and Garfunkel concert on the same stage drew hundreds of thousands of fans. In 2003, Paul McCartney also performed on the Via dei Fori Imperiali.

The setlist courtesy Elton's Dark Diamond;

Pinball Wizard
Bennie and the Jets
Daniel
Turn the Lights Out When You Leave
Take Me To The Pilot
Rocket Man
I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues
Sacrifice
Candle In The Wind (solo)
Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word
Funeral For a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding
Are You Ready For Love
Philadelphia Freedom
They Call Her The Cat
Sad Songs (Say So Much)
Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me
I'm Still Standing
The Bitch is Back
Saturday Night's Alright (For Fighting)
Crocodile Rock
Your Song

In an article on the alleged music news site Contact Music, some group called Hard-Fi has criticised Elton for his recent duet's with 2Pac and Pete Doherty. Someone should explain to these good people that if any one is to blame for "Ghetto Gospel" it is Eminem who sampled Elton's 1971 song "Indian Sunset" and that Elton had little, if anything, to do with it. And as for the Pete Doherty duet at Live 8, well the performance speaks for itself.

An interview with Elton John appears in Billboard magazine in which Elton talks about his future projects. Among the highlights are;

"Captain Fantastic and The Kid"
Elton and Bernie are writing a sequel to "Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy" called "Captain Fantastic and the Kid" which will pick up where "Captain Fantastic" left off. It will be released on March 20, 2007, five days before Elton's 60th birthday. Recording starts this January.

"Elton's Christmas Party"
A collection of Elton's favorite Christmas music by other artists, plus a new duet with Elton and Joss Stone available only at Starbucks. This is due in two months on November 8.

Broadway production of "Billy Elliott" is due in 2006

Lestat debuts in December in San Francisco and on Broadway in Spring.

Elton has written nine songs with Scissors Sisters marking the first time he has written songs in the same room with his collaborator.

Elton John plays piano on the title track of old friend Cindy Bullens new album Dream #29. Cindy got her first real break when she crashed a studio party and met Elton John, who was impressed enough to hire Cindy as a backup singer on his US tour. Cindy sang with Elton on three major tours, as well as the multi-platinum album Blue Moves, and on his 1976 No. 1 Pop single "Don't Go Breakin' My Heart."

On August 25th, 1970, Elton John made his U.S. debut at the Troubadour Club in Los Angeles. The performance kicked off a brief tour and led to a recording contract with MCA.

Some interesting facts and quotes from that night courtesy of Paul Mclauchlan's Cornflakes and Classics;

Elton was wearing a beard, bell-bottom jeans and a red shirt with "Rock And Roll" spelt in white letters. Elton was co-headliner with David Ackles. The set lasted about an hour. Leon Russell was in the audience. Elton played nightly through August 30.

The photo used for the Honky Chateau album cover was taken backstage on this night.

Robert Hilburn wrote in the August 27th Los Angeles Times:

Rejoice. Rock music which has been going through a rather uneventful period recently, has a new star. He's Elton John, a 23-year-old Englishman,whose debut Tuesday night at the Troubadour was, in almost every way, magnificent.
... His music is so staggeringly original that it is obvious he is not merely operating within a given field (such as country or blues or rock) but, like Randy Newman and Laura Nyro among others, creating his own field... He has, to be sure, borrowed from country, rock, blues, folk and other influences, but he has mixed them in his own way. The resulting songs are so varied in texture that his work defies classificatlon . . .
While his voice most often resembles Jose Feliciano, there are at times touches of Leon Russell and Mick Jagger...
John's songs are co-written by lyricist Bernie Taupin, whose lyrics often capture the same timeless, objective spirit of the Band's Robbie Robertson . . .
Beyond his vocals, melodies and arrangements there is a certain sense of the absurd . . . that is reminiscent of the American rock stars of the mid-1950s . . .
By the end of the evening, there was no question about John's talent and potential.
Tuesday night at The Troubadour was just the beginning. He's going to be one of rock's biggest and most important stars.

Kathy Orloff, Chicago Sun Times:

"He was a major star before the end of his first set."
"The future seems incredibly bright for John."

John L. Wasserman, San Fransisco Chronicle

"He had hardly opened his mouth when it was apparent that he is going to be a very, very big star."

John Gibson, Holywood Reporter

"It's not often that someone gets a standing ovation at the Troubadour, but Elton John did - twice."

In 1990 Rolling Stone Magazine rated this show as amoung the twenty concerts that changed rock and roll.

See this article in the Chicago Tribune.

It seems that Elton's new label Sanctuary is not exactly on stable ground right now.

LONDON (Reuters) - Music group Sanctuary (SGP.L: Quote, Profile, Research), home to artists ranging from Axl Rose to Elton John, warned of further deterioration to its trading conditions on Tuesday and said that key buy-out talks had fallen through.

Shares, which stood at 42 pence at the beginning of the summer, continued their slide, falling 35 percent to 11-1/4 pence by 0839 GMT (9:39 a.m. British time) -- their lowest point in more than 13 years.

The company said it has obtained waivers and amendments to its financial covenants, and increased some of its bank facilities to 120 million pounds. It has also obtained waivers and amendments to its outstanding 30 million pounds of convertible loan notes.

"Trading has remained difficult, which, together with the operational constraints placed on the business during this time, seems likely to result in a further deterioration of the results for the full year," the company said in a statement.

Sanctuary said in June that it was in talks with an outside party that could result in a bid for part or all of the company, but it said on Tuesday that those particular discussions were "unlikely to lead to an offer at or near to the current share price".

Sanctuary is the world's biggest independent music label and a major player in artist management, touring and merchandising.

A period of rapid growth saw it buy up several large artist-management companies, but problems at units such as Sanctuary Urban -- headed by Mathew Knowles, father and manager of singer Beyonce -- have hit a sour note in recent months, including a profit warning in June.

Sanctuary said that discussions are continuing with several other parties which could lead to "a range of possible transactions including a possible offer for the company".

The company has held talks with EMI (EMI.L: Quote, Profile, Research), Warner Music Group (WMG.N: Quote, Profile, Research) and several private-equity and venture-capital groups about a potential investment, asset sale or buy-out, according to sources familiar with the situation.

"While we are relieved that Sanctuary has renegotiated some its covenants, we believe the situation remains highly risky until Sanctuary provides some evidence of being able to pay down debt, perhaps through a disposal of some of its music catalogue," the media team at Numis Securities said in a research note.

This is from MusicTap.net with the new information bolded;

There was some doubt after our announcement of a Deluxe Edition for Elton John's Captain Fantastic and The Brown Dirt Cowboy, which was Elton's first album to enter Billboard at # 1 with 7 weeks of staying power at that point. The RIAA awarded triple-platinum album housed some important Elton John tunes like "Someone Saved My Life Tonight." The album metaphorically relates the journey of Elton (Captain Fantastic) and his long-time collaborator, Bernie Taupin (Brown Dirt Cowboy). Just a few weeks after the release of this album, Elton John played a show at London's Wembley Stadium (June 21, 1975) during the Midsummer Music Festival. This show was the first and only time that Elton played the entirety of Captain Fantastic to a throng of 100,000 fans, discussing each song before playing it, providing significant insight into the entire album. This show, remixed, is the addition (along with a few other goodies) to this 30th Anniversary reissue of one of Elton's best performing albums. Not only will the concert be included, alongside Captain Fantastic and The Brown Dirt Cowboy, remastered and containing a bonus addition of "House of Cards," the B-side to "Someone Saved My Life Tonight," as well as the inclusion of "Lucy In the Sky With Diamonds," "One Day At a Time," and "Philadelphia Freedom" found on the last reissue. The entire set is released in the original artwork and packaging from the LP era. The songs, "Pinball Wizard" and "Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting" are on the live set after the Captain Fantastic performance. The included booklet will contain an intoduction by Bernie Taupin as well as new liner notes. Elton John will re-perform the entire album in concerts at NYC's Madison Square Garden and Boston's Fleet Center just days after the release of this celebratory 30th Anniversary Captain Fantastic and The Brown Dirt Cowboy. Turns out we were right!!

UPDATE: ICE Magazine reports that Greg Penny worked on the Captain Fantastic Deluxe Edition mixing the June 1975 Wembley show for the first time. Its also possible for the September 13 date could be pushed a week or two for non-musical reasons. They are trying to faithfully recreate the LP-era artwork and that could delay the release.

The attraction to this abomination using the sample from "Indian Sunset" continues in Australia as "Ghetto Gospel" debuts at #1.

Billboard Country Chart, moves up 5 to #38 w/bullet.
Radio and Records Country Chart, down one to #41 but still w/bullet.

Billboard Country Chart, remains at #43 w/bullet.
Radio and Records Country Chart, up two to #40 w/bullet.

Check it out here.

Contact Music, not exactly the bastion of truth has this headline for an article about the split of "supergroup" Blue.

Blue - Webbe Blames Elton For Blue Split

However this quote from Simon Webbe can be found in that very same article;

Webbe explains, "We decided to have a break because Sir Elton told us: 'You have a certain amount of longevity in the business. If you keep releasing pop albums as Blue you'll go stale.'

"His comments made sense. He's a legend with almost 40 years in the business. I realised it would be best to take time out.

I'm sorry but sounds like they made the decision on their own after considering some friendly advice from Elton.

Another example of the media turning Elton into the villian when in fact its a non-story about a group that no one really cares about anyway.

The soundtrack for the new Cameron Crowe film "Elizabethtown" is due on September 13 and is headed up by tracks from Elton John and Tom Petty as well as My Morning Jacket. See the Billboard article here.
An extended trailer for the film set to Elton's "My Fathers Gun" can be seen here.

This from Billboard;

CATHERINE BRITT & ELTON JOHN
Where We Both Say Goodbye
Producer(s): Keith Stegall
Writer(s): C. Britt, J. Salley
Publisher(s): EMI Australia, BMI; ForaySea Keeper, SESAC
Genre: COUNTRY
Label/Catalog Number: RCA (CD promo)
Source: Billboard Magazine
Originally Reviewed: August 13, 2005

You would not expect Elton John to turn up on a fiddle and steel guitar-drenched traditional country weeper, but hey, that is what friends are for. The veteran pop star lends his signature voice to this second single from Aussie newcomer Catherine Britt. John became a fan after buying the teen's album during a tour of Australia, and it is easy to see why he was so impressed. It is obvious Britt has been influenced by such legends as Tammy Wynette and Loretta Lynn, but she pays homage to the greats without imitating. She co-wrote this aching ballad with one of Music Row's greatest veteran tunesmiths, Jerry Salley. The two have crafted a heartbreaking ode to a relationship's demise. John lends it star treatment, but Britt is the most promising Aussie import since Keith Urban.—DEP

As rumored and now official, EltonJohn.com reports that "Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy" Deluxe Edition will be issued on September 13th in expanded form. The first disc of the 2CD expanded set will feature the original album plus 4 bonus tracks. It is what's on the second disc that has Elton fans celebrating. Disc 2 will feature the Wembley Stadium concert performance from June 21, 1975 where Elton and his new band (Dee and Nigel had been unceremoniously fired) performed Captain Fantastic from start-to-finish to a less than enthusiastic crowd. At that time, the album had only been out for three weeks and much of the material was not familiar to the sold-out audience. However that Captain Fantastic performance is now thought of as a bold move by Elton and only low quality boots of the concert have been available until now. Also included are two of the encore songs. The tracklisting for the set is below;

TRACK LISTING:
DISC ONE
Captain Fantastic And The Brown Dirt Cowboy
Tower Of Babel
Bitter Fingers
Tell Me When The Whistle Blows
Someone Saved My Life Tonight
(Gotta Get A) Meal Ticket
Better Off Dead
Writing
We All Fall In Love Sometimes
Curtains

BONUS TRACKS:
Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds (single)
One Day At A Time (b-side of Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds)
Philadelphia Freedom (single)
House Of Cards (b-side of Someone Save My Life Tonight)

DISC TWO
LIVE AT WEMBLEY JUNE 21 1975 (all tracks previously unreleased)
Captain Fantastic And The Brown Dirt Cowboy (Live)
Tower Of Babel (Live)
Bitter Fingers (Live)
Tell Me When The Whistle Blows (Live)
Someone Saved My Life Tonight (Live)
(Gotta Get A) Meal Ticket (Live)
Better Off Dead (Live)
Writing (Live)
We All Fall In Love Sometimes (Live)
Curtains (Live)
Pinball Wizard (Live)
Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting (Live)

Also EltonJohn.com reports that to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Captain Fantastic during Elton's New York and Boston concerts in September Elton will perform the entire album live for the first time in 30 years.

Alan Aldridge is the artist who created the wonderful cover for Elton John's 1975 album "Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy" and he has a website that features more of his work. Among that work is this piece that apparently was done for the Bally Captain Fantastic pinball machine. I don't think I have ever seen this.
UPDATE: Click here to see pictures of a 1977(?) Bally Captain Fantastic pinball machine with the above artwork.

The Catherine Britt/Elton John duet "Where We Both Say Goodbye" moves up 6 notches to #43 on the Billboard Country Charts. A good article over at AngryCountry.com covers how the song came about.

Of the pairing, Catherine explains how the duet came about. “Ever since we met, Elton and I have stayed in touch and one night I just wrote an email and asked him if he would sing on my record. He wrote back and said he would love to. He called me one day to ask what kind of song I wanted to do together, and when I told him I thought it would be cool to do a real country duet, he said, ‘I was hoping you’d say that.’ Elton just loves country music.”

“So I sent him George and Tammy, Conway and Loretta, things like that, and he said, ‘Put some originals in there that could be duets.’ So I did, and he told me, ‘They’re all great but I love your song.’ This was, of course, a huge honor. We did the tracking, so all we had to do was get his vocal, and then we went in the studio and sang it live, to each other. I think that had a lot to do with the way he really got into my vibe and my style, because how often does Elton John do that? But he came into my world for a minute, and then you start to hear some of the phrasing and you think ah, there it is, there’s Elton John. It’s so different, I love it.”

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