Elton John News from Crazy Water

Elton 07: lots of hits, great hair

Acer Arena, November 28

AS LAST weekend showed, you could reach your use-by date with the public after 60. Elton John turned 60 this year but he's hardly slowed down. His one-man show last night was a little under three hours long in a sold-out room of some 15,000 people.

Clearly generational change is less urgent when after two decades of rubbish you are seven years into a career resurgence based on writing the kind of songs which remind people why they loved you 30 to 35 years ago.

The breadth of Elton's appeal was evident all around. Behind me were four 50-somethings and a 30-something daughter and her teenage son. Along the road, dressed in black and with heavy kohl around the eyes was a couple looking like they arrived a week early for My Chemical Romance.

But everyone of them knew the words to the opening number, Your Song and recognised its aptness at a concert John dedicated to an old friend who died at the weekend, Ken East. It's been a week of goodbyes after all.

Not that John, in black tails festooned with flowers, a french blue shirt and diamond encrusted crucifix looking like it had been borrowed from the Crown jewels, not to mention the best head of hair he's ever had, looked in a hurry to say goodbye. There's no musical Maxine on this horizon, only Mona Lisas and mad hatters.

Now what are you going to do to fix this?

Music boss: we were wrong to go to war with consumers

1:50PM, Wednesday 14th November 2007

The boss of Warner Music has made a rare public confession that the music industry has to take some of the blame for the rise of p2p file sharing.

Speaking at the GSMA Mobile Asia Congress in Macau, Edgar Bronfman told mobile operators that they must not make the same mistake that the music industry made.

"We used to fool ourselves,' he said. "We used to think our content was perfect just exactly as it was. We expected our business would remain blissfully unaffected even as the world of interactivity, constant connection and file sharing was exploding. And of course we were wrong. How were we wrong? By standing still or moving at a glacial pace, we inadvertently went to war with consumers by denying them what they wanted and could otherwise find and as a result of course, consumers won."

Mobile operators risk the same, he said. Fewer than 10% of mobile owners buy music on their handset, the vast majority of which is ringtones.

"The sad truth is that most of what consumers are being offered today on the mobile platform is boring, banal and basic," he said. "People want a more interesting form of mobile music content. They want it to be easy to buy with a single click - yes, a single click, not a dozen. And they want access to it, quickly and easily, wherever they are. 24/7. Any player in the mobile value chain who thinks they can provide less than a great experience for consumers and remain competitive is fooling themselves."

Bronfman suggested that mobile companies have much to learn from Apple, despite being critical of and iTunes in the past.

"For years now, Warner Music has been offering a choice to consumers at Apple's iTunes store the option to purchase something more than just single tracks, which constitute the mainstay of that store's sales," he explained. "By packaging a full album into a bundle of music with ringtones, videos and other combinations and variation we found products that consumers demonstrably valued and were willing to purchase at premium prices. And guess what? We've sold tons of them. And with Apple's co-operation to make discovering, accessing and purchasing these products even more seamless and intuitive, we'll be offering many, many more of these products going forward."

And the iPhone and iPod touch shows that approach can be made to work on mobile platforms, he said,

"You need to look no further than Apple's iPhone to see how fast brilliantly written software presented on a beautifully designed device with a spectacular user interface will throw all the accepted notions about pricing, billing platforms and brand loyalty right out the window. And let me remind you, the genesis of the iPhone is the iPod and iTunes - a music device and music service that consumers love."

Bronfman appears to be experiencing an epiphany when it comes to digital music. From threatening to withdraw from iTunes and suggesting that to drop DRM would be "without logic or merit", he is now heaping praising on Apple and recently opened a DRM-free section on Warner's own Classics and Jazz music store.
Simon Aughton

The Eagles first album in 28 years "The Long Road Out Of Eden" has landed at #1 after Walmart agreed to report their sales numbers and Billboard changed their chart policy. The album moved 711,000 units easily besting Britney Spears new album "Blackout" which moved 290,000 units.

Revised Chart Policy Lands Eagles At No. 1

November 06, 2007, 8:30 PM ET
Mitchell Peters, L.A.

The Eagles' first new studio album in 28 years, "Long Road Out of Eden," takes a short route to No. 1 on The Billboard 200 after Billboard revised a significant chart policy today (Nov. 7).

In consultation with Nielsen SoundScan, Billboard will now allow exclusive album titles that are only available through one retailer to appear on The Billboard 200 and other charts, effective with this week's charts. Prior to this, proprietary titles were not eligible to appear on most Billboard charts.

Early SoundScan numbers have the Eagles taking the top perch on The Billboard 200 with 711,000 copies sold, with most sales moved by Wal-Mart and Sam's Club stores. For now, the only other U.S. outlets carrying "Eden" are walmart.com, where both physical copies and downloads are sold, and the Eagles' own Web site.

"Eden" became available at the mass-market chain Oct. 30. Aside from two compilations, this is the Eagles' first album since the mostly live "Hell Freezes Over," which led The Billboard 200 for two weeks in 1994.

Britney Spears' new Jive album, "Blackout," which would have been No. 1 had the Eagles' data not been reported, will open at No. 2 with first-week sales of 290,000 copies.

"We know that some retailers will be uncomfortable with this policy, but it was inevitable that Billboard's charts would ultimately widen the parameters to reflect changes that are unfolding in music distribution," says Geoff Mayfield, Billboard's director of charts. "We would have preferred to make this decision earlier, but only became aware within the last 24 hours that Wal-Mart would be willing to share the data for this title with Nielsen SoundScan."

The revised policy initially impacts The Billboard 200 and Top Country Albums, where "Eden" will also bow at No. 1. Criteria for the remainder of Billboard's albums charts will be formulated later this week. A handful of other titles will debut this week on The Billboard 200 as a consequence of the policy revision.

Previously, titles that were not generally available at retail were not eligible to appear on The Billboard 200, but were entitled to chart on Billboard's Top Comprehensive Albums, which includes catalog titles and proprietary albums from retailers willing to report those sales.

The comprehensive chart will continue to appear on Billboard.biz, to show how catalog titles compete with the overall market. However, once parameters for the remainder of the album charts are determined, Top Comprehensive Music Videos will be discontinued, as exclusive titles will then be eligible for the Nielsen SoundScan-fed Top Music Videos.

Beyonce, Elton, Fergie Set For 'Movies Rock'

October 24, 2007, 11:15 AM ET
Jonathan Cohen, N.Y.

A star-studded music roster is on board for the first Movies Rock concert, to be taped Dec. 2 at Los Angeles' Kodak Theatre for broadcast five days later on CBS. Performers such as Beyonce, Carrie Underwood, Elton John, Fergie, Mary J. Blige and Jennifer Hudson will perform notable songs from classic films at the event.

Beyonce will sing "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" from "The Wizard of Oz," while Underwood will tackle the title number from "The Sound of Music." Other pairings on tap include Hudson on "Goldfinger," Fergie on "Live and Let Die," Blige and John Legend on "As Time Goes By" and John on music from animated films.

Proceeds from the event, which mirrors the annual Fashion Rocks event in New York, will benefit the Entertainment Industry Foundation.

As with Fashion Rocks, a supplemental magazine dubbed "Movies Rock" will be included with 14 Conde Nast titles, beginning Nov. 1.

Set list from KC show;

Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding
The Bitch is Back
Madman Across the Water
Tiny Dancer
Levon
Believe
Take Me to the Pilot
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
Daniel
Rocket Man
Honky Cat
Someone Saved My Life Tonight
I Guess That’s Why They Call It the Blues
Burn Down the Mission
The Bridge
Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word
Candle in the Wind
Bennie and the Jets
Philadelphia Freedom
Sad Songs Say So Much
I’m Still Standing
Crocodile Rock
Saturday Night’s Alright (For Fighting)

Encore:
Don’t Let the Sun Go Down On Me
Your Song

Some posters over at The Crazy Water Community are reporting that the Amazon exclusive Elton 60 box set is missing the laminated backstage pass which is part of what was suppose to make it exclusive, including mine.

I have emailed eltonjohn.com and am awaiting a response. I will post any useful info I get back.

Madonna joins Radiohead and The Eagles as the latest artist to dump their record label. She is rumored to be signing a deal with promoter Live Nation for her next three albums, exclusive promotion of her concerts and merchandise. Artists are continuing to move away from the dinosaur record labels who stifle growth and who refuse to take advantage of the new media.

Elton?

Madonna Nears Deal to Leave Record Label

By JEFF LEEDS
Published: October 11, 2007

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 10 — Madonna is about to become the latest music superstar to defy the music industry’s traditional structure by exiting her longtime record label, Warner Brothers Records, for a lucrative deal that relies heavily on her longevity as a live-concert attraction.

Madonna is nearing an agreement with Live Nation, the concert promoter, that would pay her more than $100 million in exchange for three albums and the exclusive rights to promote her concerts and to market her merchandise in a wide-ranging partnership, according to people briefed on the talks.

The deal, which includes cash and stock, would pay her about half the total upfront, said these people, who requested anonymity because the agreement had not been completed.

The deal, which was first reported yesterday on The Wall Street Journal’s Web site, is the latest example of how tough times for record labels and concert promoters have set off a free-for-all over the rights to the various revenue streams created when a musician becomes a star. Instead of sharing in only one piece of the income — say, CD sales — companies are angling to share in all of an artist’s business lines, like publishing, merchandise sales and endorsement fees.

It also comes as the major record companies are reeling from the loss of historically reliable brand-name acts. Word of Madonna’s likely exit from Warner Brothers, a unit of the publicly held Warner Music Group, came the same day that one of rock’s biggest free agent acts, the acclaimed British band Radiohead, started delivering digital copies of its new album directly to fans, in a big break with industry convention. Another influential free agent band, the Eagles, is selling its new album directly to Wal-Mart Stores.

Madonna’s move particularly underscores the determination of Live Nation to encompass a wider swath of the music business. The publicly held company, based in Beverly Hills, Calif., made an earlier foray into so-called all-rights or 360 deals with artists when it made a small investment to share in the earnings of Korn, the hard-rock act.

But it is making a much bigger leap — and taking a bigger risk — with Madonna, who turns 50 next year, and who, the company expects, will continue her live-concert success for years to come. Madonna’s “Confessions” tour last year ranked as the highest-grossing tour ever by a female artist, according to Billboard magazine. The tour generated roughly $195 million from 60 shows and drew more than 1.2 million fans.

Her last album, “Confessions on a Dance Floor,” sold an estimated 1.6 million copies in the United States.

It is not clear how many copies Live Nation expects her future albums to sell, but it may be some time before the company has a chance to release Madonna’s music. Madonna owes one more studio album to Warner under her contract there; that album is expected to be released next year.

Warner also owns the rights to Madonna’s catalog of earlier recordings. Under the deal with Live Nation, according to people briefed on the arrangement, ownership of her new recordings would eventually revert to her.

Representatives for Live Nation and Warner Music declined to comment. Madonna’s manager, Guy Oseary, could not be reached for comment.

Amazon has the 2 DVD/1 CD box set exclusively.

To pre-order the Elton 60 Collectors Edition click the image below or in the side bar.

Elton John Slams George Bush Over AIDS

Elton John has attacked the U.S. Government's AIDS effort, dubbing it a waste of time and money. The campaigning rocker - and head of the Elton John Aids Foundation - is astounded George W. Bush's regime has concentrated all its efforts promoting abstinence, rather than developing treatments.

Speaking at his Aids gala in New York on Wednesday, John says, "They've made a grave error in giving millions to abstinence programs. They don't work. They were told in the beginning that it wouldn't work. It's a tragic waste of money. Please don't listen to those idiots. God almighty."

The Rocket Man also took the opportunity to hit out at South African President Thabo Mbeki, who claims garlic, beetroots, lemon and olive oil are more effective in fighting Aids than antiretroviral medicines.

He tells the New York Daily News, "There are some weird people in the world - what can I say? I would just tell them, 'Don't let the AIDS crisis get lost.'"

God forbid people suggest one way to protect yourself from exposure to AIDS is to refrain from sexual activity!
And what about the US commitment to fighting AIDS;

2008 AIDS Relief Budget Request Tops Original Commitment

United States remains global leader in fight against AIDS, official says

By Cheryl Pellerin
USINFO Staff Writer

Washington – President Bush has asked the U.S. Congress to approve $5.4 billion for his President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) for fiscal year 2008 (2008-2009), the last year of the five-year effort to fight HIV/AIDS around the world.

If that funding is approved, the PEPFAR program – the largest commitment by a single nation to an international health initiative – would be on track to exceed the original $15 billion pledge and bring to $18.3 billion the amount of money the United States has invested in the fight against AIDS.

“By working with host nations to build quality health care networks and increase capacity,” U.S. global AIDS coordinator Ambassador Mark Dybul testified March 1 before the House Committee on Appropriations subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations, “we are laying the foundation for nations and communities to sustain their efforts against HIV/AIDS and other diseases long after the initial five years of the Emergency Plan.”

The HIV/AIDS pandemic has killed at least 20 million of the more than 60 million people it has infected so far, leaving 14 million orphans worldwide. On the continent of Africa, nearly 30 million people have the AIDS virus – including 3 million children under age 15, according to the White House.

Bush announced the PEPFAR program in 2003 to support treatment for 2 million HIV-infected people, help prevent 7 million new infections and help care for 10 million people infected or affected by HIV/AIDS by 2008 in 15 focus countries – Botswana, Côte d'Ivoire, Ethiopia, Guyana, Haiti, Kenya, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Vietnam and Zambia. (See related fact sheet.)

It seems no matter what the US does its never good enough for some group or individual;

US to spend extra $30bn to fight HIV/Aids, pledges Bush

· Washington becomes campaign's biggest backer
· Critics praise president's commitment to fight

Ewen MacAskill in Washington
Thursday May 31, 2007
The Guardian

The following correction was printed in the Guardian's Corrections and clarifications column, Friday June 1 2007

Terri Bartlett of Population Action International was quoted in the article below as hoping the move offered an opportunity to make the programme "more effective by correcting policies based on evidence, not ideology". This could be misinterpreted. What she said was " ... correcting policies on the basis of evidence, not ideology". This has been corrected.

Article continues
George Bush announced yesterday that the US plans to spend $30bn (£15bn) over five years in Africa and elsewhere to combat HIV/Aids.

This would make the US by far the biggest single donor to the campaign against HIV/Aids and is in addition to the $15bn Washington has been spending since 2003. Parts of Mr Bush's policy are opposed by international health organisations, academics, women's groups, European governments and even the administration's financial watchdog. In line with domestic Christian right orthodoxy, a significant proportion of the funds are channelled to religious groups advocating abstinence until marriage and refusing to distribute condoms, an approach regarded as counter-productive and costing lives.

Elton John was in attendance at the service for Princess Diana today. And of course the media continues to push the idea that Elton could possibly perform "Candle In The Wind 1997" when he has repeatedly said he will never perform that version of the song again.

Sir Elton John was invited, but he won't reprise his reworking of Candle in the Wind, which he performed at the funeral.

It's just incredible how they continue to push the idea of Elton performing CITW97. It's not gonna happen, ever!

DVD Celebrates Elton's 60th B-Day Show

Don't like the sun? Suit yourself, Sir Elton | Showbiz | This is London

Elton John's 60th birthday concert at Madison Square Garden is coming to DVD on September 24(UK)/25(US). Called "Elton 60: Live at Madison Square Garden" the DVD will be issued in two configurations, a 2-DVD set featuring the entire concert, all 33 songs, and also rare tracks;

The DVD set will also be loaded with special extra features, including a healthy helping of "Live, Rare and Unseen" concert tracks, such as a 1970 version of "Border Song" from Swiss television, BBC renditions of "Tiny Dancer" and "Levon" from 1971, and a mini-set of selected "New York Stories" performances culled from Elton's seemingly endless catalogue of live performances in Gotham and album tracks that mention the Big Apple.

There will also be a collectors box set that will include a CD of rare live performances over the years, a 72 page booklet, a poster and more.

Princess Diana rules over NBC's weekend schedule
Lauer broadcasts live from London; concert on Sunday

Matt Lauer isn't exactly in the inner circle at Buckingham Palace.

"I'm not a royal-watcher," Lauer said. "I'm probably the least royal-watcher of any of my friends."

But he might seem like one over the next few days.
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This morning, he'll do his portion of "Today" from London. On Sunday, NBC reruns his interview with princes William and Harry, then has him hosting the hosting the American telecast of the "Concert for Diana."

The latter will be quick and condensed. The actual concert is likely to run more than six hours in London's Wembley Stadium, Lauer said; NBC plans to carry only an hour.

The concert is on what would have been the 46th birthday of Princess Diana, the late mother of William and Harry.

At first, it was described as a collection of her favorite performers. Elton John and Duran Duran top the bill.

Still, the princes also chose people from their generation. "They really wanted it to be a healthy mix," Lauer said.

At the time of Diana's death (almost a decade ago), Kanye West was 20, Nelly Furtado was 18, Natasha Bedingfield was 15, Lily Allen was 12 and Joss Stone was 10. All are expected to perform Sunday, plus Diddy, Tom Jones, Rod Stewart, Bryan Ferry, Pharrell and more.

The princes are only scheduled to introduce Furtado, Lauer said. He's betting that the introduction will be included in NBC's abridged version.

Critics have argued that when NBC paid $2.5 million for the concert rights, it was also buying the interview. Lauer disputes that. "What it got was the concert," he said. "Then there were a lot of discussions."

He dealt with Palace officials. "It was a little like an audition. ... I sent some tapes of high-profile interviews."

The result was a 36-minute interview, he said, and he used virtually all of it in the "Dateline" hour and on "Today." For all of the details, however, he said the princes were pleasant.

"I thought they'd be stiff- upper-lip, cautious, guarded. But they kidded each other and kidded me. ... I just liked the guys."

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According to Yahoo Movies, "Just Like Noah's Ark" is featured in the new movie Evan Almighty

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A jazz tribute album;

Tonolo/ Goldstein/ Swallow/ Motian, Your Songs: The Music of Elton John\

*** (Obliq Sound)

John Fordham

Friday May 18, 2007

The Guardian

This tribute to Elton John will probably enhance the songwriter's standing among jazzers as his romantic melodic tunes and poignantly soulful harmonies turn out to be ideal material for improvisation. The velvety sound and dark bell-notes from Italian lassical-violinist-turned-jazz-saxist Pietro Tonolo contrast with Steve Swallow's graceful bass guitar lines over drum visionary Paul Motian's restless brushwork on a haunting account of Blue Eyes. Gil Goldstein's deft, Jarrettish piano lines and Motian's imperious cymbal beat illuminate Rocket Man, and Tonolo's fragile soprano sax sound against Goldstein's accordion catches the vulnerability of Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word without adding schmaltz.Tonolo's two originals have a little less impact, but it's a fine example of jazz musicians remaking famous songs in their own likenesses.

Tracks;

Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word

Goodbye Yellow Brick Road

Blue Eyes

Your Song

The One

Rocket Man

Tiny Dancer

2 original compositions

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Happy 57th Birthday Bernie Taupin!!!!!!!

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The April 5 prime-time airing on MyNetworkTV of the Elton John birthday concert from New York’s Madison Square Garden earned a household 1.8/3 overnight rating, the highest in the network’s history, according to Nielsen Media Research data.

In 13 of the top 20 markets, the telecast produced ratings of 2.0 or higher, including a 3.1 rating in Miami and a 3.3 rating in Cleveland. In the New York market, the telecast earned a 2.6, in Atlanta, a 2.7, in Chicago, a 2.3, and in Philadelphia, a 2.4.

Among women 25-54, Atlanta produced the highest ratings with a 2.7, while New York recorded a 1.7. Among women 18-49, the Atlanta market recorded a 2.1, while New York earned a 1.8.
MNTV, which went on the air in September 2006, recently announced that it was scrapping its prime-time soap opera format, and moving to mini-series-, reality- and other entertainment specials-type programming.

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According to Adam Chester there will be a convert DVD coming out of the entire concert;

Phil Ramone will be putting the finishing touches on a DVD of the entire concert to be released in the very near future!

Excellent news! Finally some correct decisions are being made.

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From Billboard magazine, break out the champagne!

Elton John earns his 16th top 10 album with the retrospective "Rocket Man: Number Ones" (Rocket/Island), which enters at No. 9 with 49,000. The British songwriter's last set to reach the top 10 was "The Big Picture," which also hit No. 9 back in the fall of 1997. This is also John's seventh hits compilation (including 1990's four-disc "To Be Continued...") to enter the chart.

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Finally….

In all my years of going to Elton John concerts this was probably the most satisfying concert I have seen, and I’ve seen quite a few Elton shows.

Obviously the reason is the set list. As Elton fans we are constantly complaining that Elton does not dig deep enough into is back catalog and pull out the album gems that we all love so much. Lately at his shows he has treated us to 2 or 3 nuggets but ultimately he would fall back into the hits. And how can you blame him. People do not pay hundreds of dollars to go to an Elton John show only to hear songs they do not recognize. They expect the hits and that’s what Elton gives them. I’ve argued many times that to expect Elton to play more of his lesser known music is unreasonable. Elton must cater to all fans, not just the die-hards and stick to what the people want. The hits!

However, lately Elton has been embracing his pas and trying to please his die-hard fans as well as the newer and younger fans that are not as familiar with the “classic years.” In 2005 Elton gave us the “Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy” 30th Anniversary concert where he played the entire album from start to finish, well except for one song. In addition to that Elton had been giving concert goers more than half of each of his previous albums, Songs From The West Coast and Peachtree Road. So it seemed he has been trying to do something different at his shows to counter the “same old set list” complaint.

So that brings us to March 25, 2007, Elton’s 60th Birthday Concert. What a show! And the reason is the set list he treated us too. I never thought I would hear Elton play “Ballad Of A Well-Known Gun” live. To get that along with “High Flying Bird” and “Where To Now St. Peter” would have been more than enough for me. But then Elton gave us “Hercules” “Madman Across The Water” “Roy Rogers” “Empty Garden” “Holiday Inn” “Burn Down The Mission” and starting off the show with “Sixty Years On” made this an incredible concert.

I felt that this was the perfect mix of songs, all of the right choices were made. The obscure tracks flowed perfectly from one to the other and fit in perfectly with the hits. Some fans expressed worry that loading up the show at the beginning with the lesser known songs could set the wrong tone. That was not the case as the show seemed to flow along at just the right speed. I even noticed from where I was sitting that there was not the usual mass exodus to concessions and bathrooms during these songs as there usually is. Everyone seemed to be thoroughly enjoying this stroll down memory lane.

What can Elton do to top this? I am sure some of his fans will find something but for me I am completely satisfied with this show.

Now lets get the complete show out on DVD, pronto!

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Check it out! A huge improvement!

EltonJohn.com

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Excellent review, but me thinks this guy is not familiar with Funeral For A Friend/Love Lies Bleeding when he refers to the first half as a "dramatic piano intro"...oh well, it's still a positive review.

Elton Dazzles in Hartford
March 21, 2007

By ERIC R. DANTON, Courant Rock Critic

Las Vegas it's not, but Elton John made his own glitz and glamour Wednesday night at the Hartford Civic Center. That other piano man ventured away from his long-running gig in Sin City to rehearse songs for his 60th birthday party, which he's holding Sunday in New York. It meant a set full of vintage Elton John tunes for the Hartford crowd, as the singer dug deep into his catalog for a few less-heard numbers, some of which were by request.

"In choosing some of the songs, we've taken into account people going to the website and asking to hear a song," he said early in the show.

Dressed in a dark blue shirt and black tails adorned on the back with a glittery likeness of himself from 35 years ago, John's voice sounded thick at times, as if maybe he drank too much Dr. Pepper before the show and was having trouble clearing his throat.

His slick, virtuosic band helped with the high parts on a few tunes, including the gorgeous narrative ballad "High Flying Bird," and John didn't even try to reach the falsetto parts on "Rocket Man." He was still able to belt, though, which he did on a robust version of "Honky Cat."

Whatever vocal difficulties he had didn't affect John's skill on piano. He played dazzling, speedy fills on "Burning Down the Mission" and thumped the keys with authority on the stutter-step rock of "Bennie and the Jets."

John turned the middle of the 2 ½ hour show into a tour through some of his ballads, which was a study in contrasts. Despite its now-or-never message, "The Bridge" from last year's "The Captain & the Kid" was mired in light-rock treacle. "Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters," on the other hand, provided some of the most stirring moments of the evening when the expository verses resolved into the clean, soaring melody of the chorus.

The best-known songs, of course, brought the biggest cheers, and the crowd all but let out a collective "awww" when John played the opening notes to "Tiny Dancer." He let the audience sing the refrain on the juiced-up boogie of "Crocodile Rock," and seemed to delight in the five-letter word flashing in huge letters on the screen behind him on a rowdy version of "The Bitch is Back."

John ended the regular set with "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting" and then returned for a two-song encore. After the first number, a version of "Love Lies Bleeding" with a dramatic piano intro, he thanked the United States for having welcomed him "from the word go." He dedicated his final tune, "Your Song," to the crowd for its support over the years.

Sixty Years On
Madman Across The Water
Where to Now St Peter
Hercules
High Flying Bird
Holiday Inn
Burn Down the Mission
Take Me to The Pilot
Daniel
Honky Cat
Rocket Man
I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues
The Bridge
Mona Lisas And Mad Hatters
Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word
Bennie And The Jets
All The Young Girls Love Alice
Tiny Dancer
Something About The Way You Look Tonight
Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me
I'm Still Standing
The Bitch Is Back
Crocodile Rock
Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting
Funeral For A Friend/Love Lies Bleeding
Your Song

Elton finally moves into the 21st century, technologically speaking;

iTunes scoops Sir Elton John catalogue exclusive
Sir Elton John will release his entire catalogue through iTunes next week

Jonny Evans

Sir Elton John this morning revealed plans to make his entire catalogue of releases available exclusively through iTunes starting next week.

The entire catalogue of 400 tracks will be made available through the store starting 26 March, his artist management agents explained. The music will be available exclusively there until 30 April, when it will be made available through other music services.

The artist explained: "I've wanted my music to be available for digital download worldwide for some time, but I knew that the entire catalogue not just the hits needed care and attention to be released in this way. Now that it's happening, I'm pleased for the fans' sake. The world has certainly changed since Philips Records issued my first single on seven-inch vinyl 39 years ago this month."

While some albums are already available through iTunes, the artist will now make over 30 albums available online.

The move coincides with the global release in physical and digital formats of a new, 18-track compilation of his work, Rocket Man The Definitive Hits, from Universal's Mercury Records imprint.

A selection of Sir Elton's biggest hits will also be made available as mobile-phone realtones for the first time, while a selection of his music videos will also be made available online.

Sir Elton celebrates his 60th birthday this weekend with a concert performance at New York's Madison Square Garden.

The artist has sold over 200 million albums worldwide since 1970, and is one of the most successful touring performers and top-selling recording artists of all time.

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Elton John's 60th Birthday Concert from Madison Square Garden on March 25 (his birthday!) is going to be webcast live on MSN.

Here is the link to view the show;

Elton John's 60th Birthday Concert Live from MSG

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According to the UK Independent;

As he hits 60 next Sunday, he will be at one of three ostentatious celebrations to mark the milestone. This one will be a little more public than the other two, with 19,500 fans watching him at New York's Madison Square Garden, opening the show with a fitting rendition of his 1970 song "Sixty Years On".

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Paul McCartney set to sign on with Starbucks Records. Could Elton be next? The answer should be YES! But what does Elton want to do. If Elton is looking to breakaway from the pack and get some much needed exposure of his music to a new audience than this sounds like the way to go to me!

So how about Elton? Follow Paul's lead!

LET IT BEAN

STARBUCKS TO START MUSIC LABEL, EYES MCCARTNEY

By PETER LAURIA

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March 11, 2007 -- Having already proven that it can sell other companies' music, coffee giant Starbucks is planning to launch its own record label and is close to a deal for the next album from former Beatle Sir Paul McCartney to be its first release, according to sources familiar with the plans.

The formation of Starbucks Records, as the unit is expected to be called, could be announced as soon as this week, according to these sources.

Launching a record label is something "that has been bandied about for quite a while," said one source. "They think they are empowered enough to do that."

Said another: "They have a very targeted, efficient distribution channel that allows them to be profitable in a limited way with music."

Starbusks could also take on a partner in the venture.

Unlike its Hear Music operation, which releases the Artists Choice compilation series that features musicians such as Sheryl Crow or The Rolling Stones selecting songs that influenced them, Starbucks Records is expected sign, record and produce its own artists rather than licensing songs from other labels.

That's where Sir Paul comes in. The wrinkly rocker not only fits with the Starbucks demographic, but also is a free agent not signed to any label, sources said.

A spokesman for McCartney could not be reached.

Up until now, Starbucks has only distributed music though its retail coffee shops. But it is believed that Starbucks Records will seek to secure distribution for its releases in other retail outlets.

Starbucks Hear Music had its greatest success with the release of Ray Charles' "Genius Loves Company," a co-production with Concord Records that went on to win eight Grammy awards including Album of the Year.

The caffeine pusher has enough licensing deals in place with major and independent record labels to build its own digital-music store a la Apple's iTunes, or it could bring in a partner to help build the digital infrastructure.

There have been talks about putting kiosks in its shops so that customers can shop for music and create their own compilations while waiting for their $5 cup of joe.

"We are constantly in discussions with potential partners to create innovative ways to help our customers discover quality entertainment offerings," Starbucks said in a statement issued to The Post. "We have no announcement regarding any new partnership at this time."

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MyNet to carry Elton concert
Network buys rights to 'Birthday' show

By JOHN DEMPSEY

MyNetworkTV, the poorly performing broadcast service operated by the Fox TV Stations, has bought exclusive U.S. rights to "Happy Birthday Elton," a two-hour taped version of an Elton John concert to be held March 25 at Madison Square Garden.

MyNet will carry an edited edition of the concert, part of a worldwide tour in celebration of John's 60th birthday, in primetime on April 5, supplemented with celebrity interviews.

Early this month, new MyNet prexy Greg Meidel announced a complete overhaul of the network's primetime schedule, which currently consists of back-to-back hourlong soap operas patterned after Latin American telenovelas and running each weeknight for 13 weeks.

The rejiggered lineup, beginning March 8, relegates the third set of telenovelas to Tuesday ("American Heiress") and Wednesday ("Saints & Sinners"), filling the rest of the week with "Intl. Fight League's Total Impact" (two hours on Monday, with a Saturday primetime repeat) and theatrical movies (Thursday and Friday). MyNetworkTV doesn't program Sunday.

What's unusual about the April 5 scheduling of the John concert is that there are still more dates on the tour following the broadcast, at the Colosseum in Las Vegas from April 6-10 and from May 9-13, with a date in Puerto Rico on April 28.

Most concert promoters don't permit the national telecast of a concert until the tour has completed its live dates as the availability of the concert over the air could hurt ticket sales for the remainder of the tour or anger people who already bought a ticket without knowing they could see it free on TV.

Producer of "Happy Birthday Elton" is HST Management and Whizz Kid Entertainment. Special is directed by David Mallet and produced by Malcolm Gerrie, Paul Morphos and Lisa Chapman.

From Adam Chester;

Welcome to AdamChester.com!

2007 is starting off with a bang, as on March 25th, I’ll be taking part in Elton’s birthday concert at Madison Square Garden! He’s planning on playing songs he hasn’t played in decades. “Ballad of a Well Known Gun”, “Where To Now St. Peter”, “Madman Across the Water”. Amazing songs! 34, to be exact, that I had to learn or re-learn to play with the band! On top of all that, the Brooklyn Youth Chorus will be joining Elton on stage for the concert for about 15 songs. I was hired to transcribe their choir charts! I had to get lots of help to put it all down on paper, but it’s finally ready to be sung! I may, (and I say may, cuz I really don’t know at this time), also be conducting the choir for the performance! Who knows. All I do know for certain right now, is that I’ll soon be in New York, eating cannolis, buying some cool clothes for me, my wife and my 2 sons (o.k., probably just me)…, and rehearsing with the Elton John Band and Youth Choir!

I’ll put up pix as they happen.

According to Elton's website, "in the USA, the full concert will be broadcast digitally by MSN!" This will be his record-breaking 60th appearance at the Garden!

If Elton does "The Ballad of a Well-Known Gun" I will be astonished and stunned!

The entire catalog?

If "Ego" is not available then its not the entire catalog. If "Tortured" and "Can't Get Over Getting Over Losing You" (or whatever it was called) is not available its not the entire catalog! If "Take Me Down To The Ocean" is not available...well you get the point!

It's been renamed "Rocket Man: Number Ones" even if all of them were not number on on the charts. The Beatles did the same thing saying that they were number one somewhere so I guess Elton can do it to.

CD
1. Bennie And The Jets Live
2. Philadelphia Freedom Album Version
3. Daniel Album Version
4. Rocket Man (I Think It's Going To Be A Long Long Time)
5. I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues Album Version
6. Tiny Dancer Album Version
7. Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me
8. I Want Love
9. Candle In The Wind Album Version
10. The Bitch Is Back
11. I'm Still Standing Album Version
12. Saturday Night's Alright (For Fighting)
13. Your Song 1996 Album Version
14. Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word Album Version
15. Can You Feel The Love Tonight 1996 LP
16. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
17. Tinderbox
18. Are You Ready For Love '79 version radio edit
DVD
1. Bennie And The Jets Live
2. Rocket Man Live
3. Candle In The Wind Live
4. Saturday Night's Alright (For Fighting) Live
5. Your Song Live
6. Your Song Elton In Four Decades - Promo - Stereo
7. I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues Elton In Four Decades - Promo - Stereo
8. I'm Still Standing Elton In Four Decades - Promo - Stereo
9. I Want Love Elton In Four Decades - Promo
10. Tinderbox Video

From ej.com:

Two more US concerts for Elton and the band have just been announced. The dates are:
Wednesday, March 21, Civic Center, Hartford, Connecticut, and Thursday, March 22, Dunkin' Donuts Center, Providence, Rhode Island.

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Elton John's concert on March 25 at New York's Madison Square Garden go on sale at Ticketmaster on Monday January 22, 2007 @ 9AM for American Express Card holders and Monday January 29, 2007 @9AM to the general public.

EltonJohn.com also has an allocation of tickets for Rocket members. The ticket price for the Rocket tickets are approximately $300 after fees are added in.

EJ.com is back. I am sure you know that by now

Tickets for the Elton's 60th Birthday concert in New York City on March 25 will be going for an incredible $300 for the top seats. YIKES!

Tinderbox, not yet a single in the US, although the video has made some appearances.

EJ.com has announced some changes are coming, already we have seen some evidence of this. A new and improved shop has opened up with some nice merchandise to choose from. Lets hope the Elton has a bigger presence on his official site than he has had lately.

EltonJohn.com has said that they are making some big changes over the next several weeks...

Is this one of them?

Click here

Very interesting...

U.K. pop charts set for radical overhaul
Fri Jan 5, 2007 9:20am ET29

By Michael Holden

LONDON (Reuters) - The British pop chart will undergo one of the biggest shake-ups since its inception 54 years ago on Sunday when any song downloaded from the Internet will be able to compete for the number one single spot.

Up to now, only songs which were physically available for purchase in shops counted toward the weekly chart.

Downloads could be included, but only a week before an actual CD single went on sale and for two weeks after it stopped appearing in stores.

However, with downloads now far outstripping over-the-counter sales, the Official UK Charts Company (OCC) has changed the rules meaning this Sunday's number one could be any track whether it has been sold in stores or online.

It said the "dramatic development" would be more reflective of what music Britons were buying, and could mean that old tunes, tracks by unknown artists or unreleased songs on albums hitting the top of the charts.

"This new ruling changes the nature of a single and puts the consumer in the driving seat," said OCC director Steve Redmond.

...and a safe and Happy New Year!

The favorite stop of Elton while in NY has closed it doors for good!

Tower tumbles

Closing time for the city stores that 'loved music'

BY DAVID HINCKLEY
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER

Shopper sees if there is any meat left to pick off the bones of Tower Records at Lincoln Center. The chain closes for good tonight.
Ramsey Jones says it was no big secret how Tower Records became a New York institution in its 23 years here.

"This store knew and loved music," said Jones, who has worked in the Greenwich Village Tower for 16 years. "If you came in for something, we didn't just point. We knew what it was."

He remembers the woman who would fly in from California to ask what was new and good; the deejay from Spain who would drop a grand or two on jazz records that Jones recommended.

"He spent so much, we gave him a discount," Jones said. "But that's how it was here. People trusted us."

Whatever the bond, it ends tonight when the chain that opened in California in 1960 and came to New York in 1983 locks all its doors for good and takes a good-sized chunk of an era with it.

Jones, a musician who has played on records by artists including Wu-Tang Clan, looked over the carcass that remained - a jumble of empty racks and a handful of movies and CDs that are quickly running out of time.

A DVD of "Hot Rod Top 10" is marked $3.99. A Lee Greenwood "God Bless the USA" CD is 80% off. A DMX poster is $10. Cassettes are a penny.

Peppy dance hits play in the background over WNEW-FM, which 15 years ago was sending listeners to Tower to buy rock 'n' roll.

Tower Records stores - the Lincoln Center outlet as well as the one at Broadway and E.Fourth St. - were a crossroads and a New York destination.

They weren't stores people wandered into because they were in the neighborhood. They rode subways to get there, and the yellow Tower bag with the bright-red block letters was as distinctive in this world as a baby-blue Tiffany's box on Fifth Ave.

Friday night at 11:30 in Tower Records was like Macy's at noon on a sale day, and it was rarely a crowd that wanted to grab the new Elton John album and bolt. These were folks who worked their way down a rack of records.

"You didn't just get what you heard on the radio here," said Jones. "You could find things the radio never played. People would say they liked something and ask what else I thought they might like. They were adventurous. I see less of that now."

Tower had its detractors, people who saw it bashing down the gates for megastores that have put so many independents and specialty stores out of business.

But artists liked it, especially the kind of emerging and nonmainstream artists who used to play the Bottom Line, a wonderful club a block west of the downtown store.

"Tower would carry their music," said Bottom Line co-owner Allan Pepper. "Tower would take the chance."

The Bottom Line is gone now, too, and Jones thinks the loss of Tower reflects erosion in our broader culture.

"Record companies don't care about music any more," he says. "It's all marketing. 'Get me somebody who looks like this.' It doesn't matter if they have nothing to say. They just have to look right in the video.

"Music means so much more than that. And now we're losing another place where it did."

Elton to host Diana Concert

20 DECEMBER 2006

Music legend Elton John may be doing more than belting out the hits at the Diana Memorial Concert in July next year. According to reports, the singer has been asked by Prince William and Prince Harry to compere the event, introducing the acts and hosting the show.

Speaking at Monday night's premiere of partner David Furnish's film It's A Girl Boy Thing, Elton explained: "They said there could be a role for me doing the MC bit by linking it all together, and asked whether I would mind doing it - which of course I don't! William and Harry are going to be choosing all the acts, but I will help out in any which way."

Sir Elton also revealed that - if the Princes requested it - he would perform the song he wrote for Diana's funeral, Candle In The Wind.

"I am absolutely thrilled to be performing at this great event. Diana was a personal friend and someone I greatly admired for her tireless and enthusiastic work for charity."

At MLB.com there is a "Exclusive World Premiere Video" for Elton's "Tinderbox" which may indicate it will be released as the 2nd single off of "The Captain & The Kid". Here is a screen capture of the page. You may have to hit refresh a few times if it doesn't show up upon initially visiting the site.

According to this NY Post article it is...

ELTON'S BET GOT LENNON THROUGH THE NIGHT

By DAN AQUILANTE
PrintEmailStory Bottom

December 11, 2006 -- ONE of Madison Square Garden's most famous gigs started as a simple bet.

In early 1974, John Lennon agreed to sit in on guitar for his pal Elton John's covers of "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds" and Lennon's solo song "One Day at a Time."

In return, Elton John and his band were featured on Lennon's "Whatever Gets You Through the Night," a song in which Lennon had little confidence. In the biography "Lennon," he is quoted as saying, "It would be nice, but it's not a No. 1."

Elton knew better and bet Lennon that if his song made it to the No. 1 Billboard slot, Lennon would have to end his seclusion and join him onstage at his Thanksgiving gig at the Garden.

Lennon lost the bet but won anyway - scoring his first solo No. 1 song since The Beatles' breakup. And then he made good on the wager.

He sat in with Elton and his band for a three-song set on Nov. 28, 1974 - a concert that, tragically, turned out to be Lennon's final public performance before his death six years later at the hands of a deranged assassin.

The concert is honored as one of Madison Square Garden's 50 Greatest Moments on the MSG Network tomorrow night at 9.

At that special Garden party, Lennon was an emotional wreck: harassed by the Nixon administration that wanted to deport him for a past drug charge, estranged from Yoko Ono and waffling as a solo artist.

Elton wanted him to perform "Imagine," but Lennon turned him down, saying, "I don't want to come on like Dean Martin, doing my classic hits."

Instead, Lennon said, "I wanted to have some fun and play some rock 'n' roll." He and Elton settled on "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds," "Whatever Gets You Through the Night" and The Beatles classic "I Saw Her Standing There."

In fact, Lennon did see her standing there. Yoko Ono was in the 11th row watching. Hearing those songs and seeing Lennon in his glory again helped rekindle their relationship.

While Lennon wouldn't return to the Garden, Elton did - many, many times. He holds the record for having played the most sold-out concerts by an individual artist: 59.

And come this March, when he turns 60, Elton is scheduled to celebrate his 60th gig in rock's cathedral.

The video for "Tinderbox" Elton's next UK (and hopefully US) single is now up on YouTube, a great video of archival footage of Elton and Bernie, somewhat reminiscent of the "Free As A Bird" video done for the Beatles;

If the rumors are true and Elton is planning to release a piano & vocal only album to coincide with his 60th birthday celebrations in March 2007, then that makes "The Bridge" even bigger blunder on Universal's part than I originally thought it was.

With all of the fantastic songs on "The Captain & The Kid" Universal chose to release an Elton ballad, no surprise, and the worst track on the album. A good song, just not a great song. They could have gone the uptempo route, they had a few to choose from. They could have chose a power ballad like "Tinderbox" or country tinged track like the title cut, which would have been good promotion for the album too.

But no, we get a typical Elton ballad that happens to be a piano and vocal only track. It does moderately well on the charts barely reaching the Top 20. And it also happens to be the same style music that Elton is rumored to be working for his next album. So when and if a single is released from the next album it will have a very familiar sound. It will also be ignored by radio and listeners as "another Elton ballad." So Universal has killed "The Captain & The Kid" with no promotion and are now working on destroying the next album before its even out. Way to go!

It's been suggested in Elton discussion forums that he needs to leave Universal and start his own label. I agree 100% Universal is doing nothing for him. He couldn't do any worse himself. So how about it Elton?

UPDATE: It appears that Mercury (Universal) has not given up yet, Tinderbox is slated to be the second single in the UK with a released date of 12/12. Is the US next? Hello, Universal!!!! ????

Elton's agent has responded to questions about his profanity laced tirade against Universal that it was just a big joke. Of course it was, we all knew that already, didn't we?
Gary Farrow says;

“I think you’ll find it [the fifteen reported uses of the word ‘fuck’] was tongue-in-cheek about the record company,”

Yeah, right, sure it was.

Joke or not, Universal's marketing and promotion of "The Captain & The Kid" has been atrocious from the beginning with appearances on all of the usual boring suspects (Ellen, Leno and such) to absolutely no creative placement of the album such as in Starbucks where Elton's Christmas album performed so well, to the terrible choice for the lead single. And who knows if they will even bother with a second single since the "The Bridge" has been floundering in the lower half of the Top 20.

Universal could actually try something new and different with the next single release. Why don't they take 3-4 songs from the album and push all of them to radio and say "here ya go, have at it, play whatever you want". At least that way programmers have a choice and perhaps radio listeners will be exposed to more than just one song TC&TK. It's worth a try. That's if Universal even cares anymore.

Elton took out his frustration on Universal Records and the lack of promotion for his new album "The Captain & The Kid" during his two shows at Long Island's Nassau Coliseum;

"This new album has gotten some of the best reviews of my career, and my record company has done absolutely nothing," John complained midway through the show. "They're useless. Here's a message to Universal Records: Please drop me. Just let me go somewhere else."

Another quote;

"Nobody would know (the album has been out since September). My record label isn't doing anything to help. F**k Universal. Please drop me. I'm 58 and I don't care anymore."

And another;

"I'm going to play a song, but I'm sure you haven't heard it because the f**kers haven't promoted it," Elton said to the crowd about his new tune, "Postcards From Richard Nixon."

Merck Mercuriadis has split ties with Elton John. According to a statement issued on behalf of John's management company Twenty-First Artists, Mercuriadis has stepped down by "mutual agreement" from duties tending to the creative side of the veteran singer/songwriter's career.

As a result of the move, creative management services will be handled by Johnny Barbis in the United States, and Clive Banks in the United Kingdom and rest of the world.

Mercuriadis continues as an artist manager within Twenty-First Artists' parent company Sanctuary Group, overseeing artists including Axl Rose and Morrissey.

John turned to Mercuriadis -- formerly CEO of Sanctuary Records -- to manage the creative side of his career after John and his partners sold Twenty-First Artists to the Sanctuary Group for $30.1 million (Billboard, April 16).

John co-founded London-based Twenty-First with Frank Presland and Keith Bradley. Presland was appointed CEO of Sanctuary Group following Andy Taylor's dismissal from the post on May 26.

It appears that Best Buy sales data may not have made it into the Billboard/Soundscan charts for this week...

Billboard SoundScan Released With Incomplete Data?

September 27, 2006

Before you dive into this week's Billboard SoundScan sales numbers, keep in mind that the chart was likely released without information from retail giant Best Buy. Yesterday (9/26), SoundScan alerted all paid subscribers via email that the numbers for the week may be inaccurate and that they will "extrapolate" for the missing sales data. The company also warned clients to be "advised that there may be anomalies in the data for the week ending 9/24/06."

SoundScan did not indicate what retail information was missing, but two record companies indicated to FMQB that data seems to show Best Buy's sales data was not included. SoundScan would not confirm this with either company.

One company explained the missing data to its staff like this: "Soundscan weighted the other retailers in each market to estimate market sales for the week. Don't 'add in' additional sales. There will be aberrations based on some titles that Best Buy may do better with but the totals have been supplemented already. SoundScan will repost everything if Best Buy can get their data in a timely fashion. Since Best Buy ran sales on most of the new titles, debuts could be smaller than actual size."

In a press release, Megaforce Records questioned why it is paying $26,000 a year to receive sales numbers from SoundScan, stating: "Shouldn't it be SoundScan's job to report the actual sales numbers, not a guessing game?" Megaforce is concerned over a debut by Mushroomhead on the SoundScan chart that shows only 12,183 units sold when another sales tracking company had them selling closer to 26,000.

Elton John's new album "The Captain & The Kid" has debuted on the UK chart at #6. See here. The album also debuted at #18 in the US on the Billboard Top 200 Album Chart.

In 2001 "Songs From The West Coast" was definitely a return to form, albeit a somewhat contrived return. Yes the songs were brilliant and the album was met with critical acclaim. Yet to me it always sounded a bit like Elton trying to sound like the old Elton.

With "The Captain and The Kid" Elton has accomplished something that I did not believe possible. He has produced an album, figuratively and literally, that can proudly stand next to all of Elton's classic 70s albums. Nothing Elton does will ever match those 70s albums, call it the "curse of the classics" as someone recently coined the phrase on the forum. Even if some future album does equal or surpass any of those 70s album the critics and the fans would never admit it. "The Captain and The Kid" comes as close as Elton will ever come to accomplishing that feat.

From the 45 second opening piano intro on "Postcards From Richard Nixon" you immediately sense that this album is different. You get the feeling that Elton is on to something and that he knows it. The track, about Elton and Bernie's arrival in the USA, has a country feel to it similar to the title track from the original album. Next in line is "Just Like Noah's Ark" which also mirrors the original with similar subject matter. It is arguably one of the more enjoyable uptempo tracks that Elton has recorded lately taking some inspiration from the Rolling Stones' "Brown Sugar."

Elton's self-proclaimed love song to New York City is "Wouldn't Have You Any Other Way (NYC)" with its beautiful melody and vocal from Elton along with majestic and soaring background vocals. The line "no matter what might happen, you'll never sink this ship" makes you think of the way New York and New Yorkers came back so strong after 9/11 as well as referring to Elton and Bernie as survivors. "Tinderbox" chronicles Elton's fall from grace with lyrics like "but a wind of change blew across our sales." Easily this track could be the next single.

The gem of the set is "...And The House Fell Down" featuring some of the best funky piano playing from Elton on record in quite some time. The song is the most uptempo Elton has been in a long time and also contains what could be what an Elton hip-hop record may sound like with an Elton-rap on the bridge. This is a track that I did not think Elton still had in him and proves to any doubting Thomas's that the guy still can surprise even fans of 35 years.

The album doesn't disappoint the ballad lovers with one of the most emotional vocals ever from Elton on "Blues Never Fade Away." A song about the loss of friends and loved ones that asks the question "how did we get so lucky?" References to Ryan White and John Lennon only make the track more powerful.

Probably the weakest track on the album was chosen as the lead single. "The Bridge is a song about decisions, life altering ones. This song serves as a bridge to the final three songs that are about Elton and Bernie looking back at their careers and lives. "I Must Have Lost It On The Wind" and "Old '67" could both fit perfectly on Tumbleweed Connection or Honky Chateau.

The final track "The Captain and The Kid" serves as a love letter to the fans by lifting the intro from the original title track and using it in the album closer creating a 30 year old bookend.

Yes Elton has done the impossible, created an album that comes as close as possible to the 70s classics without being one.

Or did he?

Elton's new album "The Captain & The Kid" is officially released today. It is available in several different formats. From EltonJohn.com these formats are;

The album is released in three formats:
* Limited edition vinyl with a gatefold sleeve and full -size booklets
* Enhanced cd album
* CD/DVD
Here is the track listing for each format.

1) Vinyl LP Record

Side 1
1. Postcards From Richard Nixon
2. Just Like Noah's Ark
3. Wouldn't Have You Any Other Way (NYC)
4. Tinderbox
5. ...And The House Fell Down
Side 2
1. Blues Never Fade Away
2. The Bridge
3. I Must Have Lost It On The Wind
4. Old '67
5. The Captain and The Kid

2) CD Album Enhanced

1. Postcards From Richard Nixon
2. Just Like Noah's Ark
3. Wouldn't Have You Any Other Way (NYC)
4. Tinderbox
5. ...And The House Fell Down
6. Blues Never Fade Away
7. The Bridge
8. I Must Have Lost It On The Wind
9. Old '67
10. The Captain and The Kid
11. Weblink to two more tracks, Across the River Thames and Someone Saved My Life Tonight (live) [This is available on UK versions only]

3) CD /DVD

1. Postcards From Richard Nixon
2. Just Like Noah's Ark
3. Wouldn't Have You Any Other Way (NYC)
4. Tinderbox
5. ...And The House Fell Down
6. Blues Never Fade Away
7. The Bridge
8. I Must Have Lost It On The Wind
9. Old '67
10. The Captain and The Kid
DVD: Interview with Elton John and Bernie Taupin

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.

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