Elton John at Diana service

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!

Elton 60 DVD news

DVD Celebrates Elton's 60th B-Day Show

Nice sailing clothes

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

"Elton 60: Live at Madison Square Garden" due September 24/25

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.

Elton this weekend at the "Concert for Diana"

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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Evan Almighty

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

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It was 40 years ago today, Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band

Your Songs: The Music of Elton John

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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Bernie is 57!

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

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Elton birthday concert scores big!

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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Adam Chester: Full Birthday DVD coming soon!

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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Elton scores first top 10 album since 1997

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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Elton's 60th Birthday Concert

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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New ej.com debuts

Check it out! A huge improvement!

EltonJohn.com

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"a dramatic piano intro"

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 back catalog on iTunes

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 60th Live on MSN

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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"Sixty Years On" to open MSG show?

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 on Starbucks, Elton?????

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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Info on MyNetwork concert broadcast

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.