Elton splits with manager

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.

Report: Billboard SoundScan Released With Incomplete Data?

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.

"The Captain & The Kid" US & UK debuts

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.

My review of "The Captain & The Kid"

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?

"The Captain & The Kid" released today!

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 previews "The Captain and The Kid"

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 Webcast September 10

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.

Elton is #1 AC artist

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.

First Review for "The Captain and The Kid"

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."

EJ.com says official release date is September 19

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 shows September 12 as release date

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 says September 12 for "The Captain and The Kid"

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.

"The Captain and The Kid" cover art revealed by ej.com

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! Bob Birch is 50!

Happy Birthday to Bob Birch who turns 50 today!

September 12 release date for "The Captain and The Kid" ?

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

Another song title from "The Captain and The Kid" revealed!

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

From Billboard:

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

Some pictures of the recording sessions for "The Captain and The Kid"

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

Elton to appear on NBC's Bennett special

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

Some "Captain and The Kid" song titles...

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."