Elton John News from Crazy Water

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

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