Hey there!

News on Gnomeo & Juliet and some new music

Finally a nugget on some new music included in the animated "Gnomeo & Juliet" which I thought had died some time ago....apparently not;

McAvoy and Blunt Join Elton John for Gnomeo and Juliet

by BuzzSugar


"Gnomeo!" It makes me giggle.

The big news in the animation world today has to do with Shakespeare, Elton John and a star-crossed garden gnome couple voiced by James McAvoy and Emily Blunt. It sounds so cute my teeth are starting to ache.

Apparently Gnomeo and Juliet has been in the works for several years, with various other talent involved (Kate Winslet, Tim Rice). Now, the CGI-animated movie will blend Elton John's well-known songs (and some new ones) with a story based on one of Shakespeare's most well-known works. The Hollywood Reporter has more details:

In the loose and edgy adaptation of Shakespeare's play, McAvoy (Atonement) and Blunt (The Devil Wears Prada) would play lovers from rival gardens. John, who is producing alongside his offscreen partner David Furnish, Baker Bloodworth and Steve Hamilton Shaw, is said to be pursuing big-name talent to voice supporting roles.

I'm not the biggest fan of Elton John, but this sounds like it could be just so adorable. I mean, the Romeo and Juliet story's been played. . .but not by garden gnomes!

Tumbleweed Connection - Review from Rolling Stone

An odd review of "Tumbleweed Connection" from Rolling Stone that spends more time slamming "Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy" than discussing the topic of the review.

Elton John was a lot of things — sideman, session man and flop, with a long tail of failed solo releases, including the 1969 LP Empty Sky — before 1970's Elton John made him an overnight star. He wasn't afraid to admit it. John packed a bonus scrapbook in the original lavish packaging of 1975's Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy with bad-hair photos, comic music-press ads ("You've been warned! Elton John is 1968's great new talent") and other ample proof of his time, with lifelong lyricist Bernie Taupin, in Sixties-pop boot camp. That book is miniaturized for this reissue. Everything else here has ballooned; each album now has a second CD of demos, stray singles and, in the case of Captain Fantastic, a complete 1975 live premiere of the record. On Elton John, the extras actually trump the baroque strings and hippie-gospel chorales that crowded "Sixty Years On" and "Take Me to the Pilot." Stripped-bare demos of nearly every song on the record highlight the '68 Beatles and '58 Jerry Lee Lewis in John's voice and piano. With its flinty guitars and the natural gunslinger's gait of "Country Comfort" and "Burn Down the Mission," 1971's Tumbleweed Connection needs no improvement; it is one of the best country-rock albums ever written by London cowboys. But an early epic take of "Madman Across the Water," cut at the sessions with glam-blues guitar by Mick Ronson, is reason enough to buy this edition. An instant Number One hit, Captain Fantastic was, ironically, a great concept — a look back at John and Taupin's pre-fame labors — short on songs as great as the ones that made them famous, except for the opulent ballad "Someone Saved My Life Tonight." The concert version is the same flawed album but with muted applause — until the encores.

A cover of "Talking Old Soldiers"

From the Detroit Free Press;

LaVette gets a rave

Bettye LaVette, the Detroit veteran of American soul music, has filmed a new video for her Grammy-nominated "The Scene of the Crime" album, a reinterpretation of Elton John's "Talking Old Soldiers." It was filmed by Lex Halaby in Detroit's the Locker Room bar in early June.

In his Pick of the Week at USA Today, critic Ken Barnes wrote: "The 61-year-old Detroit soul survivor transforms Elton John's 'Tumbleweed Connection' obscurity into a tour de force about outliving the people one loves the most. ... LaVette's chill-inducing performance is without question one of the finest you'll hear all year."

Her "The Old Soldiers Tour" has seen LaVette at the Telluride Jazz Celebration, the Monterey Bay Blues Festival and the inaugural Rothbury Festival. The tour continues up until the holiday season.

Elton on "Star Stories"

Television - News - Elton John to get 'Star Stories' treatment - Digital Spy

Star Stories actor Steve
Edge has revealed that Elton John and David Furnish will be among the
celebrities lampooned on the new series of the show.

Edge, who stars alongside Kevin Bishop on the Channel 4 programme, confirmed that the newest scripts are the funniest yet.

"I'm sure we're doing Elton John and David Furnish," Edge told The Mirror.
"We read a new Britpop sketch of Oasis and Blur going to see Blair,
which sounds good. Jarvis Cocker is the narrator, like an Austin Powers
figure.

Review

RARITIES AND REISSUES

Elton John, "Elton John -- Deluxe Edition" (Mercury/UMe) 5 stars

Contrary to what a lot of his American fans still think, 1970's "Elton John" album was not the songwriter's first release.

It had been preceded by "Empty Sky" in the U.K. in 1969, but that album failed to generate much heat and wasn't even released in the U.S. until John became a star.

That stardom was initially triggered by this eponymous breakthrough disc, which has now been expanded from 40 minutes to nearly two hours, thanks to this double-CD "Deluxe Edition."

It's a beautiful recording, heartfelt and soulful, one that set a mood that John never quite duplicated in his many subsequent offerings. Tracks like "Your Song," "Take Me to the Pilot," "I Need You To Turn To" and the touching "The Greatest Discovery," tapped into early 1970's singer/songwriter sensibilities with a new passion, a new approach and a new style that was as fresh as it was distinct.

The edition features a 20-song bonus disc, mostly filled with piano demos, as well as rarities like "Grey Seal," which was initially the B-side to a single before being re-recorded several years later for "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road."

While fascinating from a historical perspective, the demos are far from the definitive versions of the songs, with several like "Your Song," lacking the power and presence of the final recording, while others like the BBC session version of "Take Me to the Pilot," played too fast and lacking a groove.

Several major rarities are featured however, including "Thank You Mama," "All the Way Down to El Paso," and "I'm Going Home," which are all previously unreleased in any form.

The "Deluxe Edition" is being reissued simultaneously with a similar double-disc look back at another one of John's early great albums, "Tumbleweed Connection."

A worthy cause...

RVL S.C.O.R.E. Proudly
Presents

Robbie Vierra-Lambert Spinal Cord
Organization for Regaining Excellence

Direction/Musical Direction by
Mike Walker

Choreography by Marie Madera
Gleerup

TICKETS

Adults $15

Kids 18 & Under
$10

You may order tickets from cast members or reserve your tickets
by calling

(310) 377-3706

rob@rvlscore.org

Reserved seating based on a 1^st come 1^st
served basis

Please make your donation payable to

RVL S.C.O.R.E.

PERFORMANCE
DATES

August 7, 8, 9, at 7:00
p.m.

Matinee Performance - August 9 & 10 at 2:00
pm

At

Miraleste
Intermediate School

29323 Palos Verdes Drive East


Rancho Palos Verdes California 90275

For More Information Please Call (310) 377-3706 or
rob@rvlscore.org

Cool!

Elton's White Tie and Tiara Ball

Stars sparkle at Sir Elton John's White Tie & Tiara Ball
By Hilary Alexander, Fashion Director
Last Updated: 6:26PM BST 27/06/2008
Sir Elton John's White Tie & Tiara Ball: The theme was 'Surfin USA', circa the sun-drenched 60's of California, set to the music of the Beach Boys, star act of the night.

Sadly the barometer was set to a gloomy British summer, with temperatures chilly enough to make the pecs on the honed and toned 'Muscle Beach' models quiver in the stiff breeze.

There were certainly no takers for the pristine white diving board in the middle of the lake which dominates the gardens of Sir Elton John and David Furnish's £20 million Woodside home at Old Windsor.

But nothing could dampen the spirits of the 630 party-goers at £3,000 a head for the 10th annual White Tie & Tiara Ball, nor dull the sparkle of the amazing jewels which glittered in the cavalcade of bronzed cleavage, shimmering in the candle-lit setting

"Elton John: ME, MYSELF AND I,"

VH1's 'Elton' strolls down star's yellow brick road

Wednesday, June 11th 2008, 4:00 AM

ELTON JOHN: ME, MYSELF AND I. Thursday at 9 p.m., VH1

"Elton John: ME, MYSELF AND I," which gets its first American showing on VH1 tomorrow night, turns out to be something of a vanity project.

That's fitting. In fact, with Elton John, it's redundant.

As he would be the first to acknowledge.

Confidence, he remarks at one point during this production, has never been a problem for the boy who was born Reginald Dwight and grew up to become the unlikeliest rock star this side of Elvis Costello.

He looks like someone you'd meet behind the counter at the auto parts store. Only his skill at creating hummable melodies, combined with his good fortune in teaming up early with lyricist Bernie Taupin, made him one of the most durable rockers ever.

It can be argued that he sometimes plays to easy cheap sentiment, and that his later work got less interesting. Still, anyone who can play a 2-1/2-hour concert composed entirely of catchy hits, and still have two dozen left over, obviously has done something right.

This 2007 British film, unlike a documentary done 10 years ago, doesn't try to capture the full Elton. No tantrums here, no diva moments.

Instead, he walks the viewer through his life, chronologically, in a calm and reflective tone. If anything, he's subdued. While he talks about how much fun he's had being Elton John, we don't get a visceral sense of it from the brief film clips.

Nor does he offer any major revelations about his off-stage life, though it's revealing that he dwells on two events most fans might not have guessed were major turning points.

One was owning the Watford football (soccer) team, which he said taught him crucial lessons about management and about realizing you don't always win.

The other was his friendship with the late Ryan White, the Indiana boy who became a symbol of AIDS victims. Beyond the relationship itself, John says spending a week with the dying boy and his family jolted John into changing - and ultimately saving - his own life.

That meant kicking a drug habit so serious he once joked about the Swiss Alps reminding him of all the cocaine he had snorted.

It revived his career, inspired him to start an AIDS foundation that has raised more than $100 million and led him to what he calls a much more balanced life.

At the same time, it's still a rock-star life. While this special doesn't talk about the flowers, the decorating, the wardrobe and John's legendary conspicuous consumption, they're the unspoken backdrop.

"Elton John" doesn't present itself as definitive autobiography, which it's not. It acknowledges just briefly his ill-fated heterosexual marriage and seems to tread delicately on the still-tender matter of Princess Diana's death. It leaves virtually all discussion of his music and songs for another day.

It's a solid chapter in the book of his life.

Was Not Was: "Crazy Water"

No not that one;

Deluxe Editions to finally see the light of day...

Amazon has them listed for June 3rd, if you pre-order you are guaranteed to get the lowest prices from Amazon should the prices drop;

"Don't Go Breaking My Heart" piano on the block

Elton John 'breaking my heart' piano for sale - Music - Entertainment

The grand piano on which Elton John rehearsed his British chart topping duet with Kiki Dee, Don't Go Breaking My Heart goes on sale next month with a price tag of up to STG45,000 ($A93,000).

The maple-finished Steinway was completed in Hamburg in 1971 and shipped to London where the flamboyant British singer bought it for his home in Windsor.

"I haven't owned that many pianos in my life and particular pianos have special memories," said John.

"It was a totally amazing time - the huge success in America, the touring, producing a new album at the rate of sometimes two a year. Just incredible!".

It will go on sale at auction house Bonhams entertainment memorabilia sale on June 18 alongside another of John's Grand Pianos, a Black Steinway made in the United States in 1971 which was originally bought for his Beverley Hills home.

That is expected to fetch up to STG35,000 ($A72,000).

Other items in the sale in Knightsbridge include film and concert posters, autographed record covers, concert tickets, items of clothing, musical instruments and photographs.

Reuters

Duffy: "Mercy"

My new favorite song;

Elton is selling two of his pianos

Elton John Pianos May Fetch 80000 Pounds at Bonhams in London

Elton's Lucy In The Sky - because I'm bored

Elton John - Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds

Elton John to play Mohegan Sun

Elton John to play Mohegan Sun

GateHouse News Service
Posted May 27, 2008 @ 11:34 AM

Elton John is coming to Mohegan Sun Arena at 8 p.m. Nov. 14, as part of his 2008 tour: "Rocket Man: Number Ones." Mohegan Sun will be Elton John and his band's only public performance this fall in New England.

New Journey "After All These Years"

Since there is no new Elton music in the near future here is a new track from Journey called "After All These Years" with new lead vocalist Arnel Pineda. It really is quite good and very Journey sounding;

He's likely to accept the offer?

Elton John has been offered £2.6 million ($5 million) to play for a Russian woman tycoon for just an hour.

John, 61, is likely to accept the tempting offer, which is a record for a single artist. A private jet will fly him and guards will escort him to the hotel in the posh Rublyovka district, reports thesun.co.uk.

An informed source said: “Initially, Elton turned her down because he is so busy. But when the offer crossed the £2 million barrier it was too much to refuse, even for someone of his means. And let's be honest, £2.6 million buys a hell of a lot of flowers. He's on the verge of saying yes.”

Ok, for some reason I don't believe him...

After recording what are arguably his best 3 albums since the mid-70s according to his fans and critics, Elton has decided that he doesn't need to record another...

Elton John: 'I won't make another album'

Friday, May 9 2008, 13:09 BST

By Simon Reynolds, Entertainment Reporter
Elton John: 'I won't make another album'

Rex Features
Elton John has revealed that he may not release another album, BBC 6 Music reports.

Speaking after a recent performance in Austria, the popstar said: "I don't know if I'm ever going to make another record again at the moment. I have no plans to do another album as such.

"I am so busy touring and doing shows and promoting musicals and producing films - I would like to make another record but I don’t know when or where or if I am gonna make one."

John's last album, The Captain & The Kid, was released in 2006.

Sir Alan Sugar reportedly hired the 61-year-old to perform at his recent ruby wedding anniversary.