Like many my age (b. 1953) the music of Elton John has been part of my life since the teen years. The man has a career spanning more than 40 years. E.J.'s first hit album was 1970, the year I graduated high school. Already a free agent, I was living on my own in Chicago. I lived in a garage apartment (my landlord called it a 'coach house'). I was already the deal; drove a VW Microbus, with a pretty good sound system and radio was half-way decent back then.
One night on the way home from my job delivering Chinese food, I heard an amazing song (Levon) and it blew my mind. So much emotion and energy! So there was more to this Elton guy than "It's a little bit funny..." Being a fledgling piano player,I really appreciated the voicing and the chord changes in that song.
Between the music of Leon Russel and this new guy Elton John, I was ready to throw myself into piano playing for real! I took private lessons at the American Conservatory of Music and got an old upright piano in the garage part of our coach house.
Over the years, I have performed many Elton John songs in many contexts. Sitting in the audience during his show last week really brought it all home. In over 2 hours of hits, each had some place of importance with me at a time in my life. Here are the highlights from his setlist that night (March 28, 2013):
4. Levon - The song that grabbed me first. I had to learn it's secrets, both musically and lyrically. There is enough meat in the lyric to get whatever meaning you may need/want to get. An Elton Song book helped out with the chord voicings.
5. Tiny Dancer - I like this one for a variety of reasons. We worked it up and played it right away when it came out ('dropped' in today's parlance). A cool, personal story of observations. Used very well in the Cameron Crowe film Almost Famous. Tiny Dancer is still a go-to tune if I am on the spot - I can play it/sing it unconscious.
8. Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters - One from the Tumbleweed Connection record. I worked it up just for the fun, never done it in a show. The Bernie Taupin words have a flow that that can still grab you by the heart to this day.
9. Philadelpia Freedom - one Elton wrote for his friend Billy Jean King (the tennis player). It uses what was called "the Philly Sound" in horns, strings and b,g. vocals. It's just a song that makes me happy.
10. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road - a groundbreaking album for E.J. wonderful music coming from a whole new place, A song I enjoy playing in instrumental gigs, although the sentiment of the lyric is a tugger of the ole heartstrings.
11. Rocket Man - Two local men gave an art show. One was an astronaut who had personally set foot on the moon. The other man was his patron. He commissioned the astronaut/artist to make him a painting. I was hired to play music for the unveiling of the painting. After a brief lecture of what went into painting his work, what else could my first song be?
14. I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues - We did this one in my 80's trio The Cadillac Band, It was therapy for drummer Bill as he went through his separation/divorce.
19. Daniel - another 'go to' song. 'Played it in many bands, contexts, still play it.
20. Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word - Another tune performed nightly in a duo I worked in the early 80's. My partner (the singer) was in the middle of a love triangle.
22. Don't Let the Sun Go Down On Me - A song I sang in 1974, We spent a good deal of time getting the backing vocals down. It was the first time I ever got a 'standing O'.
There are more, but I realize this has gotten past the length of a normal piece and the blogger police will surely be after me. Killing me loudly . . . indeed.
