Celebrating Elton John & Bernie Taupin

In 1967, 20-year-old Elton John and 17-year-old Bernie Taupin both showed up at the Liberty Records office in answer to an ad calling for songwriters published in New Musical Express. Both of them did not pass the audition. But the fortuitous decision of the A&R manager Rey Williams to give Bernie’s application envelope to Elton when the latter said he couldn’t write lyrics, set in motion one of the most successful partnerships in the field of popular music. 

Elton and Bernie’s first song together was titled Scarecrow. Two years later, Elton made his album debut with Empty Sky. The original songs that he and Bernie wrote included Skyline Pigeon. The self-titled Elton John came next in 1970 and with it, the monster seller, Your Song. There would be times off from each other over the next five decades but most of the time, Bernie would be writing poems one after the other and Elton would be setting those to music.

Elton has since then sold over 300 million records. These include the still unbroken number of 33 million copies sold of Candle In The Wind, 1997, Elton and Bernie’s composition which they rewrote for the much-lamented Princess Diana. Elton has announced his intention to retire from performing in three years time. That still seems like a long way off but tributes are beginning to pour in. Among these are two special albums that were released early this month.

One is Revamp: The Songs Of Elton John & Bernie Taupin which features big names from the field of rock, hip-hop and pop taking their turns at this duo’s legendary catalogue. The reason why these artists were chosen is plain to see. If you were to produce a new album of old songs or in this case of contemporary classics, it is only logical to ask today’s big names to record the new versions in their own styles. And a lot of them did in this album.

Every selection turned out great but there were pairings that came off as absolutely made in heaven, with artists singing the songs as though they were composed expressly for them. I wish to single out what I believe are the album’s best cuts. We All Fall In Love Sometimes by Coldplay; Candle In The Wind by Ed Sheeran; Your Song by Lady Gaga; and Daniel by Sam Smith. Then, there is the 2018 version of the rousing Bennie And The Jets which opens the album. This is Elton’s only singing participation in the collection, and it also features Pink and Logic.

Also included are Guess That’s Why They Call It The Blues by Alessia Cara; Tiny Dancer by Florence + The Machine; Someone Saved My Life Tonight by Mumford & Sons; Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word by Mary J. Blige; Don’t Go Breaking My Heart by Q-Tip featuring Demi Lovato; Mona Lisas And Mad Hatters by The Killers; Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me by Miley Cyrus; and Goodbye Yellow Brick Road by Queens of the Stone Age.

Released on the same date was Revamp & Restoration, another album featuring The Songs Of Elton John And Bernie Taupin. Although the cuts do not overlap, that means there is no song in Revamp that is also in Restoration; this is no continuation or a Volume 2 of Revamp. This is an entirely different recording featuring country music stars. Now country songs are mostly about the story. Coincidentally, most of Taupin’s lyrics also tell a story. So Elton John’s music as country turned out to be an easy, natural fit. Well, there is an overlap of artists though. 

Miley Cyrus gets to perform two different songs in both albums. Just as she does in real life, the goddess of twerking gets to straddle her two vocal personas. One is the pop star with her roots as Hannah Montana in Revamp. The other one is the country music artist descended from her dad Billy Ray Cyrus. I am not at all surprised that the country girl came off better in The Bitch Is Back. Here is the rest of the album:

Rocket Man by Little Big Town; Mona Lisas And Mad Hatters by Maren Morris; Sacrifice by Don Henley & Vince Gill; Take Me To The Pilot by the Brothers Osborne; My Father’s Gun by Miranda Lambert; I Want Love by Chris Stapleton; Honky Cat by Lee Ann Womack; Roy Rogers by Kaycey Musgraves; Please by Rhonda Vincent & Dolly Parton; Sad Songs (Say So Much) by Dierks Bentley; This Train Don’t Stop There Anymore by Rosanne Cash & Emmylou Harris; and the best track of all, Border Song by Willie Nelson.

Elton is set to embark on his final tour. Wouldn’t it be nice if he could include a Manila performance in his itinerary?