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March 3, 2020 10:53 am  #1


Elton John Doc Has Amazing Behind The Scenes Facts About His Hits

The U.S. cable station that showed the ABBA special referred to in a previous thread also aired an Elton John documentary immediately afterwards. It was filled with a ton of fascinating information about some of his most famous tunes that I’d never heard before.  
 
Among them:
 
-That was Stevie Wonder playing harmonica on “I Guess That’s Why They Call It The Blues.” He came in just for that segment and nailed it in one take.
 
-His guitarist noted that he went to make a sandwich just as Elton John started initial work on “Can You Feel The Love Tonight” for the movie “The Lion King.” It took him in 10 minutes to make the meal and by the time he was finished, Elton had written the entire song.
 
-Producers originally cut the tune from the film because the pic was running long. Elton John ran into the head of Disney and convinced him that every movie from the studio had one signature piece that stood out and urged him to put it back in. To his credit, the exec. went back and found a place for it – and the song wound up winning an Oscar. But it almost wasn’t there at all.
 
-John had no faith in “Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me.” Not only didn’t he want it to be released as a single, he didn’t even want it included on the album. It became one of his signature hits.
 
-“Don’t Go Breaking My Heart,” the duet with Kiki Dee, was one of the only times Elton John broke with his usual pattern – he wrote the melody first, then called Bernie Taupin at his home in Barbados and played it to him down the phone line. Not long after, Taupin had the words and the song was a huge smash.
 
-The name “Rocket Man” came from the title of a story contained within a Ray Bradbury collection called “The Illustrated Man.” Taupin came up with the first verse while he was driving to visit his parents in England. He had nothing to write it down with, so he kept repeating it in his head for two hours so he wouldn’t forget it. First thing he did when he arrived was to burst in the door and rush to get it down on paper.
 
- Taupin was only a “17-year-old virgin” as he puts it, when he wrote the lyrics to “Your Song.” It took Elton John only 15 minutes to write the melody. It was their first collective huge hit.  

Last edited by aflem (March 3, 2020 11:08 am)

 

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