A Single Man (Album)
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| Studio album by Elton John | |||||
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Publication |
October 16, 1978 |
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admission |
Fall 1977, January - September 1978 |
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| Label (s) | MCA Records (US / Canada) The Rocket Record Company (UK) |
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Rock, pop |
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running time |
48:46 |
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Clive Franks, Elton John |
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Studio (s) |
The Mill, Cookham, Berks, UK |
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A Single Man is the twelfth studio album by the British singer and composer Elton John .
The title of his album became the program of the following year for John. The photos on the simple record cover also matched his transformation. In the past, there were opulent drawings, inserts and many pictures of him, his copywriter Bernie Taupin and the members of the Elton John Band, but this time nobody was on the recordings except him. The picture on the front was taken on the so-called "Long Walk" which is part of Windsor Great Park in Berkshire.
background
For nearly a decade, John and Taupin rushed their music from one climax to the next. They filled the biggest stadiums in the world and their albums regularly stormed the charts. With the two long-playing records " Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy " and " Rock of the Westies " they achieved what no artist had done before: Because of the many pre-orders, they started at number 1 on the US album charts.
Now John and Taupin began to show signs of fatigue. It became clear that it wouldn't go on forever. John decided not to give any more concerts and Taupin retired to Acapulco with a new wife at his side.
Nothing had happened between John and Taupin. There was no intention of ending the collaboration. But when John wanted to start a new album project, Taupin wasn't there and thousands of miles away from England. The ways of John and his previous long-term producer, Gus Dudgeon , also parted ways.
John signed Kiki Dee to his record label The Rocket Rekord Company in 1973. Gary Osborne translated the French song "Amoureuse" into English for her, and the title became a hit in Great Britain. In 1977 John and Osbourne worked together on the EP "The Thom Bell Sessions". The title "Shine On Through" originally composed for this purpose became the first song on the album "A Single Man". John liked Osborne the way he was. He was someone he could work with well and with fun. So it just so happened that Gary Osborne took Taupin's place.
After the release of "A Single Man," The Rocket Records Company announced that John's concert break had ended. His concert series “A Single Man in Concert”, which also took him to Russia, began in 1979. At the beginning of the concert, only he could be seen on the piano. After an hour, Ray Cooper supported him with drums and percussion.
The most famous song that got along without the support of Osborne was "Song for Guy". A seventeen-year-old messenger named Guy Burchett, who was employed by John's The Rocket Record Company and whom he knew and loved personally, was killed in a motorcycle accident. John composed the melody on the day of the accident. He only found out about the accident the following day.
review
Where Taupin's poetry was surprising, eclectic, and brilliant, Osborne was at best able to demonstrate solid craftsmanship. Where Osborne gave bread and butter, Taupin would have served fine pastries.
Originally John only wanted to finish the title " Ego ", which began with Taupin, and the associated video. However, he found himself in a variety of interesting melodies, which were provided with lyrics by Gary Osborne. From the collaboration between John and Thom Bell, which had just ended shortly before, the title "Shine On Through", written by Osborne, was available, which he sang on Bell's advice in a lower pitch than was usual for him.
On "A Single Man" there is musical diversity, but nothing more than solid, decent compositions. Worth mentioning are "Georgia", with a hint of gospel, "It Ain't Gonna Be Easy", a longer blues-rock track or the cheerful New Orleans-jazzy "Big Dipper". The only song that achieved a - even if only moderate - chart success was “Part-Time Love”, the melody catchy and the rhythm easy to dance.
Track list
Elton John composed the music for all titles , and Gary Osborne wrote the lyrics unless otherwise indicated.
LP and CD
page 1
- "Shine On Through" - 3:45
- "Return to Paradise" - 4:15
- "I Don't Care" - 4:23
- "Big Dipper" - 4:04
- "It Ain't Gonna Be Easy" - 8:27
Page 2
- "Part Time Love" - 3:16
- "Georgia" - 4:50
- "Shooting Star" - 2:44
- "Madness" - 5:53
- "Reverie" (John) - 0:53
- "Song for Guy" (John) - 6:35
Bonus Title (1998 Mercury Re-release)
- " Ego " (John, Bernie Taupin ) - 4:00
- "Flintstone Boy" (John) - 4:13
- "I Cry at Night" (John, Taupin) - 3:16
- "Lovesick" (John, Taupin) - 3:59
- "Strangers" (John, Osborne) - 4:46
B sides
| title | A side |
|---|---|
| "I Cry at Night" | Part Time Love (US / UK) |
| "Love Sick" | Song for Guy (US / UK) |
occupation
- Elton John - vocals, piano, keyboards
- Ray Cooper - percussion
- Vicki Brown - backing vocals
- Paul Buckmaster - Orchestration, ARP, Fender Rhodes
- BJ Cole - Steel Guitar
- John Crocker - clarinet, tenor saxophone
- Herbie Flowers - bass violin
- Clive Franks - bass guitar
- Rhythm Box - rhythm box
- Patrick Halcox - trumpet
- Steve Holly - drums, horns
- Davey Johnstone - guitar, backing vocals
- Stevie Lange - backing vocals
- Henry Lowther - trumpet
- Gary Osborne - backing vocals
- Tim Renwick - acoustic guitar, mandolin, electric guitar
- Jim Shepherd - trombone
- Joanne Stone - backing vocals
- Chris Thompson - backing vocals
- Watford Football Club - backing vocals
production
- Clive Franks - producer
- Elton John - producer
- Mike Gill - lead producer
- Phil Dunne - sound engineer
- Stuart Epps - sound engineer
- Clive Franks - sound engineer
- Peter Mew - sound engineer
- Ian Cooper - Mastering
- Gus Dudgeon - Digital Remastering
- Alex Forster - coordination
- Joanne Stone - arranger
- David Costa - Case Design
- Greg Penny - Surround Sound
- Mike Storey - graphic preparation
- Paul Buckmaster - orchestration
- John Tobler - album cover text
- Chris White - album cover text
Charts
album
| year | Chart | position |
|---|---|---|
| 1978 | UK | 8th |
| 1978 | US US | 15th |
| 1978 | DE | 17th |
single
| Year | single | Chart | position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | "Part Time Love" | USA Billboard Hot 100 | 22nd |
| 1978 | "Part Time Love" | UK Singles Chart | 15th |
| 1978 | "Song for Guy" | UK Singles Chart | 4th |
Awards
| organization | status | date |
|---|---|---|
| RIAA - USA | gold | October 24, 1978 |
| RIAA - USA | platinum | November 15, 1978 |
| British Phonographic Industry (BPI) - UK | gold | November 14, 1978 |
swell
- ^ Philip Norman: Elton John. Harmony Books, New York 1992, ISBN 0-517-58762-9 , p. 363
- ^ Philip Norman: Elton John. 1991, p. 363
- ^ Philip Norman: Elton John. 1991, p. 365
- ^ Philip Norman: Elton John. 1991, p. 363
- ↑ http://www.allmusic.com/album/a-single-man-mw0000194242
- ↑ http://www.officialcharts.com/Artist/21478/ELTON-JOHN
- ↑ Allmusic: Elton John - A Single Man
- ↑ http://www.officialcharts.de/album.asp?artist=Elton+John&title=A+Single+Man&cat=a&country=de
- ↑ http://www.allmusic.com/album/a-single-man-mw0000194242/awards
- ↑ http://www.officialcharts.com/artist/_/elton%20john/
- ↑ http://www.officialcharts.com/artist/_/elton%20john/
- ↑ http://www.riaa.com/gold-platinum/
- ↑ https://www.bpi.co.uk/brit-certified/