Border song
| Border song | |
|---|---|
| Elton John | |
| publication | March 20, 1970 |
| length | 3:22 |
| Genre (s) | pop |
| text | Bernie Taupin |
| music | Elton John |
| album | Elton John |
Border Song (Eng. "Grenzlied") is a song by the British singer and composer Elton John , the lyrics were written by Bernie Taupin .
John's earlier single releases never made it into the charts. With "Border Song" he was listed in a single chart for the first time and even reached number 34 in Canada.
background
“Border Song” is often referred to as a gospel ballad and the parallels to the Edwin Hawkins Singers and their hit “ Oh Happy Day ” are unmistakable, not least because of the choir singing.
Paul Gambaccini published 1975 "A Conversation with Elton John and Bernie Taupin" (Eng. "A conversation with Elton John and Bernie Taupin"). In it, John is quoted as saying that he wrote the third verse of "Border Song" himself and only added it because the song seemed too short to him.
When asked why some people would read anti-Semitic tendencies from the text, Taupin answered with a laugh and said “Don't ask me why, I don't know. Most of my friends are Jewish. I married one. ”(Eng.“ Don't ask me why, I don't know. Most of my friends are Jews. I married one. ”). In fact, his first wife Maxine was later the inspiration for the song "Tiny Dancer" on the album " Madman Across the Water ".
A quarter of a century later, John had a more plausible explanation for the story of the song. During her research on the book "His Song: The Musical Journey of Elton John", he told Elizabeth Rosenthal how much the country boy Taupin felt strange in the big city of London and visited his rural home as often as possible. The same perceived alienation later inspired Taupin to write the lyrics of " Tell Me When the Whistle Blows ", published on the album " Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy ".
Even if “Border Song” did not appear in the UK charts, John was invited to appear on the BBC TV show “Top of the Pops”. In the studio he met Dusty Springfield , whose fan he was as a teenager. Dusty was exuberant and enthusiastic about the title "Border Song". Later John said about it "this made my year" (Eng. "That was the best of this year").
review
With the title "Border Song" John first attracted major public attention. His appearance on the BBC TV show "Top of the Pops" in 1970 contributed to this.
The magazine "The New Musical Express" called John "a big talent who sounds as if he has lived in Nashville all his life" (Eng. "A great talent that sounds like he's spent his entire life in Nashville").
Richard Williams, one of the most respected critics for pop and jazz of his day in Great Britain, was one of the first to recognize John's potential. He published an article in "Melody Maker", talked about the excellent production and the really great recording. Finally, he thanked John for his appearance on "Top of the Pops", which he described as a "breath of fresh air". He headlined the entire article with “Is this the year of Elton John?” (Eng. “Is this the year of Elton John?”).
B side
The back of the single was filled with the title “Bad Side of the Moon”. This song was not part of the then released album "Elton John". The Canadian rock band April Wine recorded it in 1972 for their album "On Record" and released it as their second single.
occupation
- Elton John - vocals, piano
- Madeline Bell - backing vocals
- Tony Burrows - backing vocals
- Roger Cook - backing vocals
- Brian Dee - organ
- Leslie Duncan - backing vocals
- Kate Garner - backing vocals
- Colin Green - guitar
- Tony Hazzard - backing vocals
- Clive Hicks - backing vocals
- Barry Morgan - drums
- Cave Richmond - bass guitar
- Barbara Moore - choir director
- Paul Buckmaster - orchestration
production
- Gus Dudgeon - producer
Charts
| Year | single | Chart | position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | "Border Song" | Canadian Singles Chart | 34 |
| 1970 | "Border Song" | USA Billboard Hot 100 | 92 |
Awards
The title did not achieve gold status.
Interpretations of other artists
R & B / soul / gospel singer Dorothy Morrison recorded the title in 1970 for her LP "Brand New Day".
In 1971 Aretha Franklin recorded the song under the title "Holy Moses" for her album "Young, Gifted and Black" and reached the top 40 in the USA.
The 5th Dimension interpreted a version for their 1972 album “Individually & Collectively”.
Eric Clapton sang "Border Song" for the CD "Two Rooms: Celebrating the Songs of Elton John & Bernie Taupin" in 1991.
A recording of Aretha Franklin with Elton John was released in 1993.
In 1996 Sophie B. Hawkins played the title for the film " The Associate ".
Individual evidence
- ^ Library and Archives Canada. http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?brws_s=1&file_num=nlc008388.4700&type=1&interval=24&PHPSESSID=msnvgu5v4a643al8ugim1ea684
- ^ Philip Norman: Elton John. Harmony Books, New York 1992, ISBN 0-517-58762-9 , p. 121
- ↑ http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=10235
- ^ Philip Norman: Elton John. 1991, p. 121
- ^ Philip Norman: Elton John. 1991, p. 122
- ↑ Elton John / Discography # Chart placements