Rock of the Westies

Rock of the Westies
Studio album by Elton John
Publication (s)	October 24, 1975
admission	June-July 1975
Label (s)	MCA (US / Canada) DJM Records
Genre (s)	Rock, hard rock
running time	43:39
production	Gus Dudgeon
Studio (s)	Caribou Ranch , Nederland, Colorado, USA
chronology Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy (1975) Rock of the Westies Here and There (1976)
Single releases 29th September 1975 Island girl January 12, 1976 Grow Some Funk of Your Own

Rock of the Westies is the tenth studio album by British singer and composer Elton John .

The name of the album is a pun by John. He changed the American idiom "West of the Rockies" ("west of the Rocky Mountains") in Rock of the Westies ("rock music of the Westies"), with "Westie" among other things as a nickname for the dog breed West Highland White Terrier or for shady people is used.

Like Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy , Rock of the Westies started at number 1 on the US Billboard 200 charts. These were the only two albums that did so at the time. In John's homeland of Great Britain it was less successful and only reached number 5 in the UK album charts .

background

Rock of the Westies contained the US number one single Island Girl (UK number 14), which was released before the album. John mentioned in a radio interview at the time that he would have preferred Dan Dare (Pilot of the Future) as his first single instead of Island Girl . He felt it had more commercial potential. However, he could not assert himself against the producer. Dan Dare was never released as a single while Island Girl became a hit.

Before recording Rock of the Westies , John changed the line-up of the Elton John Band. In April 1975 he separated from drummer Nigel Olsson and bassist Dee Murray . In their place came drummer Roger Pope, an old friend of John's, with whom he worked for Empty Sky , Tumbleweed Connection and Madman Across the Water and who also played in Kiki Dee's tour band, as well as American bassist Kenny Passarelli, who previously played with Stephen Stills and as an original member of Joe Walsh's band Barnstorm. Also included was Caleb Quaye, another old friend of John's from his early DJM days. Like Pope, Quaye had worked on Empty Sky and Tumbleweed Connection . John got the keyboardist James Newton-Howard. The only remaining members of the band were Davey Johnstone and Ray Cooper .

The track Hard Luck Story had already been recorded by Kiki Dee and released a year before it was recorded for Rock of the Westies . Together with Don't Go Breaking My Heart , the composer named Ann Orson / Carte Blanche, which is a pseudonym for the duo John / Taupin. Ann Orson is also mentioned as the name of an accompanying voice. Labelle can also be heard as an accompanying voice for the opening title Medley: Yell Help / Wednesday Night / Ugly .

John released his album the day before the closing concerts of his West of the Rockies tour during "Elton John Week" in Los Angeles .

Outside of the US and Canada, this was the last studio album John released through DJM Records before letting his own label, The Rocket Record Company, do so.

The title Street Kids was used in the 2008 video game Grand Theft Auto IV .

review

At the time of publication, Rock of the Westies in Germany received very good reviews in well-known media. Nevertheless, the attention was rather reticent, possibly also because it appeared only six months after the outstanding Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy . From today's point of view, it is probably the only consistent rock album by Elton John.

Robert Christgau rated the album number 7 on his list of best albums in 1975.

Track list

All titles were composed and written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin , unless otherwise indicated. “Ann Orson / Carte Blanche” is a pseudonym of John and Taupin.

LP and CD

page 1

1. "Medley (Yell Help / Wednesday Night / Ugly)" - 6:13
2. "Dan Dare (Pilot of the Future)" - 3:30
3. "Island Girl" - 3:42
4. "Grow Some Funk of Your Own" (John, Davey Johnstone , Taupin) - 4:43
5. "I Feel Like a Bullet (In the Gun of Robert Ford)" - 5:28

Page 2

6. "Street Kids" - 6:23 am
7. "Hard Luck Story" (Ann Orson / Carte Blanche) - 5:10
8. "Feed Me" - 4:00
9. "Billy Bones and the White Bird" - 4:24

cassette

page 1

1. "Medley (Yell Help / Wednesday Night / Ugly)" - 6:13
2. "Dan Dare (Pilot of the Future)" - 3:30
3. "Island Girl" - 3:42
4. "Feed Me" - 4:00
5. "Billy Bones and the White Bird" - 4:24

Page 2

6. "Street Kids" - 6:23 am
7. "Hard Luck Story" (Ann Orson / Carte Blanche) - 5:10
8. "Grow Some Funk of Your Own" (John, Johnstone, Taupin) - 4:43
9. "I Feel Like a Bullet (In the Gun of Robert Ford)" - 5:28

Bonus titles on re-releases

Bonus Title (1995 Mercury Re-release)

10. " Don't Go Breaking My Heart " (with Kiki Dee) (Ann Orson / Carte Blanche) - 4:28

Bonus Title (1996 Rocket Re-release)

10. "Planes" - 4:31
11. "Sugar on the Floor" ( Kiki Dee ) - 4:31

B sides

title	A side
"Sugar on the floor"	Island Girl (US / UK)

occupation

• Elton John - vocals, piano
• Ray Cooper - percussion
• Kiki Dee - accompaniment voice
• Clive Franks - percussion, accompanying part
• Davey Johnstone - acoustic guitar , banjo , mandolin , electric guitar, rhythm guitar, accompaniment voice , slide guitar , voice bag
• Labelle - accompanying voice
• James Newton-Howard - synthesizer, harpsichord , electric piano , clavinet , mellotron
• Kenny Passarelli - bass guitar, backing part
• Ann Orson - backing part
• Roger Pope - drums
• Caleb Quaye - acoustic guitar, electric guitar, rhythm guitar, backing voice

production

• Producer: Gus Dudgeon
• Sound engineer: Jeff Guercio
• Album cover text: John Tobler

Charts

album

Charts	Top ranking	Weeks
Chart placements
Germany (GfK)	33 (4 weeks)	4th
United Kingdom (OCC)	5 (12 weeks)	12
United States (Billboard)	1 (26 weeks)	26th

single

Year	single	Chart	placement
1975	Island girl	United States	1
1975	Island girl	Great Britain	14th
1975	Island girl	Germany	42
1976	Grow Some Funk of Your Own	United States	14th
1976	Grow Some Funk of Your Own	Great Britain	51

Awards for music sales

Country / Region	Award	Sales
Awards for music sales (country / region, Award, Sales)
Canada (MC)	platinum	100,000
United States (RIAA)	platinum	1,000,000
United Kingdom (BPI)	gold	100,000
All in all	1 × gold 2 × platinum	1,200,000

Main article: Elton John / Music Sales Awards

Individual evidence

1. ↑ http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=westie
2. ↑ Pazz & Jop 1975: Dean's List . Robert Christgau. December 29, 1975. Retrieved January 11, 2012.
3. ↑ ^{a b c d} Chart sources: DE UK US
4. ↑ GOLD AND PLATINUM ALBUMS . neosoul. Retrieved October 16, 2012.