Bad Side Of The Moon

all about Elton

Dayly Telegraph 03/08/05

Elton the indiscreet (Filed: 04/08/2005) Elton John, 'a grumpy old sod' who has never been afraid to speak his mind, tells Neil McCormick about his spat with George Michael, and what he really thought about Live8. And the man who wrote the songs for 'Billy Elliott' reveals that he doesn't like musicals Pop stars were never supposed to be 58-year-olds, were they? "At this age of mine, you've just got to make a decision about whether you are going to write for yourself or for the radio," according to Sir Elton John. "I mean, how many ****ing hits can you have?" The showman must go on: Elton John at Live8 The question is rhetorical, an attempt philosophically to brush off the notion that he should care about such things as chart positions and radio play any more. After all, these days he is a titled member of the rock aristocracy, with a hugely successful sideline in musical films and theatre, and a residency in Las Vegas. The giveaway, though, is the expletive in the middle of the sentence. After a lifetime immersed in popular music, I don't think Elton is ready to be consigned to the veterans circuit just yet. Earlier this year, it certainly looked as if he was going the same way as Cliff Richard and Status Quo, banished from Radio 1, absent from the charts and increasingly reliant on back catalogue and live performance to sustain a career. Despite glowing reviews comparing it to his best work, Elton's 2004 album Peachtree Road failed to trouble the upper reaches of the charts. "It is probably one of my lowest-selling albums of all time," he says. "It was disappointing everywhere in the world, so I have to hold my hands up and accept that the songs just didn't connect. "I'm proud of Peachtree, but, if I think about it logically, people may have 10 or 12 Elton John albums in their collection already. Do they need another one?" Recent developments suggest the public's appetite for Elton remains strong. Coming off the back of a sold-out stadium tour and an attention-grabbing performance at Live8, he reached number one and number four with consecutive singles. "When something like this starts to explode, it does put the fun back in it," says Elton, who takes no credit for the single that put him back at the top. Eminem (with whom Elton shares a mutually respectful relationship, despite the rapper's penchant for homophobic insults) remixed Tupac Shakur's Ghetto Gospel, adding a chorus from an obscure 1971 Elton John track, Indian Sunset. "It was a piece of luck, but, when you have been around as long as I have, things just have a way of happening. It is incredible what Eminem's actually done, combining melody and great hip hop in an original way. It is not a lazy piece of work." Elton's record company, Mercury, cannily followed that with Electricity, the singer-songwriter's original version of a showstopper from his latest West End musical, Billy Elliot, which went in at number four. 'Between you and me, I'm not really a lover of musicals': Elton John and Stephen Daldry "That's a demo," Elton reveals. "It was never even supposed to be released. When I am working on musicals, I write songs and we record them and mix them the next day then move on to the next one, so we have an idea of what the shape of the show is going to be. I have albums full of songs from Billy Elliot, The Lion King, The Road to El Dorado, just lying around." The demo was released as a download single tied into a mobile text message competition offering the chance to watch Elton perform in Las Vegas, leading to an enormous response from his fan base. Such was the controversy in the music industry, there are now moves to change the chart rules. Of course, Elton isn't complaining. Discounting duets and reissues, this is his highest-charting solo single since 1990. "I think it's hilarious. I don't know about all the technical stuff. I am a Luddite. I don't even own a mobile. I just write and record and that's about it." Actually, he writes and records rather a lot. When he rose to fame in the early '70s, he was in the habit of putting out two albums a year. Recently, preparing Peachtree Road, Billy Elliot and a new theatrical musical, Lestat, based on Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles (with longtime lyric writing partner Bernie Taupin), he composed more than 60 songs in one year. "It was one of the most productive periods of my life. Lestat exhausted me. Once I started, it was like being bitten by a ****ing vampire. I couldn't stop. I was sucked dry, but I honestly think that is some of the best work we've ever done. "The songs are very complex. It's orchestral work, no electronic music at all. It's music from the 18th century basically, written by a 21st-century Luddite." The show will open in San Francisco in December and move to Broadway in March. Having been a solo star all his life, Elton also enjoys being part of a team. "Doing a musical you've got a director, choreographer, lighting guy, costume person, set creator, conductor. You're all in there together, and so you've got to leave your ego at the door. Some songs won't fit no matter how much you love them. You can't stand there and stamp your feet and say, 'I want that song in!' " Elton raves about Billy Elliot, which he developed with original screenwriter Lee Hall and director Stephen Daldry. A gripping piece of political and emotional theatre, it has been widely hailed as the most powerful musical of recent years. "Every time I go and see it, I can't believe I am actually involved in it!" he laughs. Then, as an indiscreet aside, he adds: "Just between you, me and the gatepost, I'm not really a lover of musicals!" These are the type of remarks that tend to get Elton into trouble. There was a recent spat with George Michael, when Elton said he was "wasting his talent" and suggested a "deep-rooted unhappiness" was to blame. Michael responded with a catty open letter to Heat magazine, branding Elton a gossip monger. "George and I are fine," reports Elton. "We've had dinner, and I've apologised to him if I hurt his feelings. It was handbags at 50 paces. We like each other too much to fall out." His spat with Madonna is proving less short-lived, after Elton mocked her live show at the Q awards, saying anyone who mimes onstage should be shot. "That one's slightly more difficult," Elton laughs, guiltily. "I did send her two Christmas cards and they both came back. It was just one of those off-the-cuff things. "I haven't got Tourette's syndrome but I can't censor myself. Why should I? But let's leave it at that, I don't want it to go any further, for Christ's sake!" I suspect the truth is that Elton loves all of this, the hurly-burly of the pop world. He still tries to buy every new release, ticking his purchases off in a handwritten bumper folder. He enthuses about new music with the excitement of a genuine fan, eager to share his discoveries (digital soul singer James Lidell and Irish band Hal are current faves). "When I like someone, I let them know. I drop them a note, call up their record company, whatever. It's not about wanting to jump on anyone else's bandwagon, it's about reaching out." His latest protégé is James Blunt, who is managed by Elton's company 21st Artists. "He knocked me off the number-one spot, but I am more excited about him than I am about me. It's gratifying to see somebody come through by just playing gigs and being nurtured and not by money and hype. It's like a throwback: it reminds me of what happened to me in America in 1970." Another of today's rising stars who has attracted Elton's attention is the troubled former Libertine Pete Doherty, who performed a shambolic duet of T Rex's Children of the Revolution with Elton at Live8. "I thought, here comes mainstream Elton, what can we do to shake things up a bit? I think Pete's immensely talented. He came down to Watford and we rehearsed it and it was absolutely tip-top, perfect. "I have to be very discreet what I say, but I just think he was really nervous on the day. He's a mess, it's really sad. He's so young I don't think that he's going to listen to anybody. But I don't think the people around him set a good example, which is a shame. But, you know, he had his chance to do it and he came on… at least he looked great!" As you can see, Elton's discretion never seems to last very long. When I ask him what he made of Live8, he groans. "Oh God, here I go. I thought it was a bit of an anti-climax, to be honest. The thought behind it was fantastic, but Hyde Park is a charisma-free zone. There was no sense of occasion and from a musical point, I didn't think there were too many highlights. I was very pleased to be a part of it, but I didn't think it was anywhere near as good as the first one. How could it be?" He checks himself again and tuts. "People are going to think I am a grumpy old sod, aren't they?" 12 May 2005: Billy boy, this is the greatest musical yet [review of Billy Elliot the musical] Elton John

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Postato da: madmanbb a 09:06 | link | commenti
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Tumbleweed Connection 2

Elton John: Tumbleweed Connection

David Seemiller



In early August of 1996, my friends and I went on a road-trip to see 5 Phish concerts. I had to beg my mother to let me go, after all, I was only sixteen, and was going to be on the road for over a week. Also, Phish shows are known for their drug use, but after much pleading I convinced her that I was responsible enough to go. The trip was riddled with disasters that would take too long to explain in full, but never the less, some good did come of it. The second show was the most memorable part of the entire trip (besides the two days I lost my car and had to sleep in the street). My friends and I had just sat through 4 hours of traffic to get into Darien Lake and sat down to watch Phish’s first set. Phish took the stage and played "Amoreena" by Elton John. I had heard other Elton John songs before, such as "Candle in the Wind," but I didn’t know his music was so diverse. As soon as my trip was over I went out and bought Tumbleweed Connection, the album "Amoreena" was on. It immediately became my favorite album, and the only one I think I could tolerate should I have to take it to a desert island.

Tumbleweed Connection was released in 1970 just months after Elton John’s self-titled breakthrough album. Elton John was an entirely pop album, but for Tumbleweed Connection Elton John decided to go with a more rock n’ roll angle. (Erlewine) The country flavor helps the album stick together with a wild west/civil war theme ongoing through most of the songs. Bernie Taupin’s lyrics reflect this, with song titles such as "Country Comfort," and "Talking Old Soldiers." Bernie Taupin recalls:

Everybody thinks that I was influenced by Americana and by seeing America first hand, but we wrote and recorded the album before we’d even been to the states. It was totally influenced by The Band’s album, ‘Music From the Big Pink’, and Robbie Robertson’s songs. I’ve always loved Americana, and I loved American Westerns. I’ve always said that ‘El Paso’ was the song that made me want to write songs, it was the perfect meshing of melody and storyline, and I thought that here was something that married rhythms and the written word perfectly. (Tobler)



"Desperado is quite consciously a ‘concept album’. Each song relates to the others." (Lichtenstein 84) I am a big fan of concept albums such as Pink Floyd’s The Wall, Frank Zappa’s Joe’s Garage and more recently Phish’s Story of the Ghost. Tumbleweed Connection is a concept album of a loose sense. It doesn’t tell a story, but all the songs are held together by a country theme. This is what sets Tumbleweed Connection apart from The Wall and Joe’s Garage. Unlike either of them it keeps the style constant throughout. It does have upbeat songs, and slow songs, but they all still contain the country theme. It holds together a lot better than any of the other albums. Joe’s Garage tells a good story, but each song is so totally different and unrelated that you’d forget there is a story being told if I wasn’t for that reoccurring guitar riff throughout. The Wall is connected in the way the songs are composed, and the instrumentation involved, but the songs are still very different, and unless you see the movie, it is hard to tell how anything relates. Phish’s Story of the Ghost attempts to accomplish the same feat as Tumbleweed Connection, but instead of a country theme, they try a spooky theme for their album. They almost accomplish it, but they are not as consistent and many of the songs seem contrived and poorly thought out. It’s hard to keep someone feeling eerie with a song that contains a Celtic jig, and has lyrics "Guyute was the ugly pig."

What first attracted me to Tumbleweed Connection is its ability to keep the western theme without becoming dry and boring. Each song is completely different, and capable of holding up on its own. "Certainly the songs seem like they were filmed on location, or maybe it’s just that the settings feel almost like characters themselves." (Swartley, 56) Any song on the album can be listened to and enjoyed in its own right, but presented in Tumbleweed Connection it becomes part of something much greater. The placement of the songs on the album helps it all stick together and makes it very easy to listen to. Tumbleweed Connection keeps the action throughout. The songs are evenly distributed so there aren’t too many ballads in a row. The whole album has balance, as each song just flows into the next.

The opening track, "Ballad of a Well-Known Gun," begins with a guitar riff that could have come straight out of "The Good the Bad and the Ugly". As soon as Elton rings out the first lyrics, " I pulled out my stagecoach times and I read the latest news," the listener immediately becomes the character in the song. The lyrics go right along with the music, which doesn’t happen very often. Elton John has stated about Tumbleweed Connection: "Lyrically and melodically, that’s probably one of our most perfect albums. I don’t think there’s any song on there that doesn’t melodically fit the lyric." (Tobler)

The most recognizable track on the album, mainly due to its being covered on Rod Stewart’s Gasoline Alley, is "Country Comfort." It describes a town in the old west. "The images in the song are those of a pleasant, unromanticized American landscape described in the motley vernacular of old time rural culture."(Winner, 61) Although it is the most known song on the album, it is my least favorite, because it seems like an attempt to get at least one single out of the album. It has the most deliberate pop hook on the album, and even thought the topic goes with the theme of the album, it borders on being a pop song. "My Fathers Gun" tells the story of a young confederate out to get revenge on the Yankees for the death of his father. The vocals are nicely complimented with a chorus, and a subdued guitar just barely audible through the wall of sound created by the voicings.

The sixth track on the album, "Where to now St. Peter," is the most ominous song on the album, about a man deciding if he’s going to heaven or hell. It begins slowly with a piano intro (that admittedly sounds a little too similar to "Amoreena.") The guitar enters during the first line of the song, with some nice effects like a wah-wah on it. The vocals on the song are incredible. Some of the notes that Elton hits seem impossible, but he pulls them off spectacularly.

The summation of the album comes with the final track, "Burn Down the Mission." Beginning slowly, with a twinkling piano alone with the gospel-like vocals. It’s not until after the first verse that the guitar enters filling in the rhythm. The chorus brings in the drums, bringing the piece up to tempo. The action doesn’t end there, immediately after the chorus, Elton John’s piano begins a bombastic piano jam that is soon followed by the rest of the band, which now includes a horn section. This subsides into a mellow return to the verse, where the performance starts all over again, ending in a clutter of pandemonium that sounds like it could fall apart at any second. This song is an excellent display of Elton John’s technical prowess, as well as a showcase of all the other musicians that appear on the album.

Elton John’s music has always been extremely complex, and all the musicians he has used have achieved some level of virtuosity on their instruments. Many of the musicians on Tumbleweed Connection were brought in from Elton John’s record label, DJM, and a few of them eventually became part of Elton John’s band. Ian Duck, Caleb Quaye, and Roger Pope, all of whom played on Tumbleweed Connection, were members of the band Hookfoot, also on the DJM label. Dee Murray, bass, and Nigel Olsen, drums, were in the Spencer Davis Band before quitting and joining Elton John’s band in 1970. They performed on all of Elton John’s albums up to 1975 before they were fired. (Nespoli)

The production of Elton John’s albums has always been top notch, which is one of the reasons Elton John has been so successful. The Producer of Tumbleweed Connection was Gus Dudgeon. For Elton John’s first album, Empty Sky, Steve Brown produced, but he stepped down to allow someone more experienced to take over. Originally George Martin was offered the job, but he refused after he was told he could not write the orchestral arraignments himself. Gus Dudgeon was already an accomplished producer before working with Elton John. He had just finished work with David Bowie on Space Oddity the previous year. Tumbleweed Connection was Gus Dudgeon’s second album with Elton John. (Maclauchlan)

Steve Brown also brought Steve Buckmaster to write the orchestral arraingments that have been a trademark of Elton John’s earlier work. Although the arraingments on Tumbleweed Connection are a little less noticeable than on his other earlier albums, many of Elton John’s big hits have unforgettable string and horn sections. The horns on "Honky Cat" are what give the song some attitude, and the string arrangements for "Madman Across the Water" are what give it the agitated drive that move the song along. He wrote the music for a movie, Friends in the early seventies, which Elton John also performed on, and has recently scored the music for 12 Monkeys. (Maclauchlan)

It is this combination of talent that has brought Elton John to superstardom, and although Elton John doesn’t write any of his own lyrics, he is responsible for all the music. Many musicians, such as Garth Brooks and Rod Stewart write very few of their own songs if any, which is quite sad, especially because most of the public thinks that these songs are theirs. Most country singers don’t write any of their own music either. Elton John has put together an album that, although may not be country in stricter terms, is a more creative album than any country artist has put out, with the exception of a few such as Willie Nelson and Johnny Cash.

Elton John’s music speaks for itself, because lyrics are nothing without music to bring them to life. The sheer amount of music that Elton John has written is a testament to his abilities as a musician, which are without question some of the most highly regarded by his peers. But even more than that is the amount of good music he has written. He does have some periods where his albums were just terrible, "Prisoner of Love," and "Leather Jackets" to name a few, but the majority of the time, the music was top notch. To this day Elton John still writes all of his own music, while other greats such as Aerosmith are tapped out of ideas and now have people write hit songs for them. A year or so ago I went to a free concert of the Steve Miller Band. He has a rapper as part of his show now, I suppose to bring in the younger crowd. I left the show halfway through. Elton John’s most recent tour was just he and his piano, playing both classics, and his new songs. I think it speaks greatly of Elton John’s work that he is able to stay creative, and not have to through over 30 years of music.

Works Cited

Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Elton John." All-Media Guide. (March 21, 1999).

Greil, Marcus, ed. Stranded: Rock and Roll for a Desert Island. 1st ed. New York: De Capo Press Inc. 1996.

Lichtenstein, Grace. "Desperado." Marcus 84.

Maclauchlan, Paul. "A Musical History of Elton John." Cornflakes & Classics. March 2, 1999. (4 March 1999).

Nespoli, Lisa Ann. "Nigel Olsson Bio." The Nigel Olsson Fan Club. March 3, 1999. (4 March 1999).

Swartley, Ariel. "The Wild, the Innocent and the E Street Shuffle" Marcus 55.

Tobler, John. Tumbleweed Connection. Enclosure. 1995.

Winner, Langdon. "Trout Mask Replica." Marcus 61.

Postato da: madmanbb a 22:33 | link | commenti
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TUMBLEWEED CONNECTION

Elton John - Tumbleweed Connection



Rating: 5 Stars

Musicians:
Bernie Taupin – Lyrics
Elton John – Keyboards & Vocals
Paul Buckmaster – Arranger
Gus Dudgeon – Producer
Robin Geoffrey Cable – Engineer
Nigel Olsson – Drums and Backing Vocals
Lesley Duncan – Backing Vocals and Composer of ‘Love Song’
Caleb Quaye – Lead and Acoustic Guitars
Dee Murray – Bass and Backing Vocals
Dave Glover – Bass Guitar
Ian Duck – Harmonica
Roger Pope – Drums and Percussion


Tracks Listing:
1. Ballad Of A Well-Known Gun
2. Come Down In Time
3. Country Comfort
4. Son Of Your Father
5. My Father’s Gun
6. Where To Now St. Peter?
7. Love Song
8. Amoreena
9. Talking Old Soldiers
10. Burn Down The Mission
11. Into The Old Man’s Shoes
12. Madman Across The Water (Original Version)


After years of session work and songwriting for other people, Reginald Dwight changed his name to Elton John and formed a songwriting partnership with a certain Bernie Taupin (Elton wrote the music to Taupin’s lyrics). After the release of two studio albums, they hit pay dirt with the release of this, their third album (1971), and their first hit single ‘Your Song’, taken from the previous self titled album.

Surprisingly there were no singles taken from this collection, taking Elton John on a wonderous journey into superstardom that was to spiral out of control. But for now the next 4 studio albums ‘Madman Across The Water’, ‘Honky Chateau’, ‘Don’t shoot me I’m only the Piano Player’, and the ‘Double Goodbye Yellow Brick Road’ were all landmark albums in the world of rock. Unfortunately by the time of Elton’s 9th Studio album ‘Captain Fantastic’, and the ‘Dirt Brown Cowboys’, it had all gone terribly wrong with massive egos taking over, all band members being fired and the partnership with Bernie Taupin terminated. The live shows were still great, but Elton’s album output throughout the eighties and nineties was tedious at best, consisting mainly of Sub-Chicago plod-rock, before a welcome return to form last year with ‘Songs from the West Coast’, which, not surprisingly, co-incided with him reuniting with Bernie Taupin and his old band mates, Nigel Olsson and Davy Johnstone.

But, back in 1970 with ‘Tumbleweed Connection’, this was the first time a road band as such had been used in the studio, making it more the Elton John band rather than just Elton on his own. Nigel Olson had been offered the drum stool whilst in Brit Heavy Rockers Uriah Heep but, seeing the potential, made the job his own. He was joined by the amazing Dee Murray on bass, and the job that would soon be filled by Davey Johnstone was done by Caleb Quaye of label mates Hookfoot for these sessions.

It really was a case of everything was in position for world domination.

The album opens up with the blues rock of ‘Ballad of a well-known Gun’, the story of a gunslinger reaching the end of the road. From there on out you are taken on a wonderful musical journey through the album’s original ten songs, with a recurring wild west of America theme.

At all times the musicianship and songwriting is faultless, with Elton putting every ounce of emotion into Bernie’s lyrics. The production by Gus Dudgeon was to set standards for years to come, and Paul Buckmaster’s arrangements of the musical scores, both with band and strings, is nothing short of perfection, whether on epics like ‘Burn Down The Mission’ (an amazing live version, which was laid down with just piano, bass, and drums on the band’s live album 17.11.70, where you can actually hear Elton kick his piano stool away in the excitement), or on the tender ‘Love Song’. This only song on the album, not written by John/Taupin, is a beautiful Lesley Duncan song, which Lesley also sings on this version. But it is when Elton sits at the piano alone to regale us with ‘Talking Old Soldiers’ that his talent really stands out. This story of an old warrior looking back on his youth whilst addressing a group of youngsters, is a shot straight at the heart.

“I know what they are saying, son
There goes old mad Joe again
Well, I maybe mad at that, I’ve seem enough
To make a man go out his brains”

The remastered edition of Tumbleweed connection for C.D has two bonus tracks ‘Old Man’s Shoes’, the b-side to ‘Your Song’, which fits in perfectly with the rest of these songs. But the real treat is left till last, the original recording of the next albums title track ‘Mad Man Across The Water’, featuring Mick Ronson on lead guitar (Ronson was just about to hit the big time himself as lead guitarist and musical director for David Bowie’s Spiders from Mars band). It is a completely guitar based version clocking in at nearly nine minutes with the piano-bass-drum format used as a rhythm section, whilst Ronson lays down some rip-roaring lead axe. He dominates this song in the same way as he did on David Bowie’s ‘Moonage Day Dream’, which he made his own. The price of the C.D is worth it for this song alone.

Add to this the artwork included in the sixteen page booklet, ‘Tumbleweed Connection’ is a real gem.

Mott The Dog

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Elton John The Workaholic

postato da Rosy

8 settembre 2003


Elton John The Workaholic

Elton John fans are in for a plethora of new projects from Sir Reg over the coming year.

Firstly, Elton will start work on his next studio album in Los Angeles in October. Patrick Leonard, who produced 'Songs From The West Coast' is once again back for the new record. They expect to finish recording in January and release the record in September 2004.

Also expect a country album of Elton John covers similar to The Eagles 'Common Threads' later this year. Elton has written two new songs for the project. He will perform 'Turn The Lights Out When You Leave' on the album and has also written 'So Sad The Renegade' as a potential B-side.

Writing is complete for his musical version of Billy Elliot. The stage musical is currently being workshopped by Stephen Daldry who also directed the original picture. Lee Hall who wrote the screen-play has written the lyrics for the show. Elton says it is the first time Lee has ever written lyrics.

The other musical is The Vampire Lestat, based on the old Dracula story. Bernie Taupin has done the lyrics for this one and the music will be orchestrated for the soundtrack.

Elton has written a new song called 'Peters Song' for the movie Neverland starring Johnny Depp and Kate Winslet. It is about the James Barrie, the author of Peter Pan and is the story of how he came to write the children's classic.

Then there is Nomeo and Juliet, a movie to be funded by Elton's own Rocket Pictures. Nomeo and Juliet is the story of Romeo and Juliet but with garden gnomes. The animated movie will be in production for most of 2004 as animation takes so long to produce and won't be finished for release until 2005. Elton has written three songs for the song track with Tim Rice.

One false bit of news ran around the world this week which Elton has denied. He will not be replacing Celine Dion for the next three years in Las Vegas during her days off. Elton does have plans to play Vegas and will announce the plans at a press conference in October but the long term deal reported in this weeks press was wrong.

by Paul Cashmere

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Elton Rocks the Osbournes

Elton Rocks the Osbournes

John puts the stars on their feet at the Beverly Hills mansion


"Be fabulous," the invitation instructed on the topic of dress. Elton John, the guest of honor and performer at "An Evening at Home With the Osbournes," always dresses with fabulous in mind, and he arrived Thursday night in a black suit with a zipper stretching across the back and down the left sleeve. The crowd also obliged. For men, it meant suits without ties; for women, it meant colorful outfits accented with major cleavage.

About 250 people showed up, walking up the flower-lined stairs of the iconic Osbournes' Beverly Hills home -- made famous by the MTV reality show -- each paying $2,500 to benefit John's AIDS foundation and Sharon Osbourne's Colon Cancer Program at nearby Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.

All the Osbournes were present and mingling: Kelly's strapless black dress revealing angel wing tattoos on her shoulder blades, Jack opting for a more conservative look in suit and tie, and Ozzy sporting black tie with tails. Sharon Osbourne, elegantly dressed in black with spiky, magenta hair, came up onstage to introduce the evening and the entertainment. "You're stuck with me and a couple of my friends," she said. "I hope tonight will educate and entertain you."

The educational portion of the evening featured a speaker on colon cancer as well as a video on AIDS orphans: a heartbreaking story about two children in South Africa who represent just a tiny fraction of the 14 million children worldwide orphaned by the disease.

Osbourne returned to the small stage, set up in front of the guest house, to introduce the entertainment portion of the night. "The best, the legendary Elton John!" she announced. "I want to see you on your feet!"

Sir Elton has been in the news quite a bit lately -- less for his music than his profanity-laced tirades against the press and Madonna. So it was nice to see him doing what he does best: performing music, this time beneath stately palm trees in the backyard of the Osbourne mansion. Backed by a band featuring drummer Nigel Olsson and guitarist Davey Johnstone -- who have been with him longer than his current hair -- John rocked through a stripped-down set.

John opened the show with oldies including a rollicking "The Bitch Is Back" and an impassioned, solo piano rendition of "Your Song." Then, shifting gears, he said, "We're gonna do something new: you might as well be the guinea pigs for it," introducing "Answer in the Sky," a tune from his forthcoming album, Peach Tree Road. The new number, a classic John power ballad, generated a clap-along response from the crowd. Another new song, "All That I'm Allowed," showed gospel influences. The band was predictably tight and John was in strong form and voice, seated at his keyboard and pounding out two-fisted rhythms.

"When we did this event last year," John said in a serious moment, "Sharon was ill and had to watch from her bedroom upstairs. I was frightened, but she survived. It's a lesson to all of us. I dedicate this next song to her," he continued, launching into "Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word." Sharon stood, arms around a seated Ozzy, watching the show. John then closed with a raucous "Saturday Night's Alright (For Fighting)," and he had the whole crowd up and dancing by the end.

The moneyed attendees -- who included 'N Sync's Lance Bass, Quincy Jones, Robin Williams and Jennifer Love Hewitt -- sipped bubbly from Perrier Jouet and dined on miso-cured Alaskan butterfish and five-spice sirloin steak from Asia de Cuba, the trendy fusion restaurant just a few blocks away on the Sunset Strip. Will & Grace's Eric McCormack and Megan Mullally led a live auction, including the sale of an Aston Martin DB 9, purchased by Bass for $220,000. An estimated $1 million was raised by evening's end, to be split between the two charities.


CHRIS RUBIN
(Posted Oct 08, 2004)

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