Elton John is coming to Perth this month to open the new Perth Arena, playing two shows on Saturday November 10 and 12. With a career spanning over 40 years Elton John is one of the most successful artists of all time, but how good is your Elton John trivia knowledge? We’ve assembled 20 facts about Elton John and his music that you might not know.
1.
Elton played the piano on The Hollies hit He Aint Heavy He’s My Brother.
2.
He co-wrote the Scissor Sister’s tune I Don’t Feel Like Dancing.
3.
Elton and George Michael had a huge hit with Elton’s 1974 song Don’t Let the Sun Go Down On Me in 1991, but the duo first performed this song together at Live Aid in 1985.
4.
This is not the only recording Elton and George have teamed up on, in 1986 the had a UK top 20 hit with Wrap Her Up – a song about all the women they’d like to take home, their list includes Samantha Fox, Joan Collins, Julie Andrews and Annie Lennox.
5.
Elton’s forthcoming album The Diving Board will be his thirtieth studio album, his first album The Empty Sky was released in 1969.
6.
In 1985 Elton teamed up with Dionne Warwick, Gladys Knight and Stevie Wonder to perform the song That’s What Friends Are For, the proceeds went towards HIV research. This was the last US number one for Knight, Warwick and Wonder – only Elton has maintained his level of success.
7.
That’s What Friends Are For is a cover version; it was originally performed by Rod Stewart for the 1982 film Nightshift.
8.
The song American Triangle from Elton’s 2001 album Songs from the West Coast is about the murder of Matthew Shepard, Rufus Wainwright sings backing vocals on the track.
9.
In the 70’s and early ‘80s composer James Newton Howard was a member of the Elton John band, playing piano and arranging strings. Howard went on to compose soundtracks for Batman Begins, The Dark Knight and many other Hollywood films.
10.
In 1975 Elton had a US number one hit with Island Girl, A song about a New York man who wants to take a prostitute back to Jamaica. Some have speculated that the prostitute in the song may have been a man based on the lyric, ‘She’s a big girl, standing six foot three, turning tricks for dudes in the city.’
11.
Elton’s 1978 hit Song for Guy is an instrumental track, he wrote it thinking about death. The next day he found out that his messenger boy Guy Burchett had been killed on his motorcycle while he was writing the song.
12.
In 2006 Elton John and longtime collaborator Bernie Taupiin wrote Lestat a musical based on Anne Rice’s Vampire Diaries novels, it closed after just 39 performances; the cast recording has never been released.
13.
Elton co-wrote, played piano and sang backing vocals on Oliva Newton-John’s 1988 song The Rumour.
14.
Even though Elton had a huge hit in 1980 with Little Jeanie, he hardly ever performs it live. It’s only been included in the set list of his 1980 tour and his One Night Only show at Madison Square Gardens in 2000.
15.
Elton’s 1979 album Victim of Love is his shortest recording; it’s just 33 minutes long. A bizzare disco record, it had no songs written by Elton, he played no instruments on the recording – only providing vocals and it contained no hit songs.
16.
Elton’s remake of Candle in the Wind, his tribute to Princess Diana is the highest selling single since they kept chart records, yet he’s only performed it live one time – at Princess Diana’s funeral.
17.
The hit Don’t Go Breaking My Heart is credited to songwriters Ann Orson and Carte Blanche – but it’s really written by Elton John and longtime collaborator Bernie Taupin. Originally a duet with British singer Kiki Dee, Elton’s also recorded a version with drag artist Ru Paul and performed the tune with Miss Piggy.
18.
Elton’s 1992 comeback hit The Last Song was written in memory of Ryan White, the US teenager who significantly raised the profile of the AIDS epedemic in the USA prior to his death in 1990. The song tells of an estranged father reconnecting with his son who is dying of an AIDS related illness.
19.
In the late ‘60’s Elton auditioned to be the lead singer of psychadelic band King Crimson – he wasn’t successful.
20.
Rick Astley and Take That’s Gary Barlow sing the backing vocals on The Lion King hit Can you Feel the Love Tonight.
Graeme Watson
