Yup. I loved the song, but had the stigma of being associated with kids. It sounded like a kiddie song, and they loved it, too. The first time I heard it was on The Real Don Steele Show, where I heard many pop songs of the next couple of years. Another song out at this time that was big was The Sweet's "Little Wily", which was a phallus euphemism.
I loved it then, love it now. Sure, it's goofy pop even despite the euphemism, but what I love about it is the rhythm guitar riff and the terminally upbeat, cheery vocals. The rhythm guitar intro hooks you right in by channeling Eddie Cochran's Summertime Blues via The Who and is just catchy as all get out. I played my Bell 45 of this endlessly back then. Also, I don't know if anyone would ever claim The Sweet were an "influential" band or had an influential sound, but I've always thought Queen's vocals from 1974 or so on sure sounded a lot like The Sweet's ca. 1970~1973...
I give props to Crocodile Rock because it gave Elton his first #1. It should have already happened but since this was the outcome so be it. There are better songs among the deep cuts on Don't Shoot Me, I'm Only The Piano Player although I've gotta say the man sings his ass off. This tune signaled the pomp and feathers version of Elton and love it or not, he backed that image up with high energy and great songs. This is where it takes off.
I like Crocodile Rock and I can understand why it went all the way to #1 (it was really a product of the times, with all the nostalgia mania happening) but I like a lot of other EJ loads more. You can't really say Croc Rock is atypical of Elton either, because he does so many different styles of music, and he does them all well. Truly a musical genius and he was red hot in this part of his career. Up to now, he was kind of lumped in with the other singer/songwriters of the time since his best known material was things like Tiny Dancer, Levon, Rocket Man, Your Song - all ballads in that singer/songwriter style. But Croc Rock really tore down that facade and EJ arrived like a cross between Liberace and Jerry Lee Lewis.
"Crocodile Rock" was not only Elton John's first #1 hit single, it was also the first for - as well as the very first release, period, of - MCA Records (single #MCA-40000). Look closely in the deadwax, and you will find crossed-out matrix numbers for his prior U.S. label, Uni; this was slated, prior to being transferred to the new MCA label, to be issued on Uni 55351 (preceding Neil Diamond's "Walk On Water," #55352). Some Canadian copies of "Crocodile Rock" exist on Uni itself. As well, by the time this began its three-week run at the top, not only Uni, but also Kapp and Decca, were no more, having been discontinued at the end of January 1973 and the rest of their respective artist rosters (including Sonny & Cher on Kapp) transferred to MCA; Decca's final release ushered the label out with a bang - "Drift Away" by Dobie Gray (#33057), which peaked at #5: (The LP of the same title, DL 75397 - Decca's last album release - ended up at #63.) Given Mr. John's subsequent revelations which I won't get into any specifics about, the Liberace comparisons seemed especially ironic. That's all I'll put it.
This took quite awhile to get up there. It was originally issued in September 1972 in the U.S. by Bell, given the cat. # and presence of 6 point Permanent Bold Condensed among the typefaces used by CBS Pitman's print shop (label type also used by Terre Haute): By the time it finally peaked at #3, it was mid-1973 . . . Also, none of the band members played on this; producer Phil Wainman played drums, Pip Williams (a name we may be hearing now and then from here on forth) was the guitarist, and John Roberts was on bass. The lead vocals were Brian Connolly; his bandmates on this were only backing vocalists. (They did, however, do their own instrumental backing on the B side - "Man From Mecca" . . . )
The other thing: the hints of Mr. John transitioning from "ballady singer-songwriter" to flamboyant superstar could be found on his hit before this, "Honky Cat."
Another thing was, starting with Mr. John's Honky Chateau LP and continuing through two or three more albums (at least), the transitioning from singer/songwriter/balladeer to out-and-out showman (previously, session musicians had backed him on his records). It was there that his core touring band of bassist Dee Murray, drummer Nigel Olsson and new recruit Davey Johnstone on guitars, would play on all his records for the next several years (before members came and went). Beginning with "Rocket Man," these sidemen would also be the backing vocalists and thus form the basis for what would become the "Elton John Sound."
I was a pre-teen during Elton's golden era, and even then "Crocodile Rock" seemed so insubstantial compared to his other singles. When I finally dug into his albums, that sense became even more glaring. I've long wondered if Bernie's lyrics intentionally evoke "American Pie", with the Chevy and the line "rock just died".
Crocodile Rock was one of the first singles I got into. Loved hearing it on the radio in 1973. My first single purchase would be that year. Robin Ward, who had a big hit in 1963 with Wonderful Summer, was reported to be the high-pitched background vocal which, as stated, mimics Del Shannon's sound, proving Del Shannon was very popular and influential, despite the somewhat lackluster performance of his singles after 1964.
I don't know, but time has not been kind to this song - in stark contrast to most other Elton John material from this era.
As for "Crocodile Rock," didn't Our Host mention something once about the tape alignment being off, or NR not properly set, or whatever? We do know that U.S. lacquers were cut at MCA's Universal City studios by Darrell Johnson ('DWJ' in the deadwax), a few months before he left for another cutting studio (and Don Thompson - who'd worked at Columbia Records' Hollywood studios until its October 1972 closure - replaced him). While this was the first MCA single, the first MCA album (for you album geeks out there) was a double-LP concert recording by Neil Diamond (in his only original MCA album, and his last before his Columbia contract began taking effect), Hot August Night. This was recorded just before the point he took time off from the road, a hiatus that only lasted four years. (This is pertinent in light of his recent retirement from the concert circuit for health reasons - and, ironically, Mr. John himself now doing likewise for different reasons.)
I'm sure the studio musicians who had previously played on his records could have done a good version of "Honky Cat" but the Dee Murray, Nigel Olsson, and Davey Johnstone combo were perfect for songs like this. Listen to the fantastic groove they work up on this slightly faster live take of the song. Oh, and it doesn't hurt to have Elton at the height of his powers. He knocks this out of the park - both playing and singing - without appearing to even break much of a sweat.
That, I am convinced, made all the difference: The Murray/Olsson/Johnstone combo, coupled with an EJ at the height of his powers, began working wonders with "Rocket Man," then went a bit higher with "Honky Cat." And then came this.
I think it has something to do with the Dolby A unit being mis-calibrated on the master tape. Anyway, here's yet another song I really loved during this time. It sounded creepy on the radio at night: Why Can't We Live Together - Timmy Thomas EVERY Billboard #1 rhythm & blues hit discussion thread Note that the video features the longer album version when the single was faded earlier. The recording is in mono. Recently, Eric Records created a DES version, but it is, IMO, too wide and has a bit too much reverb.
Great song, and the Jackson 5 cover was one of me and my two brothers favorite songs in 1970. I love the somewhat sinister vibe that the song has.
"Crocodile Rock" - I wasn't typically a 45 rpm singles buyer, so I often bought albums that had at least two hits on them. DON'T SHOOT ME I'M ONLY THE PIANO PLAYER was such an album. It had "Daniel" and "Crocodile Rock" on it, so the album became a purchase for me. I liked some of the other tracks on it too, like "Teacher I Need You", which would probably be frowned upon in today's culture.
On the Hot 100 chart, where it peaked at #3, Steve Alaimo was mis-credited as producer. Mr. Alaimo - a 1960's "teen idol" singer who by then was an A&R staff producer at T.K. - had been set to produce a version with a full backing band, but in the end decided to put out "as is" this "demo quality" recording, with only Lowrey organ and early rhythm machine (the same type previously heard on Sly & The Family Stone's "Family Affair") backing Mr. Thomas. This whole song - not just the sparse backing - works just fine "as is," and was absolutely ruined a few years ago by the hack Drake with "Hotline Bling" (blecch!). Most pressings "out there" of this were pressed by any of Capitol's pressing plants. They are identified by the 360 interlocking serrations embossed onto the record, the smaller 3.3125" center label, and the symbols of the respective plants (Scranton, Los Angeles, Jacksonville and Winchester) that pressed this. The label copy artwork was reduced in size from what was prepared by the Florida pressing plant that made original copies before it "broke out."
For me, the copy I've had of the Don't Shoot Me I'm Only The Piano Player LP (which contained "Crocodile Rock") was a Columbia pressing, with MCA-cut lacquers. Such pressings' vinyl was on average, a bit quieter than that on MCA's own pressings emanating from their Gloversville, NY and Pinckneyville, IL plants (the "Crocodile Rock" single was among the last to bear a '1' stamp on pressings from the former plant, and etched '2's' with hash marks on the latter plant's pressings), as Our Host had expounded on at length in various threads. By the time Columbia got to pressing them (only for Columbia House subscribers, they never pressed "stock" copies per se), the MCA "black rainbow" label was inaugurated:
My interest in this particular label drops to about nil about this point. I found the Uni, Kapp, and Decca labels beautiful, but the MCA label I find boring. I remember we had a 1969 album with an MCA Special Markets label (light blue, with a color bar across the middle that was similar to Decca's). The logo (at upper right on LP cover) was also very similar to the Decca one. Below here I posted a picture of what we had (also note the label on the vinyl, at right). If you look carefully at the vinyl you will see the tracks on the Neil Diamond side. I enjoyed those songs a lot, and it is probably the reason why "Brooklyn Roads" is my favorite Neil Diamond song. As I'm sure some of you are curious, the Diana Ross and the Supremes side has (in this order): The Composer No Matter What Sign You Are Some Things You Never Get Used To Does Your Momma Know About Me Get Ready
Crocodile Rock is pretty inconsequential among Elton's top tier songs but he sounds like he's having fun and that translated to the airwaves. Still, I've always preferred the B-side.
I've never thought of that before. It certainly could be, but then I doubt Don McLean was the first to suggest rock "died" between 1959 and 1964.
WRT to rock dying (but not necessarily between 1959 and 1964) - Pete Townshend was also expressing those sentiments around this time in "Long Live Rock" by the Who. I know this was recorded in 1972, but I am not aware of it appearing anywhere until 1974 (on Odds and Sods LP). According to Wikipedia, it was originally written in 1971 for a proposed 1972 album to be called Rock is Dead - Long Live Rock! This particular idea, however, was shelved and the project/thought evolved into the 1973 album Quadrophenia.
