“Can I Put You On” is a killer track that would have been great on any of his early albums. I’ve never seen the film, but I’ve always had a hard time picturing where that song fit in such a movie. I’m not surprised to hear it wasn’t written for it. “Honey Roll” is a nice track that would have fit nicely on the “Elton John” album but they quickly outgrew that. If not for the “Friends” soundtrack that one probably ends up being a B-side. “Friends” and “Michelle’s Song” sound as if they cranked those out in a few minutes. I like both those tracks—there’s a charm and innocence about them both that I imagine did the movie well—but neither sound as if their hearts were really in them. I’ve always thought that “Michelle’s Song” was interesting/odd in that none of the lyrics in the verses rhyme. Intentional on Bernie’s part? (He was often very loose with what he considered a rhyme anyway) or just another example of how rushed/uninterested they were in the project? In any case, it shows just how on fire they were in this early period. If these are two of the weakest tracks they came up with (and they arguably are), they are still pretty damned good!
I believe that "Can I Put You On" and for sure "Honeyroll" were leftovers from the Tumbleweed sessions. "Honeyroll" in fact was the b side to "Friends"
Neither have the same production as anything on “Tumbleweed”. Perhaps they were abandoned before Gus went whole-hog on them? Yeah, I know it was the b-side to Friends. I meant it would have been left over as a non-album b-side otherwise. Maybe it shows up as the b-side to Tiny Dancer later on Nowhere near strong enough to be on Tumbleweed, IMO. It is in the same lane musically and lyrically as “Amoreena” which smokes it.
It most certainly is. A really excellent , coming of age movie, well worth watching. It is available on streaming. DVD's are difficult to come by, most copies out there are VHS. Here is a link to a seller on eBay that is offering the DVD version, new for 19.99. FRIENDS (1971) DVD Elton John, Sean Bury Anicée Alvina REGION 1 Lewis Gilbert directed the movie staring Sean Bury as Paul Harrison and Anicée Alvina as Michelle Latour. Lewis Gilbert is best known for directing The Spy Who Loved Me (‘the highlight of my career’), You Only Live Twice (1967) and Moonraker (1979) as well as Educating Rita (1983). Lewis Gilbert also directed a follow up movie Paul and Michelle, also back together for this follow up movie are Sean Bury and Anicée Alvina, reprising their original rolls. Keir Dullea from 2001: A Space Odyssey, makes an appearance in Paul and Michelle. Sean Bury went on teaching children with special needs. Unfortunately, Anicée Alvina, who was both a French singer and an actress, died of lung cancer on 10 November 2006, at age 53. Paul and Michelle is another very rare movie to find on DVD, but it is available from Zeus DVD's for $9.99. Stills from the movie. Anicée Alvina, Sean Bury, and Sara Stout in Paul and Michelle (1974) A bit of irony in this next photo.
One of those movies I’ve always meant to see simply because I’ve been listening to the soundtrack since 1973. I really should at some point. Not one I could probably interest the wife in though. “Honey? Do you want to watch this rather obscure 50 year old British movie I’m interested in mostly because it has a couple of Elton John songs in it that you’ve never heard before?” Even if it’s one she might end up liking, I’ll probably have a hard time getting her to commit to the 90 minutes or so to find out. Lol.
I don't know if you will hear any new songs, having and listening to the soundtrack album. Soundtrack Credits Friends Written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin Performed by Elton John 'Friends' Soundtrack album available on Paramount Records By Permission of DJM Records Michelle's Song Written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin Performed by Elton John Seasons Written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin Performed by Elton John Variation on Michelle's Song (A Day in the Country) Written by Elton John, Bernie Taupin, and Paul Buckmaster Performed by Elton John Can I Put You On Written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin Performed by Elton John Honey Roll Written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin Performed by Elton John I Meant to Do My Work Today (A Day In the Country) Written by Elton John, Bernie Taupin, and Paul Buckmaster Poem "I Meant To Do My Work Today" by Richard Gallienne Performed by Elton John You can always explain to her that Friends is included on the film critic Roger Ebert's "Most Hated" list, and your are dying to know why? But 90-minutes is a long period of time to commit to. LOL... How bout, "I hear it is a really good "classic" movie by a really excellent director and BTW... there is a great soundtrack featuring Elton John with songs written by Bernie Taupin"?
Oh I wouldn’t expect any new songs for me to hear. I know she wouldn’t know any of them though. Nor would she care. And yeah. 90 minutes IS a long time to commit to. We are lucky to manage a few hours of TV/movie watching a week. The list of shows/movies to watch is pretty backed up. Moving this one up to the front of the queue? Probably won’t happen. I don’t think she’s had any interest in “coming of age” movies since she came of age herself. Lol As much as I’d like to see “Friends” someday? If it’s available on Netflix maybe some afternoon when I’m home alone with nothing to do? It’s possible...
Agreed, 'Honey Roll' is not that strong of a track... but 'Can I Put You On' is epic. I don't think it was a leftover or out-take from 'Tumbleweed Connection'... it was a big part of their live set at the time (see '11-17-70')... just before 'Tumbleweed' was released. I can see that track fitting in very nicely on that album... it evokes the whole 19th century vibe they were going for. Although, it does have a decidedly British point of view... which maybe doesn't work with the American theme of the record. So how about this?... 'Can I Put You On' replaces 'Rotten Peaches' on 'Madman' (?) The interview I was referring to where EJ said they resented giving up the songs... I'm paraphrasing but it was along the lines of "they were good songs that we could have used on our own album." It was a last minute thing where they (the film producers) wanted to flesh out the soundtrack... in order to play up the Elton John marketing tie-in. The two songs were hardly used in the film... very short snippets coming from a car radio, IIRC. I've tried to watch it a couple of times... it's a bit of a slog. Quite dated now / very of its time... kind of "arty" and slow. Not unlike everything else that came out around that time... 'Love Story', 'Summer of '42' etc etc. It used to be on YouTube... but now it's only on their pay-per-view function. It's only a few bucks... so if you're curious. Here's the intro / first three minutes which gives you the general idea...
Love “Can I Put You On” but not sure it really goes well on any of the proper albums. Maybe it’s because they are both on the live album, but I’ve always put that one in the same league with “Bad Side of the Moon”. Another track I think is great but was relegated to a B-side. Anyway, glad that soundtrack exists because I’ve always liked the songs on it. I even enjoy “Four Moods”. But I love Paul Buckmaster’s stuff. That snippet intrigued me. And the girl is way-cute. Slow movies don’t bother me per se. I may have to check it out. At least just to find out where all the songs appear.
I would agree with you that the pacing was a bit like Summer of '42. Although the movie was produced by a very commercially successful director Lewis Gilbert, it was more artistically shot and edited, more for a European audience than a more commercial market, like America. The "slowness" provides for the artistic parts to be inserted. They allow for the cinematography of the countryside and the musical score to be presented more fully. I personally could do with a few less action scenes in movies and allow a bit more dialogue and character development to occur. My favorite scenes in Avengers: Endgame were not the action scenes. I've always thought that Anicée Alvina was quite naturally attractive. This was another attribute to movies back then, a more natural look with less make-up and overdone hair and wardrobe.
Love “Summer of ‘42”. Can’t imagine why I would watch an Avengers movie unless there was nothing else on. Really? I think there was just as much overdone hair and makeup then if not more. Just a different style is all. And depends on the role of course.
It's a very sexy and beautiful film for the time and of the time I saw it in 1972 when I was 17). And it's obviously European. Americans would have then (and now) freaked out about the young sexual content in the film. Friggen Americans....
Well naturally it would depend on the roll and the period being portrayed in the movie. But, the big hair didn't come until later in the 80's. Here is a shot of Working Girl from 1988 with Melanie Griffith. This was all post Disco days. The late sixties were when a lot of independent films were made after the studio system had gone away in the earlier sixties. The late 60's and early seventies were the "Hippie" days and natural was in. Up until the middle 60's before the Hippie era, there was excessive clothes and makeup and lots of styled hair. Before the 1960's, most movies were shot in B&W back in the 50's and before, except for the more major studio productions. By the middle 60's everything was shot in color and the studio movies were big, glamorous and in full Technicolor. When I went to college in the early 70's, you almost never even saw a girl in a dress, it was mostly jeans, a pull over shirt and long straight hair. The long straight hair and less make-up would of course apply to movies that were being portrayed during that late 60's early seventies time period. Here is a shot from Love Story. Here's Ali as she make her feature premier appearance in Goodbye Columbus. Look at photos from Woodstock, everybody wore long straight hair, the guys too. Here is Barbara Hershey form The Babymaker (1970). By the later 70's, the war was over, long hair had disappeared and Disco days were here and fashion was back in fashion once again. Mostly forgettable fashion...
I would have been about the same age and I saw it around the same time. Of course, back then, you saw the movie when it was released in theaters, or you didn't see it.
lol. Not sure why you feel the need to give me a photo-history of hair-styles through the ages, or point out to me that a movie poster from "Love Story" is in fact, from "Love Story", or tell me about when movies were shot in color or black and white, but one can pick and choose just about anything they want from any era. The late 60s and early 70s had no shortage of women with big hair and too much makeup. Ann-Margret in Carnal Knowledge in 1971 Raquel Welch in 1968 And actresses today, especially when playing young, coming of age roles, can look just as "natural".
And, BTW, while I know full well that straight hair on girls was in fashion in the late 60s/early 70s, you really don't believe this is an actual photo from Woodstock, do you? Pretty sure this was taken a couple of years ago.
I'll tell you why... I made a statement Which you quoted... To which I replied with some illustrations of movies back then. I was not providing as you say "a photo-history of hair-styles through the ages", I was providing photos of some movies during a specific time period. I was doing this to illustrate my point that during the late 60's and early 70's, the predominant fashion was "Hippie" inspired. In real life as well as movies, that was the major fashion of that era, just the same as classic rock came from that era. That does not mean the they didn't have rock before or after that era or other music other than rock music during that era. If you were under 30 in this country this would by the typical music that you would listen to and this is the predominant style of clothes and hairstyle you would find during that period. The colorful middle 60's featured a lot of U.K. inspired "Mod" fashions with styled hair, colorful make-up and best of all, mini-skirts. By the time that Woodstock appeared on the scene, this fashion was no longer "in vogue". By the same token, as the war ended and hippie era went went away and rock was replaced by Disco music, fashion changed again to... Although the bell bottom thing was pretty much a holdover from the hippie days. Mens "platform" shoes and hairstyles were new. While you can pick and choose just about anything from any era, there were predominant fashions in many eras. Go into the 80's and along with big hair, you will find aerobics classes filled with women wearing leg warmers. Here's Jane warming up for you. Movies from any period tend to reflect the fashion trends from that period. Nothing really new here. As to the "Not sure why you feel the need to give me..." or "tell me about when movies were...". My posts are directed at those who may be reading them and are not "directed" to you in specific. They should be regarded as just regular forum discussions, nothing personal intended.
Since you are not in agreement with the content that I copied from the IMDb web site with regard to the Friends soundtrack credits, perhaps you could further enlighten us by letting us understand where they fail to be accurate. As it stands, we are only learning from you that they are not accurate. We just are not being made aware of where they are lacking in accuracy. If some bit of information that I have posted is found to be lacking in accuracy I would be most appreciative of know what is not accurate and where a correction is necessary. Realizing that these things do happen, I feel that I owe it to out forum readers to correct any post of mine that is less that accurately stated.
Fair enough. Your posts seemed a bit condescending in tone. I’ll try to not take them as such in the future. But yes. Fashion changes over time. And every era has it excesses. BTW. Pretty sure your “mod 60s” photo isnt of the period as well. If you are going to give photo-essay lessons on the history of fashion, shouldn’t they be authentic?
That photo was probably taken a couple of years ago. Woodstock was a pretty crowded place and the weather was overcast and raining. The movie has some nice "hippie" footage, but most of the stills were done in B&W and many were shot with poor camera's. That particular photo looks like it is professionally shot in a pre arranged photo shoot, which was apparently a recreation of the late 60's era fashions of which I was referring to. My comment was... That is, if the fashions that I was referring to, were not being clearly illustrated by the photos that I posted. Having answered your quotes as best as I am able, I am now returning the thread back to its original subject. If you do have some necessary corrections to my soundtrack credits post, they would most certainly be applicable to the subject, being that they are referencing biographical information relating to Elton John that might have been contained in Rocketman.
Elton John did not perform either “Variations on Michelle’s Song” or “I Meant To Do My Work Today”. Those are just orchestral pieces. Whether Elton and Bernie actually received songwriting credits for that latter? I’m not sure. The piece hints at some elements from the “Friends” theme. But only in that it is in keeping with the tempo and thematic elements. Not the melody. You really just have had to listen to them to know where Elton performs or not. IIRC, the original LP credits are a bit more specific and accurate.
My point being that there are many elements to the fashion that are clearly modern and not fully “60s”. Modern recreations rarely go Full Monty. (One is my pet peeves about retro movies, BTW). They want it to “feel” of an era but still be comfortable for modern viewers. Just thinking that if you want to show people what the 60s looked like, actual photos from the 60s rather than modern kids in “retro” clothing might work better? FWIW, the first clue to me that a movie is “retro” and not the real thing? Girls’ eyebrows. They might be willing to get the hair and makeup correct, but rarely do they bother to get the eyebrows right.
