Does anyone else think Elton does himself a disservice of basically saying he was screwed up on pills, alcohol, and sex during his most pivotal years? I get he had his issues, but you can't make that many great songs and albums being that screwed up. Maybe you can, but I kind of wish they had focused a little bit more on the music. If you want to compare, Bohemian Rhapsody did capture the essence of songwriting and recording a little bit better. Besides a few moments, it's like the songs take a backseat in this film. I suppose the film doesn't have to be about the music totally. It just seems like Elton feels guilty for hurting people and wants to make up for it by saying he was screwed up.
I don't know about that. What move have you ever seen about Rock musicians were not screwed up. Most movies more accurate biographies or not, always seem to include and dwell on the tragic events in that life of a movie star or other famous person. This is they way that they made the movie, I'm fine with the choices that they made. Would I make it the same way? No I would not. I would focus on the music, I would make it a musical that would be perfect for family entertainment. There have been many excellent movies about entertainers without the private details of their lives. There are always enough public dramatic events to fill a movie with. Not that I would be that interested in that either. I don't really have any interest in peoples "drama", there are plenty of people who have interest in the private life of those who are in the public view, I am not one of them. This kind of stuff is pure tabloid fodder. Always has been and always will be. But then, I don't read the tabloid's or watch soap operas.
Elton's version was the only version I heard on the radio for a very long time...I probably didn't hear stations play the Who's til the advent of '90s classic rock.
I've been meaning to see Rocketman for weeks and finally caught it today. Loved it! I liked Bohemian Rhapsody for the concert scenes, which were great, and the subsequent Queen resurgence, but it never stuck with me, and I was more irritated than a sane person should be by the inaccuracies. This film succeeded for me because it never pretends to be real in the first place. Amazing visuals, and very entertaining.
Which might have something to do with Tommy being released by The Who in 1969 and Elton John's version of Pinball Wizard being released in 1975?
As a kid in the 70s, I knew Elton's "PW" before the Who's. I was mad they didn't release Elton's as a single. I got the Who version and didn't like it as much!
The Who's version was not written with the intent of releasing it as a single, it was written as being an integral part of the Rock Opera, Tommy. EJ's was a cover. Hair by the Cowsills also was a cover. The version from the play was completely different, but people are familiar with the Cowsills version.
Yes, even when I was 8, I knew that. I knew the Who version was the original and Elton's was a cover, but I couldn't get Elton's as a single so I bought the Who version instead, hoping I'd like it as much. The Who's "PW" was released as a single back in 1969. It made it to 19 in the US. If you want to split hairs and claim it wasn't written "with the intent" of a single release, go for it. It was a single in 1969, so "intent" is irrelevant...
As a kid in the 70s, I knew Rod Stewart's version of 'Pinball Wizard' before either Elton's or the Who. I still have a soft spot for it... being my first exposure to the song... and I like the Who's original the least of the three. And interestingly, that was another case of an unreleased non-single that still got considerable AM airplay in early '73. It was on a DJ-promo only 7" EP with 3 other tracks from the "original cast" album on Ode Records. The track later appeared on Rod's first greatest hits album 'Sing It Again Rod'... which was a nice bonus at the time.
both the Rod Stewart and Elton John versions had massive airplay on our local Top 40 stations.....both went to #1 on one local station...that did their own TOP 40 countdown , and ran it exactly opposite another stations broadcast of AT40 .... i was such a nutcase as a kid , that i listened to one , and in another room , i would tape the other....if we had a family daytrip , i would actually skip the trip to stay home and listen and tape................ both charted on the that stations year end Top 100 , and both cracked the Top 20 in their respective years.... I do not know if it was just a local phenomenon but Elton , Rod , Zep , Stones were so big , that they had song after song that were album tracks , that they played like they were singles ..... God , Rod's "Farewell" ( i guess that was B-Side though , was #1 on a local station for around 3 months ) and Ball Trap was also huge , Same thing with Stairway To Heaven , Dancing Days and "All My Love" ....................
truthfully , i feel the same way , the Rod and Elton versions are so burned into my brain from radio play as a kid , i like both (a lot ) better then the Who's (and i do love the Who -own everything they ever released)
I get that! I first heard Pinball Wizard as a very young kid- I think I was 5- when it was a hit. I'm VERY partial to the original Tommy in every way! Elton's version is indeed great! When it was generating lots of radio play, I'd actually never heard "Can't Explain" yet. So it was very surprising to me to when I finally heard that song, the chords at the end of the Elton version was a tribute to "Can't Explain".
Interesting, I don't believe I have EVER heard Elton's version of Pinball Wizard on the radio, whereas I have quite likely heard The Who's version on the radio over 100 times over the years.
It made money... but not as much as they had hoped for. Strong out of the gate but cooled off fairly quickly. Box Office: 'Rocketman' Is A Hit, But Paramount Needed A Home Run The rationale they're using to explain it doing less business than 'Bohemian Rhapsody' is the R-rating vs. PG13. That's not the whole story, obviously... as we've discussed here for 30+ pages, they were two entirely different things. I'm reminded of the scene in 'Tantrums & Tiaras' where Elton throws a strop because the 'Believe' single had peaked in the charts far below expectations... EJ is probably none too thrilled that 'Rocketman' was not the massive blockbuster it was made out to be in all the pre-release hype.
Call me crazy if you want, but dude, I was 8! Elton was the hot thing, and the Who were some old band who didn't register for me at that time. I wanted the glam/flashy version Elton did, not what the Who did with the song. Now? I think both are good. "PW" isn't a favorite Who song, but I like it more at 52 than I did at 8. I still like the Elton version a lot...
While EJ's songs were very popular on the AM radio, during the top 40 period and I was aware of EJ's version. I don't really recall it being played that much, although apparently it was. I mostly remember The Who's version as a single. It is not a case of "intent" The Who's version was part of the Rock Opera, Tommy, it was written to be contextual withing that opera. Jesus Christ Superstar the single was from the Rock Opera of the same name. Note: JC Superstar, the single, was released before the album was finished to drum up some support of the album. While I appreciate that at the ripe old age of "8", listening to EJ, that does not dismiss Tommy as a complete artistic work. As you say, The Who were "some old band". Part of the appreciation of Pinball Wizard was that it was representative of Tommy, as a Rock Opera. More people are familiar with songs that are on a top 40 "hit list" in general, than they were the song on an artist's album. Most people today are familiar with Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In, Easy To Be Hard, Hair and Good Morning Starshine as top 40 hits, than they are with the songs as written and performed within the context of the Broadway Play "Hair". Being someone who listened to the original works of Jesus Christ Superstar, Tommy and Hair, my preferences lie with the songs as they were originally presented on the original albums as compared to the top 40 covers. The historical significance of these original works, having preceded you at age "8", would not have garnered your attention and ultimate appreciation. While EJ's songs were very popular on the AM radio, during the top 40 period and I was aware of EJ's version. I don't really recall it being played that much, although apparently it was. I mostly remember The Who's version as a single.
I just got back from seeing this in the theater. I went by myself and it turns out I was the only person in my theater. This is the first time I've ever been completely alone at the movies. I understand it is at the very end of its run and bigger films are out. That's why I went this late! It was actually a very nice experience. I love Elton John, mostly the classic years. I liked the film a lot. I went in knowing it was more a fantasy musical and the songs were all out of historical time period. It worked for me. They went with what worked thematically for each song based on the words (which was a little bit weird at times--like Elton playing Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me when he is estranged from Bernie, but Bernie wrote those lyrics so...). Overall, I just let myself get carried away with the songs, the performances and the story. I don't think it put Elton in a bad light. I felt tremendous empathy for him. I felt so sad for him during the scene on the roof when he tried to kiss Bernie. Oh, Elton. I actually said that out loud. I was alone! The final When are you going to hug me? moment really hit me hard. I liked it a lot and would compare is to Across the Universe, not Bohemian Rhapsody. Taron Edgerton did a fantastic job. I'll probably get the bluRay when it comes out. One of the more enjoyable rock movies I've seen.
The movie is unflinching in portraying the lows. It's quite amazing he was still able to turn out classic albums and singles during those years. I felt a lot of empathy for the guy.
Me too. That scene at his father's house with his father's younger sons was just brutal. Completely subtle and underplayed, but emotionally devastating.
Growing up in the 80's I remember Elton John as a living genius who could pull off a solid performance in a Mozart outfit and a shot voice. This movie implies that all the albums from 76-89 were as the John Reid character says, "coked-up MOR". It's tough to listen to, say Jump Up now and shake off the impression that all Elton had in mind during the writing and recording was the next snore... That being said, I enjoyed the film tremendously. And I found the depiction of his lost coked-up 80's very fitting: just that posh restaurant, stylish, cool but also vapid and shallow.
Even Elton has said there were periods where he wasn't using or drinking,so it's hard to say which albums were recorded when. In any case, it's still pretty impressive he was able to do albums as good as Jump up/ too low/ breaking hearts even when he was a complete mess. He's said many times the only reason he's still alive is he kept working. If he had retired completely after 1976 it's very possible he may have died by the mid 80s .
