Unheralded Elton john songs

Feed Me
Chameleon
Return To Paradise
Tower Of Babel
Georgia
The Wide Eyed and Laughing
Crazy Water

 

My personal list of some of my favorite Elton "deep tracks":

- "Where's The Shoorah", "Someone's Final Song" (featuring some of the Beach Boys and Toni Tenille on the gorgeous backing vocals!), "Shoulder Holster" and "Chameleon" from Blue Moves
- Pretty much everything off Captain Fantastic, but especially the title track and "We All Fall In Love Sometimes / Curtains"
- "The Ballad Of Danny Bailey" and "All The Girls Love Alice" off Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
- "Mona Lisa and Mad Hatters" from Honky Chateau
- "All The Nasties" and "Goodbye" from Madman Across The Water
- "Medley: Yell Help / Wednesday Night / Ugly" and "Grow Some Funk Of Your Own" from Rock Of The Westies
- "Love Song", "Amoreena", and "Talking Old Soldiers" from Tumbleweed Connection
- "Blues For Baby And Me" and "High Flying Bird" from Don't Shoot Me, I'm Only The Piano Player
- "Pinky" and "I've Seen The Saucers" from Caribou

 

Funny, but that might actually sound cool!

 

Only appearing on a Portuguese 1968 EP, this track is very groovy...



I often wonder what Empty Sky would have been like had it not been seeped in mythologically based lyrics, harpsichord and psychedelia lite tendencies... It is a very enjoyable special sounding record, but if his R&B roots had shone through just a bit more, I wonder if it would have sold more. Probably not. And I'm glad the slightly archaic sound remained early on, his self-titled album has some of the best string arrangements ever put to popular music.

 

Thanks heavens his R&B roots did NOT show through more.
Whenever I used to read Elton's comments about which artists he admired and was influenced by, I used to shake my head in puzzlement. I realised very early on that music fandom is not a transitive relationship. That is, if A likes the music of B, and B likes the music of C. one cannot infer that A likes the music of C.

 

For some reason Country Comfort is the track from that album that seemed to get the lion's share of the radio airplay in this country - probably my least favourite song on the album.

 

I recall hearing an interview with Elton John in which he said "Rod Stewart did Country Comfort and got every word wrong." He nevertheless was quite fond of Rod's cover.

 

So, how many were like me and thought otherwise when we heard the phrase “love lies bleeding” in funeral for a friend. Didnt know it was a drooping plant with crimson flowers.

 

Texas Love Song

 

Can't you leave some for others to list?

 

To be fair, he didn't list "Regimental Sgt Zippo".

 

So many great songs in his classic period and a lot of really good ones after that.
Some of my favs:
Skyline Pidgeon
I Need You To Turn To
Border Song
Come Down In Time
My Father's Gun
Talking Old Soldiers
Holiday Inn
Mellow
Salvation
Blues For Baby And Me
Have Mercy On The Criminal
High Flying Bird
I've Seen That Movie Too
Sweet Painted Lady
Roy Rogers
Ticking
Writing
We All Fall In Love Sometimes/Curtains
Street Kids
Tonight
Chameleon
Shine On Through
Healing Hands
Blue Avenue
Part Time Love
Chloe
Empty Garden
All Quiet On The Western Front
Cold As Christmas
In Neon
Did He Shoot Her?
Latitude
Love's Got A Lot To Answer For
Original Sin
Porch Swing In Tupelo
It's Getting Dark In Here
Blues Never Fade Away

great stuff. I would buy this as a box set. Elton is the man.

 

I know I went over the rails here but Elton is my #1 artist. I keep finding songs that I did not list, though. Always had an affection for:



There will probably be more... This should say something about the breadth of Elton's discography. Does anybody know Wake Up Wendy? When it came out, or so I've read, diehards were surprised because it sounded so much like what he would do a few years later with Songs From the West Coast: A return to form of sorts.

 

Actually some of the B sides/outtakes from Songs From The West Coast and Peachtree Rd are good. Although he did end up putting bits of them on The Diving Board and Wonderful Crazy Night (with different words)

 

Which ones? I'm curious. 5th Avenue reminds me more of Burning Buildings than e.g. the 2001-2005 B-sides.

 

Bitter Fingers

 

Similar scenarios with the two songs, so yeah...

"Ticking" made for a great album closer that's for certain.
For me it showcases Elton's piano playing at it's best. If someone said to me: "prove to me that Elton John is a keyboard virtuoso on the same level as Rick Wakeman or Keith Emerson", this is the track I would play for them!

 

Good point about 5th Avenue.

As to the others, from memory A Town Called Jubilee has quite strong bits of So Sad The Renegade, at least in the intro.

The Ballad of Blind Tom has bits of Keep It A Mystery.

 

Never noticed this but you're right. I definitely hear some traces of those songs in there as well.

Always also heard a sort-of similarity between parts of Too Many Tears and Postcards From Richard Nixon. The same wandering piano line and vocal flow.

 

I've always liked Teacher I Need You; a nice, bouncy piano pop song.

 

"Snow Queen" will be included on the upcoming Kiki Dee box set, The Rocket Years.

Amazon UK
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07N3RGZTD/
Amazon US
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07N3RGZTD/ [US link not yet active at time of posting]



Track Listing
Disc 1
1. Loving And Free
2. If It Rains
3. Lonnie And Josie
4. Travelling In Style
5. You Put Something Better Inside Of Me
6. Supercool
7. Rest My Head
8. Amoureuse
9. Song For Adam
10. Sugar On The Floor
11. The Last Good Man In My Life
12. Six Days On The Road

Disc 2
1. I've Got The Music In Me
2. Someone To Me
3. Step By Step
4. Water
5. Out Of My Head
6. Do It Right
7. Little Frozen One
8. Heart And Soul
9. You Need Help
10. Hard Luck Story
11. Everyone Should Have Their Way
12. Simple Melody
13. How Glad I Am
14. Peter


Disc 3
1. Cage The Songbird
2. Uphill Peace Of Mind
3. Prince Of Fools
4. Once A Fool
5. Bright Medallion
6. Chicago [Original Version]
7. Man After My Own Heart
8. Rock 'N' Roll Me Baby
9. First Thing In The Morning [Original Version]
10. Cry Like A Baby
11. A Change Is Gonna Come
12. Don't Go Breaking My Heart
13. Snow Queen


Disc 4
1. How Much Fun
2. Sweet Creation
3. Into Eternity
4. Standing Room Only
5. Bad Day Child
6. Chicago
7. Night Hours
8. Keep Right On
9. In Return
10. Walking
11. First Thing In The Morning
12. The Man Who Loved To Dance


Disc 5
1. One Step
2. Talk To Me
3. Don't Stop Loving Me
4. Dark Side Of Your Soul
5. Stay With Me
6. One Jump Ahead Of The Storm
7. You're Holding Me Too Tight
8. Love Is A Crazy Feeling
9. Safe Harbor

 

Not sure if it's been mentioned, but "The Retreat" (flip side to "I Guess...Blues") is a great song, to my ears.

Also, "This Song Has No Title". Pure pop greatness.

 

For Rebecca (yes, it actually was issued!)
Can I Put You On
Dirty Little Girl
Amy
Elderberry Wine
Harmony
Pinky
the "Wednesday Night' portion of the medley

 

I liked a lot of the Peachtree Road b-sides, that was the last year he had a really great crop of songs to work with.