Fifty Years Since Sir Elton John's Breakthrough LP

After writing a post, the other day, on the 45th anniversary of Aeromsith's breakthrough LP, comes another breakthrough milestone. Sir Elton John, known then as Reginald Kenneth Dwight, issued his self-titled breakthrough LP fifty years ago today.
Elton John - Elton John.jpg

The foundation of EJ's Sound

 The album set the stage for what would be the sound on EJ's albums throughout the 70s and into the early 80s (i.e. prior to To Low For Zero). It is also known for being one of the first showing the songwriting power of Bernie Taupin.

Taupin met Elton John in 1967 after the two answered an ad to write songs for popular soul singers of the day. The late 60s were spent writing songs for Liberty Records artists. Taupin composed lyrics while Elton John, who was not a talented lyricist, came up with the music. Apart from a time between 1977 and 1980, the duo collaborated on more than thirty albums.

Another prominent figure in Elton John's music was producer Gus Dudgeon. Their first collaboration was the first single of this album, Your Song featuring orchestration by another prominent figure, Paul Backmaster. The song was a top 10 hit in Canada, the Netherlands, the UK, and the US, and a top 20 hit in Australia, Ireland, and New Zealand. Dudgeon produced every LP thereafter up to, and including, 1976's Blue Moves.

The band

 Elton John's "band" was never formally recognized as a formal entity. This is perhaps among the last LPs to feature mostly session players. Caleb Quaye, who had played on his previous debut, 1969's Empty Sky alongside percussionist Roger Pope and bassist Dee Murray, made another appearance here. By 1971's Madman Across the Water, Dee Murray and Nigel Olsen were recruited as bass player and rummer respectively and by 1972's Don't Shoot me I'm Just the PIano Player, Davey Johnston became the long-time guitarist.

An Important Stepstone

 While the follow-up, Tumbleweed Connection issued six months later and was lackbuster compared to this LP, EJ rebounded in 1971 with his aforementioned LP Madman Across the Water. In November 1970, EJ performed for then WABC in New York City at A&R Recording Studios for this first live album 17-11-70, released to North American markets as 11-17-70. That album is notorious for featuring an 18-minute edition of Tumbleweed Connection's Burn Down the Mission.

In 1972, then Reginald Kenneth Dwight legally changed his name to Elton John. The "Elton" coming from jazz saxophonist Dean Elton, and the "John" coming from "Long John Baldry" from his previous band, Bluesology.

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