Elton John - behind the scenes, in the studio

[@AimsWorld17]

Bernie Taupin's lyrics are genius. He is the brown dirt cowboy. Somehow at times he is still underrated to this day, but Elton and Bernie were meant to be. One would never have been the same without the other.

[@DexterHaven]

Yeah, as the years go by, I appreciate how fresh & different Bernie's lyrics are compared to other songwriters. Songs like "Dirty Little Girl" and "I've seen the Saucers" and "You're so Static" and "Son of your Father" and "Bennie and the Jets" have a good blend of strong images and life lessons, it seems to me. I saw an essay online called "On the writing style of Bob Dylan" that mentions Bernie in the last line as a possible Nobel Prize winner some day.

[@blackdeathgaming1351]

Never thought I’d hear Elton sing goodbye yellow brick road in f major again

[@dreamluvr1600]

i love Elton John’s personality just as much as his unique voice!

[@DexterHaven]

He showed his sense of humor in the '70s on his first appearance on the Tonight Show. The host mentioned he had the same last name as Olivia Newton John, who was big then, and wondered if they were related. Elton said, "No, we are not, [pause] but she's got my looks."

[@dreamluvr1600]

Dexter Haven OMG haha i wanna go watch that now thanks for telling me!

[@wagnercabrerisso5986]

Ahead at his time and born to win, Sir Elton John has been the soundtrack of my entire life since 1972 when l heard Crocodile Rock for the 1st time. Since then, l can't go on living without it. Blessings to him cos'he's still standing after all this time, don't you agree ?!

[@DexterHaven]

He's fulfilling his destiny -- playing sixty years on.

[@reneehampton42]

No one can write Beautiful music Like Elton and Bernie can Elton has so much talent in Him Love you Elton😎😍🎹🎶🎸

[@fabiodejesuscamargoeletricista]

Elton John for me is a great Singer of The time l love so very much conglatulation Elton John!

[@DexterHaven]

Elton has some great obscure tracks on his albums, such as "I've Seen the Saucers" on Caribou and "Dirty little Girl" on Yellow Brick. Check them out some time. His vocal ability in the mid-70s was peerless, I think.

[@Jhensy2012]

To me the great 'lost' hit on Caribou was 'Ticking'... the only song I considered up to Yellow Brick Road's level.

[@johnscialfa7391]

Agree

[@fabiodejesuscamargoeletricista]

Fantastic productions of Elton John's and absolutely adore you.

[@DexterHaven]

Thanks, a lot of people just like me for my looks, so I have to be careful when I go out... ;D

[@Aiila23]

These interviews are priceless and insightful.

[@PaulJGorzkowski]

And after all that he's done for the music industry, he still remains humble and down to earth! Nowadays, musicians write one good hit and they're all over themselves and have an ego. I hope you watched and liked, Rocketman? I absolutely loved it!

[@DexterHaven]

No, I didn't see it yet. I saw it in real time, it seems.

[@PaulJGorzkowski]

@@DexterHaven Not exactly!! It's a bit of a documentary fantasy kind of movie. The biggest thing you will certainly take away from the movie is the meaning behind some of the songs. I actually developed a new found respect for Taron Egerton and Jamie Bell! Always and will forever love Elton John.

[@DexterHaven]

I see. Did it explain the line from "Someone Saved my Life Tonight" that goes, "Coming in the morning with a truck to take me home," for example? I know what the line means, I just wonder if the movie explained it for everyone. @@PaulJGorzkowski

[@PaulJGorzkowski]

@@DexterHaven I can't remember if it did or not.

[@PaulJGorzkowski]

@Freakyears Elton lover You got a good point because Elton did sing at Ryan White's funeral and yes, the whole Aids Foundation concert and stuff, it seems that at least something about it would've been included in the movie. Damn, I remember, Ryan White being all over the news and especially his death. I was exactly two days older than him.

[@DexterHaven]

5:31 I heard Nigel Olson interviewed on the radio. He was asked what song the audiences like in concert. He said the crowd asks for and goes nuts when they play "Harmony."

[@ldchappell1]

I've always been fascinated by the "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" album. It was a required album if you had a decent stereo system from 1973 to 1975. I still remember buying it in 1973 when I was 15. I think I paid $6.99 for it. Hearing the whole album for the first time was awesome even though I had a cheap little suitcase stereo at the time. We wore the album out in our house playing it everyday for 2 or 3 months. Everybody had their favorite track. I still think "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" is the coolest album cover of all time.

[@DexterHaven]

+ldchappell1 Very interesting. Nice to see a true Elton fan. My favoirte track on that album was "Dirty Little Girl," with "Bennie and the jets" a close second. Elton's remaining songs were often as good as his hits, I think. I still have one of those suitcase record players and use it still on old Elton records... Nice nostalgia.

[@ldchappell1]

Dexter Haven I'm definitely an original Elton John fan. I knew there was something awesome about him the first time I heard "Country Comfort" on the radio in 1970. I bought the "Tumbleweed Connection" album about a month later. We were in the car coming back from the record store when my grandmother said "Can I see your record?" She looked at it and said "So this is the latest big thing huh? I bet in two years you won't even remember this guy." LOL. Little did she know.

[@DexterHaven]

+ldchappell1 Very interesting. Nice to see and even earlier Elton fan than me. I heard Your Song on the radio in 1970 like everyone else and thought it was a little sappy. Crocodile Rock caught my attention more. The first record I ever bought with my money was the 45 of The Bitch is Back. Caribou is one of my favorite albums of all time... The first Elton LP I bought was Elton's Greatest Hits (vol. 1).

[@ldchappell1]

Dexter Haven I got two copies of Elton John's Greatest Hits for Christmas 1974. That made 3 copies because I bought one in November 1974 when it came out. I followed his career and bought all of his albums from 1970 to 1989. I didn't follow him at all in the 90s. I have his entire catalog to date but I rarely listen to any of the albums after "Blue Moves." from 1976.

[@DexterHaven]

+ldchappell1 Yes, I have the yellow swirl label from UNI. I got it from Brothers Records online years ago. Hercules was about a real cat's name, I heard. My old best friend's favorite track is Mona Lisas, since he is the son of a banker and was moved by the line "sons of bankers" as if Elton personally acknowledged his kind. A couple of other non-famous tracks by Elton on other albums that I like especially are Pinky, his smoothest vocal, I think, and Son of your Father. I also love his raw vocal inflection on Street Kids and on Tell me when the Whistle Blows. ;)

[@driversteve9345]

Not a single down vote on this video with 150 up votes! Elton is the perfect composer in history! Just my opinion!

[@DexterHaven]

I agree. That's why I objected to how Rolling Stone ranked him and Taupin in their list of the 100 best songwriters (#48). They put Elton/Taupin behind people like Lou Reed and Jackson Browne and others who were not even in their league as far as output volume of quality songs goes.

[@DexterHaven]

For more on Elton, check out the new video on on YT, "Elton John - medley of isolated vocals." Perfect vocal timbre, I'd say. ;)

[@robertkushner156]

And the greatest STUDIO RECORDINGS ever created!!! I never get tired of the fabulous mixing, composing, and Elton"s vocals! The very very best!!!!!

[@DexterHaven]

@Freakyears Elton lover You are wise.

[@stevengerrick7699]

Elton John Bernie taupin Nigel olson Dee Murray Davey jonstone the best ever

[@richatlarge462]

These are the best clips from the VH1 "classic album" special on GYBR. Thanks for posting them in one place.

[@DexterHaven]

You have good judgment. I felt the same way. "That's Elton." ;)

[@scottharrison2839]

Elton rules

[@joefersanhaddad]

"Of the 70's"? Excuse me. Ever.

[@DexterHaven]

Did you see the final seconds of this video? I waited till I proved the case... ;)

[@javiervidal7980]

Great interview!!

[@KRAZEEIZATION]

He’s up there with Freddie and Elvis when it comes to live performance.

[@standingelton6375]

Don't forget John Lennon.

[@DexterHaven]

Elton had what Bob Dylan says his old producer had -- the one who produced Johny Cash live at San Quinten -- "momentum." Their fiery ambitious energy that fuels some rare few people.

[@cabeloDoPardal2]

1:00 truth..

[@DexterHaven]

0:49 too

[@carman200l]

um... Late for the Sky Album - lyrical perfection

[@DexterHaven]

5:55 the forgotten star, on the right with the long hair, Elton's engineer!

[@phillyjilly9796]

Priceless. Ty.

[@Ocrilat]

I understand there is the temptation to edit out how important the band was to Elton's success in those days...currently even Elton has done it. But without the genius of Nigel Olsson, drums/vocals, Dee Murray, bass/vocals and Davey Johnstone, guitars/vocals... Elton would never have been able to put out so many, and so high quality, albums that he did from 1972-1975. Elton wrote the music, but it was the individual band members that created their own 'parts', with no input from Elton at all. They also wrote and recorded their backing vocals themselves. Without the band contributing to the creation of the songs, and the grueling touring schedule they had...it might have been in different story. I have heard that Davey Johnstone has been working on a documentary on the Elton John band, with Elton and David Furnish's blessing, but eventually t=he stopped talking about it, and I don't know if it's still happening, cancelled, or what.

[@DexterHaven]

I suspect Davey will wait till Elton fully retires or passes on to continue or go public, so as to tread lightly around Elton, who is prone to tantrums anyway. Btw, I tried to watch "Rocketman" but it was a fictional farce. They got so many things wrong; they went for the cheap musical breaks. They even rewrote how Elton picked 'John' for his las name. it was not from Lennon, as the movie said, but from Long John Baldry. Plus, they had him playing "Crocodile Rock" at the Troubadour in his first US show in 1970. That song wasn't even written till years later, etc. Rubbish movie, except the part where Elton composed "Your Song."

[@RJS1974]

Your point is well taken but it’s not true that Elton didn’t tell his band how to play their parts. There is footage of him stopping the band when they are recording and asking Nigel to come in sooner or to play a slightly different beat etc. Elton also told Davy what kind of guitar riff he wanted for Madman, etc. Elton John took his music seriously and he most certainly directed his band. He does give Davey writing credits later for songs such as Grow Some Funk and I guess That’s why they Call it blues. I agree that the band doesn’t get enough props. But think about The Beatles. Ringo is a great drummer but he doesn’t get song writing credit for his drum fills on Lenon McCartney compositions. Same with Harrison . He gets no song writing credit for “his part” on McCartney/Lennon compositions.

[@Ocrilat]

@@RJS1974 Hey I'd love to see it...link it. I'm going off what Elton and the band said on the documentary on making Goodbye Yellow Brick Road.

[@RJS1974]

@@Ocrilat I linked a clip but I don’t see it anymore. Did you see it? Maybe it was deleted for some reason.

[@RJS1974]

@@Ocrilat Also this is an excerpt from Elton’s website where it explains the songwriting process for Madman. Here Davy explains that Elton showed him on the piano what kind of guitar intro he wanted. Apparently Elton was not happy with the guitar track by Ronson and so Gus brought Davy into the studio for Madman. Here is what happened per Elton’s website: {A couple of great guitar players, Mick Ronson and Mike Chapman had played on what was to be Reg’s new album title track, Madman Across The Water, but the result wasn’t what they’d hoped for, so Gus had asked me to come in and do what I do. “Reg played me the piano figure he wanted done on acoustic guitar, so I said, ‘Something like this?’ “Cries of ‘That’s it!’ from Gus Dudgeon, Reg, and the brilliant orchestral arranger Paul Buckmaster made me feel I’d nailed it!}

[@MJ-oi5wb]

to this day when I hear GBYBR, I think of them in the boat and woods

[@DexterHaven]

I picture this winking and his playing Harmony outdoors. Harmony, a song about him and his muse.

[@julesnaraine]

Fab!

[@BugzKiller]

Elton....it was the Clothes you were wearing back then that gave you that Boyish young voice!! LOL

[@brendadillree138]

WOW 😁

[@eileenryan5881]

My name is singing Goodbye Yellow Brick Road the outfit was he was wearing on my God turn me on I love her name with feathers and bows and things like that don't mind loving you loving you 47 years you still a hottie

[@koenderbb5191]

What documentary is this from? I'd love to see the whole thing?

[@DexterHaven]

That anniversary DVD on the making of his GBYBR album.

[@koenderbb5191]

@@DexterHaven Ahh, thanks! :)

[@blackdeathgaming1351]

When does this interview take place?

[@DexterHaven]

About 20 years ago, I think.

[@MJ-oi5wb]

Bernie's hair belly ......yum!!!!

[@standingelton6375]

M J, I agree with you so much on his belly hair! I would like to tell you what I want to do with that; but, I don't want Dexter to see; as Dexter is a gentleman & I have alot of respect for him! You want to see some belly hair, check out Elton's Christmas concert from 1973 at The Hammersmith Odeon. And he's wearing my favorite outfit, the white suit with the angel feathers! Mmmmmmm! BIG TIME YUMMY! I love Elton for 48 yrs. now & counting! My Elton keeps me YOUNG !!! David is so BLESSED to have Elton as his hubby! Never stop loving his angelic voice & his gorgeous looks! He has SARTORIAL ELEQUENCE AS WELL AS SARTORIAL ELEGANCE! 🚀 ️ ☮️

[@j.c7719]

I completely disagree that their is no such thing as a hit lyric or that people don’t listen to records for the lyrics.

[@DexterHaven]

Can you support that?

[@j.c7719]

@@DexterHaven Yes. Instrumental music is no where near as successful as music containing lyrics first off, lyrics are what people relate to, some of the greatest songs begin completely a Capella. What do people sing and remember about a hit song? The lyrics.

[@DexterHaven]

@@j.c7719 Where have you been the last 25 years? The rise & success of techno has shown how important instrumentalism is and how unimportant lyrics are; the lyrics in techno can often be reduced to a few clipped phrases, as in big hit songs like "Block Rockin' Beats" by the Chemical Brothers or "I can't stop" by Flux Pavilion.

[@j.c7719]

@@DexterHaven I’ve been right here. Still doesn’t mean that lyrics are unimportant, lyrics carry a song as much as a beat does. Trust me I know music, some of my favourite songs are instrumentals such as Aphex Twins ‘Avril 14th’ but instrumental techno has never been as successful as pop/rock music because it has no lyrics. Writing lyrics is a skill, you’re basically belittling lyricists.

[@DexterHaven]

@@j.c7719 I'm putting lyrics in their place. Record companies have files packed full of good lyrics, but few good songs.

[@joesamm1190]

there is nothing behind the scenes about this

[@DexterHaven]

No, don't be a pretentious, disagreeable fool. You seem to be playing insincere games with the semantics of "behind the scenes." The album, as purchased and listened to, by itself, by the public, as we did when it came out, is "the scenes," silly.

[@joesamm1190]

@@DexterHavenchill out will you, I am just saying, behind the scenes would be in the studio.

[@DexterHaven]

@@joesamm1190 No, now you are changing it and acting rude and bossy too. You are the one instigating things with your false accusations like some jackass. They are also in a recording studio in this, at the control board. So you are wrong about saying it's not in the "studio." You add no value. You misuse words. You don't own your own rudeness but try to pass the buck and say "chill out" after provoking a reaction. You are tedious, dumb, cheerless, useless and fit to be blocked for the good of the public any second.

[@DexterHaven]

3:48 by "pathetic whistle" in British dialect he means our equivalent of a "sick whistle," as in good. Try to whistle like that if you can... You'll see.

[@chandlerhastings6415]

We don't say pathetic to mean good? he means his whistle is pathetic and he can't whistle as good as that

[@DexterHaven]

@@mrquail5299 You didn't listen carefully, dummy. The whistle on the record was good. Gus was saying he cannot do those whistles, so it must have been someone else, like the tea boy or the engineer. Gus's whistling sucks, but he calls the whistle on the the tape, "that's a pathetic whistle" - as in a 'bad' whistle, meaning very good, in the slang. If he meant his own whistle he would have said "my whistle is pathetic." Instead of my, he said "that's..." to compliment the whistle on the record. They would not have put it on the record if it was not good, dummy. You missed the whole point. [I also have a no-idiots policy on my channel, btw. If you keep getting things wrong, you'll be blocked as lowering the average IQ of the comments section on my vid's, which I won't stand for.]

[@DexterHaven]

@@mrquail5299 pathetic comment.

[@DexterHaven]

@@mrquail5299 That's the only way it makes sense to describe his use of "pathetic" for that great whistle, and his saying he's unable to whistle like that, dummy. Maybe you didn't get around enough in the UK, bloke. Do you know what that means?

[@DexterHaven]

Emily Post tip: never call a gay person a "brown-dirt cowboy." It has derogatory connotations about his hygiene in a certain region, such as, a failure to employ a douche, for example. Just a friendly tip.

[@rmlectronicsuk2410]

Sit down after breakfast and “play” a song - not “write”. Boils my pi$$ to say he’s a “writer”. If Elton’s a “writer” of songs I’m a billionaire.

[@DexterHaven]

What facts support your claim? If Elton didn't write the music to Bennie & the Jets or Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting, then who did? If you can't make sense, don't post nonsense.

[@rmlectronicsuk2410]

The term “write” is used far too liberally, especially in pop music. Even Paul McCartney didn’t “write” his songs because he can neither write music nor read it (by his own admission). Elton didn’t “study” music either (by his own admission) he went to the Royal College of Music for piano lessons. The writers, the true “musicians” are the likes of Herschel, Dudgeon, Newton-Howard, Buckmaster, et al. THEY are the musicians, arrangers and ‘writers’ of manuscripts. Elton is a Piano Player. Expressed in his “Don’t shoot me, I’m only the Piano Player” which is the album explaining that it’s the others who write music and he can only play it. Any piano “player” worth his salt can play chords and sing pretty melodies. Writing manuscripts is a very different ball game. Had it not been for those above and Elton’s dogged attitude he would’ve been nothing, just as the Beatles would’ve been nothing without Sir George Martin, the musicians. Bach, Beethoven, Mozart “write” music, not Elton. Please do your homework before slagging me off. I hope this explains it adequately.

[@DexterHaven]

@@rmlectronicsuk2410 You are clearly interpreting this too strictly, "“Don’t shoot me, I’m only the Piano Player” which is the album explaining that it’s the others who write music and he can only play it." In concert, where the sign was placed, he could use the expression he was "only" the piano player, as a jocular plea for mercy, but that is literally wrong. You overlooked that he is the singer. So the "only" is wrong. The thing Buckmaster and Dudgeon had to notate was simply the music Elton composed. So your claim that Elton did not "write" the music is misleading, since it denies how we in fact use the term in songwriting. Thus, you are being deceptive and trucking in fallacious word play. No honor in that.

[@livb6945]

@@rmlectronicsuk2410 you've got a real problem. Seek help. Writing a song is the common term, being anal about it only hurts yourself, lite you so eloquently stated. (Here, I could take issue with the fact that your urine probably doesn't actually boil....)

[@rmlectronicsuk2410]

LivB Don’t be stupid. I AM a musician. Unfortunately we can’t ask Johann Sebastian Bach, Ludwig Beethoven, Wolfgang Mozart who “wrote” their music - from all these stupid comments here you are saying that they (real musicians) wrote their music by playing every instrument in the orchestra simultaneously and proclaiming they “wrote” it. Unfortunately, those making music by playing it don’t “write” it. Musicians write it. Anyone, any musician,p worth his salt, can “throw a few chords together”. I’ve NEVER seen a manuscript written by Elton John, Paul McCartney, Billy Joel, or Mick Jagger. I’ve seen LOTS - and studied them, by musicians.