Late Night Music Rio Zika Olympics Edition Part 198......."Make Sure You Flush Elton's John"
With the release of his new album Wonderful Crazy Night and seeing how I have never done a cover list of one of the greatest artists of all time, I figured it was time to get back in the game and add this list of some of the best cover songs of Sir Elton John.
It’s obvious what it took to get on this list. All songs receiving votes were included. Just because he was so awesome, duplicates were included if they were awesome enough.
“Philadelphia Freedom”- Hall and Oates. Like several songs on this list, this song comes from the 1991 tribute album Two Rooms which paid tribute to the songs of Elton John and Bernie Taupin. Featured on that album is this fantastic rendition of Elton’s 1975 patriotic single that was written as a tribute to Billie Jean King as a marketing tool for her World Team Tennis team the Philadelphia Freedoms. What we got was a song for the American Bicentennial and one of the most misunderstood song meanings in history. The standalone proved to be gold for Elton, as it peaked at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and became a fan favorite to this day. Hall and Oates do an interesting twist on this song while still keeping the strings which stand out so much in the original.
“Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me”- Oleta Adams. In one of Elton’s most underrated but amazing songs, Oleta Adams took another song from Two Rooms to a great level, with this version peaking at #33 on the British Singles Chart. I hate the video has been altered on youtube, because it was a rather well done video featuring this soul songtress. This unbelievable piano piece and powerful ballad went to #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1973 in support of Elton’s much under appreciated album Caribou. The original version was nominated for the Grammys for Record of the Year and Best Male Pop Performance. The beautiful Oleta Adams keeps the heavy piano emphasis in her cover, but really shows the jazz/soul style that Elton possesses, as this song sounds natural to her genre and voice.
“Your Song”- Rod Stewart. In yet another track from the famed Two Rooms album, this track was released as a single by Stewart in 1992 as a double A-sided single with his song “Broken Arrow” to support the Two Rooms album. This version peaked at #48 on the Billboard Hot 100 despite not featuring a video. I guess this was a preview of Rod Stewart’s new direction of his new style of covering songs from the past. How many genres has that guy had? Anyway, this version turned out great and in an interesting, Stewart featured the guitar with the keyboard not being heavily played whatsoever. This was the original hit for elton John on his critically acclaimed self-titled major label debut in 1970 where it peaked at #8 on the Billboard Hot 100 and introduced the world to what would be the musical career of 100 lifetimes.
“Your Song”- Ellie Goulding. In another great cover version of this song, British diva Ellie Goulding featured this single on her 2010 album Bright Lights to go along with this video. This version peaked at #2 on the British Singles Chart and gave us a new look at Ellie Goulding who’s dance pop songs she is known for are much different from her tackling of this piano ballad. Of all of the songs on this list, this one might be the most interesting to me. This version and song really fits, but it’s a very stark contrast from the original.
“Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word”- Mary J Blige. Elton’s dear friend and R & B superstar Mary J Blige showed her diversity and Elton’s cross genre influence at her cover of his 1976 breakup song. This gutsy live performance shows the sheer passion of Mary in her music as well as her appreciation of a legend that she makes no secret is a huge hero of hers. This Elton single was featured on his 1976 concept album Blue Moves and peaked at #6 on the Billboard Hot 100. Despite the powerful seriousness of the song, this song has been used in several humorous movie situations, most notably the spat between Carter and Lee in “Rush Hour 3”.
“Tiny Dancer”- Ben Folds. I swear Ben Folds has covered everyone from Dr. Dre to Elton John and this piano master always makes it amazing. This promotional single from his album 2002 album Ben Folds Live shows the piano difficulty of this song and really captures the musicianship of both Folds and John. This song that Taupin about a trip to California and all the beautiful women he met there was dedicated to his first wife Maxine Feibelman. I am sure she was appreciative. Featured on Elton’s 1971 album Madman Across The Water, this fan favorite (and 2nd favorite Elton John song of mine all time) peaked at #41 on the Billboard Hot 100, but remains a fan favorite and is still played often by the band to this day.
“Tiny Dancer”- Tim McGraw. Tim McGraw had his own version of this song that really captured the country feel of this song, and actually the late 1970- early 1971 era for Elton John when both albums had a huge country feel (which you will see more of later). This version was featured on Tim McGraw’s 2002 album Tim McGraw and the Dancehall Doctors and peaked at #13 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary Chart. This live version here from a performance on CMT makes me feel like the most uncool guy alive. I wish I could be as cool as Tim McGraw.
“Can You Feel The Love Tonight”- Nina. I swear I could look at and listen to Filipino singer Nina all day long. This soulful acoustic stripped down version of the Oscar winning song was featured on Nina’s 2009 album Renditions of the Soul. The album featured all male cover songs which had been featured by Nina on Manila soft rock station WAV 89.1 for several weeks prior to the album’s release. The pride of Manila did Elton right with this powerful yet simple version of the song that made us love “The Lion King”. In addition to the Oscar and Golden Globe for Best Original Song, the song peaked at #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and gave Elton John a career kickstart that was desperately needed after several stagnant years. This collaboration with Tim Rice would lead to a broadway masterpiece as well as the Broadway production “Aida”. I don’t care what anyone says, the Lion King songs are some of Elton’s best work by far.
“Tonight”- George Michael. In a great closing to Two Rooms, George Michael tackled the awesome yet obscure opus from Blue Moves. This unbelievable intro is followed up by a slaying of vocals by Michael which sounds so close to the original it is kind of scary. This was a little known Elton John song by the general fan, but this is known by his fans as one of the most complex songs he ever wrote. This unusual song led off Blue Moves after a short intro, which set the tone for the entire album being extremely darker compared to previous albums. But once again, it worked.
“Rocket Man”- My Morning Jacket. Surprisingly, this cover is my least favorite on the list. Louisville rock band My Morning Jacket attempted an acoustic cover of this Elton classic on their 2004 album Early Recordings. Despite a good effort, I just can’t get this one to mesh with the original at all. The original Elton single was released in 1972 on the album Honky Chateau where it peaked at #6 and became one of Elton’s most well known songs of all time. The song was a combo of inspiration from David Bowie’s “Space Oddity”, the Ray Bradbury book The Illustrated Man, Bernie Taupin seeing a comet in the sky thinking it was a rocket.
“Burn Down The Mission”- Phil Collins. Phil Collins outdid himself with this contribution to Two Rooms. He kills the drums on this song, but keeps the basic format and arrangement that Elton so famously featured on his 1970 concept album Tumbleweed Connection. This hidden gem closes out that album with this ballad of a civilization making it’s last stand against an enemy. In one of the few songs that is written in a metaphorical style by Bernie Taupin, the change of pace throughout the song really makes it mysterious to me. I love how Phil Collins added the brass in this version though- it’s different, but still pretty awesome.
“Burn Down The Mission”- Toto. San Franciso crooners Toto did their own pretty awesome version of this song and like Collins, they kept the same basic arrangement while still owning the song. Featured on the band’s 2002 album Through The Looking Glass, which features all cover songs of artists that inspired that band, it is easy to see how this song and style could inspire a group like Toto. Listen to Toto IV and tell me you can’t see it.
“Don’t Go Breaking My Heart”- Cast of “Chicken Little”. I know there are other versions of this song, but this was just the funniest. In a surprisingly good movie, this animated version of the song closed out the credits in what turned out to be a seriously surprising great rendition by Zach Braff, Joan Cusack, Steve Zahn, and Amy Sedaris. In a movie full of funny pop culture references, I thought this was a cool to way to end it. This duet with Kiki Dee wound up being her biggest hit and another #1 for Elton John when it went to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1976 as a standalone single.
“Country Comfort”- Laramie. Here is more of that “country era” I talked about before. This Wyoming country group takes the title to a whole new level when this song from Elton’s Tumbleweed Connection is taken to an acoustic level that I am sure he would be proud of. It only makes sense that this song be done by a country group. The added vocalization that was missing from the original is a cool twist as well. I guess Elton and Bernie wanted to catch their inner cowboy with this song which was one of Elton’s several waltzes into the country genre.
“Country Comfort”- Keith Urban. New Zealand’s favorite song Keith Urban made his own rendition of this song on his 2004 smash album Be Here. The banjo emphasis on this track is a cool twist that I wish Elton would have thought of. Keith Urban is just one of those artist you want to hate but can’t.
“Come Down In Time”- Sting. Before “Country Comfort”, this song leads us into it on Tumbleweed Connection. In what to me has proven to be one of the most strange Elton John songs of all time, this song about a woman leaving you hanging features an oboe as well as rare ending bridge that gives the whole “leaving me hanging” feeling to a whole new level. This version from Sting on Two Rooms is quite an accomplishment with the sheer novelty of this song being difficult to capture.
“Come Down In Time”- Kenny Lattimore. Unlikely cover song star Kenny Lattimore kills this version here! This track from his 2008 album Timeless shows once again the R & B influence Elton has on so many artists in that genre. The guitar he features on this version really adds to the mysteriousness of this song.
“Goodbye Yellow Brick Road”- Sara Bareilles. Now this is a cover song right here! Elton even said himself that this was his favorite version of the song and applauded Bareilles on her ability to cover such a difficult song (this can be seen in the bonus video). This great performance from her “Brave Enough: Live at the Variety Playhouse” DVD is mesmerizing to me because the crowd is so focused on her. It’s amazing to see an artist command the attention of the entire room like that. Easily one of the most well known Elton songs, this version shows Bareilles stealing the show in a serious way. This title track to his magnum opus 1973 album, this critically acclaimed single shot to #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and has long been a pop culture reference in several mediums. According to Taupin and John, “The Wizard of Oz” was the first ever movie they ever remembered seeing and wanted to “say goodbye” to their current direction and get back to their roots. I think it worked out right?
“Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters”- Mandy Moore. It’s not often I feature Mandy Moore on here, but when I do, it always seems to be a cover song from a great artist. This version was featured on Moore’s 2003 album Coverage right after her performance in “A Walk To Remember”, which made her one of the hottest acts around at the time. Elton John apparently was very pleased with this version despite it’s jump in tone several times from soft to loud. This powerful ballad was featured on Elton’s 1972 Honky Chateau album and was inspired by the Ben E. King song “Spanish Harlem”. Both Elton and Bernie rank this song as one of their all time favorites.
“Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters”- Heart. Not a bad rendition here either from the Wilson sisters better known as Heart. With their great relationship with Bernie Taupin (writing their #1 hit “These Dreams”) it makes sense that they would cover one of his songs. This is a pretty solid from their 2003 live DVD album Alive in Seattle.
“Someone Saved My Life Tonight”- Julie Crochetiere. I’ll end this song with my favorite Elton John song of all time and quite possibly the best cover version I’ve ever heard of any song ever. Canadian diva Julie Crochetiere absolutely puts this song on another level when she featured it on her 2007 album A Better Place. Elton featured this as the lead single from his 1975 deeply personal album Captain Fantastic And The Brown Dirt Cowboy. The story, according to Elton, of this song was Elton being talked out of a marriage that many thought would ruin his career and his life. Too bad they didn’t know he was on the other team anyway! This powerful song went to #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and still remains to this day my favorite Elton John song of all time.
BONUS VIDEOS
“Stan”- Eminem featuring Elton John. Live at the 2003 Grammys.
“I Want It That Way”- Backstreet Boys featuring Elton John.
“Gravity”- Sara Bareilles featuring Elton John.
“Deep Inside”- Mary J. Blige featuring Elton John.
“Lucy In the Sky With Diamonds”- Elton John’s cover of the classic Beatles song.
Oleta Adams
Ben Folds
Ellie Goulding
Kenny Lattimore
Julie Crochteiere
posted by General 5A Pigott at 9:42 PM
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