'If At First... - Part III - Shine On Through'

Time for the next part. And it is a post about parts. The ending of one part of Elton's career and the start of another. The song this time doesn't have too many tweaks to it...but those that are effected are crucial. Let's go on through...

SHINE ON THROUGH

Thom Bell Sessions (1977)

The Thom Bell sessions are incredibly important in Elton's career. I've mentioned them before in relation to various aspects of Elton's career on this blog over the last year or so. His influence on Elton's vocal prowess set the stall out for the remainder of his career. The sessions overall are inoffensive in terms of the product that was doled out in various stages over the years. However, all was not perfect. Some things needed some fine tuning and 'Eltonising' very soon after.

For the first edition, there's a long piano intro. Very long. Occasional harp strums relieve the potential monotony. Elton's vocals, when they come in, are achingly slow. Not forced, just considered and measured. He was after all in uncharted waters at this time. A massive wall of strings with a very precise rhythm section gradually pitches up. It's all carefully choreographed so far. When the chorus kicks in, it's without any impact or power of delivery. This isn't immediately apparent, the later version will put it into context better. The slick production, the Philly sound in it's purest form, nearly engulfs the song in possibly too much baggage. However a fine line is held. The outro however is where it goes a bit wrong...long in the extreme. Instead of a natural end it becomes unnatural as vocal and orchestral jousting takes hold. Nearly eight minutes being a twelfth of an hour too long.

SHINE ON THROUGH

A Single Man (1978)

Very soon after this Elton decided to put his own stamp on it and recast the main players. Two of them in particular reclaimed the day. On this edition the piano is recorded better. It's heavier and that weight come through without bulk but with power. His vocal is now more comfortable, still hitting the lower notes he had been recently introduced to but carrying them with greater aplomb. An orchestral arrangement is still to be heard...this time Buckmaster cues it up wonderfully. Gone is the super slickness and in it's place are grittier, dynamic strings with the edginess coming through none more clearly than when you can detect the bows on the cello's almost hanging on the strings. But the pay off moment is still to come.

As I mentioned earlier, when the chorus came in first time around it sort of walked in laconically. This time when it does arrive it's devastating. The rhythm section is held back just for this very moment. The woodwinds are key here, the oboe yet again taking a lead and adding a terrific backup. Ray Coopers tambourine, a simple instrument in most peoples hands, an weapon of mass action when he has it, thuds and reverberates like a thousand babies rattles. Steve Holly's drums are more up front again, every fill is poised and communicated at the correct moment. The ending flourishes, it brings proceedings to a natural conclusion.

What do we have here then? Like I said the Thom Bell sessions are a nice side piece but at times the overtly dominant production wasn't necessary on strong songs. Second time around a far more tighter control was harnessed, with critical moments developed further. I suspect Elton, after hearing the first version, knew the strength of the song may have been undermined ad ultimately swamped with unnecessary additions. Adding some key men...we know who they are...never fail to deliver or disappoint. That, as we shall see, plays a major part in the final installment.

'If At First... - Part I - Skyline Pigeon'
'If At First... - Part II - Grey Seal'
'If At First... - Part IV - Where Have All The Good Times Gone'

'If At First... - Part II - Grey Seal'

For the second installment we stay in the early 70's and look at two wildly contrasting versions of the same theme.

GREY SEAL

B-side of Rock And Roll Madonna (1970)

The original concept has a very quick electric piano intro giving way to acoustic piano. The rhythm section is gently introduced, carefully interwoven by Buckmaster with the orchestral arrangement. The piano breaks are very sparse, the welcoming of the second verse ups the pace. The chorus has a great string part with gradually descending chords, Elton's vocal keeping to a straight line. His early vocal style is clearly at play here. The outro with it's zig zagging strings crisscrossing with the funky vibes. Buckmaster is very much at play here again, his wildly imaginative arrangement reflects the equally visionary lyrics terrifically. 

GREY SEAL

Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (1973)

Jump forward three years and it's time to revisit the song. Gus, who produced the first example, comes up with as far removed as possible take on it from what he did first time around. It shows that his mind was full of invention, he could take the same song and create a totally different beast from the same DNA. 

The intro this time is far from gentile, a bootful kick from Nigel and the rippling piano (a trait that runs through the song) with some powerful strokes from Davey draw us in. Elton's vocal is softer this time, the attitude of the first attempt has been tempered. The mulitracking of it shows Elton is as good a harmoniser with his own voice than anyone else could be. A talent of his not often acknowledged. The piano breaks are similar in idea, but harder in execution. Davey's mirroring of the melody line contributes that punch. The drums here are massive, the bass completely expressive. Compare the (excellent) carefully arranged rhythm section from the first go, this has a greater cut and run feel. Buckmaster's arrangement has been greatly supplanted by Elton on the Mellotron. The other worldly feel it emotes carefully in tune with the lyrical evocation. The outro is a killer, Davey on the 'wah-wah', Nigel on the conga's and the discreet backing vocals all add up to a climatic and fulfilling finale. Not so grand on the earlier version, but the contrasting ways they both leave us is a dilemma of choice.

To conclude, which has the yay and which is nay. The first edition is carefully created, it's a more sedater affair that desires to break free but can't find the route. The second coming with it's new found freedom which it celebrates wholly and with joy unbounded. A theme of both examples so far, without giving the game away I suspect to be a theme that'll run through the series. 

'If At First... - Part I - Skyline Pigeon'
'If At First... - Part III - Shine On Through'
'If At First... - Part IV - Where Have All The Good Times Gone'

'If At First... - Part I - Skyline Pigeon'

For this next update I'm going to split it into four parts, they each won't be too long but are on a common theme. With threads of varying strength connecting them.

You be aware...or not...that Blondie released a 'greatest hits' package recently. On it was something unusual and the suspect of much discussion. Included was a disc of various said hits of the past re-recorded. Exactly the same way as they were originally done. Arrangements, production all replicated with precision. The only discernible difference being Debbie Harry's (obviously) aged vocals. Quite what the point was or what it hoped to achieve is kind of lost on me. It's not as if the were recorded in the dark ages, most of the original versions would stem from the digital era. As they stuck rigidly to the originals, any notion of reworkings or remixing wasn't a factor in revisiting them again. I found it baffling. So why do it? As we shall see, Elton did employ such a device on a number of occasions over the years with varying degrees of success.

A recent post highlighted both versions of Madman Across The Water, this series be will along similar lines. As we'll see, each time a particular song was started afresh the end result was quite different to the previous effort. Due in no small part to a different production ear controlling things and sometimes different (better) personnel contributing. Life experience and better artistic technique are also present and correct. For the first part we'll go back to the start and hone in on an early classic...

SKYLINE PIGEON

Empty Sky (1969)

The Empty Sky version is incredibly delicate, almost fragile. The sound is regal, helped by the noble sounding harpsichord, which evokes a religious feeling on top of it. The spectrum split of the stereo has Elton's vocal on one side and the keyboard on the other. Like as if they are sitting in the pews of the church. The coming together of voice and instrument into the middle is like them all congregating on the altar. Harmonium and organ join in as fellow celebrants. The track is incredibly keyboard pure, Elton's voice isn't exactly nervous but maybe unsure if it's taking the right path. His phrasing is incredibly pronounced, 'fountanes' and 'mountanes' sounding very proper. The sparseness of it all gives it an almost naive feel. Wholly unintentional I suspect but ultimately being the key to the song's charm. Could anymore be done to emphasise the songs statement. I think that could be done...

SKYLINE PIGEON

B-side of Daniel (1973)

Skip forward a few years and Gus Dudgeon gets a hold of this one. If the instruments on the previous example were the main celebrants, the personnel here are the father figures. Straight in we are confronted with confident, purposeful piano. No fragility here, this is strong from the start with confidence that was lacking earlier. The fullsome beauty of the melody is now realised, the piano's stronger tones exemplify it no end. Elton's vocal phrasing is similar but now is less pronounced or forced as the earlier example. It's natural flow at this time more from ease than trying to please. Playing it live in the intervening years (a device that we'll see again employed later) had made him find the songs nuances and use them to better effect. Dee's flick switching plectrum introducing the rhythm section is another statement of intent. Davey's crisp strumming and Nigel's fills on the toms are incredibly important here. Nigel had the tom's tuned in those days in such a way that they were devoid of heavy 'dead' thud but still sounded huge. Wide without being overbearing. 

To top it all off, this is the cherry topping that others spoke of in other portals. Buckmaster adds more than colour here. It's a painting in it's own right that hangs side by side with the masterwork it is displayed with. Some canvas this! His low key strings introduce themselves slowly but surely, the gradual rise from the low end upwards to sweep over the various sights that Bernie's lyrics describe. His woodwind work, like his brass work, is often overlooked (not here) and is crucial to the songs impact. He introduces the woodwinds after the first chorus, holding them back until the time is right.  Later on we'll see this method acted out again. The oboe sound is nostalgic, it has to be. The song requires it. It was that type of song right from it's inception. Buckmaster found it and delivered it for our pleasure.

Overall we can see both songs are dramatically different in their approach. With that drama giving way to dramatically differing end results. Whereas the first version is more to do with getting the song out there, the second version is more in keeping with and finding out what the song is about. It's a tremendous moment of feelings and emotions, an evocation of freedom. The first version is very quaint and has it's moments, but the reworking of it was necessary and ultimately becomes the definitive version. How do we know that? The same arrangement is still used to day for the live band version. All in all a job well done!!

'If At First... - Part II - Grey Seal'
'If At First... - Part III - Shine On Through'
'If At First... - Part IV - Where Have All The Good Times Gone'

'Starship Trooper'

Whilst I've been away I've had my fingers in glue and paint. And my patience tested more than once.

Roden model kits, who reside in the Ukraine, have a range entitled 'The Music Series'. Releasing mainly Boeing 720's in 1:144 scale. The infamous Starship 1 was released last year in it's gold/brown scheme, alas with no Elton version. However, all that changed recently. Anybody familiar with the general music scene of the 70's will be very familiar with Starship 1. Luckily the good folks at Wikipedia have an excellent entry on it. Elton fans have particular reason to be fond of it, as we shall see.

This later version of the Starship in it's iconic stars and RWB combo is a delight. The terrific flamboyant colour scheme which appeared in 1974 couldn't be more striking than the previous colour scheme which was just plain awful. Visually it's colourful, it's history equally so. Ah, the stories it could tell...if it hadn't been sent to the canner. I'm going to give a brief rundown on the kit and the obstacles I encountered and thankfully flew over. Not your usual entry on this blog, but it's all Elton related. In a good way!

The kit itself is well moulded, very little filling or rubbing down needed. The plans were straightforward except for the main undercarriage. With the help of the interweb I was able to get the hang of the folding doors lark they were trying to describe. Painting was straightforward, the main colours of white and blue going on a treat. However, the main problem was with the red transfer stripe down the side. Patience, I nearly became one of those with shattered nerves!!

First off it was too long. It's supposed to cover the windows and leave the glazing peeking through the clear holes on it. This didn't happen when I put the first one on. So I quickly had to remove it and cut it in to three sections. I then reapplied it, overlapping where neccessary to make it fit. So far so good. When it was in place I noticed another problem. It was too thin, colourwise. It didn't quite have the depth I'd have liked. The blue underneath which I had expected to be covered by the red stripe was waving through. So with Humbrol gloss number 19 Red I was able to touch up any dark patches. I then cut the red stripe for the other side into three sections again before I put it on and had no problems this time. The red stripe should be in a straight line under the stabilisers on the real thing, but it curves slightly on the model. I decided to leave it that way as it wasn't very noticeable.

The band logo, reg number etc was very easy to put on. As were the stars, whcih I thought would be a pain. There's 30 big ones and 77 small ones. The smaller stars look a bit too small but they all went on very easily. The red tail transfer again was slightly too big. It stuck out a bit at the back but before it dried I was able to trim it with a scalpel. But it dried well and left no air bubbles.

The overall colour scheme I chose was early on in the 1974 tour. Later on the tour the 'rainbow' effect on the front nose appeared. I could have done it on the model, but when I found a pic without it I decided to leave it off. Also during the tour the MCA Records logo on the tail was redone with a white background. Somebody was a bit finicity about the colour scheme. I know the feeling!! It seems it went in and out of the paintshop a few times in late '74. But at least it's accurate!

Before I put the cockpit windscreen on, I put in ballast of 10 grams...or 4 one cent coins... to make the nose sit down. I glued the coins together in pairs, put masking tape over them and glued them into the front of the plane. With plasticard I made a bulkhead to stop them flying down the back of the plane and flattening Elton and the band. With the wings and stabilisers fitted, I then put on the main landing gear. I stuck them and before they went too hard put the plane down gently on a chopping board because it's dead flat and the plane's own wait made it sit naturally. The final part was my own creation, I uses the plasticard again to make the aerial for the top of the plane. They supplied one for the underneath but this one was missing. It finished it off nicely.

Overall the kit was a challenge, but a rewarding one. The sheet that comes with it describing the colour scheme is a joke. Without Google I'd have been stumped. If I were doing it again...which I won't be... I'd paint the red stripe down the side instead and use the doors part of the transfer stripe. I'd have to use the red transfer that went around the cockpit as it's too hard to mark out. I'd maybe paint the tail also, but it came out better than I thought so I'd chance it again. The transfers are strong, they didn't break up or disintegrate. Little details like information about the silver on the wings and where the blue meets it from the fuselage was non existent. If you've some experience of making model kits, it can be done. I did it in a week...patience non existent again...but if you take your time you will get there. If you've never made any kit before...you've always got the box to look at. Because I wouldn't recommend any beginner tackling it.

I'm delighted with the way it turned out, it looks the biz. It's a great piece of rock history, Elton rock history in particular. We've all seen the pics with Elton and the band in front of it. The most colourful, flamboyant star of 1974 deserved an equally descriptive mode of transport. And who better than to design that memorable paint job...but the Captain himself!! Fantastic indeed...

This is the link to the photo album of the plane under construction and this is a link to the photo album of the finished plane.

Here are a list of the colours I used:

Humbrol 22 Gloss White acrylic (for the top of the fuselage)

Humbrol 15 Gloss Midnight blue enamel (for the bottom of the fuselage)

Humbrol 33 Matt Black acrylic (for the rear of the engine nacelles, tyres) 

Humbrol 19 Gloss Red enamel (for touching up the red stripe)

Humbrol 11 Silver acrylic (for the wings, stabilisers, undercarriage struts and legs)

Humbrol 21 Gloss Black enamel (for the radome nose on the front of the fuselage)

Xtracolor  Interior Green acrylic (for inside the main undercarriage wheel bay)

Xtracolor  Light Grey acrylic (for the leading edges on the wings and stabilisers)

'Standing Here For All The World To See'

Anyone of this fair isle, unless they've been in a coma for the last two weeks or back from their holidays on Mars, can't fail to have noticed the continuing saga (thankfully now over) of the on/off 5 night stand. Those who luckily were oblivious to all the mind numbing shenanigans just Google Garth Brooks, Croke Park and Dublin City Council. Best of luck on that one.

The reason I broached that subject and quickly sent you on your way elsewhere for more information was for a few relevant reasons. This time 20 years ago the very first Face To Face shows started in the US. During that run they did a 5 nighter at the Giants Stadium in New Jersey. With a licence to thrill, both legally and artistically. I bet they passed off without a hitch...thankfully I was lucky enough to see this style of show in Croke Park in 1998 when they did two dates there. Again hitchless. The other reason being, at this is the most crucial one, the whole fiasco is beyond words from me at this point. And has very little to do with this blog.

Anyway, from that tour I had on the (only) soundboard recording that recently became available. The Philadelphia show from early on is of impeccable quality.

The band lineup Elton had at the time...

Charlie Morgan - drums

Bob Birch -bass

Guy Babylon - keyboards

Ray Cooper  - percussion

Davey Johnstone - guitars

...is one of the best ever. They were real tight as the newer men (at the time) had really settled into their roles. The live sound was starting to come back to it's full glory after some very dodgy years. The Roland toy had been dumped...into a very deep hole I hope...and the backing singers who at times were too flashy and showy had also been bid farewell. Elton using the Yamaha for the first time on a band show sounded like a man set free. It sounded right to the audience and no doubt Elton was finding he finally had an 88 that matched his demands. His voice at this time is one of my favourite era's He still had the light and airiness (when he looked for it) of pre-operation with the newer lower register than was still perfectly balanced. 

I don't want to do a complete review of the 3 CD set...non-Billy fans will be reaching for the off button...but I'll list some of the highlights from Elton's set.

Levon - An extremely tight and vibrant version. The outro is devoid of the sped up technique used for the last dozen years or so. Instead we have a more steady jam, one where Bob increases the weight but resists the temptation to really kick on. That potenntially unfilling but ultimately satisfying lingering right to the end being a critical key. You can just imagine Charlie wanting to kick on, but Elton holds firm!

Rocket Man - An incredibly breezy version, it just flows out of Elton like a gentle running tap. The outro is pure improv, both from Elton and the band. There's a part on it where Elton does a funky little riff that develops with Davey (having already done his acoustic to electric switch) suddenly ramps it up with one his most aggressive lines that results in bursting point. An terrific moment.

Simple Life/The One - Charlie's regimented drumming is beautifully complimented the by the loose tambourine ryhthms that Ray flips out. The One is almost standstill, a freeze frame of sound that still ticks along withoiut you realising your moving. An incredible 10 minutes or so of fluctuating vibrancy. Not the last of course during Elton's set of that duration or freedom of exclamation.

New York State Of Mind - When Elton covers most other people songs they work great. But this isn't great, it's grandiose in the extreme. He nails the phrasing, one of the highlights of the song, perfectly. Guy gets the arrangement spot on and Davey's guitar solo, replacing the sax solo on the original, is immaculate. It's gritty, determined with no lack of melody 

Funeral For A Friend/Love Lies Bleeding - If ever a case study was needed to prove why the Roland was junk and had to be replaced, then the intro here would make the open and shut case watertight. The versions with said toy sounded tinny and hollow. Whereas here in 1994 we had a live version where the proper depth to that brilliant intro is fully realised. The full majesty of it restored. Even Davey on the Steinberger, a guitar for me that has less good moments than bad, sounds great. The grinding sound of it carrying the message perfectly. Ray on the timpani is obscene...he beats them into submission. Guy plays all the proper synth parts and the great balance of the soundboard recording means all contributions are pitch perfect. The outro is it's usual combination of speed and design.

'Million Dollar Piano - DVD Review'

Continuing the recent trend of new arrivals, the DVD release of the Million Dollar Piano show is next to be scrutinised. What delights do we get this time...on this review I'm not going to do any close scrutiny of the show itself. I did that on the review of the cinema release last March. My opinion of it hasn't changed since then. What I'll focus on is the bonus material and any bits of the main feature that became clearer in focus upon repeated viewings.

The DVD including bonus features runs to 155 minutes. A fairly long running time considering it's a single disc. A couple of striking things emerge from watching the DVD as opposed to the cinema release. The sound for starters is a vast improvement. It had to be, anything less would have been mono. It's sharper with a greater punch, mixed far better and the 5.1 surround configuration (on which I watched it at home) shows us what was sadly lacking in the picture house. I would have thought at the very least they've had that basic Dolby surround for the theatrical version. It's absence lessened the experience of what it should and could have been. Hopefully in the future that anomaly will be corrected for similar films. 

The picture mix however is still comical. I watched the DVD about half a dozen times over the weekend and I'm now slightly confused as to what they were trying to achieve. During every song bar one, more on it later, the picture mashup suggests more than one show was filmed. Probably two at least, maybe more. The best evidence of that is Elton's hair switches back and forth from tousled fringe to a sharply combed down position. This happens during the space of a single line in a song. Yet the audio is seamlessly mixed. Assuming of course they mixed the corresponding audio and picture. I think they may have used a single audio version and remixed the pictures from multiple shows. Whatever the reason it's a bizarre tread running the length of the performance. Except during Saturday Night's Alright. It's taken from one performance, the presence of the crowd on stage meant it would be impossible to recut. Makes you wonder why they did it for the rest of the show if they could do it for that one song. Apart from that oddity, it doesn't detract from the performance.

Now on to the bonus material. The making of segment has been available already on a version of The Diving Board released in the US last year. It's very short, less than 25 minutes, but still delves behind the scenes and into the machine that is Blossom. The clips of the workshop are very interesting, the fabrication part is truly a work of delicacy and precision. Yet that fine art has to have ruggedness and comfort. That sense of comfort never more clearly evident than manicured keys. That's right, the piano keys are individually filed and shaped to receive Elton's fingers with greater comfort. There's plenty of input from the main protagonists, including the late Mark Fisher whose concept was realised in all it's glory. The set design being a classy collision of regal pomp and religious glory. The development from the piano upwards and outwards to complete the full spectacle is detailed in depth by various facilitators. 

The rest of the bonus material is a bit of a disc filler I think. The Kiev show was widely available on the unofficial market as soon it was broadcast in June 2012. EJ.com released it officially through the Rocket Club recently. Yet we get 4 tracks from it, making it two versions of Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me on the disc. Anybody familiar with this period on the Elton timeline will know poor old Bob Birch was suffering. No need to elaborate here on all that. But to see him sitting there when he was clearly under stresses we can't imagine was sad and almost distressing. It's a curious show to have chosen from to tack on a few extra tracks. The main feature is a glorious tribute to him when he was still in his groove. You could see he was enjoying the Vegas show, the Kiev one not so much. Same goes for this particular viewer for both shows.

Overall it's an excellent showing off of the show in Vegas. It's a pity that Hey Ahab or even Empty Garden couldn't have been included but as I intimated earlier events meant that anything filmed after summer 2012 would have been impossible to tie in with the existing footage. The better sound mix really makes the home viewing experience a far more satisfying moment. It's a terrific performance overall...thankfully what stays in Vegas doesn't always stay under wraps!!

'Silent Movies, Talking Pictures'

'Elton John Showbook - New 2014 Tour Programme'

It's always good to get a new Elton item...the newer the better...and they don't come much fresher off the production line than the new tour book.

I love collecting the tour books, my collection isn't yet complete (will it ever be!) but it's almost there. They are a great snapshot from the visual point of view of the wonderful pictures and the contemporary narrative they contain of where Elton was at that point in time of his career. Always exquisitely produced, they are items to treasure.

Thanks to the angel of the north, I've been able to get my little mits on one right now. The wait till December this year wasn't an option! And waited we have for a new one. The last edition was in 2011, a grand affair that was befitting of all those inside it. However, life can change overnight as it did suddenly in 2012. Bob's passing and Matt's arrival was a significant moment on the Elton timeline. However, the powers that be didn't get the memo on that and up to quite recently...earlier this year in fact...were still selling the old edition. No need to explain to anybody reading this blog the total disregard at best, insensitivity at worst for that state of affairs. Thankfully the penny fell and equilibrium has been restored.  

The new edition, entitled 'Elton John Showbook' is a large square sized book in keeping with recent versions. The cover has a mock vinyl record type cover that may play...but that would mean cutting it up to find out. Inside it's lavished with new photos from the current tour. This is important as it includes Elton and the band in action on the new stage design. That bang up to date aspect makes it feel incredibly current. Excellently photographed, Elton having a keen eye for the odd photo will no doubt appreciate their stunning capturing. There's a brief bio text of Elton from John F. Higgins. Bernie has a piece dedicated to him...by none other than Mrs. Taupin. It's a general oversight from her with some personal insights. A man of many talents is our Bernie and she leaves us in no doubt as to what his capabilities are. 

The band are featured prominently...as is proper order...with Matt finally getting his dues paid. His mention of Bob is a touching connection with the immediate past. 

Ray Cooper also features with two pages dedicated to him. 

This is where the multi purpose aspect of the new book comes into focus. It mentions that some or all of the featured musicians may or may not appear. So the new book will be around for a while yet it seems. It's one size fits all edict will cover band, solo or Ray shows. A Ray show...hopefully more than a promise and more of a treat.

Overall it's typical of the standard we've come accustomed to over the years, it's value for money on any day of the week. A colourful souvenir of a colourful performace. An interesting aspect is the fact there's no advert for The Diving Board. But one for the Million Dollar Piano DVD. As I mentioned earlier, life can move on very quickly. One interesting footnote to end on is a 'where are they now' question has been answered. Under the title of tour road merchandising sales is Chris Thomas. Who knew...