Sean Callaghan
Bio
Neurodivergent, Writer, Drummer, Singer, Percussionist, Star Wars and Disney Devotee.
Stories (86/0)
'Breaking Hearts'
After the success of Too Low for Zero, Elton John decided to keep basically the same production team for its follow-up album, Breaking Hearts. The classic band of Davey Johnstone on guitars and vocals, Dee Murray on bass and vocals, and Nigel Olsson on drums and vocals, returned as did producer Chris Thomas. Bernie Taupin was now firmly back as Elton's full time lyricist. The album (like its predecessor) was recorded at AIR Studios in Montseratt. The engineer on the album was Renate Blauel, to whom Elton would later be briefly married.
By Sean Callaghan4 years ago in Beat
'Too Low for Zero'
After years of relatively lackluster albums, Elton John decided to go back to basics with 1983's Too Low for Zero. Chris Thomas, who had produced Elton's last few albums, would return, however, for the first time since Blue Moves, Bernie Taupin would write all lyrics for the album, and all instrumental tracks would feature the classic core band of Davey Johnstone on guitar and vocals, Dee Murray on bass and vocals, and Nigel Olsson on drums and vocals. As was the case with many of Elton's albums, things came together quickly. Bernie's lyrics were set to music and the entire album was recorded within two weeks at AIR Studios in Monserrat and Sunset Sound Recorders in Los Angeles.
By Sean Callaghan5 years ago in Beat
'Jump Up!'
Elton John's sixteenth studio album, Jump Up!, was released on April 9, 1982. It was the first Elton John album to be fully produced by Chris Thomas, the Abbey Road technician who worked on the Beatles' White Album and was responsible for supervising the mixing of Pink Floyd's The Dark Side of the Moon. Thomas would produce most of Elton's work through the better part of the next two decades, all the while working as well with acts including Roxy Music, Pete Townshend and The Pretenders—not to mention David Gilmour and Paul McCartney of the aforementioned Floyd and Beatles respectively. The album also saw five tracks that featured lyrics by Bernie Taupin, the most he had contributed since Blue Moves in 1976 (The next Elton John album, Too Low for Zero, would feature only songs with Taupin lyrics.).
By Sean Callaghan5 years ago in Beat
'The Fox'
Elton John's The Fox was released on May 20, 1981. It was produced by Elton John and Clive Franks, as well as Chris Thomas who had previously supervised the mixing of Pink Floyd's Legendary The Dark Side of the Moon and would produce much of Elton's recorded work through the 1980s and 1990s.
By Sean Callaghan5 years ago in Beat
'21 at 33'
21 at 33, Elton John's first album of the 1980s, was released on May 13, 1980. The album title refers to the fact that this was Elton's 21st release at the age of 33—a pretty good pace for a 12-year period. (Had he kept up that pace, there'd be over 70 albums by now.) 21 was recorded at Super Bear Studios in Nice, France, which was home base for the currently hot album The Wall by Pink Floyd, with additional work done at Sunset Sound in Los Angeles, California. It was produced by Elton with Clive Franks.
By Sean Callaghan5 years ago in Beat
'Victim of Love'
Victim of Love is an anomaly in the Elton John catalog, mostly because Elton did not write any of the songs or even play keyboard, It featured none of his band members, nor Bernie Taupin lyrics. It is the shortest album of Elton John's career at just 36 minutes, and is consistently ranked as one of the worst Elton John albums, as well as the third worst selling. It was produced by Pete Bellotte whose other credits include Janet Jackson and Tina Turner, among others. It was recorded in Musicland Studio in Munich and Musk Sound Studios in Hollywood—surprisingly by a decent set of studio musicians, all of whom have seen better professional moments.
By Sean Callaghan5 years ago in Beat
'A Single Man'
A Single Man, released in October of 1978, was Elton John's return to the limelight after a nearly two-year hiatus from recording and touring. It is the first Elton John album not to feature Bernie Taupin as lyricist. The lyrics on this album are instead by Gary Osborne, a former lyricist for Elton associate Kiki Dee. It is the only album where the melodies were mostly written before the lyrics. It was also the first Elton album since Empty Sky to not be produced by Gus Dudgeon. Instead, Elton produced it with engineer Clive Franks at The Mill in Berks England. It was also only the second Elton LP to be released on Rocket Records—Elton's personal record label that he was contractually unable to record for, prior to Blue Moves. It is also the first Elton album since Madman Across the Water to feature session musicians rather than Elton's touring band, which had disbanded after the 1977 tour; although Ray Cooper stayed on board and a few of the musicians who played on the album would become a part of the band for Elton's 1980 tour.
By Sean Callaghan5 years ago in Beat
'Blue Moves'
After riding high in 1975 with two number one albums and still getting kudos for his 1973 double disc monster Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, it must have seemed to make sense for the always-prolific Elton John to attempt another double album in 1976. However, the album Blue Moves, mostly recorded in Toronto Canada and released in October 1976, was released to a rather lukewarm critical reaction and to this day, many see the album as an abrupt end to Elton's "classic years."
By Sean Callaghan5 years ago in Beat
Fly Away, Skyline Pigeon, Fly!
Elton John has become almost as famous with his work on HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention as he has for his music. Elton frequently plays benefits for the cause of AIDS awareness. His AIDS Foundation has raised millions for AIDS research. While the AIDS crisis is today nowhere near the global emergency it was in the 1980s among the gay and blood transfusion communities, Elton has steadfastly remained active in advocacy for AIDS research.
By Sean Callaghan5 years ago in Beat
'Rock of the Westies'
Rock of the Westies, a play on words of West of the Rockies, was the third album recorded by Elton John at Caribou Ranch in Colorado, his second album of 1975 as well as his second of 1975 to debut at number 1 on the charts and the first album for the then "new" iteration of the Elton John Band. The "new" band consisted of Caleb Quaye on guitar and Roger Pope on drums, formerly of the band Hookfoot and veterans of Elton's earlier albums on which they appeared as session players before Elton started using his touring band full time for recording on Honky Chateau.
By Sean Callaghan5 years ago in Beat
When Politics Trumps Music
I have been a Pink Floyd fan since one snowy day when a neighbor introduced me to the "Dark Side of the Rainbow" effect. I was greatly amused by the effect of watching The Wizard of Oz with Dark Side of the Moon as the soundtrack; the more important thing, however, was that I instantly fell in love with the album and quickly became a major fan of Pink Floyd's music.
By Sean Callaghan5 years ago in Beat