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Fifty Years Ago Today: Elton John 11-17-70


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On this day in 1970, Elton John played a small concert at the A&R Studios in NYC before a small crowd of 100-125 people. The recording still reverberates and continues to influence players from around the globe.

 

 

 

[video:youtube]

 

 

 

Best,

 

Geoff

My Blue Someday appears on Apple Music | Spotify | YouTube | Amazon

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Just listened to some of this again today. Dee & Nigel sound incredible on "Amoreena" (one of the extra songs issued a few years ago). A reminder of how underrated Dee Murray is as a bassist and the chances those guys took as youngsters.

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Tuning in to this tribute right now: CLONK

Jeff Kazee (piano/vocals) and John Conte (bass/vocals) from Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes, plus Rich Pagano (drums/vocals) from the Fab Faux and various studio sessions... they do a great jam band-y take on this era of the material, but I haven't seen any of their stuff for close to ten years. Enjoying it so far!

Samuel B. Lupowitz

Musician. Songwriter. Food Enthusiast. Bad Pun Aficionado.

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One of my favorite records of all time. It"s shaped everything I"ve done since first hearing it.

 

Coincidentally... is it in poor taste to share this here too? If so I submit myself to mod nukage.

]

 

Very cool, Sam! I'm in awe that someone would even attempt this. Spirited and skillful honky tonk piano. Taking on the vocals is incredibly ambitious, but I found it enjoyable to listen to.

Gigging: Crumar Mojo 61, Hammond SKPro

Home: Vintage Vibe 64

 

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Spirited and skillful honky tonk piano. Taking on the vocals is incredibly ambitious, but I found it enjoyable to listen to.
Thanks so much, Adan! Even though my approach to the piano is largely shaped by Elton and this record in particular, I definitely learned a few new tricks during the deep dive. But I also got to apply a few things I learned from other sources to the material, which kept the improvisational spirit of the thing.

 

As far as the vocals, I'm lucky to be married to a professional vocal coach. Any of the individual songs are challenging to sing -- rangey, wordy, full of little runs and licks -- but doing the whole show straight through definitely required some prep, like running a race or something. Elton was in his early 20s when he played that show and I'm, um, not, but I'm also a more experienced singer now than I was when I was in my early 20s, so I was quite proud of the results.

Samuel B. Lupowitz

Musician. Songwriter. Food Enthusiast. Bad Pun Aficionado.

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Very cool, Sam! I'm in awe that someone would even attempt this. Spirited and skillful honky tonk piano. Taking on the vocals is incredibly ambitious, but I found it enjoyable to listen to.

 

+1 Sam!

 

As far as the vocals, I'm lucky to be married to a professional vocal coach. Any of the individual songs are challenging to sing -- rangey, wordy, full of little runs and licks -- but doing the whole show straight through definitely required some prep, like running a race or something. Elton was in his early 20s when he played that show and I'm, um, not, but I'm also a more experienced singer now than I was when I was in my early 20s, so I was quite proud of the results.

 

No kidding. I was amazed you didn't hyperventilate â I certainly would have!

 

BTW I really did like the sound of that little spinet â great percussive tone and the slight tuniness added to the immediacy of the moment. I once got to play Elton's original upright that many of these songs would have been written on. Garbage! Definitely attests to Reezekey's Law.

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Rod

Here for the gear.

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BTW I really did like the sound of that little spinet â great percussive tone and the slight tuniness added to the immediacy of the moment. I once got to play Elton's original upright that many of these songs would have been written on. Garbage! Definitely attests to Reezekey's Law.
The slight tuniness was despite my best efforts. The tuner came less than a week before the show, but the combination of a full dress rehearsal and some aggressively flucuating temperatures (with open windows to ameliorate any Covid anxieties) left the piano even further out of tune by the end of the show than before the tuner came. There's a G two octaves above middle C that sticks out to me in particular, and that note is prominently featured in a number of these tunes, including the marathon Burn Down the Mission.

 

I'll still take the real thing any day of the week!

Samuel B. Lupowitz

Musician. Songwriter. Food Enthusiast. Bad Pun Aficionado.

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