WorldMags.net 19711971 JANUARY-ON

Are youyou writingwriting aa lot now? Yeah,Yeah, wewe wrote wrote ththree ree last week. There'sThere's a lotlot ofof - MELODYMELODY MAKERMAKER FEBRUARY 2020 - - - things that we haven't been able to do live because they need a guitar, so things that we haven't been able to do live because they needa guitar, so DDESPITE,ESPITE, OR OR PERHAPS PERHAPS because because of, of, the the wide wide acclaim acclaim which which hashas we'rewe're takingHookfoottaking Hookfootwith with usus onon thethe nextnextAmerican American tour,tour, partlypartly soso thatthat greeted Elton JohnJohn inin thethe pastpast sixsix months, months, he'she's recentlyrecently comecome inin CalebCaleb [Quaye][Quaye] cancan playplay guitarwithguitar with us. We'veWe've beenbeen very luckylucky asas farfar asas for somesome fairlyfairly heavyheavy criticism. criticism. MuchMuch ofof this this centres centres around around hishis criticismcriticism goes. We'reWe're gettinggetting knockedknocked now,now, butbut ownown up,up, peoplepeople mustmust bebe

stagestage act,act, becausebecause he's the first new star fortor aa longlong time time (save(save perhaps perhaps gettinggetting sicksick toto death death ofof reading reading "Elton"Elton John John - -Wonder Wonder HumanHuman Being". I'mI'm

Tiny Tim)Tim) who's who's actually actually preferred preferred toto gogo on on stage stage wearing wearing something something gettinggetting a bit cheesedcheesed offwithoff with it it myself, myself, soso aa little bit of criticismcriticism is good.good.

other thanthan thethe clothesclothes hehe normally walkswalks around in. in. He'sHe's beenbeen bad-bad- ObviouslyObviouslyyou you take notice ofof it-1it -I readread allall thethe musicmusic papers,papers, I don'tdon't readread mouthedmouthed forfor thethe way hehe endsends hishis shows,shows, withwith anan orgiasticorgiastic rock'n'rollrock'n'roll triptrip anythinganything else.else. ThereThere waswas aa thingin thing in the the MMthat MMthat reallyreally annoyed annoyed me-anme- an that usuallyusually seessees himhim standingstanding on thethe piano,piano, lyinglying underunder it,it, and and exhortingexhorting interview with Patto,Patto, where theythey werewere beingb eing veryvery bitter bitter about about peoplepeople the audienceaudience toto clap along whilewhile hehe playsplays thethe keyboardkeyboard withwith hishis boots.boots. not makingitmaking it forfor themselves.themselves. I usedused to feelfeel thethe samesame waywaywhen when II waswas inin

Bluesology. PattoPatto saidsaid thatthat itit mademade themthem sicksick toto workwork soso hardhard forfor yearsyears andand HowdoyouHow do you react react toto the the criticism?criticism? Yeah, well,well, that's that's valid.valid. FairFair enough- enough- then someone likelike Elton JohnJohn comescomes alongalong andand getsgets written written aboutabout andand allall people don'tdon't knowknowwhat what sortsort ofof upbringing I'veI've had.had. TheyThey justjust thinkthink I'mI'm that. ItIt reallyreally upsets upsets me me because because theythey don't don't realise realise thatthat I'veI've been been through through a moodymoody songwriter.songwriter. WhatWhat they'rethey're saying is thatthat Elton's gotgot enough enough talent;talent; exactlyexactly thethe samesame thing.thing.

he doesn'tdoesn't needneed to dodo that.that. That'sThat's aa nicenice thingthing to say,say, butbut theythey don'tdon't realiserealise thatthat rock'n'rollrock'n'roll is reallyreally basicallybasicallywhere where I'm at,at, howlhowI waswas broughtbrought up.up. TheThe What dodo you you think think are are Bernie's Bernie's main main strengths strengths asas aa lyricist?lyricist? TheThe main main

firstfirst bigbig influence influence inin mymylife life waswas thosethose twotwo records,records, "ABC"ABC Boogie"Boogie" and and strength isis that hehe writes very rarely.rarely. WhenWhen hehe firstfirst started started hehe wasn'twasn't allall

"Heartbreak"HeartbreakHotel".Ifyouplaypiano, Hotel". Ifyou playpiano, it'sit's great to playplay likelike that, that, bangingbanging that pretentious, but there'sthere's aa couple oftracksof tracks onon EmptyEmpty Sfcy-likeSky -like "Hymn"Hymn

away, andand II justjust likelike doingdoing it.it. II don't don't havehave toto dodo itit to to prove prove myself... myself... II reallyreally 2000", whichwhich isis reallyreally awful,awful, justjust terrible.terrible. He's gotgot overover that,that, andand he's gotgot look forwardforward toto thatthat bit, thethe end, where II cancan freakfreak outout andand do whatwhat II want.want. down toto sayingsaying thingsthings very simply.simply. He'sHe's findingfinding hishis own way, andand he'she's

If they they don't don't like like it it then then that's that's fair fair enough, enough, because because beforehand beforehand inin thethe only veryvery young,young, notnot 2121 yet. yet. He's He's very very good good because because he's he's sentimental: sentimental; he'she's

show they'vethey've had thethe bits ofof musicmusic thatthat theythey cancan dig. But II reallyreally enjoyenjoy it,it, found his niche.niche. He doesn'tdoesn't churnchurn thingsthings out;out; II really havehave toto pressurepressure himhim

and in factfact we'vewe've writtenwritten a couplecouple ofof new rock'n'rollrock'n'roll things. It's allall aa partpart to write,write, becausebecause I can'tcan't dodo aa thingthing untiluntil he'she's producedproduced somesome lyrics.lyrics. Also hehe of me-Ime -I likelike doingdoing soulsoul songs,songs, and and gospel-typegospel -type songs songs and and thethe rock'n'rollrock'n'roll onlyonlywrites writes about personal things,things, whichwhich is greatgreat becausebecause II knowhimknowhim

songs. They'llThey'll have to acceptaccept it. inside out, soso when I getget thethe lyrics,lyrics, 1I know know exactly exactly what what he's he's talking talking about.about. Like "Your"Your Song"... Song"... I I knewwhat knewwhat chickchick hehe waswas involvedinvolved withwith atat thethe time.time.

Do youyou alwaysalways end end the the showshow with with thethe rock'n'roll?rock'n'roll? Isn't itit risky, ifif thethe

audience hasn'thasn't gonegone alongalong with you?you? Not really,really, becausebecause everyevery gig we'vewe've HowHowdidyou did you getinvolvedget involved with with PaulBuckmaster? Paul Buckmaster? Steve BrownBrown produced produced

had since we leftleft forfor the the States States the the first first time, time, we've we've started started withwith aa quietquiet our firstfirst things,things, andand then he said hehe didn'tdidn't feelfeel experiencedexperienced enough toto

solo number,number, thenthenwe we buildbuildup up graduallygradually and and byby thethe endend thethe produce anyanymore more-he'd -he'd never never done done anything anythinglike like that that in in hishis lifelife audience justjust can'tcan't wait wait forfor it. WeWe really reallyhave have thethe mostmost -so hehe suggested that we looklook around around forfor another another producerproducer

amazing receptionsreceptions -- it'sit's justjust thethe criticscritics whowho don'tdon't likelike and arranger. WeWe calledcalled upup allall thethe usualusual people,people, George the rock'n'roll.rock'n'roll. Going byby audiences, audiences, basicallybasically that'sthat's Martin andand soso on,on, butbut theythey werewere allall busy, busy, they they couldn't couldn't

all theyt heywant, want, especiallyespecially inin thethe States.States. I !heardheard LarryLarry do anythinganything for for five weeks.weeks. ItIt dragged dragged onon andand on,on, andand

Coryell dodo thethe mostmost amazingamazing setset atat Fillmore West, |y ^ we hadhad all thisthis material waiting. waiting. Anyway, Anyway, TonyTony HallHall

and nobodynobodywanted wanted to to know. know. SoSo hehe diddid aa send-upsend-up said he'dhe'd gotgot a blokebloke calledcalled PaulPaul BuckmasterBuckmaster who'dwho'd

ofof'JohnnyBGoode" "Johnny B Goode" and and theywent theywent mad.mad. That'sThat's 91 UNl5UNI s I justjust made the Sounds NiceNice record.record. WeWe had had nothing nothing 1153(.953 bbasically a sicallywhat what the the kids kids wa want nt - -clot a lot of them,them, anyway.anyway. ; toto lose,lose, soso wewe went went round round toto seesee him.him. WeWe played played him him FromFlom >- 93120 But II couldn't couldn't dodo anan allall rock'n'rollrock'n'roll show; itit wouldwould bebe 93120 "Your Song" Song" and and he he said said he he didn't didn'twant want to touchtouch it c ACRACROS w THE O a drag for me. because it was too nice. Then he played us some a drag for me. WATER because it was too nice. Then he playedus some

*LEMONL E V 0 N Januaryl4f1971:January14.1971: (Elton,'Elton John-BernieJohn -Bernie Taupin)Taupirn EltonJohnElton John ■ ELTON JOHNJOHN RECORDED iNIN performshis ENGLAND breakthroughhitbreakthrough hit "YourSong"on

s r-

n

/

\

/ t

- • j

i

r ■ -•.

*

WorldMags.net