View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by University of Huddersfield Repository University of Huddersfield Repository Allcock, Phillip James Analysing the Musical Style of Sir Elton John: An Interdisciplinary Approach Original Citation Allcock, Phillip James (2014) Analysing the Musical Style of Sir Elton John: An Interdisciplinary Approach. Doctoral thesis, University of Huddersfield. This version is available at http://eprints.hud.ac.uk/24705/ The University Repository is a digital collection of the research output of the University, available on Open Access. Copyright and Moral Rights for the items on this site are retained by the individual author and/or other copyright owners. Users may access full items free of charge; copies of full text items generally can be reproduced, displayed or performed and given to third parties in any format or medium for personal research or study, educational or not-for-profit purposes without prior permission or charge, provided: • The authors, title and full bibliographic details is credited in any copy; • A hyperlink and/or URL is included for the original metadata page; and • The content is not changed in any way. For more information, including our policy and submission procedure, please contact the Repository Team at: [email protected]. http://eprints.hud.ac.uk/ Analysing the Musical Style of Sir Elton John: An Interdisciplinary Approach Phillip James Allcock July 2014 A thesis submitted to the University of Huddersfield in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Copyright Statement i. The author of this thesis (including any appendices and/or schedules to this thesis) owns any opight i it the Copight ad s/he has gie The Uiesit of Huddesfield the ight to use such Copyright for any administrative, promotional, educational and/or teaching purposes. ii. Copies of this thesis, either in full or in extracts, may be made only in accordance with the regulations of the University Library. Details of these regulations may be obtained from the Librarian. This page must form part of any such copies made. iii. The ownership of any patents, designs, trademarks and any and all other intellectual property ights eept fo the Copight the Itelletual Popet ‘ights ad a epodutios of copyright works, fo eaple gaphs ad tales ‘epodutios, hih a e desied i this thesis, may not be owned by the author and may be owned by third parties. Such Intellectual Property Rights and Reproductions cannot and must not be made available for use without the prior written permission of the owner(s) of the relevant Intellectual Property Rights and/or Reproductions. 2 Abstract This thesis aims to explore the musical style of Elton John by taking an interdisciplinary approach to popular usi aalsis. I additio to aalsig Elto Johs usial stle, the appoah take ill itself be assessed to ascertain whether it can be beneficial for future research into popular music. The introductory chapter defines the key concepts and considers who or what Elton John is. With a career spanning over 45 years and in excess of 300 million albums sold, Elton John is a major popular music artist. However, the Elton John brand is not confined to popular music records. Elton John has been involved with films and stage shows, and he is a celebrity as well as a popular music star. Issues relating to gender have been relevant to Elton John throughout his career and provide appropriate contextualisation for an analysis of his musical style. These extramusical aspects are discussed in the to haptes folloig the itodutio, ad thei ipat upo Elto Johs ole as a popula usi atist is osideed. Fou peiods of Elto Johs usi aee hae ee idetified, ad a ase stud from each period follows the chapters concerning gender and related issues and stardom and celebrity. Each case study draws upon established methods of music analysis, and evaluates elements of the music such as instrumentation, melody, and harmony, as well as instrumentation and how the listener interacts with the music. Both the recording and a sheet music score are used as the musical text. Their use is dependent upon which is most suitable for the specific analysis task. A range of computer software is used to produce quantitatie data aout Elto Johs usial stle, and this complements the analysis undertaken using more traditional methods. The interdisciplinary approach taken enables an Elton John formula for writing pop songs to be devised. The thesis concludes by exaiig ho Elto Johs usial stle a e itepeted i light of the ultual issues highlighted, the effectiveness of an interdisciplinary approach, and how this research is situated within the wider popular music field. 3 Dedication This thesis is dedicated to the memory of five people who have made a tremendous impact upon my life. Firstly, to my grandparents, Charles and Mary Allcock and Len and Joyce Jennings, who inspired me from an early age and taught me to value education for its own sake. Secondly, to my music teacher, Ed Korolyk, for supporting me in my music making and always challenging me to take it to the next level. Tante belle cose! 4 Acknowledgements I wish to thank a number of people who have helped me in a variety of ways to complete this thesis: - Dr Rupert Till for his unwavering support, guidance, and humour at every stage of the research process. His wisdom has been invaluable and his passion for research has been truly inspiring. - Dr Lisa Colton and Dr Catherine Howarth for their encouragement, enthusiasm, and expertise in research relating to gender. - Dr Steven Jan for his knowledge of and assistance in using computer-aided techniques of music analysis. - The staff of the University of Huddersfield Music Department and University Library for their help with a range of issues during my time at the University. - Dom Treharne for his help to input sheet music into Sibelius 7. - Lesley Jennings for her knowledge of Microsoft Excel. - My parents, Margaret and David, and my sister, Katherine, for their support, optimism, and proof reading skills! 5 Contents Copyright Statement ............................................................................................................................... 2 Abstract ................................................................................................................................................... 3 Dedication ............................................................................................................................................... 4 Acknowledgements ................................................................................................................................. 5 Photographs, Musical Examples, and Tables .......................................................................................... 9 Introduction .......................................................................................................................................... 10 Approaches to Popular Music Analysis ............................................................................................. 15 Chapter 1: Elton John ............................................................................................................................ 20 The Person ........................................................................................................................................ 20 Childhood and Teen Years ............................................................................................................ 20 Sexuality ........................................................................................................................................ 22 Alcohol and Substance Abuse ....................................................................................................... 24 The Musician/Composer ................................................................................................................... 26 Overview of Career ....................................................................................................................... 26 Musicianship and Output .............................................................................................................. 28 Partnership with Bernie Taupin .................................................................................................... 28 The Performer ................................................................................................................................... 30 Album/Tour Balance ..................................................................................................................... 30 Costumes....................................................................................................................................... 31 Campaigner and Fund Raiser ........................................................................................................ 34 Elton John Literature ......................................................................................................................... 37 Interviews ...................................................................................................................................... 37 Biographies ................................................................................................................................... 38 Reviews ........................................................................................................................................