Elton John (1970)

Elton John is the second studio album by British singer-songwriter Elton John. It was released on 10 April 1970 through DJM Records. Including John's breakthrough single "Your Song", the album helped establish his career during the rise of the singer-songwriter era of popular music.

In the US, Elton John was certified gold in February 1971 by the RIAA. In the same year, it was nominated for the Grammy Award for Album of the Year at the 13th Annual Grammy Awards. In 2003, the album was ranked number 468 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. On 27 November 2012, it was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame as an album cited as exhibiting "qualitative or historical significance".

Production

This was the first of a string of John albums produced by Gus Dudgeon. As Dudgeon recalled in a Mix magazine interview, the album was not actually intended to launch John as an artist, but rather as a collection of polished demos for other artists to consider recording his and co-writer Bernie Taupin's songs.

The song "No Shoe Strings on Louise" was intended (as homage or parody) to sound like a Rolling Stones song.

Reception

John Mendelsohn in a contemporary (1970) review for Rolling Stone felt that the album was over-produced and over-orchestrated, comparing it unfavourably with the less mannered and orchestrated Empty Sky; though he felt that John had "so immense a talent" that "he'll delight you senseless despite it all". Robert Christgau in his weekly "Consumer Guide" column for The Village Voice also felt the album was overdone ("overweening", "histrionic overload", "semi-classical ponderousness"), but that it had "a surprising complement of memorable tracks", including "Your Song" which, despite its "affected offhandedness", he considered "an instant standard".

US 8-Track Tape Version

The US version of the 8-track tape of Elton John released by MCA Records (citation: MCA MCT-3000) repeats the tracks "Your Song" and "I Need You To Turn To", total time 46:00, and has the following running order:

• Program 1: Your Song : I Need You To Turn To : First Episode At Hienton
• Program 2: No Shoe Strings On Louise : Sixty Years On : Border Song
• Program 3: I Need You To Turn To : Your Song : The King Must Die
• Program 4: Take Me To The Pilot : The Greatest Discovery : The Cage

Live recordings

John performed many of these songs live.

Personnel

Track numbers refer to CD and digital releases of the album.

Elton John – piano, vocals (all tracks), harpsichord (2)

Diana Lewis – Moog synthesizer (5, 9)

Brian Dee – organ (6, 7)

Frank Clark – acoustic guitar (1), double bass (10)

Colin Green – additional guitar (1, 7), Spanish guitar (6)

Clive Hicks – twelve-string guitar (1), rhythm guitar (4), guitar (7, 8, 10), acoustic guitar (9)

Roland Harker – guitar (2)

Alan Parker – rhythm guitar (3)

Caleb Quaye – lead guitar (3, 4, 5), additional guitar (9)

Dave Richmond – bass guitar, double bass (1, 7, 8)

Alan Weighall – bass guitar (3, 4, 9)

Les Hurdle – bass guitar (10)

Barry Morgan – drums (1, 3, 4, 7, 9)

Terry Cox – drums (8, 10)

Dennis Lopez – percussion (3, 4)

Tex Navarra – percussion (9)

Skaila Kanga – harp (2, 8)

• Paul Buckmaster – cello solo (8), orchestral arrangements and conductor
• David Katz – orchestra contractor

Madeline Bell – backing vocals (3, 4, 7, 9)

Tony Burrows – backing vocals (3, 4, 7, 9)

Roger Cook – backing vocals (3, 4, 7, 9)

Lesley Duncan – backing vocals (3, 4, 7, 9)

Kay Garner – backing vocals (3, 4, 7, 9)

Tony Hazzard – backing vocals (3, 4, 7, 9)

Barbara Moore – backing vocals, choir leader (7)

• Technical
• Gus Dudgeon – producer, liner notes
• Robin Geoffrey Cable – engineer
• Gus Skinas – editing SACD release
• Alan Harris – original mastering
• Tony Cousins – remastering
• Ricky Graham – digital transfers
• Greg Penny – surround sound 5.1 & Dolby Atmos Mix
• Steve Brown – production coordinator
• David Larkham – art direction
• Stowell Stanford – photography
• Jim Goff – artwork
• John Tobler – liner notes