Spencer Davis, el eterno “segundón” del rock, cumple 70 años

http://www.lacapital.com.ar/contenidos/2009/07/17/noticia_0060.html

El Spencer Davis Group estuvo en 1966 más tiempo en las listas de éxito británicas que los Rolling Stones y los Beatles.

Londres.- Su nombre está en la lista de los mejores de la historia del rock, pero siempre en segunda fila. La banda de Spencer Davis, que lleva su nombre, simboliza como ninguna otra el “Swinging London” de los años 60, talento y creación de tendencias, así como clásicos inolvidables como “Keep On Running” o “Gimme Some Lovin'”.

A los 70 años, que cumple hoy viernes, su influencia es innegable hasta la actualidad. Sin embargo, la banda quedó a la sombra de los grandes cuartetos del rock, pese a que Davis sigue saliendo de gira. Este galés y californiano por elección celebra su cumpleaños mientras los nostálgicos de los 60 recuerdan el 40 aniversario del Festival de Woodstock.

El Spencer Davis Group estuvo en 1966 más tiempo en las listas de éxito británicas que los Rolling Stones y los Beatles. Pero a largo plazo le faltó la excéntrica irradiación de un Mick Jagger o el estatus de culto de Paul McCartney y John Lennon.

Davis era considerado en cambio el “señor profesor” en el mundo de la música de Birmingham, donde estudió Lingüística. Habla de forma fluida alemán (estudió además en Berlín occidental), francés y español. Sin embargo, interrumpió su carrera académica en 1963 para dedicarse a la música.

Este artista de folk-blues se fijó en los hermanos del jazz Muff y Steve Winwood, y creó junto con ellos y el batería Peter York una banda. En 1964 publicaron su primer sencillo.
Spencer Davis -con talento pero sin carisma- no daba brillo a la banda, tarea que quedaba en manos de Steve Winwood. El joven, entonces de sólo 16 años, sobresalía ante el maestro ocho años mayor entonces al frente del grupo. Debido a sus poderosas imitaciones de voz, los críticos bautizaron a Winwood como el “Ray Charles blanco”. Y el amplio repertorio de Davis en canto e instrumentos quedó opacado.

La banda quería llevar en el nombre su sello personal, pero el título de The Steve Winwood Band fracasó ante el veto del padre de los hermanos, a quien la presión de la fama y la comercialización le parecían demasiado grandes para unos adolescentes. Por eso, el cuarteto salió de gira como The Spencer Davis Group junto con los Stones y The Who. “Fue la mejor decisión que nadie ha tomado por mí”, confesó más tarde sobre el nombre Davis.

Pero se trataba de una solución de emergencia con la que Steve Winwood a la larga no podía identificarse. No quería seguir recibiendo consejos del meticuloso académico, y los hermanos acabaron dejando la banda tras cuatro años por frustración, con ayuda de su propio mánager.

Davis estaba perplejo con el juego de intrigas, pero cedió a Winwood el protagonismo. A partir de entonces él cantó los clásicos, y la banda perdió vuelo. “Gimme Some Lovin” fue su mayor hit, que en aquel momento llegó sólo al segundo puesto, por detrás de los Blues Brothers.

Davis intentó luchar por los fans con más presentaciones y mayor refinamiento musical. Con “Mr. Second Class” (Señor de segundo rango) el grupo logró entrar por última vez en los charts. Y a la vez la canción representaba lo que Davis pensaba de sí mismo. Entre 1963 y 1968 el grupo vendió ocho millones de discos.

Spencer Davis sabía que aquel era el cénit de la banda, pero no quería parar. “Keep On Running” (Sigue en marcha) es la canción de su vida. Pero tenía una cosa clara: no quería volver a compartir escenario con los carismáticos. Cuando Elton John hizo una prueba para formar parte del grupo, Davis debe haber sentido un escalofrío.

John “se había vestido como un vendedor de helados colorido”, comentó. Davis responsabilizó a otros del fracaso de su banda, en la que unos músicos sustituían a otros de forma constante. El que más tiempo se quedó fue el bajista Colin Hodgkinson, cuyos revolucionarios punteos y acordes estaban reservados en aquel entonces sólo a los guitarristas.

En 1970 se trasladó a Los Angeles y se convirtió en traductor de la Marina estadounidense. Vive retirado en la isla pacífica de Santa Catalina, lo suficientemente lejos del estrés de la ciudad, pero a la vez cerca para poder volver cuando quiere.

Como productor apoyó a Bob Marley y Robert Palmer; y como músico volvió en 1984 al estudio y dirigió los Classic Rock All-Stars. En 2008 apareció su más reciente álbum, “So Far”. Y con el single “I Can't Stand Still” sigue diciendo: sigo aquí.
  www.spencer-davis-group.com
--
Robson Vianna.

MILANO, 14 luglio 2009 - Il miglior Fico del bigoncio di Cristiano Ronaldo si chiama Raffaella. Il più grande seduttore in pantaloncini del terzo millennio ha colpito ancora. Non si era ancora spenta l'eco delle folli notti di CR7 con Paris Hilton, tra grandi bevute ed effusioni hard nei locali di Los Angeles (dove l'asso portoghese ha trascorso le vacanze), che una decina di giorni fa, nei giorni appena precedenti alla presentazione col Real, il "Daily Star" ha pubblicato delle foto di Cristiano e Raffaella Fico abbastanza vicini ad un party di Elton John. La solita storiella di una sera, abbiamo pensato. Tanto più che se in una stagione contiamo i gol e le conquiste femminili di Ronaldo stravincono le seconde. Ma ora è proprio la diretta interessata, Raffaella Fico, ad uscire allo scoperto dalle colonne del settimanale "Chi", che sarà in edicola mercoledì.

Ronaldo saluta Elton John: sulla destra Raffaella Fico. Chi

Roddick, EJ, BJK to Headline WTT Fundraiser

http://www.insidetennis.com/2009/07/atlanta-august-2009/

Longtime friends Sir Elton John and Billie Jean King are bringing their annual Advanta WTT Smash Hits charity night of tennis to Louisiana for the first time in the event’s 17-year history. Tennis champion Andy Roddick and other top players will compete on Dec. 8 at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center on the Louisiana State University campus in Baton Rouge.

Smash Hits has raised more than $9 million for the Elton John AIDS Foundation (EJAF) and various local AIDS charities since ‘93. This year’s event, presented by the Irene W. and C.B. Pennington Foundation and hosted by the Baton Rouge Area Foundation, will benefit EJAF and other regional AIDS charities.

Captained by King and John, the players will form two teams and play five sets of World TeamTennis. Also, John will also participate in a celebrity doubles match to open the event. Special VIP ticket packages will also be available. For info, contact Paige Sharber at (225) 928-8346 or visit www.WTT.com.

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Just The Way They Are

This past Saturday the husband and I played at Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous because the husband, through his work connections at The Borg, somehow garnered two free tickets to the best concert in town this summer. Since this is SO not our every day life, we actually went shopping to purchase clothes suitable to wear to an event as high class as the one we attended.

Because, you know, I usually walk around in stained capris, plain jeans or yoga pants. Ahem.

So... what exactly does one wear to an event with your husband's boss' boss that includes a party bus driving through downtown D.C. so that you can tailgate in a gravel parking lot before walking one block to a baseball stadium to attend an outdoor music concert in an over-the-top fancy corporate suite? Yeah, I didn't have a clue either, but I came up with a cute little tank toppy shirt and a long, twirly skirt.

I ended up looking like a hippie amid a crowd of Frat Boys, but whatever - the husband said I looked cute anyways. You'll have to take his word for it, though, cuz I totally forgot to take a picture of myself (or should I say HE forgot to take a picture?). I did, however, remember to take a picture of the gravel parking lot tailgating. Because that was kind of funny, y'all.

tailgating where we maybe possibly weren't supposed to

After about an hour of tailgating, we headed over to the corporate suite for more partying before the concert even began. Wasn't it smart of everyone to load up on liquor before listening to two of the most popular performers in pop history? Yes, y'all, go ahead and hate me now. I saw Billy Joel and Elton John in concert. Yes, I did. And I must say that it was really wonderful, but I feel bad that you weren't with me.

(I really do.)

When Billy Joel and Elton John first walked out on stage, I started counting the minutes until Sir Elton had his first hissy fit. Because, even though none of us has actually met the man, we ALL know what he's like. And, as expected, I didn't have long to wait. He stormed off the stage within the first 15 minutes while yelling a few choice curses words because of some technical difficulties.

Sir Elton John and Billy Joel, before the hissy fit

Actually, to be fair, Sir Elton hung around on stage for quite some time while the crew tried to fix said issues. How long, y'all ask? Well, Billy Joel improvised a couple of songs, including Yankee Doodle and Battle Hymn of the Republic. Joel even threw off his coat and ran to help the technicians laying on the floor, under Sir Elton's piano, trying to fix the sustain pedal. When that didn't work, Billy Joel joked, "wanna trade pianos?"

And that's when the hissy fit happened. Because - you know - Sir Elton is Sir Elton... kinda like me in the mornings. Our little group hardly noticed the delay, though, because we just headed inside to eat and drink more.

quite obviously, some drunk person took this photo... because
I would never forget to switch my camera from manual to
automatic focus... and where did all of the food go anyways?

After that little bit of chaos, they changed up the format of their regular Face2Face show, having Billy Joel perform first. Which was totally alright with me because, while the rest of the crowd in our suite seemed more familiar with Sir Elton's songs, I - being YOUNGER - knew more of Billy Joel's songs.

I'm just saying...

It felt amazing to hear the crowd sing along with most of the songs that night. I mean, think about it, how many Elton and Joel songs do you know by heart? Quite a lot, I'd venture to say. And sing them, we did. We were really loud, y'all, especially since I think the baseball stadium was more crowded for that one concert than for all of this season's baseball games combined.

(Did y'all even know D.C. has a baseball team now? No? That's probably because they stink.)

I enjoyed every minute of the concert, as did every member of our group. Although some of us enjoyed the night a little more than others.

thankfully, this IS his wife

Billy Joel outdid himself, performing such favorites as Allentown, Zanzibar, She's Always a Woman (with some interesting comments about his current/ third divorce), It's Still Rock and Roll to Me and Only the Good Die Young. Sir Elton wowed the crowd with Tiny Dancer, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road and a fourteen minute version of Rocket Man, complete with pink flamingos and rainbows shooting across the stage screens.

if I was ever in doubt as to what these lyrics referred to, I now find
the metaphor completely clear... pink flamingos can do that to you

Then they played duets for quite a few songs, including the ever popular Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me, You May Be Right, I Guess That's Why They Call it the Blues, Candle in the Wind and Piano Man. I really missed hearing Uptown Girl, which they didn't play due to the technical difficulties, but I guess that's alright since I looked more like a hippie than an Uptown Girl anyways.

And I loved 'em just the way they were, hissy fit and all.

at 7:15 AM

Labels: The Arts, Travel and Outings

ELTON JOHN - MADMAN SESSIONS DEMOS

Click on the panels for a better view or to download artwork.

ELTON JOHN
The Madman Sessions Demos [3378645, 1CD]

I was about to listen to my copy of Elton’s Rare Masters when I discovered that the 1992 2CD set had spiderweb-like smudges on both the discs. I wanted to find out if the version of Rock Me When He’s Gone on Rare Masters was as good as on this “sessions” bootleg.*

In any case, the rest of the tracks on this rare bootleg are all previously unreleased. It’s just Elton accompanying himself on the piano. The tempo on most tracks is slower and he’s in great form. Lively vocals, with a lot of feeling. Check out Levon, always a slow, sensitive ballad. Now you get to hear, Elton in his prime, belting the song solo.

According to Elton’s schedule, the Madman song was first attempted for the Tumbleweed Connection album in 1970. A first “original” version is tacked onto the new deluxe edition of Tumbleweed Connection. But this version here is supposedly the demo, no strings, no band, just the piano.

The remainder of the songs, Rotten Peaches and Goodbye are all played solo in the same enthusiastic fashion. The Madman album was Elton’s fourth, it was a big production with Paul Buckmaster putting up an epic soundstage with strings and horns. It also was the first album with Davey Johnstone on guitar. In England, the album languished at #41 but surged to #8 in the U.S.

In the movie, Almost Famous, Tiny Dancer was the movie’s theme about the fragile nature of fame. Likely Madman Across The Water was Elton’s most ambitious album at the time. It secured his status as a cult artist from across the pond. He gained a larger, loyal following but lost his cult status as he launched himself as a superstar with the hard rock Honky Chateau, targeting an American audience. He would never make an album like Madman again.

Like the album, this boot is an acquired taste. Thanks to yogilou who shared this on Dime. Thanks also to Ziggyt for the artwork.
- Professor Red

*NOTE: The Rare Masters version of Rock Me When He’s Gone is a full band version. While this is the piano demo.

Note: Click on the highlighted tracks to download the MP3s (these are high quality MP3s - sample rate of 192 kbps). As far as we can ascertain, these tracks have never been officially released on CD.

Due to the size of some of the files, please be very patient when downloading the tracks. It could be that the server was very busy. Please try again later. Kindly email us at mybigo@... if you encounter persistent problems downloading the files.

TT: 20:24m

Sunday, July 12, 2009

Sir Elton and Billy Joel -- Face 2 Face in Nats Park

http://www.runindc.com/2009/07/sir-john-and-billy-joel-face-2-face.html

The Rocket Man with the Piano Man

Getting together after playing the finale -- Wow, they want the entire 9 innings and kept us on the edge of our seats.

Sir Elton thanking the warm Washington welcome

Amazing pic of Billy Joel hitting piano with rubber mallet singing "You May be Right"

I run with Elton John, almost every day -- on my Ipod Nano that is.

Elton John was my childhood star in the 80's when I would sing the lyrics to "Uptown Girl" everyday in school.

Last night, my dream came true for me.

Two of the music industry's finest piano men, Elton John and Billy Joel toured the Nation's Capital at Nats Park, and I had the pleasure and good fortune to be invited for a complimentary show -- Yes, I was given free seats -- you wouldn't believe it -- my Genie was extra gracious last night.

Billy Joel was my first concert 23 years ago and I had never seen Elton John live.  Next to the Inaugural Concert at the Lincoln Memorial, this was the best concert I have ever attended.

The high tech and snazzy stage and background LED made for a fun light show -- better than any fireworks after Nats games.

The ballpark was full  -- I had never seen so many people in at Nats Park -- even when the Red Sox came to town.  The Field crew transformed the baseball field into a great concert park almost overnight.  Amazingly, like for the Nats games, I was able to find parking just 3 minutes away on Half Street.

Needless to say, I was quite thrilled after my Solomons bike ride to attend the inaugural concert at Nats Park -- my stomping grounds and event that will live permanently.

I was able to get great 3rd base field seats with awesome views of Elton John -- he was about the distance from the pitcher's mound to home base.

Performing "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me"

The entire concert consisted of 31 songs over 3 1/2 hours.  All the songs they played were oldies -- from the early 80's and back -- my kind of era.

A funny thing happened when Elton John broke his pedal and Joel came to the rescue by singing an impromptu but funny "Battle Hymn of the Republic." -- what a great save.

Singing "Piano Man" -- my old time favorite

My all-time favorite line: "He's talking with Davey who is still in the Navy and probably will be in for life" -- I remember listening to this before I joined the Navy and sure enough that was my fate.

Sir Elton waves to the crowd -- here I'm waving back.

This was an experience of a lifetime -- dreams do come true, for those who can afford to sit and wait.

Many times, Elton John got up on  top of his piano.  What a performance -- bought back sweet, tender memories of music I grew up with and still listen to.

The audience got their money's worth.  A baseball park is a great, sentimental venue for a concert for two of our all-time All Stars.

Billy Joel raising his hand and ring finger showing that he is once again single while singing "Piano Man" with Sir Elton.

"Paul is a real estate novelist who never had time for a wife"

Piano Man means a lot to me -- it is an all time great with a depressing underlying story. 

The story is people who never do anything with their lives will be caught in the monotonous daily routine of work and have only to look forward to going to the bar on Sat nights.

It is a all time classic with great lyrics and a relevant story -- I find myself humming this song to myself often when I'm running.

Wow -- Rocket Man and Piano Man -- what a incredible Double Header.  And the Nats Win (Finally)!

Posted by The Life and Limericks of a DC Maverick

Resolved Question http://www.experienceproject.com/question-answer/Does-Anybody-Like-Elton-John/23986 Does anybody like Elton John? Posted 2 days ago

Invite Friends to Check Out Questions Like These  |   Flag Inappropriate

Abooklover

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker Yes, he's a great artist. Posted 2 days ago

---

Sort By: Highest Rated | Newest | OldestOther Answers (15)

   1-15 of 15 Answers   

CrossEyedMary	Posted Jul 12th, 2009 at 7:51AM No Flag Inappropriate Rated: +2Vote for this!
nuevo	Posted Jul 11th, 2009 at 6:40PM I do, I do!!! Flag Inappropriate Rated: +1Vote for this!
Konrad	Posted Jul 11th, 2009 at 6:31PM I do. :) Not because he's gay, he actually has some decent music. Flag Inappropriate Rated: +1Vote for this!
leachitchat	Posted Jul 11th, 2009 at 6:32PM Yeah hes got a big heart and does some good music :-) Flag Inappropriate Rated: +1Vote for this!
godsmack666	Posted Jul 11th, 2009 at 6:33PM Sure, not one of my favourites personally (I'm more of a metalhead) but he has some very decent music that you can't help but sing along to :) Flag Inappropriate Rated: +1Vote for this!
CaptainHotPantsPi card	Posted Jul 11th, 2009 at 6:37PM Yeah he's a great artist. Flag Inappropriate Rated: +1Vote for this!
Lilycue	Posted Jul 11th, 2009 at 6:46PM I love Elton John,he is fantastic!!!!! Flag Inappropriate Rated: +1Vote for this!
Troubleshooter	Posted Jul 11th, 2009 at 6:47PM I have seen Elton John twice in concert with Billy Joel, and I have to say, the two of them together make for a GREAT show! Flag Inappropriate Rated: +1Vote for this!
urbrandofheroin	Posted Jul 11th, 2009 at 6:56PM He is an amazing pianst and singer. Flag Inappropriate Rated: +1Vote for this!
piscesgal	Posted Jul 11th, 2009 at 6:59PM I love him, the kids and I just watched the episode of the Muppet Show that he was on. I have a set of 'staples', music that was 'popular' when I was growing up that I will always enjoy. I don't listen to the radio now a days, but the songs from my childhood will always be faves of mine. Flag Inappropriate Rated: +1Vote for this!
underconstruction	Posted Jul 11th, 2009 at 7:03PM I like some of his songs, but I think he is a Drama Queen. Flag Inappropriate Rated: +1Vote for this!
livingbyfaith	Posted Jul 11th, 2009 at 7:09PM yes, yes and yes. Flag Inappropriate Rated: +1Vote for this!
SeriouslySappy	Posted Jul 11th, 2009 at 7:09PM I do, I do Flag Inappropriate Rated: +1Vote for this!
tearaway	Posted Jul 11th, 2009 at 7:48PM My friend got him mixed up with John Lennon today. She told me she saw a John Lennon concert earlier in the week. Not! She saw an Elton John concert! And he was late cause he was coming from MJ's funeral show. I have to say I don't think much of tardiness, Mr Lennon. Flag Inappropriate Rated: +1Vote for this!
vikster10259	Posted Jul 12th, 2009 at 1:08AM Loved Elton back when I was a teen (many moons ago) - had all his records then. Yes...I said records! I said it was many moons ago! Anybody remember Mona Lisa's and Madhatters? Flag Inappropriate Rated: +1Vote for this!

Elton John promotes safe sex in Kiev

(02:40) Rough Cut

Jun. 16 - Elton John performed in front of excited fans in the Ukrainian capital Kiev to promote his anti-Aids foundation and spread the message to young people to practice safe sex.

Volunteers handed out information leaflets and free condoms in support of the cause.

video in:

http://uk.reuters.com/news/video?videoChannel=2603&videoId=57143

 

 

 

Piano men John, Joel rally over mishaps

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/jul/13/piano-men-john-joel-rally-over-mishaps/

By Adam Mazmanian | Monday, July 13, 2009

Click the photo to enlarge. « Previous | Next »

A technical mishap provided a welcome note of unexpected drama early on during Saturday's first-ever concert at Nationals Park.

The Face 2 Face tour starring Elton John and Billy Joel doesn't exactly travel light. A giant, sleek black stage in center field, with jumbo screens on the wings, had been erected complete with 40-foot-tall banners showing the artists on their home turf — Mr. Joel in New York; Mr. John in London. Just before the show, two pianos rose through the stage on lifts (Mr. Joel's signature Baldwin on the right and Mr. John's gleaming Yamaha on the left), and the two artists emerged to take their places for a few quick duets before Mr. John's set was to begin.

They kicked off with Mr. John's "Your Song," followed by Mr. Joel's "Just the Way You Are." But by the middle of the second song, it was clear that all was not right onstage. Mr. John was looking askance at his piano and hollering at roadies, one of whom emerged and slid under his piano like a mechanic repairing a leaky exhaust system. Even Mr. Joel gamely took a peek under the Yamaha's undercarriage.

Whatever they tried to do, it didn't work. After a shaky rendition of "Miami 2017," Mr. John walked off the stage in a huff. Mr. Joel's band rallied, took the stage and commenced their set first. Mr. Joel cracked, "This is an authentic rock-and-roll [foul] up. You don't see many of these anymore."

In Mr. John's defense, however, it seems reasonable that an artist of his stature and experience should expect to perform without a jammed sustain pedal.

In the end, the glitch proved to be a little bit of spilt milk in a 33-song musical feast that left all but the most gluttonous adult contemporary fans sated. Mr. Joel's set featured a rapid fire spray of crowd-pleasers, executed without too much frippery or noodling. There is a relentless drive to the melodies in "Movin' Out," "It's Still Rock and Roll to Me," "Don't Ask Me Why" that Mr. Joel mines to great effect in performance with bombastic piano playing and an energetic singing style.

First attempted in 1994, the Face 2 Face tour's pairing of Mr. John and Mr. Joel almost had to happen. The two are nearly exact contemporaries — Mr. John is 62; Mr. Joel is 60 — and they occupy similar spots in the public imagination as leading piano men in a world of guitar heroes. But up close, it's their differences that shine through. Mr. Joel is unabashedly parochial, with songs rooted in his native New York and a band featuring a core of longtime cronies who match their patron's jocular, in-your-face style. Mr. John is the more cosmopolitan figure, the more gifted composer and player and his accompanists — including bassist Bob Birch and guitarist Davey Johnstone — come off as top-flight players rather than as an enthusiastic bar band. Mr. John's lyrics (written by longtime collaborator Bernie Taupin) are lush with metaphor and imagery, while Mr. Joel's lyrics confine themselves to the here and now.

Mr. John seems to take more liberties with the recorded versions of his songs in performance. A version of "Rocket Man," for instance, stretched out over perhaps 15 minutes, drawing out secondary themes. His playing is extremely precise and considered, and even his quips are more erudite than Mr. Joel's. Apologizing for the mishap with the piano, Mr. John said that playing with the sustain pedal in the down position would make him sound like, "Philip Glass meets Stockhausen."

The pair reunited for eight more songs to close the evening. Mr. Joel seemed distracted — at one point he appeared more interested in swatting flies than pulling his weight on "I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues." Mr. Joel's singing voice failed him utterly at points, but he barefaced his way through with a bravura smirk. Mr. John, for his part, seemed resigned to these antics rather than annoyed.

Click here for reprint permissions!
Copyright 2009 The Washington Times, LLC

Photo Details

Elton John (left) and Billy Joel greet the Nationals Stadium crowd before their Face-2-Face-tour concert on Saturday. A stuck sustain pedal sent Mr. John offstage initially, and Mr. Joel picked up his set first. (Allison Shelley/The Washington Times)

il concerto

Rocketman in Arena: Elton John torna in concerto con il suo pirotecnico show

Il re del pop torna a Verona con la sua band storica
La scaletta dei brani ripercorrerà 40 anni di carriera Gran finale con «Crocodile rock» e «Your song»

 

http://corrieredelveneto.corriere.it/padova/notizie/cultura_e_tempolibero/2009/7-luglio-2009/rocketman-arena-elton-john-torna-concerto-il-suo-pirotecnico-show--1601542855137.shtml

Sir Elton John al piano, fa il suo ritorno in Arena
(Epa)

VERONA - Il baronetto del pop indos­sa i vestiti sgargianti del rock per il ritorno in Are­na. Sir Elton John tornerà que­sta sera nel tempio veronese della musica italiana (ore 21.30, info 0584/46477, bigliet­ti esauriti) non per il solito con­certo di piano solo dal look e sound compassato. È un ritor­no in cui il «pianista pazzo» da­rà spazio alla propria anima rock di una carriera lunga oltre 40 anni, chiamando affianco a sé la «storica» Elton John Band.

Il pianista di Pinner ritrova dai suoi 29 album in studio, 4 album dal vivo, 5 colonne so­nore e 8 raccolte (per un tota­le, includendo i singoli, di 360 milioni di dischi venduti) le canzoni che l’hanno portato a diventare icona del glam anni ’70: mix di pop, blues, psiche­delica e perfino hard rock.

Questa sarà la terza volta di Sir Elton John all’Arena. La pri­ma è datata 26 aprile del 1989, giusto vent’anni fa, un tour di passaggio in quello che il piani­sta ricorda come uno dei perio­di più difficili della sua vita, perduto in svariate ossessioni e dipendenze. La seconda il 25 maggio del 2002, è passata alla storia anche per un acquazzo­ne infinito che, dalle prima canzoni, non ha smesso di in­zuppare il pubblico di un’Are­na stracolma. Non si sa se oggi pioverà o meno, anche se il precisissimo fan club italiano (www.eltonjohnitaly.com) mette in guardia da una grandi­nata nel pomeriggio e da debo­li piogge in serata. Mal da po­co, comunque, e, senza scomo­dare concerti bagnati come il leggendario Woodstock, ricor­diamo che il diluvio di cui è sta­to vittima il concerto degli Who in Arena del 2007 non ha impedito che il live si potesse trasformare in uno dei più grandiosi concerti degli ultimi anni.

Questa sera Reginald Ken­neth Dwight (nome di battesi­mo del musicista inglese) avrà accanto a sé la Elton John Band nella migliore line up de­gli ultimi anni, composta da Ni­gel Olsson (batterista che è al fianco del pianista dal tour americano del 1970/71), Guy Babylon (tastierista nel grup­po dall’89), Bob Birch (bassista nella band dal 1992) e John Mahon (percussionista, in cari­co alla EJB dal 1997). A dirigere la band sarà ancora una volta Davey Johnstone, il chitarrista storico di Elton John, dal 1972 la chitarra principale di Elton sia dal vivo che in studio: a lui da sempre è perfino affidata la scelta dei musicisti per i tour.

Una scaletta guarda al perio­do d’oro di Elton John con l’unico «pericolo» che l’open act di Anastacia (very special guest del live areniano) possa portare a qualche taglio delle 24 canzoni in programma. L’inizio è affidato ad un omaggio all’album più famoso del pianista di Pinner «Goo­dbye Yellow Brick Road» del 1973. Da questo la Elton John Band con il baronetto al piano­forte, farà sentire la lunga sui­te progressive Funeral For A Friend / Love Lies Bleeding, se­guita dalla cavalcata hard rock di Saturday Night’s Alright For Fighting. Più avanti nel cor­so della serata Elton John pro­porrà anche la title track dell’al­bum Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, la super glam All The Girls Love Alice, Candle In The Wind, nella versione rivisitata dedicata a Diana (la prima ste­sura del 1973 è infatti dedicata a Marylin Monroe) e la hit jaz­zata di Bennie And The Jets.

Qualche gioiello ripescato saltando avanti e indietro nel tempo come Burn Down The Mission (da «Tumbleweed Connection» del 1970) e I Guess That’s Why They Call It The Blues, hit dell’album «Too Low for Zero» dell’83, per ritor­nare a piè pari negli anni ’70 con Daniel (da «Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player» del 1973), Honky Cat e la miti­ca Rocket Man da «Honky Cha­teau » (1972). L’animo pop-romantico di Elton sarà ben sottolineato da Sad Songs (Say So Much) (da «Breaking Hearts», 1984), Take Me To The Pilot («Elton John», 1970), Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word («Blue Moves» 1976), Tiny Dancer («Madman Across the Water» 1971), la toccante Sacrifice («Sleeping with the Past», 1989) e Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me («To Be Conti­nued », 1990). Il volo del goffo Reginald verso l’empireo del rock si po­trà seguire con Skyline Pigeon (da «Empty Sky», 1969), pri­ma vera canzone di successo del musicista di Pinner.

Prima delle mega hit del fi­nale, il tempo per riscoprire un bel brano come Are You Ready For Love (da «The Thom Bell Sessions» del 1979) e la diver­tentissima The Bitch Is Back («Caribou» del 1973). Imman­cabile, in chiusura di scaletta, la canzone più famosa in Italia Crocodile Rock poi ancora I’m Still Standing e il capolavoro del pianista di Pinner, Your Song, scritta nel 1970.

Francesco Verni
07 luglio 2009

 

 

 

Elton John - The one - 1992

Posted By : asusdl | Date : 13 Jul 2009 06:58 | Comments : 0

 

http://avaxhome.ws/music/ricola.html

 

Elton John - The one - 1992
wav+mp3+m3u | covers included | no CUE-no LOG | wav 396 mb rar files | mp3 320 kbps 127 mb rar files

Il disco è stato registrato nello Studio Guillame Tell a Parigi; prodotto da Chris Thomas, è dedicato a Vance Buck; la copertina é firmata Versace (che all'epoca curava anche l'aspetto stilistico dei concerti di John). Nel 1992 (anno della distribuzione dell'LP), Elton ha ormai dato un nuovo corso alla propria vita, finalmente sano e regolare dopo anni di eccessi (nel 1990 si è infatti riabilitato dalla dipendenza da droghe e alcool e dalla bulimia); sviluppa quindi una maturità senza precedenti e una rinnovata quiete interiore. The One ne è un chiaro esempio: album di stampo pop, mette in evidenza molti brani riflessivi. Solo poche tracce, comunque, hanno una melodia lenta e tranquilla; la maggior parte conserva un'andatura movimentata, incluso il secondo singolo Runaway Train, duetto con Eric Clapton (degna di menzione risulta essere anche la collaborazione con David Gilmour, alla chitarra in Understanding Women).

Per alcuni critici, la produzione di Chris Thomas (in linea con i suoni dell'epoca) costituisce il punto debole del disco, penalizzando le canzoni; ciò nonostante, The One ha avuto un grande successo commerciale, soprattutto in Europa. È stato per tre settimane consecutive alla posizione numero due della classifica britannica, senza mai toccare il numero uno a causa della compilation Back to Front di Lionel Richie; negli Stati Uniti ha conseguito una 8a, mentre in Italia ha raggiunto persino la prima posizione in classifica. Inoltre, sono stati rilasciati ben quattro singoli: The One, Simple Life, The Last Song e la già citata Runaway Train (la title-track diventerà una delle canzoni più famose dell'Elton John anni Novanta).

Nel 1998 è stata pubblicata la ristampa rimasterizzata di questo album, contenente due tracce bonus.

Track list
1. Simple Life – 6:25
2. The One – 5:53
3. Sweat it Out – 6:38
4. Runaway Train (Elton John/Bernie Taupin/Olle Romo) – 5:23 (Duetto con Eric Clapton)
5. Whitewash County – 5:30
6. The North – 5:15
7. When a Woman Doesn't Want You – 4:55
8. Emily – 4:58
9. On Dark Street – 4:43
10. Understanding Women – 5:03
11. The Last Song – 3:21
LINKS
mp3
http://rapidshare.com/files/254873911/EJ-the_one-m.part1.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/254531321/EJ-the_one-m.part2.rar
wav
http://rapidshare.com/files/254893387/EJ-the_one-wav.part1.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/254902902/EJ-the_one-wav.part2.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/254913377/EJ-the_one-wav.part3.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/254923970/EJ-the_one-wav.part4.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/254925432/EJ-the_one-wav.part5.rar

PASS / senha : asusdl

visit my blog!! : http://www.avaxhome.ws/blogs/asusdl

 

 

Kultur - Musik • Sonntag, 12. Juli 2009, 13:52 Uhr

Musik: Elton John und Rod Stewart auf dem Bowling Green

http://wiesbaden.eins.de/articles/731842-musik-elton-john-und-rod-stewart-auf-dem-bowling-green?page=1

Zwei Weltstars beehren Wiesbaden im Sommer

• 
• 

 

Gleich zwei Koryphäen statten der hessischen Landeshauptstadt einen Besuch ab! Elton John und Band kommt am 30. Juni 2009 zu seinem dritten Sommerkonzert auf das Bowling Green vor dem Kurhaus. Elton John hat viele Fassetten, ist Songschreiber, Oscar-, Grammy-, Tony- und Brit-Award-Gewinner, ein Held am Broadway und ein Fußball-Förderer oder einfach nur ein Superstar. Am 11. Juli gibt Rod Stewart sein einziges Konzert in Süddeutschland. Neben dem Wiesbadener Termin tritt Stewart nach bisheriger Planung dieses Jahr nur noch ein Mal in Deutschland auf.

Ein Konzert mit Elton John ist immer wie eine Reise durch die Zeit, denn in seinem gut zweistündigen Programm präsentiert er einen ausgesuchten Querschnitt aus seiner mittlerweile über 40-jährigen Karriere voller Hits. Songs mit denen viele Menschen aufgewachsen sind, die viele seiner Fans lieben und die live gespielt immer wieder ein unvergessliches Erlebnis sind. Der Ticket-Verkauf für diese einmalige Show hat bereits begonnen. Die Karten können in der Tourist-Information am Marktplatz 1 aber auch ganz bequem über wiesbaden.de erworben werden.

Nach Elton John gibt in diesem Sommer eine weitere Rock-Legende ihre Visitenkarte in Wiesbaden ab: Der britische Rockmusiker Rod Stewart gibt am 11. Juli sein einziges Konzert in Süddeutschland dieses Jahr. Stewart hat sich mit seiner Reibeisenstimme und Hits wie «Sailing», Tonight’s The Night« oder »Hot Legs« weltweit einen Namen gemacht. Karten gibt es ab € 60,- zzgl. Gebühren an allen bekannten Vorverkaufsstellen. Nicht nur das Publikum liebt dieses unverwechselbare und einmalige Markenzeichen an ihm, auch die Medien feiern ihn und seine einzigartige Stimme immer wieder frenetisch. Tickets zum Preis zwischen 73,50 und 96,70 Euro sind ganz einfach online über wiesbaden.de zu ordern.

Zwei großartige Stimmen! Wir freuen uns drauf!

--
Robson Vianna.

Monday, July 13, 2009

Elton John and Billy Joel Concert

 

http://www.cmhandcjw.org/2009/07/elton-john-and-billy-joel-concert.html

This weekend we attended the longly await, highly expensive Billy Joel and Elton John concert. It was the first concert to be held at the Nationals Ballpark, which was a little coincidental since we had also seen the first baseball game at the same stadium. CJW bought the tickets months ago, and I had nearly forgotten about them until he had them until a few weeks ago when he reminded me that the concern was coming up.

We took the Metro system to the park since the parking passes were a relatively insane $40 each, and, its a good idea to avoid driving. Of course, things got off to a slow start since most of the Metro line was experiencing delays due to "scheduled" maintenance. I like how they emphasize "scheduled", as if the delays being "scheduled" make it less bad. Anyway, given the recent accident, I don't think anyone was really grousing about the delays -- we'd rather arrive safely and late than ...

So we arrived at the stadium about 20 minutes early when all was said and done, did the necessary business, and settled into our seats. Elton and Billy arrived on the stage about 20-25 minutes late -- I suspect they were waiting since there was a continuous stream of people coming in. Unfortunately, technical problems cropped up in the first sing. Elton's piano peddle (the sustain peddle) was sticking and staying in the sustained position. He was very clearly frustrated, and Billy, being the awesome entertainer that he is, took off his suit jacked and crawled under the piano to give it a once over. Eventually, they gave up, and Billy graciously switched the concert order and went on with his "solo" songs first so that Elton's staff could address the piano issues.

The concert was rougly divided into "solo" hits from Billy, then Elton, and finally the "joint" hits with both. I've never been a super Elton John fan -- perhaps its my age and I'm a little too old to really have gotten into his music -- but I've always been a big Billy Joel fan. In fact, C2 took me to see a musical featuring the music of Billy Joel for Christmas a couple years back . My take away after watching them both is that Joel is a better "entertainer" -- theatrics, dancing, general "bedside manner" John is a much better musician -- his improvisation, piano work, and such really show his musical talent. Its funny, when I was little, my thought I would be good at the piano with my long fingers. Elton John has short stubby fingers and I was amazed at this ability.

All in all, there were plenty of classics to enjoy. "We Didn't Start the Fire" is alway fun. "Allentown" as well. "Rocketman" from John was an extended version that was really cool. "Candle in the Wind" is a classic. And how else do you end such a concert except with "Pianoman" Only two main "complaints" with the concert. We were on the aisle, which is a good thing -- except when you have a few people in your row that need to get out every other song to buy more greasy grub or beer. It started to get annoying after a while and I started to threaten to charge them a toll to get up and let them pass. The other was the sound. I know how incredibly challenging it must be to setup the sound for a place like a ballpark. However, the echo was horrendous, especially in busy piano interludes. I think they could have done a much better distributing speakers throughout the stadium and adjusting the sound system for the time delays to minimize the echo. For much of the concert it was OK, but some times it got really annoying.

Thanks to CJW for arranging the fun event.

P.S. CJW and I had a bit of a disagreement during the concert. Everytime I looked over he seemed to be on his phone texting or surfing. He told me he was "live blogging" to one of his discussion boards. I thought for his $100 ticket he should enjoy the concert and lay off the keyboard. Any comments?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Elton John and Billy Joel in Concert

 

 

	http://www.flickr.com/photos/selsheikh/3716066467/

 

 

 

Elton John and Billy Joel Miniaturas Detalhe Comentários

Billy Joe and Elton John brought their Face2Face Tour to Washington, DC on July 11, 2009.

Photos by John Arundel
All Rights Reserved
Email JArundel@... for Rights Permissions

157 fotos | 18 visualizações

http://www.flickr.com/photos/selsheikh/sets/72157621384519852/

itens são de 11 de Jul de 2009.

< Anterior 1 2 3 Próxima >

 

 

 

 

Me and Captain Fantastic

 

http://michaels-mixedmedia.blogspot.com/2009/07/me-and-captain-fantastic.html

Elton John and Billy Joel are playing a concert here in town tomorrow night; my cousin and her daughter are coming to town to see it and they asked me if I was interested in going, and I said, no, I'm too old for concerts. I don't exactly believe that, though I've only seen two concerts in the past few years, and it's altogether possible that I'll never again feel moved to attend a live music event.

But I don't need to see Elton because I saw him in his heyday; it was a great show and I don't want to run the risk of being disappointed in him now. It was 1973, I was a high school senior, and Elton was my idol. I was gay and knew it (though I wasn't exactly out to anyone except myself), but Elton's flamboyance wasn't the main reason I liked him (he wasn't out, either). I discovered him in early 1972, just a few months before he had his first #1 album, Honky Chateau, when a friend turned me on to Tumbleweed Connection, a very non-flamboyant work, almost rustic (though calculatedly and artificially so) with its countryish, folkish sound. It's still a favorite album of mine, and the album's masterpiece, "Burn Down the Mission," is still one of my favorite songs.

His appeal to me was that he was a pop chameleon; he, his lyricist, Bernie Taupin, and his band could do any kind of pop music: rock, R&B, easy listening, glitter pop, bubblegum, art songs, love songs, ballads, whatever. I had always liked piano-based pop, and Elton was a great piano player, a soulful singer, and a damned good songwriter--even when Taupin's lyrics got crazy, Elton's melodies were always compelling. I admit I haven't really followed his career much since the late-80's (and his last really good songs "I Don't Wanna Go On With You Like That" and "Sacrifice"), but I can still listen to most of his music before that and enjoy it. The Elton albums of my high school and college days, especially Honky Chateau and Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, hold up well, and give me my necessary nostalgia fix.

The tickets for the Elton John concert, in October of 1973, just weeks before the release of Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, were a birthday present from my mom. It was my first concert and I couldn't have picked a better first. Our seats were way up in the nosebleed section of OSU's St. John's Arena, but Elton's colorful outfits, oversized glasses, and shiny platform shoes were still visible to us, and since one of my friends brought along binoculars, we got some good close-up views. The music was great, and though the glow of nostalgia may color my memories, I can only think a handful of other shows that were as much fun for me: Queen in the mid-70's, Manhattan Transfer in the mid-80's, and Erasure just a couple of years ago.

I wrote down the set list all those years ago, and sadly, only a fragment of my written notes remain, but I'm fairly sure that the set list went something like this:

Funeral For A Friend / Love Lies Bleeding
Rocket Man
Your Song
Madman Across the Water (with a long jazzy piano bit in the middle)
Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters
Honky Cat
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
Burn Down the Mission
Hercules
Levon
Crocodile Rock
Daniel
Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting
with an encore of Honky Tonk Women

I hope my cousin and her daughter have a great time, but I've had mine and don't want to risk re-living it for real. I'll re-live it in my memory.

Posted by Michael at 4:10 PM

 

 

 

 

 

Monday, July 13, 2009

The Piano Men...

 

http://sliceoflife-priyanka.blogspot.com/2009/07/piano-men.html

"Sing us a song, you're the piano man
Sing us a song tonight
Well, we're all in the mood for a melody
And you've got us feelin' alright"

....these are the lyrics from Billy Joel's chartbuster " The Piano Man" and one of the many melodies to which D and I sang along as we spent Saturday evening watching two of the greatest "piano men" of all times, live in concert...Billy Joel and Elton John, face to face...

After watching 'Bruno' on Friday night, anything else we did on Saturday would have been more than a refreshing change. Speaking of 'Bruno', I never have and never will be a fan of the Baron Cohen kind of humor (at least it seems unlikely in this lifetime!!)...I read somewhere that the movie has invariably got just one of two kind of reviews...while some viewers have deemed it 'extremely hilarious'...others have deemed it 'immensely disgusting'...and without doubt, I definitely belong to the latter category of movie goers !!

It was all good that we had already booked tickets for the live concert on Saturday where the rock and roll legends were performing some of their greatest hits...love for all forms of music is something that D and I passionately share and both of us were really looking forward to it. We had watched 'The Eagles' last year when they were performing in DC as part of their "Long Road Out of Eden" tour and since then, we have nurtured this secret hope and dream of being able to watch at least one musical legend ,live in concert, every summer...this time around ,it turned out to be a double treat with the two "piano men" in a face to face concert :-)

Instead of driving into south east DC, we decided to take the metro to the Washington Nationals Stadium, the venue of the concert.As we got off the orange line at L'Enfant PLaza , it was almost as if we were swept by a tide of people to the platform from where the Green Line was supposed to take us to the venue of the musical event...people of all ages were lined up to get into the metro to see the piano men in action...among them, was this grey templed , cheerful man standing beside me...he scanned the crowds, smiled at me and said, "I am surprised to see so many youngsters like you around...for some reason, was just expecting middle aged people like me to be interested in this kind of music...never realized the rock and roll music of the 70s and 80s still sells among youngsters"...I couldn't think of anything more apt to say in response to this other than "That's what makes Billy Joel and Elton John legends, I guess" ...just then the train arrived and there was this huge round of applause and cheer from the crowd... the celebrations had already begun with the crowd all geared to sing along and dance to the beats of the musical greats...

And boy, the legends didn't let us down as they treated us with a taste of their evergreen hits...Billy Joel's 'River of Dreams','Moving Out','Stranger','Uptown Girl','Only the good die young' and Elton John's 'Rocket Man', 'Daniel','Candle in the Wind' being a few of the plethora of melodies that were performed....At the end, the two great artists traded vocals for each others compositions...and they finally concluded the show performing the surreal vocal-piano-harmonica combo...'The Piano Man'...

As I watched the fingers of the musical genius',oh so deftly, move over the pianos and create magical music , I realized that it was about time I got down to some serious business, as far as my guitar/piano learning aspirations are concerned, instead of just dreaming and building castles in the air about being able to someday strum my favorite tunes on the guitar and create melodious music on the piano...oh well, yes, they are big dreams, big dreams...no harm done though in dreaming big, I guess...after all that's what keeps the zest in life alive,doesn't it!!However my "learn it yourself" strategy having majorly flopped last summer, I better go and seek the help of dependable friends, 'google' and 'craigslist', to assist me in my search for a good music teacher if I want at least some part of the dream to turn into a semblance of reality...

Till then, I will have to just make do by thanking and admiring everyone who makes great music...

 

 

 

 

Monday, July 13, 2009

Elton John AIDS Foundation joins with Black AIDS Media Partnership

 

http://mickieszoo.blogspot.com/2009/07/elton-john-aids-foundation-joins-with.html

The Elton John AIDS Foundation (EJAF) has joined as a core organizing partner for the Black AIDS Media Partnership (BAMP), a coalition of media companies convened by the Kaiser Family Foundation - including American Urban Radio Networks, CBS Outdoor, Clear Channel Communications, ESSENCE Communications, the National Association of Black-Owned Broadcasters, and the National Newspaper Publishers' Association, among others - for the purpose of developing and building a national movement in response to AIDS in Black America.

A primary partner for this initiative is the Black AIDS Institute, a significant EJAF grantee for the past several years.

On June 25, 2009, BAMP launched a new national media campaign - Greater Than AIDS - to raise awareness and to strengthen a sense of community among Black Americans in response to HIV/AIDS.

According to Phill Wilson, Founder and CEO of the Black AIDS Institute, "The central idea behind the campaign is to remind us as Black Americans that we are greater than any challenge we have ever faced, and that we are greater than AIDS as well. It is about a shared responsibility in the face of AIDS - and hope for the possibility of an HIV-free future."

To learn more about the campaign, visit:www.greaterthan.org

AIDS has disproportionately affected Black Americans since the beginning of the epidemic, and today African Americans account for nearly half of all new HIV-infections in the U.S., while representing just 12% of the population. As noted in the Black AIDS Institute's seminal report (funded in part by EJAF) Left Behind! Black America: A Neglected Priority in the Global AIDS Epidemic, if the African American population of the US were to be conceptualized as a country called "Black America," it would rank below 104 other countries in terms of life expectancy because of AIDS. More Black Americans are living with HIV/AIDS than the infected populations in Botswana, Ethiopia, Guyana, Haiti, Namibia, Rwanda or Vietnam.

EJAF is extremely proud to partner with the Kaiser Family Foundation and the members of the Black AIDS Media Partnership on this important project, as part of the Foundation's continuing enhancement of its targeted grant initiative addressing the HIV prevention needs of the African American community.

Please visit www.ejaf.org to find detailed information about EJAF's mission and history and to make secure, tax-deductible, online donations in support of our work.

AMERICAN AIRLINES: American Airlines, American Eagle and the AmericanConnection airlines serve 250 cities in over 40 countries with more than 3,400 daily flights. American Airlines is the official airline of the Elton John AIDS Foundation.

Posted by Mickie at 11:08 AM

Labels: passing it forward

 

 

 

Event Management 101 with Billy and Elton

http://www.speakerboxpr.com/sounding-board/2009/07/event-management-101-with-billy-and.html

Monday, July 13, 2009

This weekend’s much anticipated Billy Joel, Elton John Face 2 Face concert included a great lesson in PR crisis tactics. PR crises run the gamut from a looming expose of an executive on 60 minutes to a pop superstar dying on the day of your major news announcement to the wrong dinner being served at a gala event.

Saturday’s concert crisis was on the low end of the crisis scale. Billy Joel and Elton John emerged from underneath the stage and began the show on their individual pianos. The crowd was excited, singing along and enjoying the music. On the big screen we all saw Elton John yelling across his piano, four letter words apparent on his lips. Turns out, the pedals on his piano were not working – admittedly a pretty major issue for a piano player – but surely a tour like this had a number of back-up pianos. John stormed off stage leaving Joel to riff a series of patriotic songs (he’s in DC after all) on his working piano. John returned to a still non-working piano. While he was complaining, Joel ripped off his jacket crawled under the piano and called for a screwdriver. Upon emerging he offers John his piano. Then Joel makes the call to just start his set and rallies his band from back and under the stage. He put on an amazing set without missing a beat.

While watching this go down I could not help but think of all of the mini crises I have overseen in my time in PR and how I’ve always dealt with them with the attitude of, “the show must go on.” Some issues are so small that by avoiding panic no one is alerted to the problem. Other, bigger issues are best handled with an acknowledgement of the issue and a gracious detour to plan B, which is exactly how Bill Joel handled the situation on Saturday. Already a fan, I deepened my appreciation of him as a performer watching his calm handling of the unexpected and putting on a fabulous show.
-Piper Conrad

(Photo Courtesy of The Washington Post Photo)

AS FAIXAS MAIS DANÇANTES DE ELTON JOHN REUNIDAS... NON STOP com direito a Spotlights luzes neon e pista de dança...

http://eltonjohnwebradio.vila.bol.com.br/eltonjohndanceclub.htm
       

Warm Love In A Cold World
Born Bad
Thunder In The Night
Spotlight
Street Boogie
Victin Of Love
The Camera Never Lies
Johnny B Good
Nice And Slow
Three Way Love Afair
Are You Ready For Love
Bite Your Lip
 
VOCÊ ENCONTRA SOMENTE AQUI:

http://eltonjohnwebradio.vila.bol.com.br/eltonjohndanceclub.htm

em Elton John´s Corporation
--
Robson Vianna.

Elton John musical 'Billy Elliot' sweeps the board at Tony Awards

The songwriter took part in a musical number with Broadway performers before helping accept Billy Elliot's best musical award at the ceremony. It was just one out of a total ten the stage version of the hit film won on the night
 Photo: © Getty Images

Elton congratulates young stars of the production - David Alvarez, Trent Kowalik and Kiril Kulish - who jointly earned the trophy for best leading actor in a musical
 Photo: © Getty Images

Guests included Hollywood beauty Anne Hathaway, who was accompanied by her father Gerard
 Photo: © Getty Images

Tuesday, 7 July 2009

Elton John - 2002-10-31 - Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Elton John - 2002-10-31 - Dubai, United Arab Emirates



CD1:
01 Your Song
02 Border Song
03 The Greatest Discovery
04 Someone Saved My Life Tonight
05 Daniel
06 Honky cat
07 Rocket Man
08 I'm Still Standing
09 Tiny Dancer
10 I Want Love
11 Nikita
12 Candle In The Wind

CD2:
01 Sacrifice
02 Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word
03 Original Sin
04 This Train Don't Stop There Anymore
05 Carla / Etude
06 Tonight
07 Bennie And The Jets
08 Crocodile rock
09 Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me
10 Circle Of Life

 

http://rapidshare.com/files/252146470/EJ.2002-10-31.UAE.rar

 

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=B1WO7LA7

, July 9, 2009

  Elton John - Court In The Act 1993





Elton John

May 13, 1993
Earls Court, London
FM BROADCAST


Disc 1:
1. Pinball Wizard
    2. The B*tch Is back
3. Take Me To The Pilot
4. I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues
5. Philadelphia Freedom
6. Empty Garden
7. Simple Life
8. The One
9. I Don't Wanna Go On With You Like That
    10. Mona Lisa's & Mad Hatters 1 & 2
11. Come Down In Time
12. Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word
13. Captain Fantastic & The Brown Dirt Cowboy
14. The Last Song

Disc 2:
    1. Funeral For A Friend / Love Lies Bleeding
2. Rocket Man
3. Bennie & The Jets
4. Sad Songs (Say So Much)
5. The Show Must Go On
6. Saturday Night's Alright (For Fighting)
7. Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me
    8. Jumping Jack Flash
9. Your Song
10. Sacrifice
11. Candle In The Wind

covers included
mp3/320kbps/366mb
DOWNLOAD HERE
    http://www.megaupload.com/?d=BRW4Y9B5
password/ senha: sparkyibew



Goldgenie team up with Rocket man to help fight HIV & AIDS
http://midastouch.goldgenie.com/2009/07/10/goldgenie-team-up-with-rocket-man-to-\
help-fight-hiv/



no comments 								 			 10th July 2009 by Goldgenie

Goldgenie team up with Rocket man!

Laban Roomes has designed a range of iPods in conjunction with Elton
John to help raise awareness and cash for the Elton John AIDS
foundation which helps people living with and affected by the HIV
virus.

The limited edition iPods went on sale earlier this year and are
selling like hot cakes – 12.5% to 20% depending where purchased goes
straight to the Elton John AIDS foundation – only 900 world wide
available.

Patrons of the EJAF include Mr and Mrs Beckham and Donatalle Versace –

Goldgenie are also one of the official sponsors of Elton Johns White
tie and tiara ball – held each year to raise money for this most
worthy of causes – Last year Goldgenie donated 14 gold ipods the likes
of which were purchased by Will Smith and Denzel Washington – Each
goody bag that these were contained in sold for approx. £20,000



This year Goldgenie donated another 14 ipods for Elton Johns White tie
and tiara ball – purchasers unknown as yet!

Elton John iPods are selling fast – buy yours online now to avoid
disappointment BUY EJAF iPOd NOW





 					 Club sues over Elton pitch battle
				 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/north_east/8140230.stm




Elton John played at Aberdeen's Pittodrie Stadium in 2004

Aberdeen Football Club is taking legal action over damage caused to
its pitch during an Elton John concert five years ago.

The SPL club claims the concert promoter Marshall Arts Ltd had said
the cost of replacing the Pittodrie pitch would be covered by
insurance.

However, the club claims it has yet to be compensated for what is said
to be a £36,000 bill after the 2004 concert.

The club has lodged a claim at the Court of Session in Edinburgh.








Elton John Being Sued By Scottish Soccer Club
http://www.cinemablend.com/celebrity/Elton-John-Being-Sued-By-Scottish-Soccer-Cl\
ub-18585.html


 			 By Celeb Stink : 2009-07-09 15:11:45
   ShareThis
				 				   	   	  	 			 		 Concert promoters for Sir Elton John are
facing legal action from bosses at a Scottish soccer club over claims
the Rocket Man wrecked their stadium's playing field during a 2004
concert.

  Aberdeen Football Club owners allege the turf at the Pittodrie
Stadium was ruined by leaked oil and heavy equipment used for John's
gig five years ago.

  Chiefs at London-based Marshall Arts Limited, who promoted the
sell-out show, reportedly promised the cost of repairing the damage
would be covered by insurance. But the club claims the $54,000 bill
has yet to be settled, according to a suit filed at the Court of
Session in Edinburgh, Scotland. (PAW/WNWCCB/MJ)




Face 2 Face 2009 Concert Prep
 
http://www.misschatter.com/janf/index.php/2009/07/09/face-2-face-2009-concert-pr\
ep/


  July 9, 2009



[ Photoset ] I got a sneak peak at Nationals Park today while the
transformation from Major League ballpark to concert venue was in
progress. On Saturday, July 11, 2009, Elton John and Billy Joel will
appear “Face 2 Face” on the stage in center field for fans seated both
on the field and in the stands. The event is the first major concert
in Nationals Park since it was built. I’ve been looking forward to
this concert for a while, so seeing the setup in progress was a real
treat! I also had a strange experience of noting the overtaking of the
stadium for the concert. I’m quite accustomed to “baseball activities”
going on and that’s pretty much it. The warning track is covered in
plastic connecting walkway pieces and seeing a sign outside the
visitors’ clubhouse in the tunnel with “Billy Joel Band Dressing Room”
and a picture of a motorcycle on it was quite cool! (Unfortunately,
the dressing room manager did not think it quite cool when I tried to
photograph the sign - again an odd experience. I guess she didn’t
understand my perspective of being wowed by a clubhouse becoming a
“dressing room”). So I wonder if Elton John earned the home clubhouse?

The first thing I noticed upon arrival was the conglomeration of semi
trucks blocking off Potomac Avenue south of N on the back side of the
stadium. The volume of supplies they must hold seemed impressive, but
once I saw the stage on the field, the sight made more sense. The
sheer amount of scaffolding, chairs, lights, speakers,
port-a-potties(!!), and equipment going into the construction is
impressive, particularly during the limited time available. Plus,
they’ll need to disassemble it all before the Nats return home.

Tickets are still available. Also, expect traffic in the area to be
jammed, so the Nats are suggesting planning for an early arrival. I’m
mostly hoping for an early escape as we have to leave our house at 4
AM Sunday to head to BWI for a long-awaited VACATION! I actually
planned our flights around this concert!







09 July 2009
  Elton John rocks Pula Amphitheatre
  I just love concerts in roman amphitheatres, the feeling inside those
arenas is always amazing. This time Sir Elton John visited the
Amphitheatre in Pula, Croatia and finished his leg of European tour
with two and a half hours of great playing. Originally scheduled to
perform alone, he changed his mind and came with the whole band which
was actually great as it gave so much power to already powerfull
concert. For us it was work as usuall, except for the fact that when
you're shooting a piano player he's usually seating in one place and
looking down on piano. You're more or less stuck to one position and
wait untill he picks up his head and looks towards audience. It is
hard to make different pictures, so i focused on his emotions and
typical moments. Well Elton did jump around and on a piano a bit after
we were no longer in a pit. Pretty cool stuff and great night at work
:)


Welcome Pula!

Typical Elton

The moment to catch

We always love those kind of looks from an artist

A bit of walking around the stage

Hey, Miro , i see you :)
         at 21:19







The song remembers when …
http://ataylormadelife.com/blog1/?p=4162


  9Jul2009  Filed under: Days & Nights Author: Joe



  Nikita
  Elton John (1985)

Every time I hear this Cold War ballad I recall something my father
told me that stopped me in my tracks and left me standing, staring at
him with my mouth open as if I were missing a chromosome or something.

“Joe, the next time you’re out, I want you to pick up that “Nikita”
song for me.”

You have to realize my father bled tradition country music: Hank Snow,
Porter Wagoner, Johnny Cash and George Jones. Stone cold country: Webb
Pierce, Hank Williams, Red Foley and Lefty Frizzell.

I had to confirm that that he was thinking of the same Elton John song
that I was. He was. Until that moment I wasn’t even totally sure that
my father knew who Elton John was.

“How the heck did you ever hear that song?” I asked him. Scanning
radio stations. The chorus caught him.

As far as I know, other than a few early hits by Elvis Presley, this
was the only non-country song my father ever bought, listened to or
knew existed. After I had obtained the song for him I offered to let
him hear some other mellow Elton John songs. He declined the offer,
“No, this will do.”

I’ve often wondered if singers ever lay in bed at night wondering if
someone, somewhere is playing one of their songs at that very moment.
I bet Elton would have never guessed his “Nikita” was being blared in
my father’s living room … sandwiched between Ferlin Husky and Bill
Anderson.

Oh Nikita you will never know anything about my home
  I’ll never know how good it feels to hold you
  Nikita I need you so
  Oh Nikita is the other side of any given line in time

Foto: Deiner

Stuttgart - So kennt man das, wenn der begnadete Musiker, Pfauenmensch und Dompteur Elton John eine Halle für sich einnimmt: Er hüllt sie in eine wohlig-warme Wolke aus Klängen, Emotionen und Farben. Rund 10.000 in der voll besetzten Stuttgarter Schleyerhalle danken ihm dies am Sonntagabend mit reichlich Applaus. Wir haben die Bilder dazu!

Bilder vom Konzert anzeigen

Elton John, für seine Verhältnisse zurückhaltend ausstaffiert im schwarzen, mit Glitzernoten besetzten Gehrock, inszeniert vollendete Leidenschaft: Er lässt den Flügel donnern, erschauern und flüstern, als sei dies nach wie vor seine größte Erfüllung. Und er singt sich bei jedem Stück die Seele aus dem Leib und macht vergessen, dass die Jahrzehnte im Geschäft ebenso Spuren auf seiner Stimme hinterlassen haben wie die aktuelle Tournee, die in Stuttgart endet.

Die großen Songs aus den 1970er Jahren, als der Künstler und sein Texter Bernie Taupin ihre kreativste Phase hatten, stehen im Mittelpunkt der knapp zweieinhalbstündigen Show. Tausendfach hat Elton John Stücke wie "Daniel", "Tiny Dancer" und "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" schon dargeboten, unlängst bei 250 Shows im Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas; doch er wirkt, als spiele er sie zum ersten Mal und sei selbst begeistert, wie gut sie klingen können.

Sir Reginald Kenneth Dwight, der seinen Künstlernamen einem früheren Arbeitgeber (Long John Baldry) und einem früheren Bandkollegen (Saxofonist Elton Dean) entliehen hat, zelebriert seine Hits jedes Mal aufs Neue. Längst sind sie für ihn wie Kinder, die er mit seinen Händen und Stimmbändern zu immer neuem Leben erweckt.

Dabei unterstützen ihn erfahrene Mitstreiter. Gitarrist Davey Johnstone trifft mit seinen Riffs, Soli und Verzierungen immer den richtigen Tonfall und macht auch an der Doppelhalsgitarre und am Banjo eine gute Figur, Drummer Nigel Olson, Mitglied der ersten Elton-John-Band 1969, sorgt mit Bassist Bob Birch für einen druckvollen rhythmischen Unterbau. Eine veritable Rockband ist das, die da bei "Rocket Man" eine wilde Session aufzieht und aus "Sad Songs" eine deftige Rock'n'Roll-Nummer macht. Eine fulminante Version von "Take Me to the Pilot" beginnt Elton John mit einem Piano-Solo, bei dem die Halle vibriert.

Zwischen den Songs animiert und dirigiert er das Publikum nach Belieben, reißt die Arme hoch oder schwenkt kokett die Hüften. Er ist ein Bühnentier und sein Metier die Verführung, nichts genießt er mehr, als Begeisterung zu entfachen, und wenn die Leute klatschen und johlen, sonnt er sich darin - eine Lehrstunde in Sachen Musik-Entertainment und wie man es auch als alter Hase noch genießen kann. Zumal, wenn man auch noch kleine Geschenke bekommt: Ein Fan reicht ihm ein VfB-Shirt auf die Bühne, die Nummer "9", darüber der Name Elton.

Kaum jemand versteht sich geschickter auf den Spagat zwischen eingängigem Pop und Rock als Elton John, auf kaum einen Interpreten können sich mehr Leute einigen. Er ist für die Musik das, was mancher in der Politik schmerzlich zu vermissen beginnt: eine breite Sammelbewegung, eine Art musikalische Volkspartei.

Gefühlig intoniert er "Candle in the Wind", das er einst für Marylin Monroe schrieb, um später festzustellen, dass es zu einer anderen Prinzessin noch besser passte. Beim Rock-Block gegen Ende wird dann der Sitzplatzzwang in der voll bestuhlten Halle aufgehoben, das Publikum darf sich vor der Bühne sammeln und austoben und bei "Crocodile Rock" das Thema im Chor singen.

Als erste Zugabe intoniert Elton John "I'm Still Standing", nachdem er bewiesen hat, dass es stimmt. Dann bedankt er sich bei seinen Fans, verspricht, 2011 mit Billy Joel wiederzukommen - und stimmt am Flügel eine anrührende Version von "Your Song" an. Da fühlen sich 9000 Menschen, jede und jeder für sich, geliebt und gewollt. Sie gehen mit der Gewissheit in die Stuttgarter Nacht, alles bekommen zu haben, was man sich heute von einem Elton-John-Konzert wünschen kann.

Bilder vom Konzert anzeigen

 

Bildergalerie

Bild 19 von 19

 

Bernd Haasis, alle Fotos: Deiner

06.07.2009 - aktualisiert: 06.07.2009 12:03 Uhr

05.07.2009

http://sachoune.blog.24heures.ch/archive/2009/06/25/elton-john-biographie-d-un-geant-de-la-musique-partie-5-l-as.html

Elton John : Biographie d'un géant de la musique * Partie 5 - L'ascension vers la gloire (2ème partie)

Saturday, July 4, 2009

ELTON JOHN "Homemade Brew: the Singles" VARIOUS 45s

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elton_John_discography#Singles

Posted byden81164 at4:28 PM

Labels:elton john

 

 

http://www.mediafire.com/?nntktm2zvng 
http://www.mediafire.com/?yvgnmygy0jm 
http://www.mediafire.com/?imdwmtmyjjy 
http://www.mediafire.com/?n3nznnzzz4e 
http://www.mediafire.com/?jmzjyqcjijj

http://groups.google.com/group/vampires_madmax/browse_thread/thread/26fbb943f37955f/1c85d5aad6cb040c?pli=1

Graet show. NYC Marquee photo taken Nov.2008

500 x 500

http://rapidshare.com/files/247619784/BillyElliot-TheMusical-OST-2CDs...
http://rapidshare.com/files/247620410/BillyElliot-TheMusical-OST-2CDs...

<http://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-media/product-gallery/B000CS45RE/re...>

 *
*

*Tracklist*

*Disc 1* - Original Cast Of Billy Elliot
1. The Stars Look Down
   2. Shine
   3. Grandma's Song
   4. Solidarity
   5. Expressing Yourself
   6. The Letter
   7. Born To Boogie
   8. Angry Dance
   9. Merry Christmas Maggie Thatcher
 10. Deep Into The Ground
 11. He Could Be A Star
 12. Electricity Original
 13. Once We Were Kings
 14. The Letter
 15. Finale

 *Disc 2*
1. The Letter Elton John
   2. Merry Christmas Maggie Thatcher Elton John
   3. Electricity

*Amazon.com*
Based on the 2000 film about a young British boy who tries to escape a
future as coalminer by training in ballet, *Billy Elliot--The Musical* feels
like an exemplary screen-to-stage adaptation, making the best use of
composer Elton John's melodic resourcefulness. Fans of John's regular output
need to be warned that this album is show tunes all the way and that they'd
be hard-pressed to recognize the songs as usual fare by the author of
"Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" and "Your Song." Still, they really should give
the CD a chance. Fans of musical theater, on the other hand, will need no
prodding. They are likely to be enchanted by this recording, which shows
that John has thoroughly absorbed the genre's classic strain. The show is
very catchy, with well-structured, dramatic songs and some genuine
tearjerkers ("The Letter"). Sir Elton even proves he's listened to great
"jazz hands" classics (some by Kander and Ebb, perhaps) on "Shine," which
even requests some "ol' razzle dazzle." Teaming up not with usual lyricist
Bernie Taupin but with the film's screenwriter, Lee Hall (and its director,
Stephen Daldry), John has written a lovely stage score, as evidenced on this
recording of the London cast. Note that John himself performs three songs
from the show on a bonus CD. *--Elisabeth Vincentelli*

*Product Description*
Billy Elliot is the heartwarming story of a young boy from a working-class
family who discovers a passion that will change his life forever.
Eleven-year-old miner's son Billy Elliot is on his way to boxing lessons
when he stumbles upon a ballet class. Billy secretly joins the class,
knowing that his blue-collar family would never understand. Under the
guidance of his teacher Mrs. Wilkinson, Billy's raw talent takes flight. But
when his father discovers his son's ambition, Billy must fight for his
dreams and his destiny.
--
¨Ô§ã¨ªèÒÂä¡è¡Ò...

¢ÍàªÔ­ªÁ Blog ¢Í§ Mass-Groups ä´é·Õè
www.miner2008.blogspot.com ¹Ð¤Ð

Thursday, July 2, 2009

Speedy's Archive - Elton John

Elton John and Chopard Celebrate the 11th Annual White Tie & Tiara Ball

Once again this year, Sir Elton John, and luxury brand Chopard, paired up to host the White Tie and Tiara Ball to benefit the Elton John Aids Foundation. Elton John and Chopard have a long history together: He and Chopard co-President Caroline Gruosi-Scheufele are longtime friends and together have raised nearly $45 million dollars for the charity, through these events.

As the theme of this year’s ball was “Contemporary Art”, Elton John and David Furnish transformed the grounds of their Windsor mansion into an open air art gallery and sculpture garden. Works of art on loan from leading London galleries were displayed throughout the grounds, along side Chopard creations, which were exhibited in Andy Warhol’s “Brillo Boxes”.

The White Tie and Tiara ball is one of the most celebrated and glamorous invitation only fundraising parties of the year. Celebrities and musicians from the US and UK come together to celebrate, have fun and raise money. Event regulars include Elizabeth Hurley, Justin Timberlake and Hugh Grant. Lily Allen, Kate Beckinsale and Kelly Osbourne were also in attendance this year. Though the recent event began as a jovial celebration, it sadly took a turn for the more somber, as news of Michael Jackson’s untimely death spread through the crowd. Elton John performed “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me” in tribute, and brought most of the guests to tears.

Chopard and Elton John have also partnered on philanthropic projects such as the Elton John Aids Foundation special edition watches. It is wonderful to see that Elton John and Chopard have so successfully come together to share their commitment to and love for luxury watchmaking with their passionate devotion to philanthropy. Together they have made the foundation one of the world’s leading non-profit organizations.

Pictured: Chopard 15 Carat Diamond Ring