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Blue Moves
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Elton John
Blue Moves
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'Blue Moves' was the first Elton John album released by Rocket Records, the label he and various associates, but notably his manager, John Reid, had launched in 1973. It was not Elton's first appearance on a Rocket Release - he had produced two LPs for Kiki Dee, as well as duetting with her on the chart-topping 'Don't Go Breaking My Heart', which was remarkably his only UK Number One single before 1990 and was also a Rocket release. However, he was still contracted to DJM Records until he had delivered one obligatory final LP earlier in 1976. This was the excellent, but under-rated (at the time), live album, 'Here And There', which was re-released in 1995 as a remastered double CD with many bonus tracks, including the last ever live recordings to feature John Lennon. After 'Here And There', Elton could begin a new phase of his career in earnest, away from DJM commitments.
'Blue Moves' was an ambitious undertaking, a double LP which was released during the autumn of 1976, and quickly reached the Top 3 of the US album chart. This was a creditable performance, and one which the vast majority of acts would regard as a triumph, and there is no reason to doubt that Elton himself wasn't very pleased, although chart-watching statisticians noted that his previous six studio LPs, 'Honky Chateau', 'Don't Shoot Me, I'm Only The Piano Player', 'Goodbye Yellow Brick Road', 'Caribou', 'Captain Fantastic And The Brown Dirt Cowboy' and 'Rock Of The Westies', had all reached Number One in the US and been certified gold. Bizarrely, 'Blue Moves', even though it failed to prolong that incredible run of consecutive US chart-toppers, was the first Elton John LP to be certified platinum, which is one often overlooked reason to regard it as one of the many milestones in a phenomenal career. Those who may wonder why several of those earlier chart topping albums listed above did not achieve platinum status may have their surprise tempered by the information that platinum certification did not exist before 1976. It is probably safe to assume that many, if not all, his previous LPs would have been earned platinum status if platinum status had existed before 1976...
The basic tracks for the double album were recorded in Toronto by a band of Elton (vocals, keyboards), Davey Johnstone (guitars, dulcimer, mandolin), Caleb Quaye (guitars), James Newton Howard (keyboards), Ray Cooper (percussion, vibraphone), Kenny Passarelli (bass) and Roger Pope (drums), with various additional overdubs, particularly orchestral parts and backing vocals, captured at various studios in London and California. The engineer at Eastern Sound in Toronto was named John Stewart - not
the one who was in The Kingston Trio, wrote 'Daydream Believer' and is now a respected singer/ songwriter, but, according to Gus Dudgeon, who produced 'Blue Moves' and also engineered parts of it, the John Stewart who was a studio engineer in Toronto was, strangely enough, an ex-member of Hedgehoppers Anonymous, the beat group who scored a UK Top 5 hit in 1965 with 'It's Good News Week', one of the first hits for which Johnathan King was responsible...
The completed double LP included 18 tracks, several of them instrumentals, such as 'Your Starter for...', the fairly brief opening track (presumably titled after the phrase used in the TV quiz show, 'University Challenge', in which the quizmaster asks teams a starter question for ten points; the team which gives the right answer wins ten points and the right to answer questions to earn bonus points).
The tune was written by Caleb Quaye, who had joined The Elton John Band for Elton's Wembley Stadium concert on Midsummer's Day, 1975, although he had previously played on each of Elton's first four studio LPs and had shared guitar duties on 'Rock Of The Westies' with Davey Johnstone. 'Your Starter' appears to have little, if any, connection with 'University Challenge' (although it may have been used as incidental music for other TV programmes), and the title was perhaps chosen as appropriate for the first track of an album. 'Theme From A Non Existent TV Series', another short (less than a minute and a half) instrumental included on 'Blue Moves', was curiously credited to both Elton and lyricist Bernie as composers, although it had no lyrics, while a third instrumental, 'Out Of The Blue' was one of those three. Interestingly, Tom Petty followed Elton's example by removing tracks from the CD version of his 1985 double LP, 'Pack Up The Plantation', saying that he felt it would be betraying his fans if they had to buy an expensive double CD.
The other two tracks which were missing from the original single CD version of the 'Blue Moves' double LP were 'Shoulder Holster', a song which may be recognized as more or less a lyrical rewrite of the familiar `Frankie & Johnny' story (and which admits as much in the first verse), and 'The Wide-Eyed And Laughing', written by Elton, Bernie, Caleb Quaye, Davey Johnstone and American keyboard player James Newton-Howard, who had also just joined The Elton John Band for the Wembley Stadium spectacular. Both these latter tracks boasted celebrity guests; 'Shoulder Holster' with a horn section including The Brecker Brothers (Randy and Michael Brecker - Randy had been an original member of Blood, Sweat & Tears, and the duo had also made the US singles chart in 1975 with an instrumental hit), David Sanborn, in the 1990s probably the ultimate session saxophonist with innumerable album credits, and additionally with backing vocals by David Crosby and Graham Nash, who were (and are) founder members of the Crosby, Stills & Nash supergroup. The ex-Byrd and the erstwhile Hollie were also involved as backing vocalists on 'Cage The Songbird', an impressive tribute to the legendary French chanteuse, Edith Piaf. A large cast of singers and players contributed to 'Blue Moves': Tonight', a heavily-orchestrated ballad, showcased Elton with backing by the London Symphony Orchestra, whose contribution was arranged and conducted by James Newton Howard, and recorded at the world-famous Abbey Road Studios in St. John's Wood, London. Also recorded at Abbey Road were the Martyn Ford Orchestra, who played on 'One Horse Town'; they were conducted in the studio
by Paul Buckmaster, also a veteran of several previous Elton John LPs, who was also responsible for the orchestral arrangement.
The biggest hit single from 'Blue Moves' was 'Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word', which sold a million copies in the US during a spell of over three months in the 'Billboard' chart, peaking in the US Top 10, and almost reaching similar heights in the UK. Unwary British record buyers may have been confused because DJM had released an older Elton track 'Bennie And The Jets', as a single only a month before
Rocket released Sorry'; the DJM track was not a huge hit, just reaching the UK Top 40, but it may have hindered the parallel progress of 'Sorry'. The latter track also
featured a string section conducted and arranged by James Newton Howard, who also wrote the arrangement for an accordion played by Carl Fortina (not a familiar name), while percussionist Ray Cooper played vibraphone, although the track otherwise lacked a drummer.
'Shoulder Holster' was the B-side of the 'Sorry' single, by the way...
Bernie Taupin, who as usual at this time was writing lyrics which Elton then set to music, later reflected; "Blue Moves' came on the heels of 'Rock Of The Westies', which, like 'Captain Fantastic', came in (to the US chart) at Number One, so I think there was a lot of pressure, a feeling of 'How many times can we keep doing this?" Although 'Rock' and 'Blue Moves' were released a full year apart, they were both recorded within the space of nine months, and Elton also recalled his own feelings of being under pressure, especially as this was his first album on his own label: "We had tried to change with every album up to that point, but 'Blue Moves' was the most drastic. I was aware that we had been at the peak of our careers, and that that was going to level off, And we just did a blatantly uncommercial album. It wasn't on purpose - it's full of fine songs and has a great band. I think 'Blue Moves' is a very poignant album. We were all weary, feeling the pressure and needed a break. Out of those situations comes rawness, and some of the lyrics are desperate. I just love the album".
Bernie Taupin's lyrics on this album were certainly downbeat, apart from those on the six minutes plus rave-up, 'Bite Your Lip (Get Up And Dance)', with Davey Johnstone on slide guitar and a gospel choir directed by Rev. James Cleveland. Cleveland & Co. also appear on albums by both Aretha Franklin and The Blues Brothers. This track was released as the third UK single from the 'Blue Moves' album in the summer of 1977, reaching the Top 30 in both the US and the UK. Even the big single, 'Sorry', was somewhat lyrically pessimistic, and Taupin, it later transpired, was experiencing problems with his marriage when he was writing the lyrics for the album, which was obviously unlikely to result in an album of happier period when he and his wife, Maxine, had fallen in love, featured five backing vocalists creating an authentic Beach Boys vocal sound; one of the five, Bruce Johnston, had actually been a member of the legendary surfing group a few years before, and would rejoin them by the end of the 1970s, and another was Curt Becher, who had produced the debut album by The Association, another group whose vocal harmonies were arguably its strongest feature.
Probably the track on 'Blue Moves' with the most intricate vocal arrangement was 'Chameleon', where no less than seven backing singers, including Bruce Johnston, Curt Becher and Toni Tennille (the female half of The Captain & Tennille, a husband and wife duo who accumulated five US Top 5 singles in 1975/75) embellish Taupin's resigned lament, but vocal smoothness (and indeed backing vocals) were totally absent from 'If There's A God In Heaven (What's He Waiting For?)', a desperate cri-de-coeur. 'Chameleon' was the B-side of the second UK single from the album, 'Crazy Water', which peaked in the UK Top 30 in the spring of 1977, but was not released as a single in the US. In America, 'Chameleon' was released as the B-side to the 'Bite Your Lip' single.
'Blue Moves' was Elton John's seventh LP to reach the Top 3 of the UK album chart in six years, but in marked a watershed in his career; he announced that he would be retiring from touring (although he told Cliff Jahr in an interview published in 'Rolling Stone' magazine that it was highly unlikely that he would never ever tour again). He said
"I always do things by instinct and I just know it's time to cool it. I mean, who wants to be a 45 year old entertainer in Las Vegas like Elvis ?" In 1996, Elton will be 49, and is still touring with immense success... He also seemed to realize that the 'Blue Moves' period marked animportant point in his career: "Every artist comes to the same crossroads and they either cross it or they don't, and if they do, they're going to come to another crossroads. I'm at that second one as far as recordings go, and hopefully I can cross it with 'Blue Moves'. It's got a few surprises. Musically, I attribute (liken) it to the 'Elton John' album. Lots of slow, romantic songs and jazzy-type tinges in them".
'Blue Moves' was also the last EltonJohn LP for which Bernie Taupin wrote all the lyrics until 'Jump It Up' in 1982 his return to working with his longtime partner happily coincided with Elton's major rediscovery of both his commercial and artistic consistency with the 'Jump Up!' album. 'Blue Moves' has never previously appeared complete on CD, and this 1996 reissue, digitally remastered by Gus Dudgeon who produced the original double LP (and who also stopped working with Elton for several years after this album), restores an important piece of history to the Elton John catalogue of hit albums.
John Tobler, 1996
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All the tapes used to create these new masters are the original mixes. However due to the fact that many of the tapes are at least 25 years old, they have "softened up" to varying degrees. So, the sound has been passed through the most up to date digital processing equipment, at 20 Bit Resolution; namely The Sadie Digital System and Prism Super Noise Shaper The effect is purely to "enhance" rather than colour the "sound".
As the original producer; I would have used this equipment at the time, had it been available for mastering. The very nature of analogue recordings being transferred to vinyl demanded major compromises. With the benefits of digital sound these constraints are removed, and the recordings can be heard much closer to the reproduction we had originally intended.
Gus Dudgeon
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CD1
1. YOUR STARTER FOR... (1:22)
Piano - Elton
Bass - Kenny
Drums - Roger
Acoustic Guitars - Caleb
Mandolins - Davey
Glockenspiel and Marimba - Ray Synthesizer - James
Music by Caleb Quaye
2. TONIGHT (7:52)
Piano and Vocals - Elton
London Symphony Orchestra arranged and conducted by James Newton-Howard and recorded at EMI Studios, Abbey Road, London
Engineer - John Kurlander
Words and Music by Elton John and Bernie Taupin
3. ONE HORSE TOWN (5:56)
Piano and Vocals - Elton
Bass - Kenny
Drums - Roger
Electric Guitars - Dave and Caleb (solo Caleb) Electric Piano and Synthesizer - James
Gong, Tambourine, Vibes and Tubular Bells - Ray Strings - The Marlyn Ford Orchestra (leader Richard Studt), arranged and conducted by Paul Buckmaster and recorded at EMI Studios, Abbey Road, London.
Cello solo - Michael Hurwitz
Engineer - John Kurlander
Words and Music by Elton John, Bernie Taupin and James Newton-Howard
4. CHAMELEON (5:27)
Piano and Vocals - Elton
Bass - Kenny
Drums - Roger
Acoustic and Electric Guitars - Caleb
Vibes and Shaker - Ray
Backing Vocals - Bruce Johnston, Toni Tennille,Curt Becher, Jon Joyce, Cindy Bullens, Ron Hicklin and Gene Morford. Arranged by Bruce Johnston and recorded at Brother Studio, Santa Monica, California.
Engineered by Gus Dudgeon and Earl Mankey.
Words and Music by Elton John, Bernie Taupin
5. BOOGIE PILGRIM (6:03)
Piano and Vocals - Elton
Bass - Kenny
Drums - Roger
Slide Guitar - Davey
Organ - James
Tambourine - Ray
Horn section - The Brecker Bros: Randy and Michael Brecker with Barry Rogers and David Sanborn.
Backing Vocals - The Cornerstone Institutional Baptist and Southern Californian Choir directed by Rev. James Cleveland.
Horn section and Backing Vocals recorded at Sunset Sound Recorders, Los Angeles, Engineer - Mark Howlett.
Words and Music by Elton John, Bernie Taupin, Davey Johnstone and Caleb Quaye
6. CAGE THE SONGBIRD (3:25)
(For Edith Piaf)
Vocals - Elton
Acoustic Guitars - Davey and Caleb
Dulcimer - Davey
Synthesizer and Mellotron - James
Triangle, Finger Cymbals, Bell Tree and Shaker Ray
Backing Vocals - David Crosby and Graham Nash, recorded at Brother Studio, Santa Monica, California, engineer Gus Dudgeon and Earl Mankey.
Words and Music by Elton John,Bernie Taupin and Davey Johnstone
7. CRAZY WATER (5:42)
Piano and Vocals - Elton
Bass - Kenny
Drums - Roger
Electric Guitars - Davey and Caleb
Clarinet - James
Congas and Tambourine - Ray
Backing Vocals - Toni TenniIle, Jon Joyce, Cindy Bullens, Ron Hicklin, Gene Morford and Bruce Johnston, arranged by Daryl Dragon and recorded at Brother Studio, Santa Monica, California, engineer Gus Dudgeon and Earl Mankey.
Words and Music by Elton John and Bernie Taupin
8. SHOULDER HOLSTER (5:08)
Piano and Vocals - Elton
Bass - Kenny
Drums - Roger
Tambourine - Ray
Horn section - The Brecker Bros: Randy and Michael Brecker with Barry Rogers and David Sanborn. (Sax solo David Sanborn.) Recorded at Sunset Sound Recorders, Los Angeles.
Engineer - Mark Howlett.
Words and Music by Elton John and Bernie Taupin
CD2
1. SORRY SEEMS TO BE THE HARDEST WORD (3:47)
Piano and Vocals - Elton
Bass - Kenny
Electric Piano - James
Vibes - Ray
Accordion (Carl Fortina and strings arranged and conducted by James Newton-Howard at Sunset Sound Recorders, Los Angeles.
Engineer - Mark Howlett.
Words and Music by Elton John and Bernie Taupin
2. OUT OF THE BLUE (6:14)
Piano - Elton
Bass - Kenny
Drums - Roger
Electric Guitars - Davey and Caleb (solo Caleb) Synthesizer - James
Music by Elton John and Bernie Taupin
3. BETWEEN SEVENTEEN AND TWENTY (5:17)
Vocal - Elton
Bass - Kenny
Drums - Roger
Electric Guitars - Caleb
Organ - James
Congas, Tambourine, Shaker - Ray
Words and Music by Elton John, Bernie Taupin, Davey Johnston and Caleb Quaye.
4. THE WIDE EYED AND LAUGHING (3:27)
Vocals - Elton
Sitars - Davey
6 and 12 string Acoustic Guitars - Caleb
Bass - Kenny
Drums - Roger
Synthesizer - James
Rototoms - Ray
Backing Vocals - David Crosby and Graham Nash, recorded at Brother Studio, Santa Monica, California
Engineer - Gus Dudgeon and Earl Mankey.
Words and Music by Elton John, Bernie Taupin, Caleb Quaye, James Newton-Howard and Davey Johnstone.
5. SOMEONE'S FINAL SONG (4:10)
Piano and Vocals - Elton
Electric Piano and Synthesizer - James
Backing Vocals - Bruce Johnston, Toni Tennille, Curt Becher, Clark Burroughs and Joe Chemay, arranged by Bruce Johnston and Curt Becher and recorded at Brother Studio, Santa Monica, California.
Engineer - Gus Dudgeon and Earl Mankey.
Words and Music by Elton John and Bernie Taupin
6. WHERE'S THE SHOORAH? (4:09)
Piano, Harmonium and Vocals - Elton
Backing Vocals - The Cornerstone Institutional Baptist and Southern California Community Choir directed by Rev. James Cleveland and recorded at Sunset Sound
Recorders, Los Angeles.
Engineer - Mark Howlett.
Words and Music by E. John and B. Taupin.
7. IF THERE'S A GOD IN HEAVEN (What's He Waiting For?) (4:25)
Piano and Vocals - Elton
Bass - Kenny
Drums - Roger
Sitars - Davey
Electric Guitars - Davey and Caleb (solo by Caleb)
Organ - James
Congas and Tambourine - Ray
Strings - The Martyn Ford Orchestra (leader Richard Studt), arranged and conducted by Paul Buckmaster and recorded at EMI Studios, Abbey Road, London
Engineer - John Kurlander.
Words and Music by Elton John, Bernie Taupin, and Davey Johnstone.
8. IDOL (4:08)
Piano and Vocals - Elton
Bass - Kenny
Drums - Roger
Horn section - The Brecker Bros: Randy and Michael Brecker with Barry Rogers and David Sanborn, recorded at Sunset Sound Recorders, Los Angeles.
Engineer - Mark Howlett.
Words and Music by Elton John and Bernie Taupin
9. THEME FROM A NONEXISTENT TV SERIES (1:19)
Electric Harpsichord - Elton
Bass - Kenny
Drums - Roger
Acoustic Guitars - Caleb
Electric Piano and Synthesizer - James Glockenspiel and Marimba - Ray
Music by Elton John and Bernie Taupin
10. BITE YOUR LIP (Get up and dance!) (6:41)
Piano and Vocals - Elton
Bass - Kenny
Drums - Roger
Slide Guitar and Solo - Davey
Electric Guitars - Caleb
Synthesizer - James
Congas - Ray
Backing Vocals - The Cornerstone Institutional Baptist and Southern California Community Choir directed by Rev. James Cleveland.
Strings - The Gene Page Strings (leader Harry Bluestone) arranged and conducted by James Newton-Howard.
Backing Vocals and strings recorded at Sunset Sound Recorders, Los Angeles, engineer Mark Howlett.
Words and Music by Elton John and Bernie Taupin
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This album is for Clive, Nick, Rick, Booby, Steve, Adrian, Andy and Colin - the best.
Also to Dawn, Ruth and David Costa with much love.
©1976 Sackville Productions Ltd.
Basic tracks throughout recorded at Eastern Sound, Toronto, Canada.
Engineered by Gus Dudgeon and John Stewart.
Entire album remixed at Marquee Studios, London, engineered by Phil Dunne and Gus
Dudgeon.
Cutting Engineer - Arun Chakraverty
Produced by Gus Dudgeon
Management - John Reid
Randy Becher and Michael Brecker appear courtesy of Arista Records Inc.
Curt Becher and Joseph Chemay appear courtesy of Warner-Curb Records.
David Crosby and Graham Nash appear courtesy of Polydor International
David Sanborn appears courtesy of A&M Records.
Lyrics by Bernie Taupin reproduced by permission of the publisher
©1976 Big Pig Music.
Photography. David Nutter
Cover painting "The Guardian Readers" by Patrick Procktor
Art Direction - David Costa
Co-ordinated in Los Angeles by David Larkham
To download this album via iTunes, click here:
To buy this album from Amazon.com, click here: Blue Moves
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Elton John
Blue Moves
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'Blue Moves' was the first Elton John album released by Rocket Records, the label he and various associates, but notably his manager, John Reid, had launched in 1973. It was not Elton's first appearance on a Rocket Release - he had produced two LPs for Kiki Dee, as well as duetting with her on the chart-topping 'Don't Go Breaking My Heart', which was remarkably his only UK Number One single before 1990 and was also a Rocket release. However, he was still contracted to DJM Records until he had delivered one obligatory final LP earlier in 1976. This was the excellent, but under-rated (at the time), live album, 'Here And There', which was re-released in 1995 as a remastered double CD with many bonus tracks, including the last ever live recordings to feature John Lennon. After 'Here And There', Elton could begin a new phase of his career in earnest, away from DJM commitments.
'Blue Moves' was an ambitious undertaking, a double LP which was released during the autumn of 1976, and quickly reached the Top 3 of the US album chart. This was a creditable performance, and one which the vast majority of acts would regard as a triumph, and there is no reason to doubt that Elton himself wasn't very pleased, although chart-watching statisticians noted that his previous six studio LPs, 'Honky Chateau', 'Don't Shoot Me, I'm Only The Piano Player', 'Goodbye Yellow Brick Road', 'Caribou', 'Captain Fantastic And The Brown Dirt Cowboy' and 'Rock Of The Westies', had all reached Number One in the US and been certified gold. Bizarrely, 'Blue Moves', even though it failed to prolong that incredible run of consecutive US chart-toppers, was the first Elton John LP to be certified platinum, which is one often overlooked reason to regard it as one of the many milestones in a phenomenal career. Those who may wonder why several of those earlier chart topping albums listed above did not achieve platinum status may have their surprise tempered by the information that platinum certification did not exist before 1976. It is probably safe to assume that many, if not all, his previous LPs would have been earned platinum status if platinum status had existed before 1976...
The basic tracks for the double album were recorded in Toronto by a band of Elton (vocals, keyboards), Davey Johnstone (guitars, dulcimer, mandolin), Caleb Quaye (guitars), James Newton Howard (keyboards), Ray Cooper (percussion, vibraphone), Kenny Passarelli (bass) and Roger Pope (drums), with various additional overdubs, particularly orchestral parts and backing vocals, captured at various studios in London and California. The engineer at Eastern Sound in Toronto was named John Stewart - not
the one who was in The Kingston Trio, wrote 'Daydream Believer' and is now a respected singer/ songwriter, but, according to Gus Dudgeon, who produced 'Blue Moves' and also engineered parts of it, the John Stewart who was a studio engineer in Toronto was, strangely enough, an ex-member of Hedgehoppers Anonymous, the beat group who scored a UK Top 5 hit in 1965 with 'It's Good News Week', one of the first hits for which Johnathan King was responsible...
The completed double LP included 18 tracks, several of them instrumentals, such as 'Your Starter for...', the fairly brief opening track (presumably titled after the phrase used in the TV quiz show, 'University Challenge', in which the quizmaster asks teams a starter question for ten points; the team which gives the right answer wins ten points and the right to answer questions to earn bonus points).
The tune was written by Caleb Quaye, who had joined The Elton John Band for Elton's Wembley Stadium concert on Midsummer's Day, 1975, although he had previously played on each of Elton's first four studio LPs and had shared guitar duties on 'Rock Of The Westies' with Davey Johnstone. 'Your Starter' appears to have little, if any, connection with 'University Challenge' (although it may have been used as incidental music for other TV programmes), and the title was perhaps chosen as appropriate for the first track of an album. 'Theme From A Non Existent TV Series', another short (less than a minute and a half) instrumental included on 'Blue Moves', was curiously credited to both Elton and lyricist Bernie as composers, although it had no lyrics, while a third instrumental, 'Out Of The Blue' was one of those three. Interestingly, Tom Petty followed Elton's example by removing tracks from the CD version of his 1985 double LP, 'Pack Up The Plantation', saying that he felt it would be betraying his fans if they had to buy an expensive double CD.
The other two tracks which were missing from the original single CD version of the 'Blue Moves' double LP were 'Shoulder Holster', a song which may be recognized as more or less a lyrical rewrite of the familiar `Frankie & Johnny' story (and which admits as much in the first verse), and 'The Wide-Eyed And Laughing', written by Elton, Bernie, Caleb Quaye, Davey Johnstone and American keyboard player James Newton-Howard, who had also just joined The Elton John Band for the Wembley Stadium spectacular. Both these latter tracks boasted celebrity guests; 'Shoulder Holster' with a horn section including The Brecker Brothers (Randy and Michael Brecker - Randy had been an original member of Blood, Sweat & Tears, and the duo had also made the US singles chart in 1975 with an instrumental hit), David Sanborn, in the 1990s probably the ultimate session saxophonist with innumerable album credits, and additionally with backing vocals by David Crosby and Graham Nash, who were (and are) founder members of the Crosby, Stills & Nash supergroup. The ex-Byrd and the erstwhile Hollie were also involved as backing vocalists on 'Cage The Songbird', an impressive tribute to the legendary French chanteuse, Edith Piaf. A large cast of singers and players contributed to 'Blue Moves': Tonight', a heavily-orchestrated ballad, showcased Elton with backing by the London Symphony Orchestra, whose contribution was arranged and conducted by James Newton Howard, and recorded at the world-famous Abbey Road Studios in St. John's Wood, London. Also recorded at Abbey Road were the Martyn Ford Orchestra, who played on 'One Horse Town'; they were conducted in the studio
by Paul Buckmaster, also a veteran of several previous Elton John LPs, who was also responsible for the orchestral arrangement.
The biggest hit single from 'Blue Moves' was 'Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word', which sold a million copies in the US during a spell of over three months in the 'Billboard' chart, peaking in the US Top 10, and almost reaching similar heights in the UK. Unwary British record buyers may have been confused because DJM had released an older Elton track 'Bennie And The Jets', as a single only a month before
Rocket released Sorry'; the DJM track was not a huge hit, just reaching the UK Top 40, but it may have hindered the parallel progress of 'Sorry'. The latter track also
featured a string section conducted and arranged by James Newton Howard, who also wrote the arrangement for an accordion played by Carl Fortina (not a familiar name), while percussionist Ray Cooper played vibraphone, although the track otherwise lacked a drummer.
'Shoulder Holster' was the B-side of the 'Sorry' single, by the way...
Bernie Taupin, who as usual at this time was writing lyrics which Elton then set to music, later reflected; "Blue Moves' came on the heels of 'Rock Of The Westies', which, like 'Captain Fantastic', came in (to the US chart) at Number One, so I think there was a lot of pressure, a feeling of 'How many times can we keep doing this?" Although 'Rock' and 'Blue Moves' were released a full year apart, they were both recorded within the space of nine months, and Elton also recalled his own feelings of being under pressure, especially as this was his first album on his own label: "We had tried to change with every album up to that point, but 'Blue Moves' was the most drastic. I was aware that we had been at the peak of our careers, and that that was going to level off, And we just did a blatantly uncommercial album. It wasn't on purpose - it's full of fine songs and has a great band. I think 'Blue Moves' is a very poignant album. We were all weary, feeling the pressure and needed a break. Out of those situations comes rawness, and some of the lyrics are desperate. I just love the album".
Bernie Taupin's lyrics on this album were certainly downbeat, apart from those on the six minutes plus rave-up, 'Bite Your Lip (Get Up And Dance)', with Davey Johnstone on slide guitar and a gospel choir directed by Rev. James Cleveland. Cleveland & Co. also appear on albums by both Aretha Franklin and The Blues Brothers. This track was released as the third UK single from the 'Blue Moves' album in the summer of 1977, reaching the Top 30 in both the US and the UK. Even the big single, 'Sorry', was somewhat lyrically pessimistic, and Taupin, it later transpired, was experiencing problems with his marriage when he was writing the lyrics for the album, which was obviously unlikely to result in an album of happier period when he and his wife, Maxine, had fallen in love, featured five backing vocalists creating an authentic Beach Boys vocal sound; one of the five, Bruce Johnston, had actually been a member of the legendary surfing group a few years before, and would rejoin them by the end of the 1970s, and another was Curt Becher, who had produced the debut album by The Association, another group whose vocal harmonies were arguably its strongest feature.
Probably the track on 'Blue Moves' with the most intricate vocal arrangement was 'Chameleon', where no less than seven backing singers, including Bruce Johnston, Curt Becher and Toni Tennille (the female half of The Captain & Tennille, a husband and wife duo who accumulated five US Top 5 singles in 1975/75) embellish Taupin's resigned lament, but vocal smoothness (and indeed backing vocals) were totally absent from 'If There's A God In Heaven (What's He Waiting For?)', a desperate cri-de-coeur. 'Chameleon' was the B-side of the second UK single from the album, 'Crazy Water', which peaked in the UK Top 30 in the spring of 1977, but was not released as a single in the US. In America, 'Chameleon' was released as the B-side to the 'Bite Your Lip' single.
'Blue Moves' was Elton John's seventh LP to reach the Top 3 of the UK album chart in six years, but in marked a watershed in his career; he announced that he would be retiring from touring (although he told Cliff Jahr in an interview published in 'Rolling Stone' magazine that it was highly unlikely that he would never ever tour again). He said
"I always do things by instinct and I just know it's time to cool it. I mean, who wants to be a 45 year old entertainer in Las Vegas like Elvis ?" In 1996, Elton will be 49, and is still touring with immense success... He also seemed to realize that the 'Blue Moves' period marked animportant point in his career: "Every artist comes to the same crossroads and they either cross it or they don't, and if they do, they're going to come to another crossroads. I'm at that second one as far as recordings go, and hopefully I can cross it with 'Blue Moves'. It's got a few surprises. Musically, I attribute (liken) it to the 'Elton John' album. Lots of slow, romantic songs and jazzy-type tinges in them".
'Blue Moves' was also the last EltonJohn LP for which Bernie Taupin wrote all the lyrics until 'Jump It Up' in 1982 his return to working with his longtime partner happily coincided with Elton's major rediscovery of both his commercial and artistic consistency with the 'Jump Up!' album. 'Blue Moves' has never previously appeared complete on CD, and this 1996 reissue, digitally remastered by Gus Dudgeon who produced the original double LP (and who also stopped working with Elton for several years after this album), restores an important piece of history to the Elton John catalogue of hit albums.
John Tobler, 1996
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All the tapes used to create these new masters are the original mixes. However due to the fact that many of the tapes are at least 25 years old, they have "softened up" to varying degrees. So, the sound has been passed through the most up to date digital processing equipment, at 20 Bit Resolution; namely The Sadie Digital System and Prism Super Noise Shaper The effect is purely to "enhance" rather than colour the "sound".
As the original producer; I would have used this equipment at the time, had it been available for mastering. The very nature of analogue recordings being transferred to vinyl demanded major compromises. With the benefits of digital sound these constraints are removed, and the recordings can be heard much closer to the reproduction we had originally intended.
Gus Dudgeon
__________________________________________________
The Elton John Band Is:
Ray Cooper
Davey Johnstone
James Newton-Howard
Kenny Passarelli
Roger Pope
Caleb Quaye
__________________________________________________Ray Cooper
Davey Johnstone
James Newton-Howard
Kenny Passarelli
Roger Pope
Caleb Quaye
CD1
1. YOUR STARTER FOR... (1:22)
Piano - Elton
Bass - Kenny
Drums - Roger
Acoustic Guitars - Caleb
Mandolins - Davey
Glockenspiel and Marimba - Ray Synthesizer - James
Music by Caleb Quaye
2. TONIGHT (7:52)
Piano and Vocals - Elton
London Symphony Orchestra arranged and conducted by James Newton-Howard and recorded at EMI Studios, Abbey Road, London
Engineer - John Kurlander
Words and Music by Elton John and Bernie Taupin
3. ONE HORSE TOWN (5:56)
Piano and Vocals - Elton
Bass - Kenny
Drums - Roger
Electric Guitars - Dave and Caleb (solo Caleb) Electric Piano and Synthesizer - James
Gong, Tambourine, Vibes and Tubular Bells - Ray Strings - The Marlyn Ford Orchestra (leader Richard Studt), arranged and conducted by Paul Buckmaster and recorded at EMI Studios, Abbey Road, London.
Cello solo - Michael Hurwitz
Engineer - John Kurlander
Words and Music by Elton John, Bernie Taupin and James Newton-Howard
4. CHAMELEON (5:27)
Piano and Vocals - Elton
Bass - Kenny
Drums - Roger
Acoustic and Electric Guitars - Caleb
Vibes and Shaker - Ray
Backing Vocals - Bruce Johnston, Toni Tennille,Curt Becher, Jon Joyce, Cindy Bullens, Ron Hicklin and Gene Morford. Arranged by Bruce Johnston and recorded at Brother Studio, Santa Monica, California.
Engineered by Gus Dudgeon and Earl Mankey.
Words and Music by Elton John, Bernie Taupin
5. BOOGIE PILGRIM (6:03)
Piano and Vocals - Elton
Bass - Kenny
Drums - Roger
Slide Guitar - Davey
Organ - James
Tambourine - Ray
Horn section - The Brecker Bros: Randy and Michael Brecker with Barry Rogers and David Sanborn.
Backing Vocals - The Cornerstone Institutional Baptist and Southern Californian Choir directed by Rev. James Cleveland.
Horn section and Backing Vocals recorded at Sunset Sound Recorders, Los Angeles, Engineer - Mark Howlett.
Words and Music by Elton John, Bernie Taupin, Davey Johnstone and Caleb Quaye
6. CAGE THE SONGBIRD (3:25)
(For Edith Piaf)
Vocals - Elton
Acoustic Guitars - Davey and Caleb
Dulcimer - Davey
Synthesizer and Mellotron - James
Triangle, Finger Cymbals, Bell Tree and Shaker Ray
Backing Vocals - David Crosby and Graham Nash, recorded at Brother Studio, Santa Monica, California, engineer Gus Dudgeon and Earl Mankey.
Words and Music by Elton John,Bernie Taupin and Davey Johnstone
7. CRAZY WATER (5:42)
Piano and Vocals - Elton
Bass - Kenny
Drums - Roger
Electric Guitars - Davey and Caleb
Clarinet - James
Congas and Tambourine - Ray
Backing Vocals - Toni TenniIle, Jon Joyce, Cindy Bullens, Ron Hicklin, Gene Morford and Bruce Johnston, arranged by Daryl Dragon and recorded at Brother Studio, Santa Monica, California, engineer Gus Dudgeon and Earl Mankey.
Words and Music by Elton John and Bernie Taupin
8. SHOULDER HOLSTER (5:08)
Piano and Vocals - Elton
Bass - Kenny
Drums - Roger
Tambourine - Ray
Horn section - The Brecker Bros: Randy and Michael Brecker with Barry Rogers and David Sanborn. (Sax solo David Sanborn.) Recorded at Sunset Sound Recorders, Los Angeles.
Engineer - Mark Howlett.
Words and Music by Elton John and Bernie Taupin
CD2
1. SORRY SEEMS TO BE THE HARDEST WORD (3:47)
Piano and Vocals - Elton
Bass - Kenny
Electric Piano - James
Vibes - Ray
Accordion (Carl Fortina and strings arranged and conducted by James Newton-Howard at Sunset Sound Recorders, Los Angeles.
Engineer - Mark Howlett.
Words and Music by Elton John and Bernie Taupin
2. OUT OF THE BLUE (6:14)
Piano - Elton
Bass - Kenny
Drums - Roger
Electric Guitars - Davey and Caleb (solo Caleb) Synthesizer - James
Music by Elton John and Bernie Taupin
3. BETWEEN SEVENTEEN AND TWENTY (5:17)
Vocal - Elton
Bass - Kenny
Drums - Roger
Electric Guitars - Caleb
Organ - James
Congas, Tambourine, Shaker - Ray
Words and Music by Elton John, Bernie Taupin, Davey Johnston and Caleb Quaye.
4. THE WIDE EYED AND LAUGHING (3:27)
Vocals - Elton
Sitars - Davey
6 and 12 string Acoustic Guitars - Caleb
Bass - Kenny
Drums - Roger
Synthesizer - James
Rototoms - Ray
Backing Vocals - David Crosby and Graham Nash, recorded at Brother Studio, Santa Monica, California
Engineer - Gus Dudgeon and Earl Mankey.
Words and Music by Elton John, Bernie Taupin, Caleb Quaye, James Newton-Howard and Davey Johnstone.
5. SOMEONE'S FINAL SONG (4:10)
Piano and Vocals - Elton
Electric Piano and Synthesizer - James
Backing Vocals - Bruce Johnston, Toni Tennille, Curt Becher, Clark Burroughs and Joe Chemay, arranged by Bruce Johnston and Curt Becher and recorded at Brother Studio, Santa Monica, California.
Engineer - Gus Dudgeon and Earl Mankey.
Words and Music by Elton John and Bernie Taupin
6. WHERE'S THE SHOORAH? (4:09)
Piano, Harmonium and Vocals - Elton
Backing Vocals - The Cornerstone Institutional Baptist and Southern California Community Choir directed by Rev. James Cleveland and recorded at Sunset Sound
Recorders, Los Angeles.
Engineer - Mark Howlett.
Words and Music by E. John and B. Taupin.
7. IF THERE'S A GOD IN HEAVEN (What's He Waiting For?) (4:25)
Piano and Vocals - Elton
Bass - Kenny
Drums - Roger
Sitars - Davey
Electric Guitars - Davey and Caleb (solo by Caleb)
Organ - James
Congas and Tambourine - Ray
Strings - The Martyn Ford Orchestra (leader Richard Studt), arranged and conducted by Paul Buckmaster and recorded at EMI Studios, Abbey Road, London
Engineer - John Kurlander.
Words and Music by Elton John, Bernie Taupin, and Davey Johnstone.
8. IDOL (4:08)
Piano and Vocals - Elton
Bass - Kenny
Drums - Roger
Horn section - The Brecker Bros: Randy and Michael Brecker with Barry Rogers and David Sanborn, recorded at Sunset Sound Recorders, Los Angeles.
Engineer - Mark Howlett.
Words and Music by Elton John and Bernie Taupin
9. THEME FROM A NONEXISTENT TV SERIES (1:19)
Electric Harpsichord - Elton
Bass - Kenny
Drums - Roger
Acoustic Guitars - Caleb
Electric Piano and Synthesizer - James Glockenspiel and Marimba - Ray
Music by Elton John and Bernie Taupin
10. BITE YOUR LIP (Get up and dance!) (6:41)
Piano and Vocals - Elton
Bass - Kenny
Drums - Roger
Slide Guitar and Solo - Davey
Electric Guitars - Caleb
Synthesizer - James
Congas - Ray
Backing Vocals - The Cornerstone Institutional Baptist and Southern California Community Choir directed by Rev. James Cleveland.
Strings - The Gene Page Strings (leader Harry Bluestone) arranged and conducted by James Newton-Howard.
Backing Vocals and strings recorded at Sunset Sound Recorders, Los Angeles, engineer Mark Howlett.
Words and Music by Elton John and Bernie Taupin
______________________________________________________________
This album is for Clive, Nick, Rick, Booby, Steve, Adrian, Andy and Colin - the best.
Also to Dawn, Ruth and David Costa with much love.
©1976 Sackville Productions Ltd.
Basic tracks throughout recorded at Eastern Sound, Toronto, Canada.
Engineered by Gus Dudgeon and John Stewart.
Entire album remixed at Marquee Studios, London, engineered by Phil Dunne and Gus
Dudgeon.
Cutting Engineer - Arun Chakraverty
Produced by Gus Dudgeon
Management - John Reid
Randy Becher and Michael Brecker appear courtesy of Arista Records Inc.
Curt Becher and Joseph Chemay appear courtesy of Warner-Curb Records.
David Crosby and Graham Nash appear courtesy of Polydor International
David Sanborn appears courtesy of A&M Records.
Lyrics by Bernie Taupin reproduced by permission of the publisher
©1976 Big Pig Music.
Photography. David Nutter
Cover painting "The Guardian Readers" by Patrick Procktor
Art Direction - David Costa
Co-ordinated in Los Angeles by David Larkham
