Blue Moves
| Untitled | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [1] |
| Robert Christgau | (C) [2] |
| Rolling Stone | (not rated) [3] |
Blue Moves is the eleventh studio album by British singer/songwriter Elton John, released in 1976. It was also his second double album (after Goodbye Yellow Brick Road), and his first album released by his own Rocket Records Ltd. While giving a concert at Wembley Arena to promote the album, he spontaneously announced "That's it, this is the last one."[citation needed] He didn't say for how long, but he was serious and temporarily left the touring/live performing scene. Kenny Passerelli, Caleb Quaye, James Newton-Howard, and Roger Pope left the band after this. Only Davey Johnstone and Ray Cooper remained for John's next album, A Single Man.
Despite the album's darker tone and experimental song lineup, it has held up well with critics and in its initial release made it to number three on the album charts, partly on the strength of the album's biggest hit single "Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word." (A single version of "Bite Your Lip" also made it as a Top 40 hit.) John has played several songs from "Blue Moves" live. Versions of "Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word," "Bite Your Lip (Get Up And Dance)," "One Horse Town," "Tonight" and "Idol" have surfaced in various concert appearances through the years.
John has stated that Blue Moves is one of his favourite albums he has ever recorded.[4] It was Gus Dudgeon's last album produced for almost a decade. The cover art for the album is from a painting by British artist Patrick Procktor. In the U.S., it was certified Gold on 29 October 1976 and Platinum on 9 December 1976 by the RIAA.
Interesting notes about some songs: "Cage the Songbird" was a tribute to legendary French songstress Edith Piaf, and a year or so later was covered by Kiki Dee on an unreleased Rocket album, which finally was issued in 2008. ("Songbird" originated as part of the Rock of the Westies sessions, but wasn't completed during them, probably since the song's more acoustic, delicate sound didn't fit with the more rock 'n roll approach to the rest of the songs that made the Rock of the Westies final lineup.) The Beach Boys turned down "Chameleon," but members of the group (including Bruce Johnston and Toni Tennille) turned out to sing backing vocals on Elton's version. And "Idol," which describes the bittersweet fall of an Elvis-like star who was popular in the 1950s, ended up being an almost eerie narrative for the sad state of "the King," Elvis Presley, who wasn't in good health mentally or physically in March 1976 when the song was written and recorded. (Elvis would have little more than a year to live, his untimely and mournful death coming in August 1977.) An excerpt from "Out of the Blue" was used for the closing titles on Top Gear up until the end of that Top Gear format (in 2001). This was one of two albums in which Davey Johnstone does not provide backing vocals; 1997's The Big Picture would be the other.
Track listing
All songs written by Elton John/Bernie Taupin, except where noted.
Side one
- "Your Starter for..." (Caleb Quaye) – 1:23
- "Tonight" – 7:52
- "One Horse Town" (John, James Newton-Howard, Taupin) – 5:56
- "Chameleon" – 5:27
Side two
- "Boogie Pilgrim" (John, Davey Johnstone, Quaye, Taupin) – 6:05
- "Cage the Songbird" (John, Johnstone, Taupin) – 3:25
- "Crazy Water" – 5:42
- "Shoulder Holster" – 5:10
Side three
- "Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word" – 3:48
- "Out of the Blue" – 6:14
- "Between Seventeen and Twenty" (John, Johnstone, Quaye, Taupin) – 5:17
- "The Wide-Eyed and Laughing" (John, Johnstone, Newton-Howard, Quaye, Taupin) – 3:27
- "Someone's Final Song" – 4:10
Side four
- "Where's the Shoorah?" – 4:09
- "If There's a God in Heaven (What's He Waiting For?)" (John, Johnstone, Taupin) – 4:25
- "Idol" – 4:08
- "Theme from a Non-Existent TV Series" – 1:19
- "Bite Your Lip (Get Up and Dance!)" – 6:43
Initial CD versions of the album maintain the same running order, but omit the following tracks: "Cage the Songbird", "Shoulder Holster", "The Wide Eyed And Laughing", and "Where's The Shoorah?"
It has since been remastered and re-released as a 2-CD set retaining the original LP track listing.
Personnel
- Elton John – piano, harmonium, electric harpsichord, vocals
- Curt Becher – backing vocals
- Michael Brecker – horn
- Randy Brecker – horn
- Paul Buckmaster – conductor and
- Cindy Bullens – vocals, background vocals
- Clark Burroughs – vocals, background vocals
- Joe Chemay – vocals, background vocals
- Ray Cooper – percussion
- Cornerstone Choir
- David Crosby – vocals, background vocals
- Martyn Ford – strings, orchestra
- Carl Fortina – accordion
- Ron Hicklin – vocals, background vocals
- Michael Hurwitz – cello
- Bruce Johnston – background vocals
- Davey Johnstone – dulcimer, acoustic guitar, mandolin, electric guitar, sitar, slide guitar
- Jan Joyce – vocals
- Jon Joyce – background vocals
- The London Symphony Orchestra
- Gene Morford – vocals, background vocals
- Graham Nash – vocals, background vocals
- James Newton-Howard – organ, synthesizers, clavinet, conductor, electric piano, mellotron
- Gene Page – strings
- Kenny Passarelli – bass
- Roger Pope – drums
- Caleb Quaye – acoustic guitar, electric guitar, 12 string guitar
- Barry Rogers – horn
- David Sanborn – saxophone
- Toni Tennille – vocals, background vocals
Production
- Producer: Gus Dudgeon
- Engineers: Arun Chakraverty, Gus Dudgeon, Mark Howlett, John Kurlander, Earle Mankey, John Stewart
- Mixing: Phil Dunne
- Remixing: Gus Dudgeon, Phil Dunne
- Cutting engineer: Arun Chakraverty
- Director: Rev. James Cleveland
- Coordination: David Larkham
- Arrangers: Curt Becher, Paul Buckmaster, Daryl Dragon, Bruce Johnston, James Newton-Howard
- Art direction: David Costa
- Photography: David Nutter
- Liner notes: Gus Dudgeon
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Canada (Music Canada)[5] | Gold | 50,000^ |
| France (SNEP)[7] | Gold | 157,000[6] |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[8] | Gold | 100,000^ |
| United States (RIAA)[9] | Platinum | 1,000,000^ |
|
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
Charts
Chart positions
|
Year-end charts
|
References
- ^ Planer, Lindsay. "Blue Moves - Elton John". AllMusic. Retrieved 7 February 2012.
- ^ "CG: elton john". Robert Christgau. Retrieved 7 February 2012.
- ^ [1][dead link]
- ^ Elton John: Live in Australia with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, 1987.
- ^ "Canadian album certifications – Elton John – Blue Moves". Music Canada.
- ^ "Les Albums Or". infodisc.fr. SNEP. Retrieved 18 September 2011.
- ^ "French album certifications – Elton John – Blue Moves" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique.
- ^ "British album certifications – Elton John – Blue Moves". British Phonographic Industry. Select albums in the Format field. Select Gold in the Certification field. Type Blue Moves in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
- ^ "American album certifications – Elton John – Blue Moves". Recording Industry Association of America.
- ^ a b c Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
{{cite book}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help) - ^ Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 2012-02-29
- ^ "dutchcharts.nl Elton John - Blue Moves" (ASP). Hung Medien (in Dutch). MegaCharts. Retrieved 29 February 2012.
- ^ "InfoDisc : Tous les Albums classés par Artiste > Choisir Un Artiste Dans la Liste : Elton John" (PHP) (in French). infodisc.fr. Retrieved 29 February 2012.
- ^ a b "Hit Parade Italia – Gli album più venduti del 1977" (in Italian). hitparadeitalia.it. Retrieved 29 February 2012.
- ^ Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970-2005. Roppongi, Tokyo: Oricon Entertainment. 2006. ISBN 4-87131-077-9.
{{cite book}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help) - ^ "charts.org.nz Elton John – Blue Moves" (ASP). Hung Medien. Recording Industry Association of New Zealand. Retrieved 29 February 2012.
- ^ "norwegiancharts.com Elton John – Blue Moves" (ASP). Hung Medien. VG-lista. Retrieved 28 February 2012.
- ^ "swedishcharts.com Elton John – Blue Moves" (ASP). Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved 29 February 2012.
- ^ "Chart Stats - Elton John – Blue Moves" (PHP). UK Albums Chart. Retrieved 28 February 2012.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ "allmusic ((( Blue Moves > Charts & Awards > Billboard Albums )))". allmusic.com. Retrieved 28 February 2012.
- ^ "Album Search: Elton John – Blue Moves" (ASP) (in German). Media Control. Retrieved 28 February 2012.
- ^ "RPM Top 100 Albums of 1976". RPM. Retrieved 24 February 2012.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ "Les Albums (CD) de 1976 par InfoDisc" (PHP) (in French). infodisc.fr. Retrieved 24 February 2012.
- ^ "RPM Top 100 Albums of 1977". RPM. 31 December 1977. Retrieved 24 February 2012.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ "Top Pop Albums of 1977". billboard.biz. Retrieved 24 February 2012.
