Candle in the Wind
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For the 1997 version in memory of Diana, Princess of Wales, see Candle in the Wind 1997.
| "Candle in the Wind" | |||||||
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.jpg) Cover of the 1986–87 live version. |
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| Single by Elton John | |||||||
| from the album Goodbye Yellow Brick Road | |||||||
| B-side | "Bennie and the Jets" | ||||||
| Released | 1974 | ||||||
| Format | Vinyl record (7") | ||||||
| Recorded | May 1973, Trident Studios, London |
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| Genre | Pop rock, glam rock | ||||||
| Length | 3:50 | ||||||
| Label | MCA (U.S./Canada) DJM Records |
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| Writer(s) | Elton John, Bernie Taupin | ||||||
| Producer | Gus Dudgeon | ||||||
| Elton John singles chronology | |||||||
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"Candle in the Wind" is a song with music and lyrics by Elton John and Bernie Taupin. It was originally written in 1973, in honour of Marilyn Monroe,[1] who had died 11 years earlier.
In 1997, John performed a rewritten version of the song as a tribute to Diana, Princess of Wales. This version of the song was released as a single and reached No. 1 in many countries, proving a much greater success than the original, officially being listed as the highest selling single of all time.
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Original version [edit]
The original version in the key of E major appeared on John's 1973 album Goodbye Yellow Brick Road recorded at Trident Studios, London. The lyrics of the song are a sympathetic portrayal of the life of Marilyn Monroe. (The song's opening line "Goodbye Norma Jean" refers to Monroe's original name.) The single release of the original song reached No. 11 in the U.K. charts in 1974. At the time, it was not released as a single in the United States ("Bennie and the Jets" was chosen instead). Taupin was inspired to write the song after hearing the phrase "candle in the wind" used in tribute to Janis Joplin.
This version is ranked #347 on Rolling Stone's list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
During a concert on 7 April 1990, at Farm Aid IV, John dedicated the song to Ryan White, who had been suffering from AIDS. White died from AIDS complications the next day.
1986 live version [edit]
On 14 December 1986, a live version of the song was recorded in Sydney, Australia. It was released in 1987 on the album Live in Australia with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and as a single. In 1988, it reached No. 5 in the UK charts and No. 6 in the United States.
1997 version [edit]
"Candle in the Wind 1997" or "Goodbye England's Rose" is a re-recording of "Candle in the Wind" as a tribute to Diana, Princess of Wales. Released in 1997, the song peaked at No. 1 in the United Kingdom, becoming John's fourth No. 1 single. It also peaked at No. 1 in several other countries. The Guinness Book of Records in 2007 stated that "Candle in the Wind 1997" is the biggest-selling single "since records began", but that Bing Crosby's "White Christmas" has sold the most copies.[citation needed] John said he would never again sing this version live except at the request of The Duke of Cambridge or Prince Harry.[citation needed] It has, apparently, only been performed twice: once during the memorial service and again shortly thereafter when it was recorded for the single, which was produced by George Martin.
2003 acoustic remix [edit]
Using the same vocal take as the original 1973 recording, engineer Greg Penny stripped away all instrumentation except Davey Johnstone's acoustic guitar. Even the double-tracking of the lead vocal was removed, leaving Elton and the original chorus tribute to Marilyn. The remix first appeared as a bonus track on the 30th Anniversary edition of Goodbye Yellow Brick Road and subsequently on the 2003 EP Remixed.
Cover versions [edit]
- English folk singer Sandy Denny recorded a cover version for her 1977 Rendezvous album.
- English punk band Leatherface recorded a cover version for their second album Fill Your Boots in 1990
- In 1991 David Tyler covered the song on CKBE-FM.
- English alternative singer Kate Bush recorded a cover version for her 1993 "Eat the Music" single.
- Billy Joel performed a cover version during the Elton John and Billy Joel Face to Face 1994 concert.
- Hong Kong born singer Wing covered the song on her 2009 album Beat It.
References [edit]
- ^ Ben Brantley (11 October 2004). "Some Like It Hot, Some Like It Painted in Words". The New York Times. Retrieved 29 July 2012.
