Don't Go Breaking My Heart

For the Frasier episode, see Don't Go Breaking My Heart (Frasier). For the Hong Kong film, see Don't Go Breaking My Heart (film). For the Agnes song, see Don't Go Breaking My Heart (Agnes song).

"Don't Go Breaking My Heart"
Single by Elton John with Kiki Dee
B-side	"Snow Queen"
Released	21 June 1976
Genre	Pop
Length	4:28
Label	Rocket Records MCA Records (US/Canada)
Writer(s)	Ann Orson (Elton John) Carte Blanche (Bernie Taupin)
Producer	Gus Dudgeon
Elton John chronology
"Grow Some Funk of Your Own"/"I Feel Like a Bullet (In the Gun of Robert Ford)" (1976) "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" (1976) "Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word" (1976)
Kiki Dee chronology "Once a Fool" (1975) "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" (1976) "First Thing in the Morning" (1977)

"Don't Go Breaking My Heart" is a duet by Elton John and Kiki Dee. It was written by Elton John with Bernie Taupin under the pseudonyms "Ann Orson" and "Carte Blanche" (a pun on the expression "an horse and cart, blanche"), and intended as an affectionate pastiche of the Tamla Motown style, notably the various duets recorded by Marvin Gaye and singers such as Tammi Terrell and Kim Weston. It is not to be confused with the Burt Bacharach/Hal David song of the same title recorded in 1966 by Dionne Warwick.

Like many of Elton John's singles from the 1970s, it was never included on any of his original albums (though it was recorded during the same sessions that produced Blue Moves). However, it was included on the original version of Elton John's Greatest Hits Volume II in 1977. It has since been shifted to the "Volume 3" compilation, Greatest Hits 1976–1986. The 1995 UK CD of Rock of the Westies includes it as a bonus track (the US edition did not, however). In 2002, it also appeared on Elton John's 2-disc greatest hits album, Elton John's Greatest Hits 1970-2002. A demo version of the song was recorded by John as a solo artist. This version has not been released commercially.

"Don't Go Breaking My Heart" was also John's first No. 1 single in the UK, topping the chart for six weeks in mid 1976. He would not enjoy a solo British chart-topper until "Sacrifice" in 1990. It also became his sixth No. 1 single in the US, topping the Billboard Hot 100 for four weeks.In the U.S. it was certified Gold on 8/17/1976 by the R.I.A.A.

The b-side, "Snow Queen", was supposedly inspired by Cher, with Elton's improvising past Sonny & Cher hits "I Got You Babe", and "The Beat Goes On" as well as the solo Cher song "Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)" during the fadeout of the song.

In 1978, Elton guest starred on The Muppet Show and performed the track with Miss Piggy. In 1985, John and Dee performed the track to the crowd at Wembley Stadium during John's set at Live Aid (where Dee sang backup). In 1987, Elton appeared with Minnie Mouse on the NBC series Totally Minnie performing the track. He also performed it with the Spice Girls on his ITV tribute programme An Audience With Elton John.

Music video

The song’s promotional film has been cited among the cheapest music videos ever produced^{[citation needed]}. The circumstances behind its conception were detailed on an episode of Pop-Up Video. The video's director was found in the midst of filming a Rod Stewart television special. He was pulled aside, located an unused soundstage, hastily dressed it to give the appearance of a recording studio, set up three cameras, and had the two singers pretend to record their vocals. Shot in a single take while being told to ‘improvise’, Elton John and Kiki Dee often missed their cues and John's attempt to lead Dee in a very haphazard dance sequence caught his companion off guard.

Cover versions

• Almost 20 years after the initial release, John re-recorded the song with drag queen music artist RuPaul for his 1993 album Duets.
• Tom Jones and Lynn Anderson performed the song while the John/Dee record was on the charts in 1976 on The Midnight Special (TV series).
• In 1977, the song was performed by the Brady kids with Kaptain Kool and the Kongs on The Brady Bunch Variety Hour.
• In 1980 the song was performed by Greg Evigan and Pink Lady on the variety show Pink Lady and Jeff.
• In 1991, CKBE-FM David Tyler.
• In 1997, California punk rock band The Mr. T Experience released a cover of the song as the B-side of their single "...And I Will Be With You." The female vocals were performed by Kim Shattuck of The Muffs.
• In 2002, alternative rock group Alien Crime Syndicate released a cover of the song on the Japanese edition of XL from Coast to Coast and featured Duff McKagan, of Velvet Revolver, Guns N' Roses, Loaded and Kim Warnick, of Fastbacks.
• A cover by actress Anne Hathaway and singer-songwriter Jesse McCartney was recorded for the 2004 film Ella Enchanted and included on the soundtrack. In the film, the song is featured in the final sequence as an ensemble performance by Hathaway and fellow cast members Hugh Dancy, Minnie Driver, Jimi Mistry, Aidan McArdle, and supermodel Heidi Klum.
• In 2005 it was featured in the end credits of Walt Disney Pictures Chicken Little, the entire cast sang various parts of the song, the song was also included on the Chicken Little soundtrack.
• A cover by British glamour model Katie Price and her now ex-husband, pop singer Peter Andre, was included on their 2006 album A Whole New World.
• Peter and Ronald Reagan sing a karaoke version of the song in an episode of the show Family Guy
• Destiny [the afghan hound] sings part of the song in episode 7 of bbc three adult puppet comedy Mongrels
• This song was featured in the 'Glee' episode Duets.

Sampling

Hip hop music artist Ol' Dirty Bastard and R&B singer Macy Gray recorded a loose cover version of the song which retained the melody but featured new rap lyrics and intentional off-key singing.

Appearances and references in other media

• Elton John sang the song as a duet with Miss Piggy on The Muppet Show.
• Elton John also dueted with Minnie Mouse on the song in the 1987 NBC special Totally Minnie.
• 1999 Wicked Women concert performed by Emma Bunton and Ronan Keating in the first appearances as an intro.
• The original recording by John and Dee is featured in the films, Summer of Sam and A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints.
• In the finale of the 2005 Disney CGI feature film Chicken Little, the main cast sang "Don't Go Breaking My Heart".
• A Hannah Montana episode is called "Don't Go Breaking My Tooth", a pun on the song's title.
• In the Full House episode "We Got the Beat", two of Michelle's friends sing "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" in a contest and win the grand prize.
• In an episode of The Amanda Show, in a Moody's Point sketch, Misti has a party and invites a lot of people, but no one attends except the school janitor. She and the janitor sing karaoke to "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" while other parts of the episode are being shown while they sing.
• The song is featured in a season 5 episode of Scrubs, as part of one of JD's 'Floating Head Doctor' fantasies. "Head" and JD's girlfriend Kim perform the duet at karaoke.
• The song is featured in an episode of Family Guy, as Peter Griffin goes to a karaoke bar and performs the duet with Rich Little, who is pretending to be the ghost of Ronald Reagan through a ham radio.
• Valerie Bertinelli and Mackenzie Phillips, in their roles as Barbara and Julie Cooper dress as Elton John and Kiki Dee to sing the song in the "Happy New Year" episode of the TV sitcom One Day at a Time.
• The song is in the soundtrack of the French film Quatre étoiles, with Isabelle Carré and José Garcia
• It is Marshall and Lily's karaoke song from the CBS show How I Met Your Mother as shown in the episode "Life Among the Gorillas".
• It is featured in the 2004 film, Ella Enchanted.
• The song is covered on the Glee by Rachel (Lea Michele) and Finn (Cory Monteith) in the episode "Duets".
• Destiny sings part of the song in Mongrels
• The song was featured on the TV show "The Big Bang Theory" (Episode 17, Season 4).
• The song was also featured on the 2011 feature film Gnomeo & Juliet.

References

Preceded by "Kiss and Say Goodbye" by The Manhattans	Billboard Hot 100 number one single 7 August 1976	Succeeded by "You Should Be Dancing" by Bee Gees
Preceded by "The Roussos Phenomenon EP" by Demis Roussos	UK number one single 24 July 1976 for six weeks	Succeeded by "Dancing Queen" by ABBA
Preceded by "S-S-S-Single Bed" by Fox	Australian Kent Music Report number one single 30 August 1976
Preceded by "Summer" by War	Billboard Easy Listening Singles number-one single 11 September 1976	Succeeded by "Don't Stop Believin'" by Olivia Newton-John