Honky Château

Honky Château
Studio album by Elton John
Released	19 May 1972
Recorded	Château d'Hérouville, Hérouville, France, January 1972
Genre	Rock
Length	45:15
Label	Uni (US/Canada) DJM Records
Producer	Gus Dudgeon
Elton John chronology
Madman Across the Water (1971) Honky Château (1972) Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player (1973)

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic
Robert Christgau	(A-)
Rolling Stone

Honky Château is the fifth studio album by British singer/songwriter Elton John, released in 1972. In 2003, the album was ranked number 357 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. It was certified Gold on 7/24/1972 and Platinum on 10/11/1995 by the R.I.A.A. This was the final Elton John album on the Uni label in the US and Canada before the Music Corporation of America consolidated all of its various labels under the MCA brand. This and Elton's earlier Uni albums were later reissued on MCA Records.

Music

This is the first album since John's debut (Empty Sky) not to feature strings on any songs, except for violinist Jean-Luc Ponty on "Mellow" and "Amy". It also marks the beginning of his transition from a singer/songwriter in the mould of James Taylor, Leon Russell or Carole King to a more rock 'n roll style that would become more evident on such albums as Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, Caribou and Rock of the Westies.

It was also the first album to feature John's road band of Dee Murray on bass and Nigel Olsson on drums (along with new member Davey Johnstone on guitars and other fretted instruments) as the sole core group of musicians. Previously, due to his record label's insistence, John had been limited to using his road band for only one track each on Tumbleweed Connection and Madman Across the Water; the rest of the songs on those two albums were performed by various groupings of session players.

The opening track "Honky Cat" is a New Orleans funk track reminiscent of Dr. John and Allen Toussaint and features a four-piece horn section arranged by producer Gus Dudgeon. Also of note is the debut on record of the backing vocal combination of Johnstone, Murray and Olsson, who first added what would soon become their "trademark" sound to "Rocket Man." The trio's unique approach to arranging their backing vocal tracks would be a fixture on John's singles and albums for the next several years.

In 1995, Dudgeon remastered the album, adding only an uptempo, rock and roll version of "Slave" that was sidelined in favor of the steamier, more laconic version that made the LP's original lineup.

Critical appraisal and chart action

Critically Honky Château is regarded as John's finest record. Jon Landau of Rolling Stone approved the original LP as "a rich, warm, satisfying album that stands head and shoulders above the morass of current releases". Other reviews were likewise mostly positive. In a retrospective review, Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic has written that "it plays as the most focused and accomplished set of songs Elton John and Bernie Taupin ever wrote".

Honky Chateau became the first of a string of albums by Elton John to hit number 1 in the Billboard Charts in the United States. In Canada, the album peaked at number 3 on the RPM 100 Top Albums Chart, reaching this position on July 29, 1972, dropping two places to number 5, then returning to number 3 for a further twelve consecutive weeks before falling to number 9 on November 4 of the same year.

Track listing

All songs written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin.

Side one

1. "Honky Cat" – 5:13
2. "Mellow" – 5:32
3. "I Think I'm Going to Kill Myself" – 3:35
4. "Susie (Dramas)" – 3:25
5. "Rocket Man (I Think It's Going to Be a Long, Long Time)" – 4:45

Side two

6. "Salvation" – 3:58
7. "Slave" – 4:22
8. "Amy" – 4:03
9. "Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters" – 5:00
10. "Hercules" – 5:20

Bonus track (1995 Mercury and 1996 Rocket reissue)

11. "Slave" (Alternate take) – 2:53

Personnel

• Elton John - acoustic and electric pianos, organ
• Davey Johnstone - guitars, banjo, mandolin
• Dee Murray - bass
• Nigel Olsson - drums, congas, tambourine

Additional musicians

• Davey, Dee, and Nigel - backing vocals (tracks 3, 5, 6, 8, 10)
• Ivan Jullien (fr.) - trumpet (track 1)
• Jacques Bolognesi (fr.) - trombone (track 1)
• Jean-Louis Chautemps & Alain Hatot - saxophones (track 1)
• Jean-Luc Ponty - electric violin (tracks 2 and 8)
• "Legs" Larry Smith - tap dance (track 3)
• David Hentschel - A.R.P. synthesizer (tracks 5 and 10) (credited as "David Henschel" on sleeve)
• Ray Cooper - congas (track 8)
• Gus Dudgeon - rhino whistle & backing vocals (track 10)
• Madeline Bell, Liza Strike, Larry Steel, Tony Hazzard - additional backing vocals

Production

• Producer: Gus Dudgeon
• Engineer: Ken Scott
• Mastering engineer: "Legs" Larry Smith
• Remastering: Tony Cousins
• Editing: Gus Skinas
• Digital transfers: Ricky Graham
• Surround mix: Greg Penny
• Brass arrangement: Gus Dudgeon
• Cover photo: Ed Caraeff
• Liner notes: John Tobler

Charts

Chart positions

Chart (1972)	Peak position
Australian Kent Music Report Albums Chart	4
Canadian RPM Albums Chart	3
Dutch Mega Albums Chart	9
Italian Albums Chart	5
Japanese Oricon LP Chart	21
Norwegian VG-lista Albums Chart	8
UK Albums Chart	2
U.S. Billboard 200	1
West German Media Control Albums Chart	43

Year-end charts

Chart (1972)	Position
Italian Albums Chart	18
Australian Albums Chart	15
U.S. Billboard Year-End	24

Certifications

Region	Certification
United States (RIAA)	Platinum

Preceded by Exile on Main St. by The Rolling Stones

Billboard 200 number-one album 15 July - 18 August 1972

Succeeded by Chicago V by Chicago