Rock of the Westies
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| Rock of the Westies | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by Elton John | ||||
| Released | 4 October 1975 | |||
| Recorded | Caribou Ranch, Nederland, CO, June–July 1975 | |||
| Genre | Rock | |||
| Length | 43:39 | |||
| Label | MCA (US/Canada) DJM Records |
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| Producer | Gus Dudgeon | |||
| Elton John chronology | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |    [1] |
| Robert Christgau | (A-) [2] |
| Rolling Stone | (not rated) [3] |
Rock of the Westies is the tenth studio album by the British singer-songwriter Elton John, which was released in 1975. The title of the album is a comedic play on words devised by Elton John. He turned the phrase "West of the Rockies" into Rock of the Westies.
Like Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy, Rock of the Westies also debuted on the United States Billboard 200 chart at #1, the only two albums at that time to have done so. It was less successful in the artist's home territory of the United Kingdom, where it reached #5 in the UK Albums Chart. Robert Christgau listed it as number 7 on his list of the best albums of 1975.[4]
Contents |
[edit] History
Rock of the Westies contained the US #1 (#14 UK) single, "Island Girl", which was released prior to the album. Elton John noted at the time in a radio interview[which?] that he had wanted to release "Dan Dare (Pilot of the Future)" as the album's first single instead of "Island Girl", because he thought it had more commercial potential. He was however, overruled, and "Dan Dare" was never released as a single, whilst "Island Girl" became a hit.
The make-up of John's band was different on Rock of the Westies, being without his long-time drummer Nigel Olsson and bass player Dee Murray. Added in their place were drummer Roger Pope, who had played on Empty Sky, and bassist Kenny Passarelli, who had previously played with Stephen Stills and in Joe Walsh's band Barnstorm. Pope and Passarelli had also played in Kiki Dee's touring band. James Newton-Howard, a keyboardist, was also brought in. Also included was Caleb Quaye, another old friend of John's from his early DJM session days. Like Pope, Quaye had also played on Empty Sky. Retained from the previous lineup were Davey Johnstone and Ray Cooper.
The track "Hard Luck Story" had already been recorded by Kiki Dee, and released as a single one year prior to its recording for Rock Of The Westies. It and "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" are credited to Ann Orson/Carte Blanche (An horse and cart, Blanche) a moniker John devised when composing a song (music and lyrics) on his own. The name Ann Orson is also used as the name of a back-up vocalist. Labelle performed backing vocals on the opening track, "Medley: Yell Help/Wednesday Night/Ugly".
In the US it was certified Gold on 10/21/1975 and Platinum on 3/23/1993 by the RIAA.
Outside the US and Canada, this was the last original studio release from John on DJM Records, before his own Rocket Records.
The song "Street Kids" was featured in the 2008 video game Grand Theft Auto IV.
[edit] Track listing
All songs written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin, except where noted.
[edit] LP and CD
- Side one
- "Medley (Yell Help/Wednesday Night/Ugly)" – 6:13
- "Dan Dare (Pilot of the Future)" – 3:30
- "Island Girl" – 3:42
- "Grow Some Funk of Your Own" (John, Davey Johnstone, Taupin) – 4:43
- "I Feel Like a Bullet (In the Gun of Robert Ford)" – 5:28
- Side two
- "Street Kids" – 6:23
- "Hard Luck Story" (Ann Orson/Carte Blanche) – 5:10
- "Feed Me" – 4:00
- "Billy Bones and the White Bird" – 4:24
[edit] Cassette
| Side one | |
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| Side two | |
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[edit] Additional tracks
| Bonus track (1995 Mercury reissue) | |
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| Bonus track (1995 Mercury reissue) | |
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[edit] B-sides
| Song | Format |
|---|---|
| "Sugar on the Floor" | "Island Girl" (US/UK) |
[edit] Personnel
- Elton John – piano, vocals
- Ray Cooper – castanets, conga, maracas, marimba, tambourine, kettle drums, vibraphone, shaker, cowbell, jawbone, bell tree, wind chimes
- Kiki Dee – backing vocals
- Clive Franks – percussion, vocals, background vocals
- Davey Johnstone – acoustic guitar, banjo, mandolin, electric guitar, rhythm guitar, background vocals, slide guitar, voice bag
- Labelle – backing vocals
- James Newton-Howard – synthesiser, harpsichord, electric piano, clavinet, mellotron, elka
- Kenny Passarelli – bass, backing vocals
- Ann Orson – backing vocals
- Roger Pope – drums
- Caleb Quaye – acoustic guitar, electric guitar, rhythm guitar, backing vocals
[edit] Production
- Producer: Gus Dudgeon
- Engineer: Jeff Guercio
- Liner notes: John Tobler
[edit] Certifications
| Region | Certification | Sales/shipments |
|---|---|---|
| Canada (Music Canada)[5] | Platinum | 100,000^ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[6] | Gold | 100,000^ |
| United States (RIAA)[7] | Platinum | 1,000,000^ |
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*sales figures based on certification alone |
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[edit] Charts
[edit] Chart positions
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[edit] Year-end charts
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[edit] Chart procession and succession
| Preceded by Windsong by John Denver |
U.S. Billboard 200 number-one album 8 – 28 November 1975 |
Succeeded by Still Crazy After All These Years by Paul Simon |
| Preceded by Windsong by John Denver |
Canadian RPM number-one album 25 December 1975 |
Succeeded by Chicago IX by Chicago |
[edit] References
- ^ Lindsay Planer. "Rock of the Westies". Allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r10469/review. Retrieved 11 January 2012.
- ^ "CG: elton john". Robert Christgau. http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?name=elton+john. Retrieved 11 January 2012.
- ^ [1][dead link]
- ^ "Pazz & Jop 1975: Dean's List". Robert Christgau. 1975-12-29. http://www.robertchristgau.com/xg/pnj/deans75.php. Retrieved 11 January 2012.
- ^ "Canadian album certifications – Elton John – Rock of the Westies". Music Canada. http://www.musiccanada.com/GPSearchResult.aspx?st=Rock+of+the+Westies&sa=Elton+John&smt=0.
- ^ "British album certifications – Elton John – Rock of the Westies". British Phonographic Industry. http://www.bpi.co.uk/certifiedawards/search.aspx. Enter Rock of the Westies in the field Search. Select Title in the field Search by. Select album in the field By Format. Click Go
- ^ "American album certifications – Elton John – Rock of the Westies". Recording Industry Association of America. http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?artist=%22Rock+of+the+Westies%22. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH
- ^ a b c Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0646119176.
- ^ Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 2012-02-24
- ^ "InfoDisc : Tous les Albums classés par Artiste > Choisir Un Artiste Dans la Liste : Elton John" (in French) (PHP). infodisc.fr. http://infodisc.fr/Album_J.php. Retrieved 2012-02-24.
- ^ a b "Hit Parade Italia - Gli album più venduti del 1975" (in Italian). hitparadeitalia.it. http://www.hitparadeitalia.it/hp_yenda/lpe1975.htm. Retrieved 2012-02-24.
- ^ Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970-2005. Roppongi, Tokyo: Oricon Entertainment. 2006. ISBN 4871310779.
- ^ "charts.org.nz Elton John – Rock of the Westies" (ASP). Hung Medien. Recording Industry Association of New Zealand. http://charts.org.nz/showitem.asp?interpret=Elton+John&titel=Rock+Of+The+Westies&cat=a. Retrieved 2012-02-24.
- ^ "norwegiancharts.com Elton John – Rock of the Westies" (ASP). Hung Medien. VG-lista. http://norwegiancharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Elton+John&titel=Rock+Of+The+Westies&cat=a. Retrieved 2012-02-24.
- ^ "swedishcharts.com Elton John – Rock of the Westies" (ASP). Sverigetopplistan. http://swedishcharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Elton+John&titel=Rock+Of+The+Westies&cat=a. Retrieved 2012-02-24.
- ^ "Chart Stats - Elton John – Rock of the Westies" (PHP). UK Albums Chart. http://www.chartstats.com/release.php?release=38006. Retrieved 2012-02-24.
- ^ "allmusic ((( Rock of the Westies > Charts & Awards > Billboard Albums )))". allmusic.com. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r10469/charts-awards. Retrieved 2012-02-24.
- ^ "Album Search: Elton John – Rock of the Westies" (in German) (ASP). Media Control. http://www.charts.de/album.asp?artist=Elton+John&title=Rock+Of+The+Westies&cat=a&country=de. Retrieved 2012-02-24.
- ^ "RPM Top 100 Albums of 1975". RPM. http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?file_num=nlc008388.6489a&brws_s=&type=1&interval=20&PHPSESSID=c6btf3r8hs459qqt5ln3o3dcv5. Retrieved 2012-02-24.
- ^ "Les Albums (CD) de 1975 par InfoDisc" (in French). infodisc.fr. http://www.infodisc.fr/B-CD_1975.php. Retrieved 2012-02-24.
- ^ "RPM Top 100 Albums of 1976". RPM. http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?&file_num=nlc008388.5175&type=1&interval=20&PHPSESSID=c6btf3r8hs459qqt5ln3o3dcv5. Retrieved 2012-02-24.
- ^ "Top Pop Albums of 1976". billboard.biz. http://www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/charts/archivesearch/article_display/855691?imw=Y. Retrieved 2012-02-24.
