Ten Songs Featuring Elton John Sidemen Vol. 2

This article is a collection of ten songs I like featuring musicians from the Elton John Band. The Elton John Band is the backing band Elton John uses. This is the second volume as I previously wrote “Ten Songs Featuring Elton John Sidemen”. This article features a new set of songs. I’m beginning with a popular Elton John hit.

Honky Cat by Elton John - Elton John Band (1972)

This comes from the “Honky Château” album recorded with the original Elton John Band of Davey Johnstone, Nigel Olsson and Dee Murray. Davey plays banjo instead of guitar giving a folksy americana vibe. Dee Murray’s bass supports the song well with its deep notes. Drummer Nigel Olsson provides a good beat. Elton plays both acoustic and electric pianos with his electric piano notes adding to the song. Elton’s band supports his music with their superb playing. The horns offer a good presence on this New Orleans influenced pop rock song.

Just Keep Playing by Michael Stanley - Kenny Passarelli on Bass (1973)

This melodic song by Michael Stanley in his early career has both a gentle and rock feel. It sounds like it would fit on Elton John’s “Honky Château” album the previous song comes from. Paul Harris is on piano and organ. His piano part reminds me of “Amy” from that album. Paul gives a jolly piano solo. Paul plays the same instruments on Bob Seger’s iconic hit “Against the Wind”. Kenny Passarelli’s bass is soft, but you can feel his notes which support the song suitably. This was a few years before Kenny joined the Elton John Band.

A Man for All Seasons by Al Stewart - Tim Renwick on Guitar (1978)

This midtempo rock song sounds like an Elton John song as it’s piano driven. The piano is similar to Elton’s playing and rocks in sections. There is a nice organ which has a light presence throughout the song. Tim Renwick gives a gentle guitar solo which matches well with the piano. Tim was also the main guitarist on Elton’s album “A Single Man” released around the same time and would join Elton’s band in a few years. The song reflects the songwriting strength of Al Stewart as it’s an epic song of nearly six minutes in length.

Dancin’ Shoes by Nigel Olsson - Nigel Olsson on Drums (1978)

This is a solo song recorded by Elton’s drummer Nigel Olsson which was a US Top 20 hit for him. It’s produced by singer Paul Davis who had the memorable hit song “I Go Crazy”. The song opens with just Nigel and piano and soon the whole band comes in during the chorus. I like Nigel’s singing voice, who sings expressively. There is a nice guitar solo. The album “Nigel” it’s from credits Nigel Olsson as one of three drummers on the album as well as Elton John Band members Ray Cooper and Richie Zito. I don’t know if Nigel, Ray and/or Richie played on this song. This sounds like a soft rock song Elton would feature on his album “21 at 33” a few years later which Nigel was involved in.

Wouldn’t It Be Good by Nik Kershaw - Charlie Morgan on Drums (1984)

Nik Kershaw sings great in this melodic and catchy song. He brings a rock feel with his guitar playing. There is creative synth work in this song. Drummer Charlie Morgan who joined Elton’s band the following year provides a strong beat. There are horns arranged by Jerry Hey which come in around the two-thirds mark which add to the song. This song is both pop rock and new wave. Elton’s album “Ice on Fire” the following year used those two genres. Nik played on that album including on a similar song “Satellite”. Nik would write & record the duet “Old Friend” with Elton in 1993.

The Loving Cup by Dan Fogelberg - Kenny Passarelli on Bass (1984)

This song has a good rock feel. Mike Hanna’s piano has a prominent part in this song. Mike also plays electric piano and synth. The mix of these three instruments are similarly used in some Elton songs. Kenny Passarelli’s bass gives the same approach he did on Michael Stanley’s “Just Keep Playing” as featured above. Dan Fogelberg plays all the guitars and gives aggressive playing at the end.

She’s Waiting by Eric Clapton - Ray Cooper on Percussion (1985)

The song opens with guitar and is soon joined by all instruments. Eric sings aggressively in this song he wrote with Peter Robinson who plays synth on this song. I can hear Elton’s original percussionist Ray Cooper play a tambourine including his signature shake. Ray’s percussion sounds good on this song. Eric offers a nice relaxing guitar solo. There is good snare drumming at the end by Phil Collins. This pop rock song has a good mix of guitar and keyboards. It’s similar to Elton’s 1983 song “Kiss the Bride”.

Just Another Night by Jude Cole - James Newton Howard on Keyboards (1992) 

This song rocks so well. The powerful backing vocals are effective. Jude Cole sings soulfully and plays the guitar. He gives a good guitar solo. Keyboardist and film composer James Newton Howard is credited with keyboards which includes piano. James’ piano holds the song together. He gives rock piano playing reminiscent of Elton. James was in Elton’s band in the mid 70s and early 80s. Mike Finnigan plays a bright organ part.

When a Woman Cries by Joshua Kadison - Tim Renwick on Guitar (1993)

Joshua Kadison, like Elton, plays the piano and sings. There is a great organ presence in this song. Tim Renwick supports the song well with his subtle guitar playing. This ballad has a gospel influence reminding me of some Elton songs as he’s also influenced by that genre. One Elton song I find it similar to is “Man” released a few years later as that song also has piano, organ and strings. Joshua who’s American recorded this song in England, which is the inverse of Elton who’s English and has recorded some songs in America.

Some Things Happen by Boz Scaggs - Curt Bisquera on Drums (1996)

I like the jazzy soft rock feel this song has. Randy Kerber’s piano leads the song well and gives a nice piano solo. Curt Bisquera offers strong drumming with his drums giving a good sound. Curt would join the Elton John Band four years later for a brief stint. Boz Scaggs sings in his signature soulful way. Lisa Frazier supports him well on backing vocals. Despite the tempo differences, I’m reminded of the Elton John song “Give Me the Love”.

This is the selection of songs I made. I wanted them all to have something in common with Elton’s music, so piano is featured in most of them. These songs are a 50/50 mix of British and American artists. They reflect the great musicianship of Elton John's sidemen.

Virtual Views of Ten Sri Lankan Buildings

 

Sysco LABS building as featured in my previous blog post “Diverse Views of Sri Lanka”.

I love buildings, so I decided to write a blog post embedding virtual views of Sri Lankan buildings from Google Street View. This is a personal selection that I made. I feature the most buildings from Colombo as that’s my hometown. I also include some structures which are not traditional buildings like lighthouses and clock towers. You can explore the areas in the Google Street View embedded sections. There is also a “View on Google Maps” button enabling you to explore it in a larger size in another window. This is also useful if the embedded content does not load.

This is Independence Memorial Hall in Independence Square. It’s an important symbol of Sri Lanka’s independence from colonialism.

Here’s the Dutch Hospital Shopping Precinct. One of the places seen is the Java Lounge. I enjoyed having something sweet there in 2017.

Here’s the Christian church Christ Church, Galle Face. It’s in the centre. It’s nice to see palm trees on its property. Skyscrapers around it offer a nice contrast of traditional and modern architecture.

A modern building by SLTMobitel.

The cool Sysco LABS building. I like its use of blue and palm trees at the front.

We’re now moving far away to the Point Pedro Lighthouse in the North.

In the same region, we’re looking at the Jaffna Post Office. I like its colourful look.

This is the iconic Galle Fort Clock Tower.

This is the edge of the Kandy City Centre, a 21st century shopping complex in Kandy that’s both modern and influenced by traditional Kandyan architecture.  

We’re now moving to another shopping complex, this time the Colombo City Centre. These kinds of modern buildings are my favourite type of architecture. It’s awesome that it says “I Love CMB” at the front as I love Colombo.

I hope you enjoyed the selection of Sri Lankan buildings featured. I tried to feature a mix of both modern and traditional architecture throughout Sri Lanka.

Great Elton John Keyboard Performances

Elton John is very skilled as a piano player. It’s not so well known, but he has also played other keyboard instruments on some of his albums. I decided to write about his keyboard playing where I write about a selection of songs where he plays keyboards. On most of these songs, he plays both piano and keyboards.

We’re starting with his non-album single “Lady Samantha” from 1969. This is a great rock song where Elton plays electric piano and organ. Elton’s organ has a good presence including prominent parts in the chorus. There is a great balance between Elton’s keyboards and Caleb Quaye’s guitars. Caleb also plays guitars on the next two songs. From Elton’s debut album “Empty Sky” released later the same year, he plays piano and organ on “Western Ford Gateway”. Elton’s piano forms the base of the song and his organ leads the song well musically. This song has the guitar in a more supportive role. Elton plays the same instruments on “Amoreena” released a year later. Amoreena is driven by the piano, with the organ and guitar playing a supportive role. The three instruments are mixed well together.

Lady Samantha (1969)

We’re now featuring two hit singles from 1973’s “Don’t Shoot Me I’m Only The Piano Player” album. Elton plays both electric piano and the keyboard instrument mellotron on “Daniel”. Elton’s mellotron gives a nice sound like a flute. It’s credited as a ‘flute’ mellotron. The mellotron only appears in certain sections, but is very noticeable when it does. On “Crocodile Rock”, Elton plays both piano and farfisa organ. The organ has a good presence and it is a memorable part of the song. Elton is paying tribute to rock & roll music from the 1950s on this tune. Davey Johnstone’s rocking guitars go well with Elton’s keyboards.

Crocodile Rock (1972)

An interesting song is the satirical ballad “This Song Has No Title”. It’s a solo song featuring just Elton on piano, farfisa organ, mellotron and electric piano. The organ gives a great presence on the chorus. The mellotron is used for both the flute sound and the string sound. On “Your Sister Can’t Twist (But She Can Rock ’n Roll”, Elton plays the piano/farfisa organ combination on a rock & roll song similar to “Crocodile Rock”. The organ has a fun jolly feel including a good solo augmented by backing vocals.

On “Tell Me When the Whistle Blows”, Elton plays electric piano and clavinet. The clavinet is an electric keyboard instrument that uses guitar strings. On this mid-tempo song with rock and soul elements, Elton’s clavinet comes in and out of the song giving a quirky feel. It matches well with Davey’s guitar. On “(Gotta Get A) Meal Ticket”, Elton plays clavinet with acoustic piano. This rock song is driven by Davey’s guitar. The clavinet has a supportive role. Elton is using his skills as a rock musician with these two keyboards. On the ballad “We All Fall In Love Sometimes”, Elton plays piano, mellotron and harpsichord. The mellotron gives warm soothing notes. The harpsichord has a minimal role with it heard nicely in the second half of the song.

On “Theme from a Non-Existent TV Series”, Elton plays electric harpsichord with his then keyboardist James Newton Howard playing electric piano and synth. I like this instrumental song which really sounds like the theme to a 1970s TV series. Elton’s electric harpsichord is behind James Newton Howard’s keyboards. A few years later, Elton had the mostly instrumental hit “Song for Guy” featuring a mix of piano, keyboard, percussion and bass. Elton is on piano, mellotron and synth. He plays two types of synth: polymoog and salena string. Song for Guy is led by piano. Elton gives atmospheric effects with his keyboards which come in and out of the song. He’s enhancing his piano playing with the keyboard parts.

Song for Guy (1978)

A Single Man, the same album as “Song for Guy” has the gospel themed song “Georgia” about the US State. Elton plays piano, church organ and harmonium. The church organ is present in much of the song, contributing to the full band sound. There’s an instrumental outtake from that album’s sessions “Earn While You Learn” which emerged as a B-Side in 1983. The song rocks well with Elton playing piano and multiple keyboards. His organ has memorable parts throughout the song. He also plays the familiar mellotron parts and seems to play an electric piano. Elton’s keyboards and Tim Renwick’s guitars wonderfully lead the sound of this song.

In Elton’s 1983 “Too Low for Zero”, he played all the keyboards including a lot of synth. I’m mentioning two songs from it. These are the first songs in this article not to feature any piano. On the minor hit “Kiss the Bride”, Elton’s synths go well with Davey’s guitars. This is an intense pop rocker. The synths give off a 1980s sound. Elton does something similar on “Whipping Boy” which is also a guitar driven rocker. I’m assuming Elton’s keyboards are synths. They can be heard more than the previous track. I get vibes from organic keyboards Elton has played like harpsichord and harmonium.

Kiss the Bride (1983)

On the pop song “Satellite”, Elton plays synths. Elton’s then keyboardist Fred Mandel plays keyboards and guitarist Davey Johnstone is credited with synth/guitar. While Davey could be playing synth and guitar, it’s more likely he’s playing synth guitar as he played that instrument on the same album. I’m not sure which keyboard parts are Elton. There is a light keyboard part sounding similar to an electric piano. I suspect Elton is playing this. There are nice atmospheric synth effects.

Satellite (1985)

Elton plays piano and organ on the blues rocker “Runaway Train”, a duet with Eric Clapton. Elton’s piano is low in the mix. Following Eric’s guitar solo, Elton unleashes an organ solo. His solo is really good which contrasts well with Eric’s guitar. It’s even more impressive that he’s able to do a solo like this as organ is not his main instrument. There are other similar organ sounds on the song. I’m not sure if Elton is playing them.

These songs are a selection of Elton’s keyboard playing. While Elton’s skills on other keyboards aren’t on the same level as his piano playing, he can play the keyboard well. He used his keyboard skills to augment his piano playing and in rare cases when there’s no piano as an alternative. The songs featured cover Elton’s strengths on ballads, rock songs and those in between.

Bob Seger & the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section

Bob Seger has recorded many songs in the 1970s & 1980s with the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section (MSRS), a group of session musicians in the small town of Muscle Shoals, Alabama. The core members of the MSRS are Barry Beckett (keyboards), Pete Carr (lead guitar), Jimmy Johnson (rhythm guitar), David Hood (bass) and Roger Hawkins (drums & percussion). I’m writing about their work with Bob Seger covering many of the songs they recorded with him from 1975’s “Beautiful Loser” album to 1980’s “Against the Wind” album. They also did some recording with Bob in the few years before and after this. Bob during this period alternated recording with the MSRS and his own band the Silver Bullet Band (SBB). A few SBB members played with the MSRS as we’ll soon see.

We’re starting with the “Beautiful Loser” album in 1975. The MSRS on this album had a second keyboardist, Spooner Oldham. The title track is a warm melodic ballad. Barry Beckett’s piano has a strong presence. He gives a good piano solo and also plays synth parts. The electric piano rocker “Black Night” is a case where the MSRS is augmented by an SBB member, being lead guitar by Drew Abbott. The electric piano would be played by Barry or Spooner. Drew also played guitar with the MSRS on the rock & roll song “Katmandu”. Barry gives great rock & roll piano including glissandos near the end.

We’re now going to the 1976 “Night Moves” album. The rocker “Sunspot Baby” opens with piano and is joined by guitar. Barry’s piano and Pete’s guitar go well together in this song. Pete has two amazing guitar solos. Roger rocks well with his powerful drumming. Rock ballad “Mainstreet” has incredible guitar by Pete Carr throughout it. Barry is on both piano and organ. David’s bass guitar gives deep notes that enrich the song. The ballad “Ship of Fools” is led by Pete’s acoustic guitar and Barry’s piano. Silver Bullet Band guitarist Drew Abbott plays guitar licks on it.

Sunspot Baby (1976)

Mainstreet (1976)

The following album is 1978’s “Stranger in Town”. The iconic “Old Time Rock & Roll” is written by George Jackson, Thomas Earl Jones III and Bob Seger in an uncredited capacity for re-writing the lyrics. Bob recorded his vocals over the original demo and added his saxophonist Alto Reed on it. The piano is played by Randy McCormick who was also involved with the MSRS and opens the song with its legendary intro. The guitars are played by different guitarists, Ken Bell and Forrest McDonald (lead).

A few members of the Eagles played guitar solos with the MSRS. Till it Shines featured the guitar solo by Glenn Frey. Don Felder played the guitar solo on the Frankie Miller cover “Ain’t Got No Money”. Barry gives great rock & roll piano notes near the end of that song. The popular ballad “We’ve Got Tonight”’s main instrument is Barry’s piano. Roger drums effectively where he alternates between playing softly and fully charged. David’s bass playing suits the song well. The Famous Final Scene is also a ballad with Barry on piano & organ and featuring orchestra. It’s more rock sounding than the previous song with Pete’s guitars throughout. All the instruments play strongly, matching well with Bob’s singing.

Ain’t Got No Money (1978)

The Famous Final Scene (1978)

On 1980’s “Against the Wind” album, the band is augmented by Randy McCormick of “Old Time Rock & Roll” on organ. The rocker “Long Twin Silver Line” is driven by Pete’s guitars. It opens with the guitars and is followed by Barry’s piano coming in via a glissando. Barry plays rock & roll piano notes which are louder in parts of the song such as the chorus. Pete plays a rocking guitar solo with subtle country influences. Randy’s organ has a stronger presence on the next two songs. They are both ballads with a soft rock feel. The guitars feature a good mix of acoustic and electric. I wonder if Jimmy is playing the acoustic guitar parts. Fire Lake features Don Henley, Glenn Frey and Timothy B. Schmit of the Eagles on wonderful backing vocals. Barry’s piano and Randy’s organ go well together. Shinin’ Brightly is a positive, optimistic song. Throughout “Shinin’ Brightly”, Randy’s organ does great musical explorations. Barry does a bit of rock piano near the end.

Fire Lake (1980)

These songs are very well produced by Bob Seger and the MSRS. The MSRS are a great band who wonderfully support Bob Seger’s brand of American rock music. They are able to perform intense rockers, slow ballads and everything in between.The Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section are an important part of the legacy of Bob Seger’s music. If you enjoyed this article, you might be interested in my previous article “Bill Payne’s Keyboards for Bob Seger”.

Ten Great Mercury Records Songs

Mercury Records is a popular American record label which is now part of the Universal Music Group (UMG). I am familiar with Mercury Records as it’s Elton John’s record label. Elton deals with Mercury Records in the UK. His albums get released in most countries on Mercury Records, except mainly the US which releases it on another UMG label. These songs were made for Mercury Records or had been released by them in a particular region or for a reissue.

Takin’ Care of Business - Bachman-Turner Overdrive (1973)

This fun rock song is written and sung by guitarist Randy Bachman. It opens with a guitar part and the piano soon joins it. I love the rock & roll piano part which matches well with the guitars. There are three guitar solos. The combination of piano and guitar including on the guitar solos remind me of the similar song “Sunspot Baby” by Bob Seger. The backing vocals in the chorus give off a celebratory feel.

Heat Treatment - Graham Parker & The Rumour (1976)

It opens with a few piano notes which are joined by all the instruments. There are great horns throughout the song. I like Bob Andrews’ jolly piano. The guitar has a good supporting role adding colour to the song. There is a relaxing saxophone solo. Graham sings with passion. I like his vocalisation of “yeah” near the end in a stretched out way. This is a rock song influenced by soul.

The Things We Do for Love - 10cc (1976)

This song is written by Graham Gouldman and Eric Stewart. Eric sings this song in a warm, relaxed way. He plays the keyboards and the lead guitar. The piano has an upbeat feel. Organ is featured in parts of the song and has a good presence. There is a gentle guitar solo. The three band members play all the instruments through the magic of overdubbing. This is an example of good pop rock.

Take It Easy - Delbert McClinton (1978)

This is an americana ballad which has elements of country and blues. There are horns in the song and also a saxophone featured including a solo. The song is led by melodic piano playing. There are female backing vocals. Delbert brings the feel you get from late 70s ballads.

Run for Home - Lindisfarne (1978)

This song is produced by Gus Dudgeon who was Elton John’s producer during his peak. It has a relaxing soft rock feel. There is a gentle melodic piano. The band sings together nicely during the chorus. An orchestra is featured. At the halfway mark, I like what the piano does. Lindisfarne gives us an example of the soft rock & pop rock songs of the time in England.

Le bon temps du rock and roll - Johnny Hallyday (1979)

This is a French language cover of Bob Seger’s “Old Time Rock & Roll” by France’s Johnny Hallyday. He also covered Bob Seger’s “Feel Like a Number” and “Brave Strangers” from the same album. It opens with a piano intro different to the original but gets the same feel. Johnny sings strongly. The first guitar solo is more intense than Bob’s version. There is no saxophone solo, but there’s a second guitar solo featuring great rock & roll piano backing including glissandos. Johnny kept the part from the original with singing and drums only. Johnny was able to maintain the musical style of the Bob Seger original and put his own spin on it. It’s unique hearing this song in French.

Long Distance - Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes (1980)

It opens with drums and the instruments come in. This song is piano driven. There are horns. Southside Johnny sings with emotion on this mid-tempo rocker. The guitar solo features good interjections by the horns. This song is Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes’ brand of heartland rock which includes soul influences.

Private Investigations - Dire Straits (1982)

This progressive rock song is written by Dire Straits’ singer and lead guitarist Mark Knopfler. It opens with a synth part. We get guitar and piano notes which come in and out. Following this, piano and classical guitar comes in. Mark says the words in a singspeak way. There is a classical guitar solo with few other instruments including vibraphone. We get synth and piano coming back. Keyboardist Alan Clark gives good rock piano notes at the end.

I’m Still Standing - Elton John (1983)

This is when Elton John reunited with his original band of Davey Johnstone (guitar), Nigel Olsson (drums) and Dee Murray (bass) to make the “Too Low for Zero” album. Elton’s band provides great backing vocals. Elton plays both piano & synths and sings loudly in celebration. Dee Murray’s bass guitar is more noticeable including some slap bass parts. I like Davey’s guitar solo. This pop rock song has positive energy.

Always - Bon Jovi (1994)

This is an epic power ballad. It opens with a drum part, brings in all the instruments rocking and then goes intimate mainly with Jon Bovi Jovi’s singing and David Bryan’s piano. All the instruments come in strongly during the chorus. The second verse is softer than the chorus, but the band has more to do than the first. An orchestra has a presence in this song. There is a light relaxing guitar solo by Richie Sambora. Jon gives great rock singing. David’s piano playing holds the song together. He provides great rock piano playing.

The music featured comes from Europe and North America. The countries the artists are from are the UK (Graham Parker & The Rumour, 10cc, Lindisfarne, Dire Straits, Elton John), the US (Delbert McClinton, Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes, Bon Jovi), Canada (Bachman-Turner Overdrive) and France (Johnny Hallyday). These songs reflect the legacy of Mercury Records. If you enjoyed reading this, you may be interested in my article “Ten Great Capitol Records Songs”.