Eight Elton John Different Types of Rock Songs

I’ve noticed that Elton John has recorded rock songs in many different types of rock. Examples of these include rock & roll, soft rock, pop rock, country rock, etc. I compiled a collection of eight Elton John songs which showcase his songwriting versatility as they are different types of rock songs. In all but one of the songs featured, Elton wrote with his lyricist Bernie Taupin. I’m going to start with the opening title track from Elton’s 1969 debut album “Empty Sky”.

Progressive Rock - Empty Sky (1969)

This song starts with a catchy conga beat and Elton brings in piano notes which come in and out of the song. Following this, it becomes a full band song with strong guitar. Caleb Quaye plays both the guitar and the congas. Elton also plays an organ which can be heard in some of the song’s sections. There’s a flute and a harmonica featured in parts of the song. In going with progressive rock, there are long instrumental sections. Close to the end of the song, the instruments go quietly and Elton sings in a whispering way. The instruments come back up powerfully with Elton playing a glissando. This is an epic eight and a half minute long progressive rock song.

Rock & Roll - Crocodile Rock (1973)

This is one of Elton’s most popular songs. It was his first Number 1 hit in the US. Elton plays both piano and farfisa organ. This song features Elton’s original band of Davey Johnstone (guitar), Nigel Olsson (drums) and Dee Murray (bass). This song is the style of 50s rock & roll. Davey’s guitar parts authentically bring that sound. While Elton does rock out on his piano, he doesn’t play the traditional rock & roll piano on this song. He brings rock & roll vibes through the piano & organ combination. Crocodile Rock is a rock & roll hit that continues to be played for over 50 years and counting.

Hard Rock - Hard Luck Story (1975)

This song opens with the band playing softly and the instruments slowly get louder. This track is from the “Rock of the Westies” album. Elton’s band for that album features both Davey Johnstone and Caleb Quaye (who worked with Elton at the start of his career). The combination of the band produces good results. They include Elton’s piano, the two guitarists, Ray Cooper’s percussion and James Newton Howard’s keyboards. Elton plays incredible rock piano towards the end of this song. This is a good example of Elton doing a hard rock song.

Country Rock - Strangers (1978)

This song is the only song not written with lyricist Bernie Taupin. The lyrics are by Gary Osborne who Elton was writing with at that time. It opens with Elton’s piano. He starts singing and it soon becomes a full band sound. Elton sings very melodically and I like how he sings in a country way. There are great guitars which are featured most prominently in the choruses. I’m assuming the guitars are played by Tim Renwick as he was the main guitarist on the “A Single Man” album. This song is a B-Side recorded during that album’s sessions and ended up as a bonus track on the CD version of the album. Both the piano & the guitars reflect the musical styles of country and rock. We get a tambourine that sounds like Ray Cooper near the end of the song. Strangers has the melodic country rock sound which was common in songs of the 70s.

Soft Rock - Nikita (1985)

We’re going to something softer which matches the soft rock style. This is a big hit which is one of Elton’s great electric piano ballads. He sings in a warm and soulful way. Two popular 80s English singers appear on this song who are George Michael on backing vocals and Nik Kershaw on electric guitar. I like the sound of Nik’s understated guitar. George makes good sounds with his voice near the end of the song. Elton plays both GS piano & synth. Elton’s then keyboardist Fred Mandel also plays synth. I’m assuming the great synth solo is played by Fred. The way I consider this song as soft rock is it being a relaxing ballad with a light rock feel.

Pop Rock - Cold (1995)

This is Elton’s signature piano ballad sound. Davey adds to the song with his guitar playing. There’s an orchestral arrangement by Paul Buckmaster. Davey plays a guitar solo which matches with the orchestra. Elton sings greatly expressing the strengths of his voice. Elton closes off the song well in a rock feel with his piano notes. This is Elton doing a pop rock ballad which he excels at.

Blues Rock - The Wasteland (2001)

This song opens with people talking in the studio and they count down the song. It’s about blues singer and guitarist Robert Johnson. Davey’s guitar playing is incredible. Nigel Olsson’s drumming is powerful. Elton plays a melodic piano solo. Davey supports Elton’s solo well. We have a bluesy organ which matches with the sound. I like how Elton sings “yeah, yeah” near the end of the song. In keeping with the subject matter, Elton crafted a powerful blues rock song.

Gospel Rock - I Can’t Keep This From You (2004)

The opening is led by the organ played by Elton’s late keyboardist Guy Babylon. Elton’s piano goes with Guy’s organ. The gospel feel of this song is augmented by Davey’s guitars that bring rock vibes. Elton sings very soulfully and the choir backs him very well. We get Guy's organ solo followed by Davey’s rocking guitar solo. Elton sings a backing vocal part near the end of the song that works very well. Elton creatively fused gospel and rock with this song.

This set of songs showcase the diverse types of rock songs Elton John has written and recorded. They range from soft rock ballads like “Nikita” to hard rockers like “Hard Luck Story” and give an example of Elton’s music beyond the popular hits. Elton is an iconic rock artist who contributed greatly to that style including the piano’s place in it.

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.

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.

Ten Great Songs Featuring David Paich

DarioZg / Shutterstock.com

David Paich is a keyboardist and founder member of the American rock band Toto. He sang their most popular song “Africa”. Toto is a band of session musicians, thus David has a prolific session career playing on numerous albums. In this article, I am featuring ten songs David has played keyboards on including one song by his band Toto. David is joined by most of his original Toto bandmates on some of the non-Toto tracks on this list. I had previously featured two songs David Paich played on in my article “Ten Great Piano Rock Songs by Ten Different Singers”. 

These Days - Jackson Browne (1973)

This song begins with just Jackson and his acoustic guitar with some slide guitar parts. It continues that way until just before the chorus when David Paich’s piano comes in at just under a minute. David’s piano is a welcome addition that makes the song whole. He gives good accompaniment including being a good match for David Lindley’s slide guitar. 

Put Out the Light - Joe Cocker (1974)

This is a soulful rocker featuring David Paich’s piano, wacky guitars, horns and powerful backing vocals. Joe Cocker sings with such passion. While the piano isn’t the loudest instrument, it has a great presence including some glissandos. The saxophone is there throughout a lot of the song including some solos. 

Doctor Wu - Steely Dan (1975)

This is a piano driven soft rock song with a jazz influence as Steely Dan are a jazz rock band. David stated that he played on this song, so I’m assuming that the piano part is his. David is joined by his future Toto bandmate Jeff Porcaro who also plays on the next two songs. There is a saxophone through sections of the song including a solo. The guitar part is subtle. The piano playing is cool and melodic. The sax and piano goes in a more jazz direction towards the end of the song.

Lido Shuffle - Boz Scaggs (1976)

This is a popular song by Boz Scaggs which is co-written with David Paich. Elton John is an influence of David Paich which comes through in this song as it sounds like an Elton John song including its piano. The song features the bass and drums in the first twenty seconds until all the instruments come in. There are horns which are most prominent during the chorus. David is playing all the keyboards on this song which include piano and synths. He is joined by another future Toto bandmate, bassist David Hungate. Boz sings powerfully with his high voice. There are prominent synth parts in the last minute of the song which David doubles with his piano. Having both piano and synths gives a foreshadow of Toto’s sound. 

Manuela Run - Toto (1978)

I’m now including a song by David Paich’s band Toto. This is a song from their 1978 debut album (which also features their hit song “Hold the Line”) which he wrote, played on and sang lead vocals. It opens with David’s piano riff which is played throughout the song. David sings “round” in an interesting way. Bobby Kimball sings good backing vocals. It also features good synthesizer playing by Steve Porcaro and a guitar solo by Steve Lukather. It has a unique end with a few piano notes followed by a closing door. This song is both pop rock and progressive rock.  

The Retreat - Elton John (1980)

This is a great Elton John ballad about the American Civil War. The guitar is played by fellow Toto member Steve Lukather. It has Elton’s piano and singing for up until the end of the first verse. The full band comes in from the first chorus featuring prominent organ by David Paich and interesting guitar parts by Steve Lukather. The organ continues throughout the song and adds to it. There is a synthesizer by James Newton Howard which comes in during the last minute of the song. The synthesizer goes back and forth with the organ and then with the guitar. 

Allies - Heart (1983)

This song features David Paich on piano and synth. It was written by Journey keyboardist Jonathan Cain and this song is somewhat reminiscent of the Journey hit “Don’t Stop Believin’” with its combination of piano and intense guitars. It opens with the piano and is soon joined by Ann Wilson’s voice. The strong guitars come in as brief interjections in the first verse before fully coming in during the chorus. Ann sings powerfully on this song, especially in the harder rocking parts. The verses are piano driven. There is a section with David’s piano playing with his synth which reminds me of Toto. This is an intense ballad featuring powerful rock piano. 

New York Minute - Don Henley (1989)

This is an epic six and a half minute song which has a jazz influence. It opens with an orchestra that’s arranged by David Paich with flourishes of his piano. Following that there are keyboard notes which are soon joined by Pino Palladino’s bass and David’s piano. Jeff Porcaro’s drums and Pino’s bass have some jazz vibes. David’s piano too does this in the verses. Close to the two minute mark, Danny Kortchmar’s guitar brings rock to the song which goes away in the second verse and comes back for the chorus. African-American Christian vocal group Take 6 provide backing vocals during the chorus. At around the three minute and forty five second mark, the trumpet appears and has some notes throughout the remainder of the song. 

There Is No Greater Love - Wayne Watson (1992)

As a Christian, I was pleased to find out that David Paich played on a Christian song. The opening orchestra notes are similar to the previous song. This song has the simple arrangement of piano and orchestra. Piano and orchestra without any guitar, bass and drums is not my favourite arrangement as that runs the risk of it being a boring ballad for me. Thankfully, that is not the case here. David plays his piano powerfully. 

Please Forgive Me - Bryan Adams (1993)

David Paich’s acoustic piano comes for a short moment at the start of the song. What appears to be an electric piano replaces it until the chorus where the acoustic piano comes back. The acoustic piano is powerful when it returns. The chorus rocks with strong guitars and some hard hitting piano. This is a powerful rock ballad.  

David has played on a variety of different rock styles featured here being pop rock, soft rock, hard rock, progressive rock, jazz rock and rock & roll. There is also a Christian song featured. These songs cover a twenty year period from 1973 to 1993. I’m a fan of piano in rock music and piano is featured in all of these songs. David played piano on all the songs except one which is played by Elton John. This is fitting as Elton is a hero of David’s. These songs showcase David Paich’s great piano & keyboard playing as well as his skills as a songwriter, singer, arranger and producer. 

Ten Great Electric Piano Elton John Songs

  

Photo 52840730 © Eautographhunter - Dreamstime.com

Elton John is a globally popular singer, songwriter and piano player. When it comes to piano featured in his songs, it’s usually acoustic piano. However, there are songs by him featuring electric piano. I decided to compile a list of ten electric piano Elton John songs. Elton plays the electric piano on all songs on this list except for one of them. These songs showcase rock and a variety of other genres which are pop, soul, jazz & country. Elton wrote the music for all the songs with the exception of one song that he co-wrote the melody with Tim Renwick and the lyrics are by Elton’s long-time songwriting partner Bernie Taupin except for three songs whose lyrics are by Gary Osborne. I’d like to point out that I don’t discuss the electric piano used in every song with my focus being on the songs in general.

Lady Samantha (1969)

This is one of Elton’s early singles before he was famous. The song opens with electric piano and guitar parts which are soon joined by organ. I believe Elton is also playing the organ which has a good presence. This song rocks intensely. Caleb Quaye plays strong blues rock guitar and concludes the song well. This is reflective of late 60s rock.

Philadelphia Freedom (1975)

This is one of Elton’s most well known hits which came out at the peak of his popularity. There is an orchestra and rocking guitars by Davey Johnstone. Davey is Elton’s long-time guitarist who plays on six of the songs on this list. The electric piano is warm and has parts where it's more prominent as there are so many instruments on this song. This song is a mix of rock and soul. It’s a celebration of Philadelphia and also America.

Feed Me (1975)

This song’s electric piano is played by famous film composer James Newton Howard who joined the Elton John band for the “Rock of the Westies” album this song’s from. The guitar parts by Davey Johnstone and Caleb Quaye are throughout the song and there is a good rocking riff brought in at the last minute of the song. This song has a good 70s rock feel.

Shooting Star (1978)

This song and the next two are written with lyricist Gary Osborne who Elton worked with in the late 70s and early 80s. This song’s electric piano is credited to “Fender Rhodes”. As a Fender Rhodes is a type of electric piano, it is most likely Elton who played it. This is a jazz song. I like it when Elton does jazz. The bass is noticeable and there is a good beat. There is a saxophone which comes in about a minute into the song and continues its presence till the end.

Dreamboat (1978)

We’re going from a short song to a long song of seven and a half minutes. This was also recorded during the sessions for “A Single Man” (the album the previous song’s from), but appears as a bonus track on 1983’s “Too Low For Zero” as it was a B-Side to one of its singles. This song is co-written with Tim Renwick who plays the guitars on this song. It’s opened by a guitar riff which is soon joined by Elton’s electric piano and singing. Elton plays both electric piano and organ. Just before the chorus there is a second guitar part which rocks that comes in and out of the song. The lyrics “fires are burning down below” reminds me of the Bob Seger song “The Fire Down Below”. There are strings and some guitar solos in this song. At about the six minute and twenty second mark, there is a good electric piano part by Elton.

Take Me Back (1980)

This is a country song with Elton playing a Wurlitzer electric piano. The electric piano is prominent at the start of the song. Soon the other instruments such as the guitars come in louder. There’s a fiddle solo, a staple of some country songs. Elton sings in a southern accent and plays the electric piano in a country style.   

A Word in Spanish (1988)

This is a ballad which interestingly was a Top 20 US hit. Elton is singing powerfully and the electric

piano is prominent in parts of the verses. Two thirds into the song Davey plays a brilliant Spanish guitar solo. The song concludes with a good organ part. 

Club at the End of the Street (1989)

This song as well as the next three are from the “Sleeping with the Past” album which is one of my favourite Elton John albums. The album was influenced by soul music and the songs I selected have a soft rock vibe. All songs on this list from that album open with Jonathan Moffett’s drums. At times the melodic organ part is prominent by Fred Mandel who played keyboards and guitar on this album. Jonathan and Fred were both members of the Elton John band while this album was being recorded. This song showcases the power of Elton John’s voice. In the chorus, there is a good backing vocal part going something like “dowap do do do”. There’s an incredible saxophone solo by Vince Denham. This song’s style is interesting as it isn’t a proper rock song, but it’s not quite a ballad either. It has a good upbeat feel.   

Stones Throw From Hurtin’ (1989)

The song opens with a guitar riff that is played throughout the song. Elton sings in an unusual way that doesn’t sound like his normal voice. I read that he achieved this by whispering into the microphone. There is a light guitar part at about the two and a half minute mark. In the last minute there’s a sudden intense guitar solo by Fred Mandel. This solo makes it the rockiest of the three songs and this song is kind of blues rock.

Sacrifice (1989)

This is one of Elton’s most well known ballads. It opens with Elton’s electric piano. It's driven by Elton’s singing. There are prominent keyboard parts which come in and out of the song. About two thirds into the song, Davey plays an interesting electric guitar part which comes back at the end of the song. 

This was a showcase of electric piano Elton John songs. These songs reflect the melodic skills of Elton John as a songwriter including the diversity of the different types of songs he has written. The twenty year period these songs are from give us an insight into the Elton John sound at different periods of his career. The songs have been recorded in the UK, Denmark, France and the US. If you enjoyed this article, you might enjoy my previous one “Ten Powerful Rock Ballads by Elton John”.