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.

Ten Great Capitol Records Songs

One of music’s successful record labels is Capitol Records. Capitol Records is an American record label which is now part of the Universal Music Group. I had written a similar article “Ten Great Universal Music Group Songs” where I included a few Capitol songs. I have been paying attention to Capitol Records since I started listening to Bob Seger’s music in 2010. Bob is of course featured in this article.

Up On Cripple Creek - The Band (1969)

This song is sung by drummer Levon Helm. Levon and The Band sing well together in the chorus with their backing vocals. Its opening is the drums with bits of guitar. This rock song is influenced by blues and country. As someone into keyboards, I love how this song has three keyboard parts (piano, clavinet & organ). The clavinet gives off quirky vibes. Robbie Robertson’s guitar plays a supportive part in the background and has a stronger presence in the last quarter of the song.

He Can’t Love You - Michael Stanley Band (1980)

Michael Stanley is an American rock singer who unfortunately passed away two years ago in March 2021. The Michael Stanley Band is a band he fronted. This is a catchy heartland rock song. It’s sung by keyboardist Kevin Raleigh. It has driving guitars with good piano backing. There is an organ in the background. It features saxophone from Bruce Springsteen’s saxophonist Clarence Clemons. I get Bob Seger vibes from this song with it reminding me of my favourite Bob Seger song “Even Now”.

Heartbreak Radio - Delbert McClinton (1981)

This song opens with a brief drum intro and it goes into electric guitars backed with piano. The piano is in the rock & roll style. There are horns in parts of the song bringing a soul influence. At the halfway point, there’s a saxophone solo with good piano accompaniment. It was originally recorded by Scottish singer Frankie Miller who co-wrote the song with songwriter Troy Seals.

If This Is It - Huey Lewis & The News (1983)

This is a fun pop rock song. It’s probably the first major hit song on this list. It opens with a drum intro and then Chris Hayes’ detailed guitar part comes in. The keyboards in the song are piano, organ and possible synths. The piano gives off a light rock & roll feel. The backing vocals in the chorus support Huey’s lead vocals well and give off a 50s vibe. Huey sings powerfully and melodically. Chris provides a fun charming guitar solo. The guitar solo plays again in the end alongside the last chorus and the concluding section as the song fades.

These Dreams - Heart (1985)

Heart is led by two sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson. This song was written by Martin Page (music) and Bernie Taupin (lyrics). Bernie Taupin is Elton John’s lyricist. Ann usually sings their songs, but this song is sung by Nancy. This is a synth driven soft rock song. The synths offer a gentle reflection of dreams. I get South American vibes in the chorus from one of the synth parts. Interestingly, Johnny Colla, a member of the previous song’s band, sings backing vocals on this track.

Don’t Mean Nothing - Richard Marx (1987)

This is a pure fun rock song. It opens with drumming followed by guitars and the whole band joins in. Michael Omartian plays piano. Richard sings powerfully. Three members of The Eagles are on this song who are Joe Walsh on guitar and Randy Meisner & Timothy B. Schmit on backing vocals. Joe gives a powerful guitar solo with good accompaniment from Michael’s piano. The organ has a supportive part. There is a good instrumental section led by the piano at the end.

Is Love Enough - The Doobie Brothers (1991)

This song was written by Walt Richmond & Jerry Lyn Williams. Interestingly, Walt co-wrote & played piano on the Bob Seger song “She Can’t Do Anything Wrong” that same year which I featured in my article on Bob Seger piano songs and Jerry had written the Eric Clapton song “Running on Faith” that I featured in my article on piano rock songs. This song features a mix of piano and synths. The synths seem to be emulating horn sounds. It’s sung by original lead singer Tom Johnston. Tom sings in an expressive and melodic way. There’s an organ which has a good subtle presence. At about the three-quarter mark, there’s a dark intense blues rock guitar solo. The guitar does more playing in the last section of the song.

Beautiful In My Eyes - Joshua Kadison (1993)

We’re now changing to something soft. This song has a gentle warm sound. Joshua sings soulfully and plays the piano powerfully. It opens with Joshua’s singing and piano playing with subtle organ. There is slight drumming close to the one minute mark and the full band comes in. This song seems like a song on Elton John’s wonderful 1989 “Sleeping With The Past” album such as “Amazes Me”. There is an orchestra and a powerful gospel sounding choir. This is a very melodic song. Next month will be the 30th anniversary of Joshua’s debut album “Painted Desert Serenade” this song comes from.

Manhattan - Bob Seger (1995)

The song opens with Manhattan traffic. Harry Stinson’s drums come in with the traffic before other instruments join in. There is an intense guitar part and a dark piano part. Roy Bittan gives great rock piano playing. The mix of piano and guitars work well. Bob sing-speaks this song. There is a synth undercurrent throughout the song. This song is an example of an epic long Bob Seger song. The song closes with sounds of Manhattan traffic like how it opens.

Can’t Stay Alone Tonight - Elton John (2013)

Capitol Records was the US label of Elton John’s 2013 Mercury Records album “The Diving Board”. I’m not in the US, but had to include this as I’m an Elton John fan. This is a melodic country ballad Elton John wrote the melody to lyrics by his songwriting partner Bernie Taupin. This song has no guitar with it driven by Elton’s piano. The slight keyboards give a nice whistling effect. Though this isn’t in Elton’s usual style, the song sounds positively and uniquely Elton with his singing, piano playing and melody. The bridge brings in a good melodic change.

This is my personal selection of Capitol Records songs covering a 44 year period. They showcase music that really rocks as well as gentle ballads. The artists featured range from major stars, well-known names and those with a degree of success but may not be widely known. It’s fitting that we opened with The Band and concluded with Elton John as The Band are one of Elton’s major influences.