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Post by ransford on Jun 2, 2019 10:52:02 GMT
Rocketman is a wonderful movie about Elton John. If you haven't seen it, do it!
There are some connections between Elton and Hollies. We know that Elton played piano on "He aint heavy" and on "I can't tell the bottom from the top" (with he also recorded on his own). But I suppose there's more. I've heard a rumor that Your Song could have been a Hollies-song, but Dick James changed his mind and let Elton do a recording of his melody. Could it be true?
Help me with more connections!
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Post by moorlock2003 on Jun 2, 2019 15:01:27 GMT
Rocketman is a wonderful movie about Elton John. If you haven't seen it, do it! There are some connections between Elton and Hollies. We know that Elton played piano on "He aint heavy" and on "I can't tell the bottom from the top" (with he also recorded on his own). But I suppose there's more. I've heard a rumor that Your Song could have been a Hollies-song, but Dick James changed his mind and let Elton do a recording of his melody. Could it be true? Help me with more connections! Apart from reading some reviews on Rotten Peaches (Tomatoes), I have zero interest in John's vanity project. I don't have a single EJ item in my music collection and would never listen to him by choice. I've heard enough about his temper tantrums and his ego. Suffice it to say, Elton John is NOT a nice person! The fact that he toured with Billy Joel (who I can't stand either) says it all. Crocodile crock, I say. |
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Post by Deleted on Jun 2, 2019 15:14:20 GMT
Like most biopics, it is factually and chronologically a mess. Having said that, apart from the gratuitous gay scenes, I enjoyed it alot.
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Post by moorlock2003 on Jun 2, 2019 16:02:20 GMT
It is a film for the easily pleased. As for the "gratuitous" gay sex, its inclusion was one of the main reasons EJ wanted to do the movie. Either you embrace ALL of his vanity project or not at all. I choose the latter.
I trust Keith Richard's description of Elton John as an "Old Bitch".
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Post by gee on Jun 2, 2019 19:04:09 GMT
The Hollies actually briefly signed Elton John to Gralto but they did little to push his career - he saw it as a rather pointless move for him besides maybe getting him better known in the music business
Elton played the distinctive piano for them on 'He Ain't Heavy' and 'I Can't Tell The Bottom From The Top' - he has the intro on the latter plus played Hammond organ on 'Perfect Lady Housewife' over 1969-70
- the young session player Elton told them not to move his piano as it would go out of tune....thus Bobby had to move his drumkit !
Elton was a bit of an upstart for an 'unknown' even then, and later said of The Hollies; 'they thought they were making art !'
I have been told that might be a bit of pique as Elton it seems besides his Gralto inactivity very possibly might have auditioned for them to replace Graham Nash - that's never been confirmed officially BUT would at the time have been very possible (?)
Elton does NOT play on 'Evolution' as has been incorrectly reported in some session listings - Bobby told me that was an incorrect listing and it was later circa 1968-69 that they knew him properly
'Your Song' was mooted for The Hollies before Dick James decided that it was to be Elton's own single
note too that Elton's bass player Dee Murray played bass for Allan Clarke on his early solo albums so clearly there were links between Elton and his band and The Hollies from 1969 onwards
I have heard that years later Elton offered The Hollies his song 'Healing Hands' - if true he clearly had some lingering regard for the band
apparently they 'hummed and harred' over it (the usual Hollies inactivity then !) and never bothered to record it...so Elton took it back, cut it himself, and had a chart hit single with it plus put it on his 'Sleeping With The Past' album !
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Post by Deleted on Jun 2, 2019 19:06:08 GMT
I have been told that might be a bit of pique as Elton it seems besides his Gralto inactivity he possibly might have auditioned for them to replace Graham Nash - that's never been confirmed officially BUT would at the time have been very possible (?) Source? |
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Post by gee on Jun 2, 2019 19:08:49 GMT
I'll pm you
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Post by moorlock2003 on Jun 3, 2019 18:27:19 GMT
It seems EJ was a nasty little primadonna early on.
Elton: "They (The Hollies) thought they were making art".
They were Reg, compared to that claptrap you've been churning out for what seems like an an eternity.
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Post by anthony on Jun 3, 2019 23:00:11 GMT
I would not go and see the movie as I'm not really an Elton fan, but I would be shocked if they didn't have any reference to him playing on one if not the Hollies biggest hits, I do like a lot of Elton's hits but just not keen enough to see this movie. No denying his is a real icon.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 4, 2019 7:03:45 GMT
Elton John has had a very eventful life, and in the grand scheme of things his session work with The Hollies isn't worth mentioning in a biopic. I was more surprised that his friendship/recording/performing with John Lennon isn't mentioned.
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Post by stuball on Jun 4, 2019 13:25:44 GMT
Elton John has had a very eventful life, and in the grand scheme of things his session work with The Hollies isn't worth mentioning in a biopic. I was more surprised that his friendship/recording/performing with John Lennon isn't mentioned. One's too small and the other's too big! Haven't seen the film, but to me John's session work with The Hollies is the merest trivia to anyone except rabid Hollies fans, and so absolutely no surprise it isn't in the flick. But re John Lennon, I think the opposite may be true. Having the now iconic legend Lennon walk in and out of a scene, may have led a proportion of the viewers to momentarily wish the camera continued to follow John rather than Elton. Not what you want in a bio-pic. |
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Post by Deleted on Jun 4, 2019 13:56:22 GMT
Very true! Though similar things have happened in other bio-pics (for example, 'Elvis Presley' has a cameo in 'Great Balls of Fire', a movie on Jerry Lee Lewis).
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Post by stuball on Jun 4, 2019 14:29:16 GMT
Very true! Though similar things have happened in other bio-pics (for example, 'Elvis Presley' has a cameo in 'Great Balls of Fire', a movie on Jerry Lee Lewis). Yes, and if I'm not mistaken, I believe 'Elvis' made a brief appearance in that Johnny Cash bio 'Walk The Line'. |
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Post by ransford on Jun 5, 2019 11:18:42 GMT
Have had a listen to Healing Hands. If the rumor that Gee mentioned above is true I think Hollies missed a chance of a hit song. A perfect melody for the group at the time. A possible follow up to Millers promotion of beer and He aint heavy.
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