Elton playing and singing 'Tiny Dancer' with a sheet of paper with the lyrics by Bernie Taupin before the album 'Madman Across The Water' was released: this is history in the making!
Thank GOD someone had the foresight to record all these early Elton performances. When he's gone humanity will be hugely enriched . . . like having tapes of Mozart or Beethoven for us all to enjoy . . . 60 years on.
I got emotional witnessing the creation of “Tiny Dancer”.. as it was happening ....all on the crumpled piece of paper ... where is that paper now ? So casual .. so effortless ... As IF Shakespeare himself pulled out a parchment to show us an idea he had for a little play he was thinking of simply naming ...Romeo and Juliet...
It was interesting seeing Bernie's first wife Maxine reaction while "Tiny Dancer" was being formed. The song of course was written about her, the blue jean baby, seamstress for the band.
@@vincentbynumbers Yes, it was going well until 70 mins in he had to stop and was attended to onstage ,and then continues for bit longer ,but his voice just gave out and concert finished after 15 songs. He was so upset , I hope hes ok , what an incredible performer , Im so lucky to see him four times since `83.Great memories indeed.
10:23 As a singer/pianist that plays many Elton John songs I am actually in tears.. To see him complete Tiny Dancer after reviewing lyrics blows my mind. . . The chords are amazing... I dont understand his methodology to write songs... Well, then again, none of us will.. He is amazing...
I was 12 yrs old and a teen magazine had Elton john The face of the seventies it was 1971.. I was hooked Madman Across The Water ..Elton is a musical genius And such a lovely human ..❤
I feel as though I just time travelled. And it was a great trip down memory lane, thank you. Elton and the whole band are part of the fabric of my youth, fabulous musicians, incredible music. Loved Bernie!
Wonderful to be able to see this after Rocketman!!! For those people disappointed in the movie, this must be what they were hoping for. Personally I loved the movie, as well as this
I enjoyed "Rocketman" as well, however I think the disappointment was that Elton seems to disown this early period for some strange reason. I was in high school in the early '80s and they would play his music like "Take Me to the Pilot" and "Levon." But he had his comeback in 1983 and then it seemed like a lot the earlier songs were not acknowledged as much. The movie was meant to be more light-hearted and his earlier music was very introspective and not suitable for dance numbers, LOL.
You are damn right. Rocketman was an atrocity in my book and many other fans since the early 70s. Chronologically ridiculous and shoddy. But Furnish thinks himself so artistic what a joke that was.
Hard to imagine that Paul Buckmaster could've thought his arrangement for Sixty Years On was anything less than magnificent. Such an incredibly gifted composer/arranger.
aren't we glad he overcame his feeling that his voice wasn't good enough to record? I love every nuance in his wonderful voice. And his evocative piano playing is on a whole nuther level! 💙
It's just amazing how little ego there is with Elton. From the very beginning he ALWAYS made it clear that it's all about Bernie, he's just the front man. What an amazing team.
Nigel is so awesome... This was a privilege to see him visually at that time.. I love how he plays on 11-17-70 ... so powerful, original, and enjoyable .. I really missed him on later recordings when the band changed...
@@eltoncostello7357 This is the first bit of concert footage I have ever seen of the songs he did on 11-17-70. I wonder if someone ever filmed the whole of 11-17-70.... I would love to have a full Blu-Ray of that concert.
@@bresseman Sixty Years On. It was originally written to sound more like the link below. It's amazing that above video Nigel, Dee, and Elton were able to get it to sound amazing! The drummer is still with Elton, but he, like Elton has slowed down over the last 50 years. :-) ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-DALGzHkPmqU.html
I couldn't agree more. As I am writing this I am trying to put together a retrospective all the live Elton John concerts from 1970 through 1974. There are quite a few. If you want to hear something that will blow your mind oh, listen to the album called 11-17-70. It is a live radio concert from New York City. Elton is on fire.
Heh . . . I was 14. And my intro was Empty Sky-Gulliver! So. MANY. MEMORIES. It seems impossible that there are so many neurons for all the memories . . . BeatlesWishboneAshPinkFloydYesEltonAllmansFairportSantanaLindisfarneJethroTullSandyDennyMussorgskyKingCrimsonOsibisaJourneyPFMFocusKansasFramptonAliceCooperJohnnyWinterSteelyDan . . . and that was Tuesday.
I was 9 when first exposed to Elton John, 1974(ish) So many childhood memories. And then was blessed enough to see He and Billy Joel together in concert in 2008.
Such a shame that the new “Rocketman” movie does not show the big impact that guys like Steve Brown and Paul Buckmaster and the original band had on Elton’s early success.
That reminds me as a young boy of 12... Standing in line at a Target in 1975 buying Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy.. I don't remember the cost, but I remember the experience of standing in line with a whole lot of people that all had the same album in their hand. It was an "event" to go purchase an album back in those days... Now it's a one click of the mouse "buy it now" .... Just not the same experience at all... :-( Glad you still have your original album... hope it's in good shape!
@@sirluke7 One of my friends who was Elton John fan gave me same Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy CD. I went to Med school in Mexico 1971-1975 and did not know Elton John even existed. What a revelation! Been a fan ever since!
I can honestly say that if not for music in the early 70's...I wouldn't have survived. Elton and Bernie were iconic...like McCartney and Lennon...but in a more detailed way. There is no comparison then and not now. How I miss real musicians that I was blessed enough to see hear and feel through the 70's. Madman was my fav Lp but I loved everything created by the iconic duo..I would love to tell Sir Elton how powerful his music was to a crazy mixed up chick at 14!
To watch Elton put tiny dancer together really is a look into mankind and seeing what a human is capable of . Just a Freak in such a good way and Bernie meeting his girlfriend all this had to happen for us to have that song.
I’ve seen these clips before, there must be more footage of Elton composing at the piano and messing around. Completely natural musician great voice great melody awesome piano player of biblical proportions, the likes we won’t see again for generations.
The only time I ever saw Elton was very early in 1971, just him with Dee and Nigel backing him. I think he was promoting the Tumbleweed Connection album and he was just fantastic, ranging from sensitive ballads to out and out rock and roll.
How much does chance play in the creation of something great? Well, Elton answered an ad in New Musical Express for new talent and then went to go see the A&R manager for New Liberty Records. His name was Ray Williams. Williams had a stack of envelopes with submissions by potential songwriters for the same ad. He picked one up off the pile and handed it to Elton. It was unopened. It just happened to be Bernie Taupin's submission of material. That was the start of their ongoing partnership.
Pretty dam COOL, seen a couple of documentaries about Elton and all the people that come together to make the music what it is, which is marvelous, but I had never seen this one and one thing they all have in common is that they are all great especially watching the different time lines and how he and Bernie had come together and written, composed all of the songs and ballads throughout the years. Simply fascinating!
Always love listened to this documentary from time to time. Is excellent and enjoying hearing Tiny Dancer, Friends, Sixty Years On and the rest. So good!
I am not an Elton John fan to the point where I ever bought any of his albums, or searched out any of his songs on the jukebox or Internet.. but that doesn’t mean I do not see that he is extremely talented.. over the decades, I have always said that Elton John is on the level of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, ,monsurrat,verge, even Bowie
A friend o' mine dragged me outta bed 'n said get up! I've got tickets to see Elton John in Dallas. We made the 100 mile drive, gave our tickets to the usher 'n ended up 2nd row center for the Tumbleweed Connection concert! The right place at the right time...ASTOUNDIN'.
I wish he could have been spared all the pain of depression he went through in his life. But, I guess he lived his life exactly the way it was supposed to be because life is a journey and a learning experience for sure.
Thank you for this. Elton has been boring for so long you can forget that he was ever exciting. But he was. This documentary brings back the days when Elton really did matter.
This is amazing, pre Fame Elton, still camp and humble. He is wearing Deidre Barlow style glasses from the early 70s and I love the salute to early 1970s brutalist "Runcorn" style architecture. It shows too how great these early songs were. Elton John was probably the greatest sophomore album of all time. It is one of the few complete albums of his I have.
Happy Birthday dear Elton. Stay strong & healthy, enjoy your time. Very much looking forward to a new album being released, of course only if you feel like it. God bless you my angel!!!!❤️🤩❤️
I'd greatly appreciate it if some Elton fans would view my unplugged piano & vocal cover version of LEVON, which you can find by clicking on my channel, as well as my tribute to the great George Michael's Praying for Time. Thank you and of course thanks to Elton for all his contributions to popular music over the last 50 years.
Yes, the Tiny Dancer segment... How awesome to see Bernie's incredible lyrics on a simple piece of notebook paper and having Elton describe his approach to making music around them...and seeing a classic song being born... just wow!
Brilliance comes at a cost. A lot of artists have hard, even desperate, beginnings, but this is the catalyst for their creativity. Without pain there is little motivation to move out, move on, move up. The trick is not be bogged down by the past, or if it does dog you, not drown in drugs or booze. At least the sober ones get to keep creating and we are better for it.
I'm so happy he got sober and found happiness and have two kids he decides it I love you sir, Elton! what a legend! I'll be seeing you next month can't wait!
That big headline in the paper that Elton needs Bernie is true but it's like a swipe or put down that Elton doesn't write lyrics. I've heard & seen this before. They need each other. But make no mistake. Elton is the STAR & even Bernie admits that Elton does most of the work. Elton has to compose, play, record & perform. He's the recording star. Let's keep that in mind.
So true. Who would have heard of Bernie if it wasn't for Elton? Plus Bernie got what he wanted. Made money with his talent and became an American Cowboy, who could live in relative peace.
Fully agree, it’s just as difficult to compose the music (Elton) as the words, all the chord progressions, arrangements, finding the right inversions, key centers, tempos etc,…Elton did more and still would have been huge with lesser words without Bernie
Wow...the genesis of Tiny Dancer! And haunting knowing that Sir Elton is NOW well past "sixty years on". Plus seeing Nigel go ballistic (in a controlled way) on the same song. Thank you for sharing!!!!
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