I think there are several videos of him doing this 'live'. I've heard that he opened a lot of his shows with this. Pick a decade, and you'll find it. I think I even saw him in one version with a full orchestra doing this. Here's one. ( of MANY versions ) Can you count the drummers? ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-EvcIborfG0Y.html
This is crazy; my son passed last year at this time and my mom's funeral is tomarrow, they both knew I love Elton and I asked for a sign; I just got it. Thanks 🌹
I’m so sorry for your loss. You’ve had a double whammy in a very short time. My prayers go out to you and your family for peace, strength, and healing. God bless y’all.
From a grief counselor point of view, "Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding" can represent the different stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance (Kubler-Ross). Every transition melds to the next so beautifully in this song. It is never that easy in real life, nor does every person have all stages. Thank you so much for listening to this timeless song, Jamel.
My step dad was a coach and used to have warm ups to this in 70s and 80s for his hockey teams. Along with a few others like Queen, ELO to get them in sync with each other like dance partners besides just drills.
This song is a study in musical transitions done right. When I taught second grade i played FFAF only amd numbered each transition. The kids sat there completely mesmerized. They understood what a transition was after this song! The song is a complete masterpiece in its arrangment. I've seen him perform this live no less than 15 times. He always started his shows with this, dry ice on the stage, lights down,creepy feeling, the works! It was an experience. Btw, if this doesn't get played at my funeral, there's gonna be some hauntings going down! 😃😄
This waa EJ/BT at their songwriting best. 2 completely and insanely talented people getting together to write a masterpiece of musicality. This is beyond a perfect song for me. This and Bohemian Rhapsody epitomize the pinnacle of talent and composition.
This album - Goodbye Yellow Brick Road - I have on vinyl, DVD-Audio, SACD, Blu-Ray Audio, and the 40th anniversary super deluxe re-release. So, yeah, I kinda like it.
Yes!!! placing a stylus down on a brand new shiny album (no scratches or dust yet lol). The sound is always so crisp and amazing I’m sorry I just don’t get that from DVDs… Must be a childhood thing🌝
Hey Jamel, I've been following you for 6 months or so, and I've got to say how much fun it is to have you discover music that us older folks (I'm 60) grew up with. We KNOW how great this music is, and are delighted you are discovering and sharing it with others. Thank you!
Me too! Said the same thing a different way on another video recently. It's a joy to see his reactions but also to hear his insights for someone so young. 🙃😊
My daughter is teaching my grandchildren about the 70s music. Hopefully, after I'm gone, they'll pass it along to theirs. My grandson had colic as a baby, badly. His Mom and Dad and him stayed with me for a while because right after delivery, my daughter had gall bladder surgery. So, I sat in a rocking chair and would sing Yellow Submarine. I'd get through it twice and he'd be fast asleep. By age 2, he was singing it to me. He's 11 now, and will sing it to me on Mother's Day.
I love many of Elton's albums, as many of his early works especially were "magical". - Tumbleweed Connection - Madman Across The Water - Honky Chateau - Don't Shoot Me I'm Only The Piano Player - Goodbye Yellow Brick Road - Caribou - Captain Fantastic And The Brown Dirt Cowboy All of these albums became "bookmarks" of my young life, and represented Elton at his highest point of artistry.
Jamel. My Dad’s funeral is Friday... he was 95 years old...he passed here at home with me. How fitting you should pick this song.. I REALLY needed to hear this today. God Bless
I had a record store in the 70s, 80's and 90s. This double album, Yellow Brick Road, and The Who's double album, Quadrophenia, were released on the same day! Both on MCA records. Think about that for a minute.
Epic. STORIES like THAT when people mention what was going on back then! The events in the 60s, 70s, 80s and later I KNOW had to of had LOADS of bad times- BUT, LOADS of good times, TOO. :D
When I was a toddler my parents had a huge vinyl collection and whenever they would play an album they would place the record sleeve they were playing facing out on the floor. I started to recognize the albums I liked most by the album cover art. This one is iconic and I would start to sift through their collection and pull this album out and take it to my parents and hold it up like "play this one, mama!" 🤗 Even at 2-3 years old, I knew great music. I lost my mom in 2016 and this song/album always brings beautiful memories of my parents. Great reaction, Jamel. Thank you. 🙏
So sorry for your loss. I have the same memories but with my siblings. Youngest of 6 so they were married adults when I was that age. My first favorite was ELO!!
I picked up my 3 daughters from my x’s home 14 years ago when the girls were 8, 6 and 3. I put this on and they were completely mesmerized by this song. Not a word was spoken for 10 minutes. I will never forget that.
I think Funeral/Love Lies Bleeding is the greatest opening track on any album from the era. Funeral is a classical anthem and Love Lies Bleeding is about loss, which is the point of a funeral. This is brilliant musicianship and personal commentary in one amazing package. The album is fabulous.
@@marieroberts5458 Elton apparently was a hired musician before his debut. But "Empty sky" and "Yes" were released the same year. Is curious how, still pretty apart speaking of genres, they released some of the best albums of his careers in 1971: Yes with "The Yes album" and "Fragile", and Elton with "Tumbleweed connection" and "Madman across the water".
Gary Kelly, I feel as if that’s the forgotten album, maybe because it’s the darkest beside ‘Blue Moves’. Levon just goes straight to depths of Eltons and Bernies genius. Personally I’ve always loved the albums that haven’t been so commercially successful ie Led Zep’s three for instance and too many too mention. Not always, but often. Just saying. :)
And others, from Tumbleweed Connection all the way through Goodbye Yellow Brick Road. One of my favorites that never gets mentioned is from "Don't Shoot Me..." Blues For Baby and Me...
In the early- mid 70’s many a Friday night consisted of a few of us hanging out a a friend’s apartment, playing our albums, drinking some wine or beer, maybe a little smoke, enjoying friendship and music. Elton John, Dave Mason, Peter Frampton, Robin Trower......so many great ones.
@@bajemo359 I was at school at this time and anyone listening to this was considered to be very “unhip”. Pink Floyd this,Pink Floyd that.............zzzzz.
The musicians were so in sync on this track. Major props to them. Elton gave them the general feel for the track but they took it upon themselves to create the magic that we hear.
If i'm not mistaken, All the songs on this album were hits in the form of all of them got alot of airtime. Somewhere in a commercial I heard that his entourage is 140 people to be able to reproduce the sound you're hearing now.
I can't tell you how blessed I feel to be 57 and saw him in the 70s at his peak and it was mesmerizing, and having been able to have seen almost all these bands live in their prime you are just now discovering. There were two golden ages of music, the 18th Century and the 1960's and 70's
I've been lucky enough to see Elton play many times. This was often the show opener or first encore song. This epic is perfect for both spots on a set list.
superb starting the 2nd half of the show, after Elton played alone on piano in the 1st half, with percussionist Ray Cooper then appearing, in 1979 tour.
For anyone who needs reminding: THE ELTON JOHN BAND: Bass, vocals: DEE MURRAY Drums, vocals: NIGEL OLSSON Guitars, vocals: DAVEY JOHNSTONE Percussion: RAY COOPER Keys, vocals: ELTON JOHN ARP Synthesizers programmed and performed by DAVID HENTSCHEL PRODUCED BY GUS DUDGEON
And is there a better guitarist less generally appreciated than Davey Johnstone? People are always saying "underrated": Davey Johnstone isn't so much underrated as he is invisible in popular memory. Imagine the original Candle in the Wind without him - impossible.
Thank you. I was just going to post that the Elton John Band was a formidable reason that Elton John released so much great music, and so many fantastic albums.. also something off of Captain Fantastic would be an awesome reaction request.. Maybe "Someone Saved My Life Tonight"..
my WONDERFUL brother died on Aug 1, 2020. he was a huge Elton John fan and could sing and played the hell out of this on his keyboard! RIP sweet Eric... wish he could have seen this
@@chadpollet7452Thanks! yea, I'm a musician, so when I listen, I listen to it all. In my opinion, the only other bass line comparable to this one is Leon Wilkerson on "That Smell" from Skynyrd. Dee Murray and Leon are 2 of the greatest
Music you should listen to by Elton John: Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, Your Song, Someone Saved My Life Tonight, Dont Let the Sun Go Down On Me, Take Me to the Pilot, Philadelphia Freedom, Candle In The Wind, Guess Thats Why They Call It the Blues, Something About The Way You Lokk Tonight, Grey Seal, Dont Go Breakin My Heart, Honky Cat, Im Still Standin, Sad Songs Say So Much, Island Girl, Nikita, Bitch Is Back, Crocodile Rock, Saturday Nights Alright for Fighting, Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters, Rock and Roll Madonna, Victim of Love, Pinball Wizard, and Amoreena.
I was introduced to the album goodbye yellow brick road buy a friend who gave me a cassette and told me to listen to funeral for a friend/love lies bleeding. We were in high school and he was being sent to a military academy in a few days. All the siblings were being sent off when they turned 16 and he was afraid for his little sister. He told me he had figured out how to put a stop to this "family tradition" and went to the m academy. A very short time later I'm in class and they made an announcement..... My friend was dead. They called it an accident but i know better. Since then this album has been a tribute to him and a constant reminder of my failure to see what he was telling me. 40 years later i still think of my friend. I guess i always will. Heres to you C.S. p.s. i heard they sent his little brother and sister off too.... And me, i ended up almost destroying myself on a drug fueled self destructive spiral of bad decisions that lasted half my life. I'm ok now minus all the serious heath issues that follow that kind of life. It's all good... That's one Hell of an album!
It's so great that music helps us through the tough times in life, and allows us to reflect later in life to realize how these traumas shape us into the people we are.
Imagine taking the wrapping off of this album, putting the album on the the turntable, and this is the first thing you hear. My life was changed. Total masterpiece!!
The instrumental is FUNERAL FOR. FRIEND, then the vocals take you into LOVE LIES BLEEDING. Both are very emotional pieces. GOODBYE YELLOW BRICK ROAD is the name of this classic album, one of the greatest ever. This is the zenith of EJ's partnership with Bernie Taupin. At the end the vocals and the guitar both dissolve into weeping. Try ALL THE YOUNG GIRLS LOVE ALICE.
On this day on 2002 I lost my brother-in-law to a drunk driver, he was only 32. I got a lot of emotions rolling around in my head right now. #dontdrinkanddrive.
Sorry for your loss. Songs bring it back & healing. The morning my brother passed I hopped in the car to get to my sister. Arms of the angel was on the radio that cold morning & it still gets me. Music is the soundtrack of our lives.
My favorite song. The transitions perfectly match when I “woke up” to my life passing by. I had dulled my heart and brain, trying to stay in a marriage with someone who had no regard for me. At first the dawning realization was slow. Then came anger as I grieved for that wasted time. Then very methodically, I laid waste to the whole damn thing and fought my way out. Then came joy. For me this is a joyful song of taking back my life and casting the dead one to the grave.
My best friend when I was young (11-14) had Rock of the Westies, which doesn't seem to get mentioned much. The song I loved was "I feel like a bullet from the gun of Robert Ford" (the guy who killed Jessie James). This never gets air play, so that would be mine.
One of the best album starts ever. Brilliant, I was totally gobsmacked when I first heard it and have loved it ever since. The whole album is excellent.
As a 14 year old boy, I thought at the time this was the greatest studio recorded track I have ever heard. Have heard lots of music since 1973; I still think this is the greatest studio track ever recorded, and certainly Elton’s best.
The first part "Funeral for A Friend" is what Elton wrote for his funeral. His Lyricist Bernie Taupin wrote the lyrics to "Love Lies Bleeding", which is about the death, or ending, of a relationship. Elton noticed the two songs were in the same key, so Elton decided to fuse them together. "Love Lies Bleeding". by the way, has a double meaning. It's referring to the end of the relationship, but it's also the name of the wilted plant he mentions in the song.
It's a feast for the ears....almost visual. My best friend Mikey died from stomach cancer at the tender age of 41. This was only one of the few songs he wanted to be played at his funeral. I laughed and cried the whole day. A celebration of his life and the sadness of how much I would miss him. Thank you for another great video!
I think people overlook the beauty of Elton John's voice on this record. I was (just) a kid when I put this 8-track and my cheap Sears headphones on, and could not comprehend this voice I was hearing, nevermind the lyrics and music. To this day. Just astonishing.
Don't think I have ever clicked on a reaction notification so fast! I have listened to this song every day since this album came out in 1973. This is the opening track for his double album "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road". I find Funeral For A Friend to be one of the greatest masterpieces ever put down in music. All the different styles of music he put into one song is awesome. Thank you so much for doing this Jamel! Hope you and your family stay safe & strong. 💜💜
Same here! Crank that shit to 11! My son saw Sir Elton a few years ago (he was 22) and he said this song blew him away live! Of course being the musical parent I am, he’d heard this song since he was a baby.
I think you should react to EVERY song on the Yellow Brick Road album. Each one is so different, so powerful, so beautifully crafted. You won't be disappointed. And neither will we. Keep up the excellent work Jamel ✌🏼
I was lucky enough to see him perform this live in Houston Texas on the 11th row! I was blown away and remember it to this day.Davy Johnstone is an underrated lead guitarist in my opinion.Great song! Great album! 😊
It's like watching a new friend discovering a song from your youth. Watching your enjoyment as you remember hearing this for the first time. Amazed at what you heard and wanting more..
Great song . It's two songs. Funeral For a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding on the album Goodbye Yellow Brick Road. That all music in beginning is Funeral....Lyrics starts Love Lies. Peace out! Thanks for keeping great music alive! 🎸🎸🎼🎶🎶🎸🎸🤘✌
I listened to this for almost 50 years now, and I never knew before, that he wrote it as something he would want played at his funeral. That's the musical equivalent of writing your own epitaph, and it will certainly be played at his funeral, but hopefully not for a good while yet.
I was a sophomore in high school when this album was released and everybody had it or talked about it. It was huge. Benny and the Jets, Funeral for a Friend, Goodbye Yellowbrick Road, Saturday Night. This was his best album for sure. He even took it on the road, world wide with his Yellowbrick Road Tour. Lots of memories and firsts listening to songs from this album. Good times...👍
I was also a sophomore in HS when this came out. Hearing Sir Elton really brings me back. We were so lucky to have such talented musicians at the time.
"Love lies bleeding" was released as a single in Australia, but when I bought it, it was a 12 inch single EP with Funeral For A Friend. And it still sounds amazing! My favourite Elton John track - ever. Thanks for playing...
I'd recommend Elton's version of "Pinball Wizard" from the "Tommy" sound track. The original Who version is great, but Elton's piano takes the song to a whole nother level.
When he opens a show with this - I go NUTS. Love it - true masterpiece. I've seen him live many, many times and this one always gives me chills and brings me to another plane. Gorgeous stuff right here.
Saw him 5 times. He opens with this song with fog & one time his piano was covered in rhinestones. He is amazing live. Lucky me. Fan for over 50 years.❤❤
This is one of my favorites from Elton John. Funeral for a Friend is a great piece, Good Bye Yellow Brick Road is one of the top ten albums from that time.
This piece made my head explode when I first heard it as a 9 year old. It may be THE song that made me want to pursue music as a career. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road was the first "album" I ever asked my parents to buy for me. It's still a masterpiece today.
Robin H I heard that too haha I think I saw an old documentary where Bernie says that and Elton shows the camera crew the song he wrote the other day to demonstrate his process and it was “Tiny Dancer” haha
Andrew McInnis yeah! Haha Davey Johnstone said it was haunted but with a good vibe.. and The Bee Gees used the Chateau to mix their live album “Here At Last” in early 1977 and they wrote most of the songs that would be used for Saturday Night Fever haha the Chateau seems to be a good place for creativity.. I saw an interview where Maurice Gibb talks about their time at the Chateau too
He plays this version in the current farewell tour and it's magical as the piano moves across the stage. I don't know if I've ever seen a single song act that could top this even though ELO comes close. This was John and Taupin's Magnum Opus. I still find it amazing that Elton John actually needed to find Bernie Taupin because he couldn't write lyrics.
Of the 8 times I’ve seen Elton in concert, he’s started the show twice with this...first time was outside at an amphitheater under the stars. Spectacular!
This is the first album I ver bought in my life. I was in 3rd grade and I bought it with my paper boy route. IT was at the mall in front of the store in the "new album ' area. It cost me $13 and my first paycheck was $17. I hope you play much more from this album. To say it helped make me what I am would be an understatement.
Saw him in concert in 1974 in Houston. He opened with this song. He came up from the stage on his piano with a white suit and white fur glasses. Awesome concert!!
the one of a kind piano man known as ELTON ! born reginald dwight he and bernie taupin are 2 of the most prolific songwriters to ever exist. hundreds of tunes. and on this side of the pond we had billy joel who was prolific as well. different styles but both completely awesome. the top 2 guys on the 88's
When I first got this album, me and my brothers would imagine what kind of movie would use this music for action sequences. I mean there is a 'Hero theme', a chase, some mystery ladies with castanets...what's not to love?
I love watching your reactions! When I'm having a bad day where I'm not feeling well or in pain due to some health issues I struggle with you make my days just a little brighter with your wonderful kind personality and sense of humor.....thank you!!!! 😇💖