It might be a query in an Elton John pop trivia quiz: which observe of his, a single in its personal proper from his twenty fifth studio album, The Huge Image, was then a part of the biggest-selling CD single ever, “Candle In The Wind 1997”?
The music, nominally listed as a double A-side on that launch, was understandably overshadowed by the unbelievable success of Elton’s unhappy tribute to Princess Diana. However it is going to all the time be listed along with “Candle” within the report books, and the reply, as all Elton devotees know, is the large ballad “Something About The Way You Look Tonight.”
That observe, pressed into such tragic service the autumn of 1997, grew to become a part of The Huge Image, which hit report shops on September 22 that yr. The album additionally contained Elton’s solo model of a music that had made the UK Prime 10 with an look by Luciano Pavarotti, “Live Like Horses,” simply earlier than Christmas 1996.
However when the album arrived, for all that he was within the public eye as by no means earlier than, Elton was reeling from the deaths not solely of Diana however of one other shut buddy, Gianni Versace, just some weeks earlier.
‘The concerts went up to a whole new level’
On September 6, one of many largest worldwide tv audiences in historical past noticed the celebrity carry out the tailored “Candle In The Wind” at Diana’s funeral at Westminster Abbey in London. He then went to Townhouse Studios to report the music with producer Sir George Martin, and watched it soar to international gross sales estimated at something from 30 million upwards. It went on to win a Grammy Award for Greatest Male Pop Vocal Efficiency, however Elton has made a precept of by no means once more performing the music with Bernie Taupin’s rewritten lyrics.
John, by now 50, saved busy, acting at George Martin’s Music For Montserrat Live performance on the Royal Albert Corridor. The all-star present raised cash for the volcano-ravaged Caribbean island, beloved of the esteemed producer. “Live Like Horses” was a part of a brief set during which Elton was joined by Eric Clapton, Phil Collins, Mark Knopfler, Paul McCartney, and Sting for a rendition of “Your Song.”
On launch day for The Huge Image, Elton appeared on NBC’s The Tonight Present, following up with appearances on Oprah, the place he performed “Bennie And The Jets,” and Late Night time With Conan O’Brien, and The Rosie O’Donnell Present. On the latter two he gave The Huge Image some limelight by performing the aforementioned “Something About The Way You Look Tonight.”
Whilst an inveterate chart-watcher, Elton might hardly have been much less eager about his personal gross sales statistics throughout these unhappy days. However there was an instantaneous upswing in gross sales of his Love Songs compilation, which returned to the UK Prime 20 simply forward of his new album. Then on the chart dated October 11 – even because the Diana tribute entered the US at No.1, with dizzying first-week gross sales of three.4 million – The Huge Image opened at No.3, mirroring the debut of its predecessor, 1995’s Made In England.
‘It’s a darkish album, introspective and ballad-oriented’
Recorded over a six-month interval at Townhouse and at AIR Lyndhurst in London, The Huge Image was produced after a niche of 5 years by longtime affiliate Chris Thomas. His manufacturing credit with Elton went again to 1981’s The Fox, and their working relationship to a lot earlier days, however this is able to be his final time within the producer’s chair for Elton. The album’s cowl artwork, in the meantime, was by famous Peruvian photographer Mario Testino.
As all the time with an artist of such prodigious output, there are lesser-known moments to get pleasure from on The Huge Image, not least the opening observe “Long Way From Happiness,” which featured a hanging piano determine and an interesting melody. Unusually, the music additionally had a outstanding feminine vocal in direction of the tip, by the nice British singer Carol Kenyon, maybe finest recognized for her excellent efficiency on Heaven 17’s 1983 hit “Temptation.” Hear out, too, for the keyboard solo on “Love’s Got A Lot To Answer For” and the driving association of “January.”
Davey Johnstone was current, as nearly all the time, on guitar, as have been now-regulars Man Babylon (keyboards), and Bob Birch (bass). Babylon additionally co-wrote The Huge Image’s orchestral scores with Anne Dudley, who quickly afterwards was to win an Oscar for her soundtrack for the film smash The Full Monty.
‘What a treasure Elton was’
An insider’s view of the album got here from west Londoner Charlie Morgan, who performed drums and percussion. “It’s a dark album, introspective and ballad-oriented,” mentioned Morgan in David Buckley’s Elton: The Biography. “But the chord progressions are innovative on some of the tracks. ‘If The River Can Bend’ was an inspirational gospel tune, while ‘Love’s Got A Lot To Answer For’ was really sarcastic.”
The Huge Image reached No.9 within the US, the place it went platinum, because it did within the UK, Australia and different international locations. After a tumultuous interval round its launch, Elton was undoubtedly comfortable to return to the street, as he did for The Huge Image Tour from early October. A particularly blended yr would finish with the announcement that he would obtain a knighthood within the New 12 months honours.
John Jorgenson, who additionally contributed guitar to the album, mentioned in Buckley’s guide: “The concerts after the death of Diana went up to a whole new level in terms of audience reaction. It had made audiences realise what a treasure Elton was and not take him for granted.”
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