Dont let the sun go down on me -elton john version

[pes_laul]

Heres a really good song. Im not sure who originally wrote it (george michaels?) but despite the kinda cheesy backround video quite an awesome job

[Heywood Jablomie]

Like most of EJ's songs, it was written by Elton John & Bernie Taupin, originally released on the album Caribou in 1974.

[R_of_G]

The song was written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin. George Michael's version is a cover, and a shoddy one at that. Elton John's voice is far superior to Michael's.

Also, I am not sure a background can be gay as it does not have a sexual orientation. Not sure a friendly forum like this is the place to use "gay" as a synonym for "cheesy."

[pes_laul]

The song was written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin. George Michael's version is a cover, and a shoddy one at that. Elton John's voice is far superior to Michael's.

Also, I am not sure a background can be gay as it does not have a sexual orientation. Not sure a friendly forum like this is the place to use "gay" as a synonym for "cheesy."

ah sorry thats my teenage slang talk getting the best of me

[pes_laul]

hmm so elton john wrote this one?

I know rodger daltrey did a pretty good version too. I didnt care for the george michaels one as much

[R_of_G]

Like most Elton John songs, Elton writes the music and Bernie Taupin writes the lyrics. I had forgotten Daltrey's version until you mentioned it, but I recall it now. Better than George Michael, that's for sure.

Oh, and Kris, no apology necessary.

[sunvalleylaw]

Elton John was really my first "rock" hero. I loved the guitar, but as a kid piano player at the time, I really liked this stuff. I got the "Greatest Hits" which included this, and not too long later, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road. Great songs!

Here is a piano instrumental I always wanted to learn and play (particularly from 5:10 on), but never have. Guess I better get it and start learning.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7trK...eature=related

[deeaa*]

You guys saying 'cheesy' might be interpreted as gay these days???

I want to know about this stuff as I teach English to teenagers for a living...they really enjoy all that kind of euphemisms and slang terms.

[sunvalleylaw]

deeaa, I think Pes changed it to "cheesy" after it was mentioned.

[Tig***]

Many of those early Elton John songs were really well written and crafted.

[deeaa*]

deeaa, I think Pes changed it to "cheesy" after it was mentioned.

Okay...I didn't know gay was a word that shouldn't be used here. I wonder why? What should one use about homo-multi-or metrosexuals? For me its quite natural a word to use...I have some quite openly gay students for instance, I don't see why the word should be any more derogatory than 'hetero'. Makes no difference to me what sex any other person might prefer, it's all in the natural order of things :-)

(still I better say I'm firmly hetero meself :-)

[R_of_G]

SV - good call on Funeral For a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding. That one was a staple of late night NYC classic rock radio.

This is my personal favorite of the early Elton John stuff, and one of the reasons I am learning to play piano...

[tunghaichuan***]

I listened to a lot of Elton John's music growing up. Great stuff. I think that "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" is one of the finest pop albums ever recorded.

Interestingly enough, my dad was a huge Elton John fan, that is until he learned that EJ was gay. My couldn't reconcile his love of EJ's music with his own personal beliefs. He said it didn't matter, but once the cat was out of the bag, my dad didn't listen to EJ much after that.

Too me, it never mattered. In fact, I think it is better for EJ to be openly gay, rather than to live a lie.

[R_of_G]

I always feel bad for people who can't separate an artist's art from what we know of their personal life. They wind up missing out on some great stuff.

[duhvoodooman***]

Okay...I didn't know gay was a word that shouldn't be used here. I wonder why? What should one use about homo-multi-or metrosexuals? For me its quite natural a word to use...I have some quite openly gay students for instance, I don't see why the word should be any more derogatory than 'hetero'. Makes no difference to me what sex any other person might prefer, it's all in the natural order of things :-)

(still I better say I'm firmly hetero meself :-)

There isn't a problem in using the term "gay" here in the context of its meaning re: sexual orientation. However, there has been another meaning in popular culture here in the US in recent years where it has a disparaging connotation--see THIS Wikipedia entry. That's the meaning that R_of_G was taking issue with--rightly so, I think. Thanks to Pes for editing his original post.

[R_of_G]

That's correct DVM. No problem whatsoever with the word being used in its standard context, just not fond of its use in current American culture to mean stupid or cheesy. It's always interesting to get perspective from non-native English speakers on how we use the language.

[sunvalleylaw]

SV - good call on Funeral For a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding. That one was a staple of late night NYC classic rock radio.

This is my personal favorite of the early Elton John stuff, and one of the reasons I am learning to play piano...

Another nice one. Also from the YBR double album, I was always smitten by the progressive chords displayed in this one, starting with the first one at 20 seconds, and the playing beginning at about 2:25 and going into the solo.



p://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8ch87hRnwQ&feature=related


YBR is full of them, and here is one more that had me dreaming of being a rock star:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RsozyGR6Eo4

Pes, hopefully this isn't too much of a tangent, but thought I would throw in some more Elton stuff for you to check out. Get Goodbye Yellow Brick Road if you don't have it, and listen to it in order as it was released on vinyl. Too bad it would be hard at this point to get a full size version of the album cover with all the art and lyrics.

[R_of_G]

...Get Goodbye Yellow Brick Road if you don't have it, and listen to it in order as it was released on vinyl. Too bad it would be hard at this point to get a full size version of the album cover with all the art and lyrics.

And Captain Fantastic & The Brown Dirt Cowboy and Madman Across the Water and Tumbleweed Connection. These are all essential classic rock albums.

[Heywood Jablomie]

....and pay particular attention to Davey Johnstone's excellent guitar work!