1971: Madman's Chronology

January 14

"Your Song" was featured on Tops Of The Pops

January 23

Elton, representing Britain and Eric Burdon, America, were booked to appear at first MIDEM Music Festival, but timing only allowed to play each 14 minute set. Burdon roared away for an hour and ten minutes, refusing to leave the stage. A furious Elton stormed out and refused to follow him. Beofre the incident, Elton declared on Melody Maker: "There's one track I like (on new Eric Burdon's album) but he should have been born black and given us all a rest".

February 8 to 19

Elton cancelled some dates for medical advice due to the pressure of sustaince work.

March 3

Royal Festival Hall concert, with Elton backed by a full orchestra conducted by Paul Buckmaster.

March 11

Elton was the guest star on BBC TV's Andy Williams Show. About the show, Elton explained: "Andy Williams wanting to do "Love The One You're With", which is OK by me, and it's going to be Mama Cass, me, Ray Charles and Andy Williams. Ray Charles didn't come -- I can't blame Ray Charles, he's probably been through all this before, he didn't come to any of the rehearsals, and he didn't want to sing "Love The One You're With", so then it was gonna be "My Sweet Lord", and he didn't want to sing that, they got down to "Heaven Help Us All", and he didn't want to sing that, but they said it was that or nothing, so we all sang that. Ohhh, and they cut one of our numbers off. We spent all day and I did my "Goodbye", Andy bit and they never showed it which was a real drag because I was quite good in it."

April 11

On "This Is Your Song: The Elton John Interview", by Mike Quigley, Tracey Lee Hearst & Rick McGrath, Elton explained that Leon Russell was his idol: "The first time I ever met him, he was in the front row of the Troubadour in Los Angeles. It was the second night we were there and I thought awww...I was great until the last number and I saw this... this great bloody most incredible looking person in the world... and I saw him there and my knees went zzzippp!... and he invited me up to his house and I thought he's going to invite me up there and tie me to a chair and whip me and say "This is how to play the piano!"...and ohhh... I was really scared... and I've never been scared of meeting anyone... like I've met Dylan and everybody and I really haven't given a fuck..."

May 8

Melody Maker reported from Los Angeles that Elton "seems to be having a problem in the central part of US. His concerts have not been selling out and in the words of one observer, he's dead in New York".

July 31

Special concert at Crystal Palace, supported by Yes, Rory Gallagher, Fairport Connection, Hookfoot and Tir Na Nog. The entire, unreleased Madman Across The Water album was performed, for which the critics roasted him.

August

John Reid finally came on board at Dick James Music as Elton's in-house manager, in the meantime it was Dick James his manager.

August 7, 9, 11 & 14

Recording tracks for Madman Across The Water album at Trident Studios, London. On many of the songs, Buckmaster's orchestration is used to intensify the emotional anthems to higher levels than a piano will allow.

October 16

Elton gave a concert for the Joseph P. Kennedy Foundation for the Mentally Retarded Children, on Washington DC.

December 27

Elton played piano with T-Rex on live studio performance of "Get It On" on Top Of The Pops.

Bernie solo session's debut
Bernie Taupin recorded a spoken-word album entitled "Taupin", in which he recites some of his early poems against a background of impromptu, sitar-heavy music created by some members of Elton's band, including Davey Johnstone, Caleb Quaye, and Shawn Phillips. UK issue was on Rocket (Elton's label) and had a different sleeve.

Side One is entitled "Child" and contains poems about his early childhood in southern Lincolnshire. The first poem, "The Greatest Discovery," which looks at his birth from the perspective of his older brother Tony, was also set to music by Elton John. There are poems about Taupin's first two childhood homes, Flatters and Rowston Manor, and others about his relationship with his brother and grandfather. Side Two includes a variety of poems of varying obscurity, from a marionette telling her own story to a rat catcher who falls victim to his prey. While the lyrics to Side One provide interesting insights into Taupin's childhood, the album makes for a tedious listening experience, and Taupin stated in interviews that he wasn't pleased with the results.