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17 Apr 2008

The Elton Story Behind Live Excerpt Songs (III): Songs

“Bennie and The Jets”

The remainder of Elton’s piano solo was then and now improvised. Most often the melodies and chords in “Bennie” are new and either made up on the spot or comprise an interesting musical pattern that Elton develops over the course of numerous shows. We can recall Elton stucking a little bit of “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” or “Pinball Wizard” in “Bennie”, along with other medley songs, comprising:


Weaved into “Bennie And The Jets":

As a thank you for frech embrace of the Blue Moves album, Elton sang the two songs in France:

I Love Paris In Springtime
Iles Amore

Others:
Gene Vincent & His Blues Caps’s Be-Bop-A-Lula
Strolling In The Park
Midnight In Moscow
Tchiakoysky First Piano Concerto
Bette Midler’s Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy
Glenn Miller’s In The Mood
Chattanooga Choo Choo
Chuck Berry’s Johnny B. Goode
Fur Elise

Tchiakoysky First Piano Concerto
The Kingsmen’s Louie, Louie (MTV Unplugged 1989)
Frank Sinatra’s My Way


Elton & Bernie met Frank Sinatra in 1976 at a Royal Albert Hall concert and promised to write a song to him. “Remember (I’m Still In Love With You)” was composed in 1977 but has never been released remaining as one of studio sessions aborted in 1977-1978.

Take Me To The Pilot:

Waltzing Matilda (Famous Australian Army March)
On Madman Across The Water 1971 Tour and regularly in Australia

White Christmas
Yellow Brick Road 1973 Tour and most of every season

Burn Down The Mission:

Janis Joplin's Mercedes Benz
Sly And The Family Stones' I Want To Take You Higher
Junnior Walker and AllStars' Shotgun
Traffic's Feelin' Alright ?
Mitch Miller's The Yellow Rose Of Texas

More excerpt songs than this:

Oh Susannah!
At the end of “Honky Cat”, Caribou 1974 Tour

Jingle Bells
Medley with “Whole Lotta Shakin”, “I Saw Her Standing There” & “Twist And Shout”, Single Man 1979 Tour

The Stripper
Weaved into “Kiss The Bride”, Ice On Fire 1985 Tour while Elton is stripping!!!

Close Encounters Theme
Weaved by Davey Johstone into “Rocket Man”, Ice On Fire 1985-86 Tour

Happy Birthday
Intro of any song when the ocasion is required

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