Sunday 11/29/2020 11pm ET: Feature LP: Elton John – Here and There (1976)

Here and There, released in 1976, is a live album by British singer-songwriter Elton John; it is his fourteenth official album release. The title refers to the two concerts represented on the album: “Here” is a concert recorded at the Royal Festival Hall in London during the summer of 1974; “There” is a concert recorded at New York City’s Madison Square Garden on 28 November 1974.

1. “Skyline Pigeon” 5:41
2. “Border Song” 3:27
3. “Take Me to the Pilot” 4:33
4. “Country Comfort” 6:44
5. “Love Song” (with Lesley Duncan) 5:03
6. “Bad Side of the Moon” 7:54
7. “Burn Down the Mission” 8:25
8. “Honky Cat” 7:04
9. “Crocodile Rock” 4:08
10. “Candle in the Wind” 3:57
11. “Your Song” 3:56
12. “Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting” 7:09

1. “Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding” 11:53
2. “Rocket Man (I Think It’s Going to Be a Long, Long Time)” 5:03
3. “Take Me to the Pilot” 6:00
4. “Bennie and the Jets” 5:59
5. “Grey Seal” 5:27
6. “Daniel” 4:06
7. “You’re So Static” 4:32
8. “Whatever Gets You thru the Night” (with John Lennon) 4:40
9. “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” (with John Lennon) 6:15
10. “I Saw Her Standing There” (with John Lennon) 3:17
11. “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me” 5:57
12. “Your Song” 3:58
13. “The Bitch Is Back” 4:23

Elton John – Piano, Vocals
Ray Cooper – Tambourine (CD No. 1 tracks 4, 6, 7, 8, 10, 12; CD No. 2 tracks 1, 2, 4, 7, 9–13), Congas (CD No. 1 tracks 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 12; CD No. 2 tracks 3, 5, 6, 8), Bells (CD No. 1 track 6; CD No. 2 track 9), Vibes (CD No. 1 track 7; CD No. 2 track 2), Duck Call on “Honky Cat”, Organ on “Crocodile Rock”
Lesley Duncan – Vocals (“Love Song” only)
Davey Johnstone – Guitars (except CD No. 1 tracks 1, 2, 11), Background vocals (except : CD No. 1 tracks 1, 2, 5, 8, 9, 11; CD No. 2 tracks 5–8, 9, 12–13), Mandolin on “Honky Cat”
John Lennon – Guitar, Vocals (CD No. 2, tracks 8–10 only)
Dee Murray – Bass (except CD No. 1 tracks 1, 11), Background vocals (except: CD No. 1 tracks 1, 2, 5, 8, 9, 11; CD No. 2 tracks 5–8, 9, 12–13)
Nigel Olsson – Drums (except CD No. 1 tracks 1, 11), Background vocals (except: CD No. 1 tracks 1, 2, 5, 8, 9, 11; CD No. 2 tracks 5–8, 9, 12–13)

Saturday 11/28/2020 12pm ET: Feature LP: Elton John – Live In Australia (1987)

Live in Australia with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, released in 1987, is the twenty-sixth official album release for Elton John. It is a live album recorded at the Sydney Entertainment Centre on 14 December 1986 with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.

The concert, recorded on 14 December 1986, was the last of a series of concerts done throughout the last two months of 1986, which were part of John’s Tour De Force (tour) of Australia and New Zealand. The concerts consisted of two sets: the first was limited to John and his 14-piece band, including backing vocalists and the Onward International horn section, and his flamboyant stage dress, featuring Mohawk and Tina Turner wigs and some outlandish eyewear; the second featured John, the band and the 88-piece Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, with him dressed as Mozart.

John’s band was essentially the lineup used on Leather Jackets, which he was touring behind at the time, including Jody Linscott and special guest Ray Cooper, both of whom played percussion.

James Newton Howard, who was at the time an up-and-coming film composer in Hollywood, joined John to conduct and write larger, augmented charts of not only his own previous work on “Tonight,” but also Paul Buckmaster’s original arrangements, since the music was to be played by 88 musicians, instead of the smaller studio orchestra for which the compositions were originally designed. He also wrote brand new full orchestra parts for songs such as “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me”, which previously only had horn arrangements.

The album features most of the songs recorded in the second half of the show, excluding “Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting”, “Carla/Etude”, “Cold as Christmas (In the Middle of the Year)” and “Slow Rivers”, which was sung by John alone (John dueted “Slow Rivers” with Cliff Richard on Leather Jackets).

John’s live sound engineer, Clive Franks, handled the recording of the band (assisted by Keith Walker and Dennis Fox), while album producer Gus Dudgeon supervised recording of the orchestra by Leon Minervini and Nic Jeremy. Dudgeon took the tapes back to Wisseloord Studios in the Netherlands for mixing with engineer Graham Dickson, who had also worked on Leather Jackets.

This concert was the last to feature Elton’s legendary stage costumes, which he had featured in his shows since the early 1970s. It was also his last show before undergoing throat surgery in January 1987. Despite being completely successful, the surgery prevented Elton from singing and touring for several months and permanently altered his voice.

“Sixty Years On” – 5:41
“I Need You to Turn To” – 3:14
“The Greatest Discovery” – 4:09
“Tonight” – 5:58
“Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word” – 3:58
“The King Must Die” – 5:21
“Take Me to the Pilot” – 4:22
“Tiny Dancer” – 7:46
“Have Mercy on the Criminal” – 5:50
“Madman Across the Water” – 6:38
“Candle in the Wind” – 4:10
“Burn Down the Mission” – 5:49
“Your Song” – 4:04
“Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me” – 6:06

Produced by Gus Dudgeon
Mastered by Greg Fulginiti US
Elton John – piano, vocals
Davey Johnstone – guitars
David Paton – bass guitar
Charlie Morgan – drums
Fred Mandel – keyboards, synthesizers
Ray Cooper – percussion
Jody Linscott – percussion
Alan Carvell – backing vocals
Gordon Neville – backing vocals
Shirley Lewis – backing vocals
James Newton Howard – orchestral arrangements, conductor
Melbourne Symphony Orchestra

 

Thursday 11/26/2020 11:15am ET: Feature LP: Elton John – Diamonds (2017)

Diamonds is the ultimate greatest hits album by British singer-songwriter Elton John spanning his biggest hits from 1970 to 2016. The album was released on November 10, 2017. It was released in a single disc version, a 2-CD version, a 3-CD deluxe box set and a 2-LP vinyl version.

It is the first Elton John career-spanning compilation released since Rocket Man: The Definitive Hits in 2007. It was released to commemorate the 50 years of John’s work with lyricist Bernie Taupin, since 1967. Although their collaboration began in 1967, the oldest hit in the album is “Your Song”, from the 1970 album Elton John. The limited edition 3-CD box set version of Diamonds includes a 72-page hardback book with annotations for the stories behind each track and a set of five postcards of illustrations of Elton John by contemporary artist Richard Kilroy.

In January 2019, the British Phonographic Industry certified Diamonds Platinum for sales of 300,000 units. In the United States the Recording Industry Association of America certified Diamonds Gold for sales of 500,000 units.

Disc one

1. “Your Song” 1970 4:03
2. “Tiny Dancer” 1971 6:16
3. “Rocket Man (I Think It’s Going to Be a Long, Long Time)” 1972 4:42
4. “Honky Cat” 5:13
5. “Crocodile Rock” 1973 3:55
6. “Daniel” 3:54
7. “Saturday Night’s Alright (For Fighting)” 1973 4:54
8. “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” 3:14
9. “Candle in the Wind” 3:50
10. “Bennie and the Jets” 5:23
11. “The Bitch Is Back” 1974 3:45
12. “Philadelphia Freedom” 1975 5:20
13. “Island Girl” 1975 3:43
14. “Someone Saved My Life Tonight” 6:45
15. “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart (duet with Kiki Dee)” 1976 4:35
16. “Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word” 3:52
17. “Little Jeannie”  4:49

Disc two

1. “Song for Guy” 1978 6:34
2. “Blue Eyes” 1982 3:28
3. “I’m Still Standing” 1983 3:04
4. “I Guess That’s Why They Call It the Blues” 4:43
5. “Sad Songs (Say So Much)” 1984 4:48
6. “Nikita” 1985 5:44
7. “I Don’t Wanna Go on with You Like That” 1988 4:34
8. “Sacrifice” 1989 5:05
9. “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me (duet with George Michael)” 1993 5:48
10. “Something About the Way You Look Tonight” 1997 4:00
11. “I Want Love” 2001 4:37
12. “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” 1994 4:01
13. “Are You Ready for Love” 1979 3:32
14. “Electricity” 2005 3:32
15. “Home Again” 2013 5:02
16. “Looking Up” 2016 4:06
17. “Circle of Life” 4:53

Disc three

1. “Skyline Pigeon” (Piano Version) 1973 3:54
2. “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” 1974 6:16
3. “Pinball Wizard” 1975 5:14
4. “Mama Can’t Buy You Love” 1979 4:04
5. “Part-Time Love” 1978 3:13
6. “Victim of Love” 1979 3:22
7. “Empty Garden (Hey Hey Johnny)” 1982 5:10
8. “Kiss the Bride” 1983 4:23
9. “That’s What Friends Are For 1985 4:15
10. “The One” 1992 5:53
11. “True Love (duet with Kiki Dee)” 1993 3:35
12. “Believe” 1995 4:47
13. “Live Like Horses (duet with Luciano Pavarotti)” 1997 5:07
14. “Written in the Stars (duet with LeAnn Rimes)” 1999 4:17
15. “This Train Don’t Stop There Anymore” 2001 4:39
16. “Good Morning to the Night (with Pnau)” 2012 3:24
17. “Step Into Christmas” 1973 4:29

Wednesday 11/25/2020 9:15am ET: Feature LP: Elton John – Tumbleweed Connection (1971)

Tumbleweed Connection is the third studio album by English singer-songwriter Elton John. It was recorded at Trident Studios, London, England in March 1970, and released in October 1970 in the United Kingdom and January 1971 in the United States. It is a concept album based on country and western/Americana themes. All songs are written by John and Bernie Taupin, with the exception of “Love Song” by Lesley Duncan.

In 2012, Tumbleweed Connection was ranked #458 on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. The album peaked at #2 on the UK Albums Chart and #5 on the US Billboard 200 chart. In the US, it was certified gold in March 1971 and platinum in August 1998 by the RIAA.

1. “Ballad of a Well-known Gun” 4:59
2. “Come Down in Time” 3:25
3. “Country Comfort” 5:06
4. “Son of Your Father” 3:48
5. “My Father’s Gun” 6:20
6. “Where to Now St. Peter?” 4:11
7. “Love Song” (Lesley Duncan) 3:41
8. “Amoreena” 5:00
9. “Talking Old Soldiers” 4:06
10. “Burn Down the Mission” 6:21

1. “There’s Goes a Well Known Gun” (Previously unreleased band demo) 3:27
2. “Come Down in Time” (Piano demo) 3:39
3. “Country Comfort” (Piano demo) 4:12
4. “Son of Your Father” (Previously unreleased piano demo) 4:12
5. “Talking Old Soldiers” (Piano demo) 4:13
6. “Into the Old Man’s Shoes” (Piano demo) 3:40
7. “Sister of the Cross” (Piano demo) 4:38
8. “Madman Across the Water” (Original version, featuring Mick Ronson) 8:50
9. “Into the Old Man’s Shoes” 4:02
10. “My Father’s Gun” (BBC session) 3:43
11. “Ballad of a Well-Known Gun” (BBC session) 4:36
12. “Burn Down the Mission” (BBC session) 6:52
13. “Amoreena” (BBC session) 5:12

 

Monday 11/23/2020 8pm ET: Feature LP: Elton John – Jewel Box (2020)

The depth of Elton John’s catalog takes the spotlight in Elton: Jewel Box, a new box set arriving Nov. 13. His long run of hits are skipped in favor of album tracks, demos, B-sides and other rarities spread across eight CDs.

More than 80 of the 148 songs in the collection are getting their first-ever digital release; 60 of those have never been available in any format.

The first two discs consists of 31 deep cuts, while the next three contain demos and songs recorded between 1965 and 1971 for John’s pre-fame groups like Bluesology and the Bread and Beer Band. The sixth and seventh discs compile 36 B-sides from 1976-2005, 17 of which have been previously available only on vinyl.

Elton: Jewel Box concludes with 16 songs singled out in John’s 2019 autobiography Me, from “Empty Sky” through “I’m Gonna Love Me Again,” the Academy Award-winning duet with Taron Edgerton from last year’s Rocketman biopic.

You can see the track listing below.

Jewel Box is housed in an outer slipcase and contains a hardcover book containing liner notes, including John’s track-by-track commentary for the first two discs.

Disc One: Deep Cuts
1. Monkey Suit — Elton John and Leon Russell
2. Where To Now St Peter?
3. Mellow
4. The Ballad Of Danny Bailey (1909-34)
5. Chameleon
6. Gone To Shiloh — Elton John and Leon Russell
7. We All Fall In Love Sometimes
8. Too Low For Zero
9. The Power — Elton John With Little Richard
10. All That I’m Allowed
11. The Bridge
12. The New Fever Waltz
13. Stone’s Throw From Hurtin’
14. The North
15. Hoop Of Fire
16. Boogie Pilgrim

Disc Two: Deep Cuts
1. Ticking
2. Crystal
3. All Quiet On The Western Front
4. Tell Me When The Whistle Blows
5. Freaks In Love
6. Never Too Old (To Hold Somebody) — Elton John and Leon Russell
7. The Emperor’s New Clothes
8. House
9. (Gotta Get A) Meal Ticket
10. Understanding Women
11. Shoot Down The Moon
12. Have Mercy On The Criminal
13. Blues For Baby And Me
14. My Quicksand
15. Street Kids

Disc Three: Rarities Part One 1965-1968
1. Come Back Baby — Bluesology
2. Mr. Frantic — Bluesology
3. Scarecrow (Piano/Tambourine Demo)
4. A Dandelion Dies In The Wind (Piano Demo)
5. Velvet Fountain (Piano Demo)
6. A Little Love Goes A Long Way (Piano Demo)
7. If You Could See Me Now (Piano Demo)
8. Mr. Lightning Strikerman (Piano Demo)
9. Countryside Love Affair (Piano Demo)
10. I Could Never Fall In Love With Anybody Else (Piano Demo)
11. I Get A Little Bit Lonely (Piano Demo)
12. The Witch’s House (Piano Demo)
13. Get Out Of This Town (Piano/Tambourine Demo)
14. Year Of The Teddy Bear (Piano Demo)
15. Where It’s At (Piano/Percussion Demo)
16. Who’s Gonna Love You (Piano/Percussion Demo)
17. Nina (Band Version)
18. Angel Tree (Piano/Guitar/Tambourine Demo)
19. Here’s To The Next Time (Piano/Tambourine Demo)
20. Thank You For All Your Loving (Band Version)
21. Watching The Planes Go By (Band Version)
22. When The First Tear Shows (Arranged Band Version)

Disc Four: Rarities Part Two 1968
1. Hourglass (Band Version)
2. 71-75 New Oxford Street (Band Demo)
3. Turn To Me ( Arranged Band Version)
4. Reminds Me Of You (Piano Demo)
5. I Can’t Go On Living Without You (Arranged Band Version)
6. And The Clock Goes Round (Piano Demo)
7. When I Was Tealby Abbey (Piano Demo)
8. I’ll Stop Living When You Stop Loving Me (Piano Demo)
9. Trying To Hold On To A Love That’s Dying (Piano Demo)
10. Sitting Doing Nothing (Band Version)
11. Regimental Sgt. Zippo (Band Version)
12. Cry Willow Cry (Band Demo)
13. There Is Still A Little Love (Band Demo)
14. If I Asked You (Band Demo)
15. Skyline Pigeon (Piano Demo)
16. Two Of A Kind (Arranged Band Version)
17. The Girl On Angel Pavement (Arranged Band Version)
18. Smokestack Children (Arranged Band Version)
19. Baby I Miss You ( Band Demo
20. All Across The Havens (Piano/Guitar Demo)
21. Bonnie’s Gone Away (Piano/Guitar Demo)
22. Just An Ordinary Man (Piano Demo)
23. There’s Still Time For Me (Piano/Guitar/Tambourine Demo)

Disc Five: Rarities Part Three 1968-1971
1. The Tide Will Turn For Rebecca (Piano Demo)
2. Dick Barton Theme (Devil’s Gallop) (Bread And Beer Band)
3. Breakdown Blues (Bread And Beer Band)
4. Taking The Sun From My Eyes (Arranged Band Version)
5. It’s Me That You Need (Band Demo)
6. Sing Me No Sad Songs (Band Demo)
7. The Flowers Will Never Die (Piano Demo)
8. In The Morning (Band Demo)
9. Open Your Eyes To The Sun (Piano/Tambourine Demo)
10. One Time, Sometime or Never (Band Demo)
11. Slow Fade To Blue (Piano/Guitar Demo)
12. Rolling Western Union (Piano Demo)
13. My Father’s Gun (Piano Demo)
14. Amoreena (Piano Demo)
15. Burn Down The Mission (Piano Demo)
16. Razor Face (Piano Demo)
17. Madman Across The Water (Piano Demo)
18. Holiday Inn (Piano Demo)
19. All The Nasties (Piano Demo)

Disc Six: B-Sides Part One 1976-1984
1. Snow Queen (Elton John and Kiki Dee)
2. Conquer The Sun
3. Cartier
4. White Man Danger
5. Tactics
6. Steal Away Child
7. Love So Cold
8. Les Aveux (Elton John and France Gall)
9. Donner Pour Donner (Elton John and France Gall)
10. J’veux D’la Tendresse
11. Fools In Fashion
12. Can’t Get Over Getting Over Losing You
13. Tortured
14. Hey Papa Legba
15. Take Me Down To The Ocean
16. Where Have All The Good Times Gone? (Alternate Mix)
17. The Retreat
18. Choc Ice Goes Mental
19. A Simple Man

Disc Seven: B-Sides Part Two 1984-2005
1. Lonely Boy
2. Highlander
3. Billy And The Kids
4. Lord Of The Flies
5. Rope Around A Fool
6. Medicine Man
7. I Know Why I’m In Love
8. Big Man In A Little Suit
9. God Never Came Here
10. The North Star
11. Did Anybody Sleep With Joan Of Arc
12. So Sad The Renegade
13. A Little Peace
14. Keep It A Mystery
15. How’s Tomorrow
16. Peter’s Song
17. Things Only Get Better With Love

Disc Eight: And This Is Me…
1. Empty Sky
2. Lady Samantha
3. Border Song
4. My Father’s Gun
5. All The Nasties
6. I Think I’m Going To Kill Myself
7. Philadelphia Freedom
8. Song For Guy
9. Sartorial Eloquence
10. Elton’s Song
11. Cold As Christmas (In The Middle Of The Year)
12. I Fall Apart
13. Amazes Me
14. The Last Song
15. American Triangle
16. (I’m Gonna) Love Me Again (Elton John and Taron Egerton)

Monday 11/23/2020 1pm ET: Feature LP: Elton John – Captain Fantastic & The Brown Dirt Cowboy (1975) (30th Anniversary Edition)

Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy is the ninth studio album by Elton John. The album is an autobiographical account of the early musical careers of Elton John (Captain Fantastic) and his long-term lyricist Bernie Taupin (the Brown Dirt Cowboy). It was released in May 1975 by MCA in America and DJM in the UK and was an instant commercial success.

The album reached number 1 in its first week of release on the US Billboard 200, the first ever album to do so, reportedly selling 1.4 million copies within 4 days of release, and it stayed in that position in the chart for seven weeks.

Though they would all appear on later albums, this was the last album of the 1970s with the original lineup of the Elton John Band (guitarist Davey Johnstone, bassist Dee Murray, and drummer Nigel Olsson). Murray and Olsson, who had formed John’s rhythm section since 1970, were sacked prior to the recording of the follow-up album Rock of the Westies, while Johnstone would leave in 1978. This was the last album until 1983’s Too Low for Zero that Elton John and his classic band would play on together.

In 2003, the album was ranked number 158 on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, maintaining the rating in a 2012 revised list

1. “Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy” 5:46
2. “Tower of Babel” 4:28
3. “Bitter Fingers” 4:35
4. “Tell Me When the Whistle Blows” 4:20
5. “Someone Saved My Life Tonight” 6:45
6. “(Gotta Get A) Meal Ticket” 4:01
7. “Better Off Dead” 2:37
8. “Writing” 3:40
9. “We All Fall in Love Sometimes” 4:15
10. “Curtains” 6:15
11. “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” 6:18
12. “One Day at a Time” 3:49
13. “Philadelphia Freedom” 5:22
14. “House of Cards”

Disc two (Live from “Midsummer Music” at Wembley Stadium, 21 June 1975)
1. “Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy” 7:02
2. “Tower of Babel” 4:38
3. “Bitter Fingers” 5:06
4. “Tell Me When the Whistle Blows” 4:39
5. “Someone Saved My Life Tonight” 7:17
6. “(Gotta Get A) Meal Ticket” 7:19
7. “Better Off Dead” 3:01
8. “Writing” 5:30
9. “We All Fall in Love Sometimes” 3:57
10. “Curtains” 8:48
11. “Pinball Wizard” 6:31
12. “Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting” 7:40

Elton John – lead vocals, acoustic piano (1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10), Fender Rhodes (1, 4, 5, 8), clavinet (4, 6), ARP String Ensemble (5), harmony vocals (7, 8), harpsichord (9, 10), mellotron (9, 10)
David Hentschel – ARP synthesizer (9, 10)
Davey Johnstone – acoustic guitar (1, 5-10), electric guitar (1-4, 6, 9, 10), mandolin (1), backing vocals (3, 5-10), Leslie guitar (5), acoustic piano (8)
Dee Murray – bass guitar, backing vocals (3, 5-10)
Nigel Olsson – drums, backing vocals (3, 5-10)
Ray Cooper – shaker (1, 5, 8), congas (1, 3, 4, 9, 10), gong (1), jawbone (1), tambourine (1-6, 9, 10), bells (3, 9, 10), cymbals (5), triangle (7, 8), bongos (8)
Gene Page – orchestral arrangements (4)

Wednesday 8/26/2020 10pm ET: Across The Tracks with Ron Kovacs

This week on Across The Tracks its all about Songs with Train(s) in the title.  It’s Live 9pm ET on RadioMaxMusic.  We have music from the Doobie Brothers, Sheena Easton, Rosanne Cash, Van Zant, Cindy Bullens, Cat Stevens, Gladys Knight and The Pips, Jimi Hendrix and more. . . 

Elton John Classic Concert Series Friday, July 3 at 9AM PT / 12PM ET / 5 PM UK

Elton to launch a special archival concert series streaming exclusively on YouTube

The Elton John: Classic Concert Series features some of Elton’s most monumental concerts. Beginning this Friday, July 3 at 9 AM (LA) / 12 PM (NY) / 5 PM (LDN) exclusively on YouTube, the series will premiere with Live at the Playhouse Theatre, Edinburgh from 1976 – available digitally for the first time ever only for 72 hours.

The Elton John: Classic Concert Series is running in support of the Elton John AIDS Foundation’s COVID-19 Emergency Fund to continue HIV prevention and care for the most vulnerable people around the globe during the COVID-19 pandemic. You can donate on YouTube whilst watching the show.

“My Foundation’s COVID-19 Emergency Fund helps frontline partners prepare for and respond to the pandemic and its effects on HIV prevention and care for the most marginalised communities. We cannot jeopardise HIV testing and care during this time or else the results could be disastrous for the 37.5 million people living with HIV. So, I’m really happy to connect this YouTube concert series to benefit our Foundation’s urgent COVID response.” – Elton John

Recorded as part of the Edinburgh Festival of Popular Music on 17th September 1976, Live at the Playhouse Theatre gives fans an exhilarating view of Elton at the height of his ‘70s popularity, having just enjoyed his first UK #1 single with Don’t Go Breaking My Heart. This electrifying solo performance kicks off with Skyline Pigeon (taken from Empty Sky) before ending with a riotous version of Saturday Night’s Alright (For Fighting). The setlist rips through classic after classic, including Rocket Man, Daniel and Bennie and the Jets. It was also the first time Elton performed Don’t Go Breaking My Heart solo. Climbing on his piano and stomping his way through this virtuoso performance, Elton leaves every ounce of himself on the stage, in a classic concert that was to be the last time he would perform a full show for another 7 months.

Friday 5/29/30 7pm ET: Rocketman Watch Party

#ROCKETMANWATCHPARTY

Join in as we watch Rocketman together on Amazon Prime
Rocketman is now available to stream for free on Amazon Prime, so to celebrate Elton is hosting a Watch Party on his official Twitter account!

This Friday, May 29th, join in the party by loading up Rocketman and hitting play at exactly 7pm ET (4pm PT). We’ll be running the conversation on Twitter using the hashtag #RocketmanWatchParty, with Elton sharing his own thoughts and insights throughout the film. So make sure to follow Elton and add the hashtag to your tweets so we can all see what you’re saying. If you’re wearing your Rocketman merchandise, let us see!

Wednesday 2pm ET: Feature Year: 1976

January 5 – Former Beatles road manager Mal Evans is shot dead by Los Angeles police after refusing to drop what police only later find is an air rifle.
January 7 – Kenneth Moss, a former record company executive, is sentenced to 120 days in the Los Angeles County Jail and four years probation for involuntary manslaughter in the 1974 drug-induced death of Average White Band drummer Robbie McIntosh.
January 13 – A trial begins for seven Brunswick Records and Dakar Records employees. The record company employees are charged with stealing more than $184,000 in royalties from artists.
January 19 – Concert promoter Bill Sargent makes an offer of $30 million to the Beatles if they will reunite for a concert.
February 15 – Bette Midler bails seven members of her entourage out of jail after they are arrested on charges of cocaine and marijuana possession.
February 19 – Former Tower of Power lead singer Rick Stevens is arrested and charged with the drug-related murders of three men in San Jose, California.
February 20 – Kiss have their footprints added to the sidewalk outside Hollywood’s Grauman’s Chinese Theater. February 24 – Having been released one week before, The Eagles’ Their Greatest Hits (1971–1975) compilation becomes the first album in history to be certified platinum by the RIAA. The new platinum certification represents sales of at least 1 million copies for albums and 2 million copies for singles.
March 4 – ABBA arrive at Sydney airport for a promotional tour in Australia.
March 6 – EMI Records reissues all 22 previously released British Beatles singles, plus a new single of the classic “Yesterday”. All 23 singles hit the UK charts at the same time.
March 7 – A wax likeness of Elton John is put on display in London’s Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum.
March 9 – The Who’s Keith Moon collapses onstage ten minutes into a performance at the Boston Garden.
March 15 – Members of The Plastic People of the Universe are arrested in communist Czechoslovakia. They were sentenced from 8 to 18 months in jail.
March 20 – Alice Cooper marries Sheryl Goddard in an Acapulco restaurant.
March 25 – Jackson Browne’s wife Phyllis commits suicide.
March 26 – In Paris, France, Wings guitarist Jimmy McCulloch breaks one of his fingers when he slips in his hotel bathroom after the final performance on the band’s European tour. The injury ended up delaying the band’s United States tour by three weeks.
April 3 – British pop group Brotherhood of Man win the 21st Eurovision Song Contest in The Hague, Netherlands, with the song “Save Your Kisses For Me”. It goes on to be the biggest selling Eurovision winner ever.
April 14 – Stevie Wonder announces that he has signed a “$13 million-plus” contract with Motown Records.
April 24 – Saturday Night Live producer Lorne Michaels makes a semi-serious on-air offer to pay the Beatles $3000 to reunite live on the show. In a 1980 interview, John Lennon stated that he and Paul McCartney happened to be watching the show together at Lennon’s apartment in New York and considered walking down to the SNL studio “for a gag” but were “too tired”. On May 22, Michaels raises his offer from $3000 to $3,200.
April 28 – The Rolling Stones open their European tour in Frankfurt, Germany.
April 29 – When his tour stops in Memphis, Tennessee, Bruce Springsteen jumps the wall at Elvis Presley’s mansion, “Graceland”, in trying to see his idol. Security guards stop Springsteen and escort him off the grounds.
May 3 – Paul McCartney and Wings start their Wings over America Tour in Fort Worth, Texas. This is the first time McCartney has performed in the US since The Beatles’ last concert in 1966 at Candlestick Park. Paul Simon puts together a benefit show at Madison Square Garden to raise money for the New York Public Library. Phoebe Snow, Jimmy Cliff and the Brecker Brothers also perform. The concert brings in over $30,000 for the Library.
May 19 – Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards is involved in a car accident northwest of London. Cocaine is found in his wrecked car. Richards is given a court date of January 12, 1977. Rumor spread by German press: ABBA members killed in plane crash, only Anni-Frid survived.
May 25 – Bob Dylan’s Rolling Thunder Revue tour ends.
June – Former Spring Canyon keyboardist Mark Cook joins Daniel Amos.
June 6 – Keith Richards and Anita Pallenberg suffer tragedy when their 10-week old son Tara dies of respiratory failure.
June 10 – Alice Cooper collapses and is rushed to UCLA Hospital in Los Angeles, three weeks before the Goes To Hell tour would begin. The tour is cancelled.
June 18 – ABBA perform “Dancing Queen” for the first time on Swedish television in Stockholm on the eve of the wedding of King Carl XVI Gustaf to Silvia Sommerlath.
June 25 – Uriah Heep performs its last show with David Byron as lead singer in Bilbao, Spain. Byron is sacked shortly afterward.
July 2 – Composer Benjamin Britten accepts a life peerage, only a few months before his death. Brian Wilson performs on stage with The Beach Boys for the first time in three years at a Day on the Green concert in Oakland, California.
July 4 – Many outdoor festivals and shows are held all over the United States as the country celebrates its bicentennial. Elton John performs for 62,000 at Shaffer Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts, while The Eagles and Fleetwood Mac play for 36,000 at Tampa Stadium, and Lynyrd Skynyrd and ZZ Top draw 35,000 at Memphis Memorial Stadium.
July 7 – 50,000 fans brave the rain in New York to attend a free Jefferson Starship concert in Central Park.
July 27 – Tina Turner files for divorce from husband Ike.
August 5 – Eric Clapton provokes an uproar over comments he makes on stage at a Birmingham concert, voicing his opposition to immigration using multiple racial slurs while exhorting the audience to support Enoch Powell and to “keep Britain white”.
August 11 – Keith Moon is rushed to hospital for the second time in five months, collapsing after trashing his Miami hotel room.
August 13 – The official ABBA logo with the reversed ‘B’ is adopted.
August 16 – Cliff Richard becomes one of the first Western artists ever to perform in the Soviet Union when he gives a concert in Leningrad.
August 21 – An estimated 120,000 fans pack Knebworth House to see The Rolling Stones. Todd Rundgren, Lynyrd Skynyrd and 10cc also perform.
August 31 – a U.S. district court decision rules that George Harrison had “subconsciously” copied The Chiffons’ hit “He’s So Fine” when he wrote the song “My Sweet Lord”.
September 1 – Ode Records president Lou Adler is kidnapped at his Malibu home and released eight hours later after a $25,000 ransom is paid. Two suspects are soon arrested.
September 3 – Rory Gallagher joins the short list of Western popular musicians to perform behind the Iron Curtain with a show in Warsaw, Poland.
September 8 – In a candid interview appearing in the October 7 edition of Rolling Stone published today, Elton John publicly discloses his bisexuality for the first time.
September 14 – The one-hour Bob Dylan concert special Hard Rain airs on NBC, coinciding with the release of the live album of the same name.
September 18 – Queen performs a massive free concert at London’s Hyde Park for over 150,000 people. The second annual Rock Music Awards air on CBS. Peter Frampton wins Rock Personality of the Year, while Fleetwood Mac wins for Best Group and Best Album.
September 20 & September 21 – 100 Club Punk Festival, the first international punk festival is held in London. Siouxsie and the Banshees play their first concert.
September 25 – Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen, Jr form a band called Feedback in Dublin. The band would later be renamed U2.
October 2 – Joe Cocker performs a duet of “Feelin’ Alright” with himself (as portrayed by John Belushi) on Saturday Night Live.
October 8 – English punk rock group the Sex Pistols sign a contract with EMI Records.
October 11 – Irish singer Joe Dolan is banned for life by Aer Lingus after an air rage incident en route to Corfu from Dublin.
October 20 – The Led Zeppelin concert film The Song Remains the Same premieres at Cinema I in New York.
October 31 – George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic begin “The P-Funk/Rubber Band Earth Tour” in Houston, a national live series highlighting one of the biggest and revolutionary stage shows in the history of the music industry (the rock group Kiss would be the other group to do a similar act), relying on elaborate costumes, special lighting and effects, and extremely large props including “the Mothership”, which would arrive and land on stage, all of what this band is generally known for. This live set would vary in length (on average of 3 to 5 hours long) and at high volume.
November 18 – Former Tower of Power lead singer Rick Stevens and another person are found guilty on two counts of murder.
November 23 – Thin Lizzy are forced to cancel their U.S. tour when guitarist Brian Robertson injures his hand in a bar fight. Jerry Lee Lewis is arrested after showing up drunk outside Graceland at 3 a.m., waving a pistol and loudly demanding to see Elvis Presley. Presley denied his request.
November 25 – The Band gives its last public performance; Martin Scorsese is on hand to film it.
November 26 – The Sex Pistols’ debut single “Anarchy in the U.K.” is released by EMI.
December 1 – In the UK, the Sex Pistols cause a national outcry after swearing on Thames Television’s Today show.
December 2 – The Bee Gees perform at Madison Square Garden and give the proceeds to the Police Athletic League in New York. In January 1979, they will receive the Police Athletic League’s “Superstars of the Year” award.
December 3 – A Pink Floyd album cover shoot in South London goes awry when a large inflatable pig balloon being used for the shoot breaks free of its moorings and drifts out of sight.
Bob Marley and several others are injured when gunmen burst into his home in Kingston, Jamaica and open fire.
December 8 – The Carpenters air their “Very First Television Special” on ABC. The Eagles release Hotel California.
December 12 – Ace Frehley is shocked on stage during a Kiss concert in Lakeland, Florida after touching an ungrounded metal railing. The incident inspires the song “Shock Me”.
December 31 – The fifth annual New Year’s Rockin’ Eve special airs on ABC, with performances by Donna Summer, Bachman-Turner Overdrive, The Four Seasons, and KC and the Sunshine Band.

Also in 1976
– The last practitioner of the rekuhkara form of throat-singing dies, in Hokkaido, Japan.
– Tenor Franco Corelli retires from the stage at the age of 55.
– Cheryl Byron performs rapso in calypso tents for the first time, beginning the popularization of rapso.
– Peter Brown’s solo career begins.
– Peter Tosh’s solo career begins.
– Bunny Wailer’s solo career begins.
– Leif Garrett’s solo career begins.
– .38 Special’s musical career begins.
– Y&T (Yesterday & Today)’s musical career begins.
– Sergio Franchi becomes TV spokesman for Chrysler Corporation’s Plymouth “Volare” and media spokesman for Hills Brothers coffee.
– Steve Martin signs a contract with Warner Bros.
– Eddie Money signs a contract with CBS.
– “Ten Percent”, by Double Exposure, becomes the first 12-inch single commercially available to the public (as opposed to DJ-only promotional copies).
– The Chinese Music Society of North America is founded.
– Gabin Dabiré embarks on a tour of Italy.

 

Wednesday 9pm ET: Feature Artist – Paul Carrack

Paul Melvyn Carrack (born April 22, 1951) is an English singer, songwriter, composer and multi-instrumentalist who has recorded as both a solo artist and as a member of several popular bands. The BBC dubbed Carrack “The Man with the Golden Voice”, while Record Collector remarked: “If vocal talent equalled financial success, Paul Carrack would be a bigger name than legends such as Phil Collins or Elton John.”

Carrack rose to prominence in the mid-1970s as the frontman and principal songwriter of Ace, and gained further recognition for his work as a solo artist and for his tenures as a member of Roxy Music, Squeeze and Roger Waters’ backing band, The Bleeding Heart Band, intermittently handling lead vocals on Squeeze and Waters recordings. From the mid-1980s to the late 1990s, he enjoyed considerable success as the co-lead singer (with Paul Young) and a songwriter for Mike + The Mechanics; following Young’s death in 2000, Carrack served as the band’s sole lead vocalist until his departure in 2004. He maintains an active solo career to the present day.

Carrack sang some of his affiliated bands’ best-known hits, including Ace’s “How Long”; Squeeze’s “Tempted”; and Mike + The Mechanics’ “Silent Running (On Dangerous Ground)”, “The Living Years” and “Over My Shoulder”. He also performed lead vocals on tracks from the Roger Waters albums Radio K.A.O.S. and The Wall – Live in Berlin, and achieved a major solo hit with “Don’t Shed a Tear”. Carrack’s songs have been recorded by artists such as Linda Ronstadt, the Eagles, Diana Ross, Tom Jones, Michael McDonald and Jools Holland, and he has served as a session and/or touring musician for Elton John, Eric Clapton, Ringo Starr, B.B. King, The Pretenders, The Smiths and Madness.

Thursday 12am ET: Feature LP: Elton John & Ray Cooper – Live From Moscow (1979)

2019 is the 40th anniversary of Elton John’s historic first tour of Russia – he was the first Western rock star to ever perform in the country. The show in Moscow on 28th May 1979 with Ray Cooper was broadcast on BBC radio in the UK. This release is taken from the original broadcast masters, which have been remastered by Bob Ludwig at Gateway Mastering. Now available on 2CD with mini gatefold-style sleeve.

1 Daniel (Live From Moscow / 1979)
2 Skyline Pigeon (Live From Moscow / 1979)
3 Take Me To The Pilot (Live From Moscow / 1979)
4 Rocket Man (Live From Moscow / 1979)
5 Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me (Live From Moscow / 1979)
6 Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (Live From Moscow / 1979)
7 Candle In The Wind (Live From Moscow / 1979)
8 I Heard It Through The Grapevine (Live From Moscow / 1979)
9 Funeral For A Friend (Live From Moscow / 1979) Elton John & Ray Cooper
10 Tonight (Live From Moscow / 1979) Elton John & Ray Cooper
11 Better Off Dead (Live From Moscow / 1979) Elton John & Ray Cooper
12 Bennie And The Jets (Live From Moscow / 1979) Elton John & Ray Cooper
13 Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word (Live From Moscow / 1979) Elton John & Ray Cooper
14 Crazy Water (Live From Moscow / 1979) Elton John & Ray Cooper
15 Saturday Night’s Alright (For Fighting) / Pinball Wizard (Live From Moscow / 1979)
16 Crocodile Rock / Get Back / Back In The U.S.S.R. (Live From Moscow / 1979)

Wednesday 12:30am ET: Elton John Remixes and B Sides

We pulled all of the Elton John remixes and B sides together.

RadioMaxMusic 2: Classic Countdown Channel – Friday 10am / 1pm / 4pm ET – Elton John Top 100 with Ron Kovacs (Part 1 / 2 / 3)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Click here to listen http://radiomaxmusic.com/classicpopup.html or here https://onlineradiobox.com/us/maxcountry/

Monday 12am ET: Feature LP: Elton John – Wonderful Crazy Night (2016)

Wonderful Crazy Night is the thirtieth studio album by British singer-songwriter Elton John. It was released on February 5, 2016. It is John’s first album since 2006’s The Captain & the Kid to feature the Elton John Band, and was written and recorded in 17 days. John’s long-standing percussionist, Ray Cooper, makes his first appearance on any of John’s albums since Made in England in 1995. This is Kim Bullard’s first appearance on keyboards replacing Guy Babylon, and Matt Bissonette replacing Bob Birch on bass.

1. “Wonderful Crazy Night” 3:13
2. “In the Name of You” 4:33
3. “Claw Hammer” 4:22
4. “Blue Wonderful” 3:37
5. “I’ve Got 2 Wings” 4:35
6. “A Good Heart” 4:50
7. “Looking Up” 4:06
8. “Guilty Pleasure” 3:38
9. “Tambourine” 4:17
10. “The Open Chord” 4:04
11. “Free and Easy” 3:55
12. “England and America” 3:51