Who wears these shoes - Elton John

Elton John's 1984 album Breaking Hearts was preceded by the hit single 'Sad songs (say so much)', which was followed up by the hit single 'Passengers'. You would think that a third single from the album would be equally successful, but no: 'Who wears these shoes' didn't match the success of the two previous singles at all.

In Ireland it still reached a respectable number 11, but in the UK it only managed to get to number 50. I never even heard of the single, until I saw a copy in front of my own two eyes. Maybe the record company should have gone for the B-side; 'Tortured' is listed as 'previously unavailable', and certainly the more appealing of the two songs.

My collection: 7" single no. 7356
Found: Record fair, Rotterdam, 5 October 2024
Tracks: 'Who wears these shoes? (remix version)' / 'Tortured'

Les aveux - Elton John & France Gall

While Elton John was recording what would become his 1980 album 21 at 33, he recorded about a dozen extra songs. Five of them would appear on his next album, The Fox. Two other songs were French-language songs as duets with the French singer France Gall. 'Les aveux' and 'Donner pour donner' appear on this single, released in France

I'd never heard of this release, but when I saw this single it intrigued me enough to want to buy it. It turns out that 'Les aveux' actually made the Dutch Tipparade, peaking at number 4, just missing out on the Dutch Top 40. Personally I think the B-side is better...

My collection: 7" single no. 7222
Found: Record fair, Den Haag, 1 June 2024
Tracks: 'Les aveux' / 'Donner pour donner'

In neon - Elton John

Continuing on the theme of 'unknown singles by Elton John', here's an American promotional 7" of 'In neon'. The song was taken from his album 'Breaking hearts', which also featured the considerably more successful 'Sad songs (say so much)' and one of my personal favourites, 'Too low for zero'. 

By contrast, 'In neon' only reached number 12 in New Zealand, number 38 in the US Billboard Hot 100 and an underwhelming number 92 in Canada. This promotional single features the track on both sides.

My collection: 7" single no. 7016
Found: 33|45 Records, Den Haag, 26 August 2023
Tracks: 'In neon' / 'In neon'

Part time love - Elton John

Some artists have become so legendary that you would almost forget that not all of their singles have been huge hits. At least, some singles are certainly not what they are remembered for.

Take 'Part time love' by Elton John for example. I never saw a copy of this single before - I think - and I was quite surprised to find out it actually reached number 15 in the UK singles chart in October 1978. By comparison, the single did not chart in the Netherlands at all. 

My collection: 7" single no. 7015
Found: 33|45 Records, Den Haag, 26 August 2023
Tracks: 'Part time love' / 'I cry at night'

J'veux d'la tendresse - Elton John

I don't know if many people know that Elton John recorded a French song. 'J'veux d'la tendresse' was written by Jean-Paul Dréau and released by the female singer Janic Prevost in 1980. While on holiday in St. Tropez, Elton heard the song and asked his lyricist Gary Osborne to write English lyrics to the melody. That song became 'Nobody wins'.

However, Elton also recorded the song with the original French lyrics. I didn't know this myself until it recently popped up during a search in the database of the same dealer that sent me 'Rock and roll crazy'. It's always better to buy more than one single if you're paying for postage anyway, so I did. And I do think this version is better than the English one.

My collection: 7" single no. 6234
Found: Discogs.com, received January 8, 2020
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'J'veux d'la tendresse' / 'Fools in fashion'

Elton John's Christmas EP - Elton John

Now that Christmas is approaching, it's finally time to post a few Christmas singles I acquired this year. And here's a good one: back in 1990, Elton John released the compilation album 'The very best of Elton John', featuring a good portion of his hits spread over two CD's.

Elton John's Christmas EP cleverly brought together two Christmas-themed songs along with two other songs that were less Christmassy but very enjoyable nonetheless. Packaged in a gatefold sleeve which on the inside marketed the compilation album and left open the space for the label on which you could write a dedication ("To:.... From:..." on both sides).

My collection: 7" single no. 6178
Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, September 21, 2019
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Step into Christmas', 'Cold as Christmas (In the middle of the year)' / 'Easier to walk away', 'I swear I heard the night talking'

Sad songs (say so much) - Elton John

Every once in a while I buy a single that I thought I already had bought long ago but I didn't. 'Sad songs (say so much)' by Elton John is a song that I confuse with I guess that's why they call it the blues for some strange reason.

That single was released a year earlier. 'Sad songs' was another big success for Elton. It reached the top 10 everywhere except in Germany where the single stalled at number 18. Even weirder, the single never even made the Top 40 in the Netherlands.

My collection: 7" single no. 5871
Found: Record exchange, Greenwich, London, October 27, 2017
Cost: 25p
Tracks: 'Sad songs (say so much)' / 'A simple man'

Philadelphia freedom - Elton John

Elton John released 'Philadelphia freedom' as a single in 1975. Elton, looking to honour his friend, tennis professional Billie Jean King, asked Taupin to write a song called 'Philadelphia Freedom', an homage to her tennis team. Taupin said, 'I can't write a song about tennis', and did not. Taupin maintains that the lyrics bear no relation to tennis, Philly Soul or even flag-waving patriotism. In the U.S. it was a charttopper in April 1975.

The B-side features a live performance of 'I saw her standing there' by Elton John and John Lennon at Madison Square Gardens on November 26, 1974.

My collection: 7" single no. 5292
Found: Fun Records, Berlin, received February 1, 2012
Cost: 2,8 euro
Tracks: 'Philadelphia freedom' / 'I saw her standing there (live)'

Blue eyes - Elton John

'Blue eyes' was written by Elton John and Gary Osborne and released by Elton John in 1982 as the first single from the album 'Jump up!'. The single reached number 8 in the UK singles chart and number 10 in the Dutch Top 40.

At the time of its release, I wasn't particularly impressed with this song, but I've grown to like it almost three decades later. Perhaps I'm getting less critical of Eighties music than I was then.

My collection: 7" single no. 5223
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, November 19, 2011
Cost: 0,5 euro
Tracks: 'Blue eyes' / 'Hey papa Legba'

Little Jeannie - Elton John

Elton John and Gary Osborne wrote this song, which was released in 1980 as a single from Elton John's album '21 at 33'. The song can be described as an uptempo ballad. In the US, it would be Elton's highest-charting single co-written with Gary Osborne, while in the UK, where the song only reached number 33, 'Blue eyes' would eventually hold that honour.

Despite its impressive performance in the US charts, Elton has rarely performed 'Little Jeannie' live, doing so only on his 1980 tour and during 2000's One Night Only concerts.

My collection: 7" single no. 5203
Found: Record Exchange, London, October 15, 2011
Cost: 50p
Tracks: 'Little Jeannie' / 'Conquer the sun'

Passengers - Elton John

'Passengers' was released in 1984 as the second single from Elton John's album 'Breaking hearts'. It reached number 5 in the UK singles chart and number 9 in Australia.

The song was written not only by Elton John and Bernie Taupin, who write most of John's material, but in collaboration with Davey Johnstone and Phineas McHize.

My collection: 7" single no. 5082
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 9, 2011
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Passengers' / 'Lonely boy'

Cold as Christmas (in the middle of the year) - Elton John

Although this single was released in late 1983 and the title actually mentions Christmas, this song is not a very Christmassy affair.

Taken from Elton John's 1983 album 'Too low for zero', this single only reached number 33 in the UK singles chart and number 52 in Australia. In other territories it remained unreleased or unsuccessful.

My collection: 7" single no. 4961
Found: Record Exchange, London, October 31, 2010
Cost: 50p
Tracks: 'Cold as Christmas (in the middle of the year)' / 'Crystal'

Heartache all over the world - Elton John

Double singles have always been irresistible to me, so when I spotted this one I bought it despite the fact that I didn't know the A-side track. Elton John is a classic singer/songwriter anyway, so most of his stuff is worth listening to. With the exception, perhaps, of 'Heartache all over the world', which is a piece of music that doesn't really go anywhere.

Despite being described as a 'non-hit' on Wikipedia, it still managed to reach number 7 in Australia. In the UK, it didn't get past number 45.

My collection: 7" single no. 4966
Found: Sister Ray, London, October 31, 2010
Cost: 2 pounds
Tracks: 'Heartache all over the world' / 'Highlander' // 'I'm still standing' / 'Passengers'

The one - Elton John

'The one' is the first single from Elton John's 1992 album, also called 'The pne'. Elton said that he felt an intense connection to Taupin's lyrics for 'The one' in light of his personal circumstances around the time of making the album, in particular the line 'for each man in his time is Cain until he walks along the beach.'

The single reached number 10 in the UK singles chart, number 11 in the Dutch Top 40 and number 9 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 1664
Found: Melody Maker, Den Haag, June 13, 1992
Cost: 6,5 guilders
Tracks: 'The one' / 'Suit of wolves'

Kiss the bride - Elton John

The third single from Elton John's 1983 album 'Too low for zero' was 'Kiss the bride'. Released in this limited edition double pack, a second disc included the old classic 'Song for Guy' from 1978 and another single from the same year, 'Ego'. Curiously, this package was not housed in a gatefold sleeve; the two discs were crammed into one sleeve instead.

The single reached number 20 in the UK singles chart, with lower chart placings in Australia, Canada and the USA (number 25, 37 and 25 respectively).

My collection: 7" single no. 4747
Found: Record fair, Rijswijk, April 5, 2010
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Kiss the bride' / 'Dreamboat' // 'Ego' / 'Song for Guy'

Cry to heaven - Elton John

I hated the song 'Nikita' by Elton John. I thought it was a sentimental piece of drivel with a much too repetitive chorus. This made it hard to like 'Cry to heaven', released a few months later. Still, I did buy the single a few years later, realising that this song actually had an interesting melody.

'Cry to heaven' reached number 12 in the Dutch Top 40 and number 47 in the UK singles chart. It was less successful than 'Nikita', which inexplicably became a top 10 hit almost everywhere.

My collection: 7" single no. 656
Found: Leiden, September 23, 1988
Cost: 1 guilder
Tracks: 'Cry to heaven' / 'Candy by the pound'

I guess that's why they call it the blues - Elton John

'I guess that's why they call it the blues' was released in 1983 as a single from Elton John's album 'Too low for zero'. The track features Stevie Wonder on harmonica and received favourable reviews from the moment it was released. It has gone on to be one of Elton John's most-played songs on radio stations from the Eighties portion of his career.

The single reached number 5 in the UK singles chart and number 4 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, but failed to reach the Dutch Top 40.

My collection: 7" single no. 1037
Found: Record Exchange, London, October 17, 1989
Cost: 30p
Tracks: 'I guess that's why they call it the blues' / 'Choc ice goes mental' (Lord Choc Ice)

Song for Guy - Elton John

Elton John wrote 'Song for Guy' himself, without his usual writing partner Bernie Taupin. The track is mainly instrumental but contains one line near the end of the track, which is repeated several times: 'Life isn't everything'. Elton later commented: 'As I was writing this song one Sunday, I imagined myself floating into space and looking down at my own body. I was imagining myself dying. Morbidly obsessed with these thoughts, I wrote this song about death. The next day I was told that Guy (Burchett), our 17 year-old messenger boy, had been tragically killed on his motorcycle the day before. Guy died on the day I wrote this song.'

The single version of 'Song for Guy' is one and a half minutes shorter than the album version. The single reached number 4 in the UK singles chart and number 6 in the Dutch Top 40.

My collection: 7" single no. 1768
Found: House of Rhythm, London, October 20, 1992
Cost: 60p
Tracks: 'Song for Guy' / 'Lovesick'

Something about the way you look tonight / Candle in the wind 1997 - Elton John

Yesterday it was twelve and a half years ago that Diana, Princess of Wales, affectionately known as Lady Di, was killed during a mysterious road accident in a tunnel in Paris. The outpouring of grief in the UK was unprecedented, but also set a trend that equalled mass hysteria whenever somebody famous died.

Part of the funeral service was Elton John's performance of 'Candle in the wind', the lyric of which was rewritten to suit the circumstances of Diana's life and death. When the song was released as a single, the official A-side was the song 'Something about the way you look tonight', a track from his then-current album 'The big picture'. The single reached number 1 around the world.

My collection: 7" single no. 2924
Found: Record fair, November 30, 1997
Cost: 10 guilders
Tracks: 'Something about the way you look tonight' / 'Candle in the wind 1997'

Empty garden - Elton John

'Empty garden' was written by Elton John after his friend John Lennon was murdered by an obsessed fan in front of his New York City apartment on December 8, 1980. He first performed the song live at Madison Square Garden in 1982, with Lennon's widow Yoko Ono and their son Sean in the audience.

The 'Empty garden' referred to in the song is Madison Square Garden, where John Lennon did a duet with Elton in 1974 during his last stage performance. Elton has since performed the song several times at Madison Square Garden. The single was released in the summer of 1982, reaching number 13 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and number 51 in the UK singles chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 2435
Found: All that music, Leiden, August 19, 1995
Cost: 2 guilders
Tracks: 'Empty garden' / 'Take me down to the ocean'