Blue Moves

Last updated

Blue Moves
Elton John - Blue Moves.jpg
Studio album by
Elton John
Released22 October 1976
Studio
Length84:49
Label
Producer Gus Dudgeon
Elton John chronology
Here and There
(1976)		Blue Moves
(1976)		 Elton John's Greatest Hits Volume II
(1977)
Singles from Blue Moves
  1. "Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word"
    Released: 1 November 1976
  2. "Bite Your Lip (Get Up and Dance!)"
    Released: 31 January 1977
  3. "Crazy Water"
    Released: 4 February 1977

Blue Moves is the eleventh studio album by English musician Elton John. It was released on 22 October 1976 through John's own Rocket Record Company (his first for the label), alongside MCA Records in certain countries. John's second double album, it was recorded at EMI Studios, Brother Studios, Eastern Sound and Sunset Sound Recorders, and was his last to be produced by longtime collaborator Gus Dudgeon until Ice on Fire (1985). Additionally, the album would be the last collaboration between John and lyricist Bernie Taupin for the next few years [lower-alpha 1] until a partial resumption of their working partnership with 21 at 33 (1980).

Contents

The music on Blue Moves is considered some of John's most experimental, fusing genres such as pop, gospel, disco and jazz while also including orchestral elements and extended song lengths. Guests on the album include David Crosby, Graham Nash, Bruce Johnston and Toni Tennille contributing backing vocals, alongside performances by both the Martyn Ford Orchestra and London Symphony Orchestra, the former of which performing string arrangements by Paul Buckmaster.

Upon its release, Blue Moves received mixed reviews. Some critics found the album to be excessive, while others felt it did not include enough strong material to warrant its length. However, some retrospective reviews have been more positive, highlighting it as one of John's most underrated releases and praising its experimental nature, and John himself has declared it one of his favorites. Blue Moves reached number 3 in the US, breaking his streak of number one albums there, while it matched that position in the UK. The album's first single, "Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word", reached the top 10 in the US and the top 20 in the UK, while further singles "Bite Your Lip (Get Up and Dance!)" and "Crazy Water" (only released in the UK) both reached the top 30. The album would go on to be certified both Platinum by the RIAA and Gold by the BPI.

Background

John's previous album Rock of the Westies (1975) was his first since 1970 to not include any contributions from longtime band members Dee Murray and Nigel Olsson on bass and drums respectively, as they had been fired after the recording of Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy (1975). [1] Both of these albums debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, the first two albums in history to do so, [2] with the latter containing the US number four hit "Someone Saved My Life Tonight" and the former spawning the number one single "Island Girl". [3] In June 1976, "Don't Go Breaking My Heart", a duet with Kiki Dee, was released as a standalone single and also topped the US charts. [3]

After embarking on the Rock of the Westies and Louder Than Concorde tours in 1975 and 1976, respectively, John decided to take an indefinite break from touring. [4] In an October 1976 interview with Rolling Stone , John expressed his desire to focus on other projects for the time being, saying he felt it would be "silly" to keep his band members under a contract for an additional year while not being sure what his plans for future performing would be. [4] While Davey Johnstone, Ray Cooper, and James Newton Howard continued to collaborate with John following the release of Blue Moves, the album marked the last time John worked with Caleb Quaye and drummer Roger Pope. In the same interview John came out publicly as bisexual, stating "There's nothing wrong with going to bed with somebody of your own sex. I think everybody's bisexual to a certain degree"; he would later come out as gay in 1992. [4] [5]

Overview

"Cage the Songbird" was a tribute to legendary French singer Edith Piaf, and a year or so later was covered by Kiki Dee on an unreleased Rocket album, which finally was issued in 2008. ("Songbird" originated as part of the Rock of the Westies sessions, but was not completed during them, probably because the song's acoustic, delicate sound did not fit with the more rock 'n' roll approach of the rest of the songs that made the Westies final track list.) The Beach Boys turned down "Chameleon" (which was written two years prior to the album's release), but Bruce Johnston, a former Beach Boy, performed backing vocals on John's version, along with former Beach Boys touring member Toni Tennille. John also performed the song at Wembley Stadium in 1975, where he also performed the Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy album in its entirety. An excerpt from "Out of the Blue" was used for the closing titles on Top Gear until the end of that Top Gear format (in 2001). [6] This is one of two John albums on which Davey Johnstone does not provide backing vocals; 1997's The Big Picture is the other.[ citation needed ]

The basic tracks for Blue Moves were recorded at Eastern Sound in Toronto, Ontario. Additional overdubs were done at EMI Studios in Abbey Road, London; Brother Studio in Santa Monica, California; and Sunset Sound in Los Angeles, California. The album was mixed at Marquee Studios in London.

John has played several songs from Blue Moves live: "Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word", "Bite Your Lip", "One Horse Town", "Tonight", "Idol" and "Crazy Water" have been played during various concert appearances through the years.

In the summer of 2011, George Michael embarked on what would be his final tour, an orchestral tour of Europe, the UK, and Australia. From the 19 September concert at Budapest Sports Arena, Michael performed "Idol" in place of "It Doesn't Really Matter" on the setlist. At a special gig in the Royal Albert Hall raising money for the Elton John AIDS Foundation, Michael introduced the song, saying: "This next song was written by someone I hope has made it in here already – Elton. It's a song he wrote in the late 70s and it's about an ageing pop star. Funny that." As Michael cast his gaze around the audience, John waved from the stalls, where he sat beside his civil partner David Furnish and broadcaster Janet Street Porter. Having already recorded his own version of "Tonight" for the Two Rooms album in 1991, Michael's vocals at that concert ended up on 2014's Symphonica . [7]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [8]
Christgau's Record Guide C [9]
Rolling Stone (not rated) [10]
Sputnik MusicStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [11]

Blue Moves has received mixed reviews since its release. A contemporary review for Rolling Stone said the album "contains nowhere near enough good songs to justify the extended length" and that the interludes and instrumentals were done "to the exclusion of sense". [10] Village Voice critic Robert Christgau described it as "impossibly weepy" and "excessive". [9] Lindsay Planer of Allmusic later said the album showed the "inevitable fatigue" of John's "immense creativity" that had helped create the previous albums of his career. [8]

Track listing

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Your Starter For..." Caleb Quaye 1:23
2."Tonight"
7:52
3."One Horse Town"
5:56
4."Chameleon"
  • John
  • Taupin
5:27
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Boogie Pilgrim"
6:05
2."Cage the Songbird"
  • John
  • Taupin
  • Johnstone
3:52
3."Crazy Water"
  • John
  • Taupin
5:42
4."Shoulder Holster"
  • John
  • Taupin
5:10
Side three
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word"
  • John
  • Taupin
3:48
2."Out of the Blue"
  • John
  • Taupin
6:14
3."Between Seventeen and Twenty"
  • John
  • Taupin
  • Johnstone
  • Quaye
5:17
4."The Wide Eyed and Laughing"
  • John
  • Taupin
  • Newton Howard
  • Johnstone
  • Quaye
3:27
5."Someone's Final Song"
  • John
  • Taupin
4:10
Side four
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Where's the Shoorah?"
  • John
  • Taupin
4:09
2."If There's a God in Heaven (What's He Waiting For?)"
  • John
  • Taupin
  • Johnstone
4:25
3."Idol"
  • John
  • Taupin
4:08
4."Theme From a Non-Existent TV Series"
  • John
  • Taupin
1:19
5."Bite Your Lip (Get Up and Dance!)"
  • John
  • Taupin
6:43
Total length:85:07

Note: Initial CD versions of the album maintain the same running order, but omit "Cage the Songbird", "Shoulder Holster", "The Wide Eyed and Laughing" and, in some cases, "Where's the Shoorah?". [12] It has since been remastered and re-released as a 2-CD set retaining the original LP track listing.

Personnel

Track numbering refers to the 2-CD and digital releases of the album.

Production

Charts

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA) [31] Platinum50,000^
Canada (Music Canada) [32] Gold50,000^
France (SNEP) [33] Gold100,000*
Netherlands (NVPI) [34] Gold50,000^
United Kingdom (BPI) [35] Gold100,000^
United States (RIAA) [36] Platinum1,000,000^

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Notes

  1. ↑ Aside from the 1978 non-album single "Ego", originally written for but not included on Blue Moves

Related Research Articles

<i>Empty Sky</i> 1969 studio album by Elton John

Empty Sky is the debut studio album by British singer-songwriter Elton John, released on 6 June 1969. It was not issued in the United States until January 1975, with different cover art, well after John's fame had been established internationally.

<i>Elton John</i> (album) 1970 studio album by Elton John

Elton John is the second studio album by English singer-songwriter Elton John. It was released on 10 April 1970 through DJM Records. Including John's breakthrough single "Your Song", the album helped establish his career during the rise of the singer-songwriter era of popular music.

<i>Madman Across the Water</i> 1971 album by Elton John

Madman Across the Water is the fourth studio album by English musician Elton John, released in 1971 through DJM and Uni Records. The album was his third album to be released in 1971, at which point John had been rising to prominence as a popular music artist. John's first progressive rock album, Madman Across the Water contains nine tracks, each composed and performed by John and with lyrics written by songwriting partner Bernie Taupin. Yes keyboardist Rick Wakeman plays Hammond organ on two songs.

<i>Honky Château</i> 1972 studio album by Elton John

Honky Château is the fifth studio album by English musician Elton John. It was released on 19 May 1972, and was titled after the 18th century French chateau where it was recorded, Château d'Hérouville. The album reached number one in the US Billboard 200, the first of John's seven consecutive US number one albums.

<i>Dont Shoot Me Im Only the Piano Player</i> 1973 album by Elton John

Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player is the sixth studio album by English musician Elton John. Released in January 1973 by DJM Records, it was the first of two studio albums he released in 1973, and was his second straight No. 1 album in the US and first No. 1 album in the UK.

<i>Caribou</i> (album) 1974 studio album by Elton John

Caribou is the eighth studio album by English musician Elton John, released on 24 June 1974 by MCA Records in the US and on 28 June by DJM Records in the UK. It was his fourth chart-topping album in the United States and his third in the United Kingdom. The album contains the singles "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me", which reached number 16 in the UK Singles Chart and number two in the US, and "The Bitch Is Back", which reached number 15 in the UK and number four in the US. Both singles reached number one in Canada on the RPM 100 national Top Singles Chart, as did the album itself.

<i>Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy</i> 1975 studio album by Elton John

Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy is the ninth studio album by English musician Elton John. The album is an autobiographical account of the early musical careers of Elton John and his long-term lyricist Bernie Taupin. It was released in May 1975 by MCA Records in America and DJM in the UK and was an instant commercial success. The album was certified gold before its release, and reached No. 1 in its first week of release on the US Billboard 200, the first album to achieve both honours. It sold 1.4 million copies within four days of release, and stayed in the top position in the chart for seven weeks.

<i>Rock of the Westies</i> 1975 studio album by Elton John

Rock of the Westies is the tenth studio album by English musician Elton John, released on 24 October 1975. The title is a spoonerism on the phrase "West of the Rockies", the album having been recorded at Caribou Ranch in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado.

<i>Here and There</i> (Elton John album) 1976 live album by Elton John

Here and There is a live album and the fourteenth official album release by English musician Elton John, released in 1976. 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.

<i>A Single Man</i> (album) 1978 album by Elton John

A Single Man is the twelfth studio album by English musician Elton John. Released in 1978, it is the first album for which Gary Osborne replaced Bernie Taupin as lyricist. It is also the first of two John albums that, on the original cut, have no tracks co-written by Taupin.

<i>21 at 33</i> 1980 studio album by Elton John

21 at 33 is the fourteenth studio album by English musician Elton John, released in 1980. It was his 21st album in total, made when John was 33 years old, hence the title. Three singles were released from the album, including "Little Jeannie", his highest-charting U.S. single in 5 years. The album sold over 900,000 copies in the United States, missing a Platinum certification.

<i>Too Low for Zero</i> 1983 studio album by Elton John

Too Low for Zero is the seventeenth studio album by English musician Elton John, released in 1983. The album marked a comeback for John, whose previous four albums had failed to yield many enduring international hit singles, and had disappointing sales compared to his string of hit records released during the first half of the 1970s.

<i>Ice on Fire</i> 1985 studio album by Elton John

Ice on Fire is the nineteenth studio album by English musician Elton John, released in 1985. It was recorded at Sol Studios and his first album since Blue Moves produced by his original long-time producer, Gus Dudgeon. David Paton and Charlie Morgan appear for the first time on bass and drums respectively, replacing original band members Dee Murray and Nigel Olsson. Fred Mandel, who had played with John during the Breaking Hearts tour, also contributed guitar and keyboards.

<i>The Fox</i> (Elton John album) 1981 studio album by Elton John

The Fox is the fifteenth studio album by English musician Elton John, released in 1981. The album was produced by John, Clive Franks, and, for the first time, Chris Thomas, who would produce many more albums with John through most of the 1980s and 1990s.

<i>Breaking Hearts</i> 1984 studio album by Elton John

Breaking Hearts is the eighteenth studio album by English musician Elton John, released in 1984. It features the quartet of John, Davey Johnstone, Dee Murray and Nigel Olsson. There were four top-40 singles from the album: "Sad Songs ", "Who Wears These Shoes", "In Neon", and the UK No. 5 hit "Passengers".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Something About the Way You Look Tonight</span> 1997 single by Elton John

"Something About the Way You Look Tonight" is a song by English musician Elton John, taken from his 25th studio album, The Big Picture. It was written by John and Bernie Taupin, and produced by Chris Thomas. It was released as the album's first single on 8 September 1997 by Mercury Records and the Rocket Record Company.

<i>Leather Jackets</i> (album) 1986 studio album by Elton John

Leather Jackets is the twentieth studio album by English musician Elton John. Recorded at Sol Studios in England and Wisseloord Studios in the Netherlands, it was released in 1986 and was his first album not to have any top 40 singles in either the US or the UK since 1970's Tumbleweed Connection, which had no singles released from it. It is also one of his lowest charting studio albums in the United States, peaking at number 91 on the Billboard 200 chart.

<i>Live in Australia with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra</i> 1987 live album by Elton John

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

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Someone Saved My Life Tonight</span> 1975 single by Elton John

"Someone Saved My Life Tonight" is a song, with music by English musician Elton John and lyrics by Bernie Taupin, from John's 1975 album Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy. It was released as a single on 23 June 1975, the only single released from the album. Like the rest of the album, the song is autobiographical, and addresses an attempted suicide by John.

<i>The Union</i> (Elton John and Leon Russell album) 2010 studio album by Elton John and Leon Russell

The Union is a collaboration studio album by singer-songwriters Elton John and Leon Russell, released on 19 October 2010 in the US and on 25 October in the UK. This is John's second collaboration album, after 1993's Duets. This is the first studio release by John since 1979's Victim of Love without any of his regular band members. It is also his highest charting studio album on the Billboard 200 since 1976's Blue Moves, debuting at No. 3, as well as Russell's highest charting studio album since 1972's Carney. The Union was No. 3 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 30 Best Albums of 2010.

References

  1. ↑ Planer, Lindsay. "Elton John – Rock of the Westies". AllMusic. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
  2. ↑ Sexton, Paul (24 October 2022). "'Rock Of The Westies': Yet Another Peak In Elton John's Stunning Career". uDiscoverMusic. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
  3. 1 2 "Elton John Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
  4. 1 2 3 Jahr, Cliff (7 October 1976). "Elton John Comes Out as Bisexual in Rolling Stone's 1976 Cover Story". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
  5. ↑ Malkin, Marc (20 June 2019). "Elton John Has a Message for Struggling LGBTQ Youth: 'Be Proud of Who You Are'". Variety. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
  6. ↑ Roach, Martin (2012). The Top Gear Story: The 100% Unofficial Story of the Most Famous Car Show . . . In the World. John Blake. p. 38. ISBN   978-1857826623.
  7. ↑ "George Michael sings for Elton John". 11 April 2012.
  8. 1 2 Planer, Lindsay. "Blue Moves – Elton John". AllMusic . Retrieved 7 February 2012.
  9. 1 2 Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: J". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies . Ticknor & Fields. ISBN   089919026X . Retrieved 27 February 2019– via robertchristgau.com.
  10. 1 2 "Blue Moves Album Review". Rolling Stone . Retrieved 1 August 2015.
  11. ↑ "Elton John – Blue Moves (album review)". Sputnikmusic. Retrieved 6 March 2019.
  12. ↑ Elton John (1988). Blue Moves (liner notes).
  13. 1 2 Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
  14. ↑ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 5136a". RPM . Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 25 March 2024.
  15. ↑ "danskehitlister.dk". danskehitlister.dk. Retrieved 6 March 2019.
  16. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Elton John – Blue Moves" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 25 March 2024.
  17. ↑ Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. ISBN   978-951-1-21053-5.
  18. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Elton John – Blue Moves" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 25 March 2024.
  19. ↑ "Classifiche". Musica e Dischi (in Italian). Retrieved 25 March 2024. Set "Tipo" on "Album". Then, in the "Artista" field, search "Elton John".
  20. ↑ Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970–2005 (in Japanese). Roppongi, Tokyo: Oricon Entertainment. 2006. ISBN   4-87131-077-9.
  21. ↑ "Charts.nz – Elton John – Blue Moves". Hung Medien. Retrieved 25 March 2024.
  22. ↑ "Norwegiancharts.com – Elton John – Blue Moves". Hung Medien. Retrieved 25 March 2024.
  23. ↑ Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN   84-8048-639-2.
  24. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – Elton John – Blue Moves". Hung Medien. Retrieved 25 March 2024.
  25. ↑ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 25 March 2024.
  26. ↑ "Elton John Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 25 March 2024.
  27. ↑ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 5175". RPM . Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 25 March 2024.
  28. ↑ "Dutch charts jaaroverzichten 1977". Dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 2 April 2014.
  29. ↑ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 5558". RPM . Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 25 March 2024.
  30. ↑ "Top Pop Albums of 1977". Billboard. Retrieved 12 August 2011.
  31. ↑ "Blue Moves to Platinum" (PDF). Cashbox. Vol. 38, no. 29. 4 December 1976. p. 50. Retrieved 15 August 2020– via World Radio History.
  32. ↑ "Canadian album certifications – Elton John – Blue Moves". Music Canada.
  33. ↑ "French album certifications – Elton John – Blue Moves" (in French). InfoDisc.Select ELTON JOHN and click OK. 
  34. ↑ "Holland Reaction" (PDF). Cashbox. 1 January 1977. p. 39. Retrieved 18 March 2023– via World Radio History.
  35. ↑ "British album certifications – Elton John – Blue Moves". British Phonographic Industry.
  36. ↑ "American album certifications – Elton John – Blue Moves". Recording Industry Association of America.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.