"Don't Go Breaking My Heart" | ||||
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Single by Elton John and Kiki Dee | ||||
B-side | "Snow Queen" | |||
Released | 21 June 1976 | |||
Recorded | 27 March 1976 [1] | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 4:31 | |||
Label | ||||
Songwriter(s) | ||||
Producer(s) | Gus Dudgeon | |||
Elton John singles chronology | ||||
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Kiki Dee singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"Don't Go Breaking My Heart" on YouTube |
"Don't Go Breaking My Heart" is a 1976 duet by English musician Elton John and English singer Kiki Dee. It was written by John with Bernie Taupin under the pseudonyms "Ann Orson" and "Carte Blanche",respectively,and intended as an affectionate pastiche of the Motown style,notably the various duets recorded by Marvin Gaye and singers such as Tammi Terrell and Kim Weston. John and Taupin originally intended to record the song with Dusty Springfield,but ultimately withdrew the offer;Springfield's partner Sue Cameron later said this was because she was too ill at the time. [3] [4]
Unlike many of John's singles from the 1970s,it was never included on an original album (although it was recorded during the Blue Moves sessions). In the same year,John and Taupin received the 1976 Ivor Novello award for Best Song Musically and Lyrically. [5]
In 1994,John released the song as a duet with American drag queen RuPaul. It was produced by Giorgio Moroder and reached number three on the US Billboard Dance Club Songs chart,reached number seven on the UK Singles Chart [6] and number one in Iceland. [7]
Cash Box said that "there are some great harmonies in the chorus" and that John and Dee "seem perfectly wedded in this tune." [8] Record World called it "a duet of rare simplicity and charm with James Newton-Howard's strings practically dancing out of the grooves." [9]
"Don't Go Breaking My Heart" was the first No. 1 single in the UK for both John and Kiki Dee,topping the chart for six weeks in mid 1976. John would not enjoy a solo British chart-topper until "Sacrifice" in 1990. It also became his sixth No. 1 single in the US,topping the Billboard Hot 100 for four weeks and spent one week on the Easy Listening chart. [10] Billboard ranked it as the No. 2 song for 1976,giving him his second consecutive appearance in the Billboard Year-end Top 3. [11] In the U.S.,it has been certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. [12] After this duet with Dee,John failed to have another US solo number one single until "Candle in the Wind 1997". This 21-year period included two intervening number one hits in America with musical partners:"That's What Friends Are For" by Dionne &Friends in 1986,and a 1992 re-make of John's "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" with George Michael credited as a duet.
The B-side,"Snow Queen",was supposedly inspired by Cher,with John quoting past Sonny &Cher hits "I Got You Babe" and "The Beat Goes On",as well as the solo Cher song "Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)" during the fadeout of the song.
In 1977,John guest-starred on The Muppet Show and performed the track with Miss Piggy. In 1985,John and Dee performed the track to the crowd at Wembley Stadium during John's set at Live Aid (where Dee sang backup). In 1988,John appeared with Minnie Mouse on the NBC special Totally Minnie miming to the track. He performed the track with Alan Partridge (Steve Coogan) at the 2001 British Comedy awards. He also performed it with the Spice Girls on his ITV tribute programme An Audience with ... Elton John .[ citation needed ]
In June 2013,37 years after its original release,the single reached one million sales in the UK. [13] [14]
The B-side,"Snow Queen",remained unavailable on CD outside Australia until April 2019 when it was included as a bonus track on the reissue of Kiki Dee's Cage the Songbird album,included in the 5-CD box set The Rocket Years. [15] In May 2019 it was also included on the 3-CD box set Gold,a retrospective of Dee's career spanning various labels.[ citation needed ] In 2020,it was also included on Elton John's 8-CD box set Jewel Box .
Based on information on the Elton John official website. [1]
Weekly singles charts
| Year-end charts
All-time charts
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Australia (ARIA) [46] [47] | Gold | 50,000^ |
Canada (Music Canada) [48] | Platinum | 150,000^ |
Denmark (IFPI Danmark) [49] | Platinum | 90,000‡ |
Italy (FIMI) [50] | Gold | 50,000‡ |
United Kingdom (BPI) [51] | Platinum | 600,000‡ / 1,029,242 [52] |
United States (RIAA) [53] | Platinum | 1,000,000‡ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
"Don't Go Breaking My Heart" | ||||
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Single by Elton John and RuPaul | ||||
from the album Duets | ||||
B-side |
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Released | 14 February 1994 [54] | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 4:59 | |||
Label | ||||
Songwriter(s) | ||||
Producer(s) | Giorgio Moroder | |||
Elton John singles chronology | ||||
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RuPaul singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"Don't Go Breaking My Heart" on YouTube |
In 1994,Elton John and American drag queen RuPaul released the song as a duet. It was produced by Giorgio Moroder and released on 14 February 1994 by Rocket and MCA as the third single from John's first collaboration album, Duets (1993).
The song reached number three on the US Billboard Dance Club Songs chart. In Europe,it peaked at number-one in Iceland and within the top 10 in Portugal and the UK,the top 20 in Denmark,Ireland and Italy,and the top 30 in Austria,France and Switzerland. On the Eurochart Hot 100,"Don't Go Breaking My Heart" peaked at number 18 in March 1994. Outside Europe,the song reached number 39 in New Zealand,number 45 in Australia,and number 92 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US.
AllMusic editor Stephen Thomas Erlewine described the song as a "kitschy number". [55] Larry Flick from Billboard wrote that John recreates his classic Kiki Dee duet with "the world's favorite drag queen. Revamped quasi-rave/hi-NRG version of the track is way stronger than the less-than-pleasing mix on John's current collection,rendering it a formidable contender for action on both dancefloors and radio. Oodles of good fun." [56] Dave Sholin from the Gavin Report commented,"Thanks to producer Giorgio Moroder,there's a few more beats per minute,as well as a hilarious video,and a super performance of a great tune." [57]
Alan Jones from Music Week gave it four out of five,calling it "somewhat soulessly produced" and a "smash-bound but tacky remake". [58] John Kilgo from The Network Forty stated that this remake of the previous number-one smash "is for real..." [59] Sam Wood from Philadelphia Inquirer viewed it as "a campy techno remake" of John's 1977 hit. [60] Tom Doyle from Smash Hits gave it one out of five,saying that the music "sounds like it was done with the help of a Gameboy running low on batteries". [61] Charles Aaron from Spin wrote,"If I'd known he was gearing up for world domination,I never would've given Ru so much guff for his caféau lait complexion,blond ambition,and cosmetic tinkering. Keep those techno bon mots coming. Star booty forever." [62]
A music video was produced to promote the single,featuring Elton John and RuPaul,directed by Randy Barbota. [63] The video was later published on John's official YouTube channel in 2016,and had generated more than three million views as of January 2023. [64]
No. | Title | Length |
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1. | "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" | 4:59 |
2. | "Donner Pour Donner" | 4:25 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" | 4:59 |
2. | "Donner Pour Donner" | 4:24 |
3. | "A Woman's Needs" | 5:16 |
No. | Title | Length |
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1. | "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" (Remix) | 6:56 |
2. | "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" (MK Mix) | 7:19 |
3. | "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" (Serious Rope 12") | 6:39 |
4. | "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" (Roger's Dub Mix) | 7:06 |
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
|
The musical comedy troupe the Capitol Steps recorded a parody of the song, in which then-President George W. Bush is told by his wife Laura, "Don't go faking you're smart". [83]
John's 2022 song "Hold Me Closer" (featuring Britney Spears) interpolates elements of the song. [84] [85]
Pauline Matthews better known by her stage name Kiki Dee, is an English pop singer. Known for her blue-eyed soul vocals, she was the first female singer from the UK to sign with Motown's Tamla Records.
Greatest Hits is the eleventh official album release for English musician Elton John, and the first compilation. Released in November 1974, it spans the years 1970 to 1974, compiling ten of John's singles, with one track variation for releases in North America and for Europe and Australia. It topped the album chart in both the United States and the United Kingdom, staying at number one for ten consecutive weeks in the former nation and eleven weeks in the latter. In Canada, it was number one for 13 weeks between December 14, 1974, and March 22, 1975, missing only December 28, 1974, at number 2 to Jim Croce's Photographs & Memories.
"Daniel" is a song written by English musician Elton John and his long-time songwriting partner Bernie Taupin, and performed by John. It was first released on John's 1973 album Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player.
Love Songs is a compilation album by English musician Elton John. It was released on 6 November 1995 by John's own label The Rocket Record Company, in conjunction with Mercury Records, and in North America by MCA Records on 24 September 1996. In the US, it was certified gold in December 1996, platinum in March 1997, double platinum in December 1998 and triple platinum in August 2000 by the RIAA.
"True Love" is a popular song written by American songwriter Cole Porter, published in 1956. The song was introduced by Bing Crosby and Grace Kelly in the musical film High Society. "True Love" was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song. Kelly's contribution on the record is relatively minor, duetting with Crosby on only the final chorus. Nonetheless, the single is co-credited to her.
"Can You Feel the Love Tonight" is a song from Disney's 1994 animated feature film The Lion King composed by English musician Elton John with lyrics by Tim Rice. Released as a single in May 1994, the song was a hit in the UK, peaking at number 14 on the UK Singles Chart, and achieved success in the United States, reaching number four on the Billboard Hot 100. The song was a number-one hit in Canada and France. At the 67th Academy Awards in March 1995, it won the Academy Award for Best Original Song. The same year, the song also won John the Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance. Completing a trifecta, the song also won a Golden Globe at the 52nd Golden Globe Awards held in 1995 for Best Song - Motion Picture.
"Crocodile Rock" is a song written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin, and recorded in summer 1972 at the Château d'Hérouville studio in France, where John and his team had previously recorded the Honky Château album. It was released on 27 October 1972 in the UK and 20 November 1972 in the U.S., as a pre-release single from his forthcoming 1973 album Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player, and became his first U.S. number-one single, reaching the top spot on 3 February 1973, and staying there for three consecutive weeks. In the U.S., it was certified Gold on 5 February 1973 and Platinum on 13 September 1995 by the RIAA.
Duets is the first collaboration studio album by English musician Elton John, released in 1993. The album debuted at No. 7 in the UK. In the US, it peaked at number 25 on the Billboard 200 chart and was certified platinum in January 1994 by the RIAA.
Elton John One Night Only – The Greatest Hits is a live album released by English musician Elton John in 2000. The album was recorded on 20 and 21 October 2000 at Madison Square Garden. An extended version was also released as a DVD, entitled One Night Only: The Greatest Hits Live at Madison Square Garden. While the album is called "One Night Only," it was in fact recorded over two nights. Due to technical issues on the first night, most of the recordings were drawn from the second show. In the US, it was certified gold in July 2001 by the RIAA.
"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.
"Little Jeannie" is a song written by English musician Elton John and Gary Osborne recorded by John, and released as a single in 1980 from John's studio album 21 at 33. It reached number three on the Billboard pop chart in the United States, becoming the singer's biggest U.S. hit since 1976's "Don't Go Breaking My Heart", and his highest-charting solo hit since 1975's "Island Girl". In the US, it would be John'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.
"Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word" is a song written by English musician Elton John and songwriter Bernie Taupin. It was recorded by Elton John and released in 1976, both as a single and as part of the Blue Moves album. It was John's second single released by The Rocket Record Company. The song is a mournful ballad about a romantic relationship which is falling apart.
Sir Elton Hercules John is a British singer, pianist and composer. Acclaimed by critics and musicians, particularly for his work during the 1970s and for his lasting impact on the music industry, his music and showmanship have had a significant impact on popular music. His songwriting partnership with lyricist Bernie Taupin is one of the most successful in history.
"Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" is a ballad written by English musician Elton John and songwriter Bernie Taupin, and performed by John. It is the title track on John's album of the same name. The titular road is a reference to L. Frank Baum's The Wizard of Oz film and book series.
"Border Song" is a song by Elton John with music by John and lyrics by Bernie Taupin. The song initially appeared on the 1970 album Elton John, and was released in the spring of 1970 as the LP's first single. After failing to chart in the UK, it was released in North America a few months later. It met with more success there, especially in Canada, where it peaked at No. 34. The appearance of "Border Song" on the Canadian charts was John's first chart appearance in any country.
"Island Girl" is a 1975 song by English musician Elton John. It was written by John and his songwriting collaborator Bernie Taupin and released as the first single from the album Rock of the Westies (1975). It reached number one for three weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 in the U.S., selling over one million copies, and also reached the top twenty in Canada, New Zealand, Australia and the UK.
"Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" is a song written by English musician Elton John and songwriter Bernie Taupin. It was originally recorded by John for his eighth studio album, Caribou (1974), and was released as a single that peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and reached number 16 on the UK Singles Chart.
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"I've Got the Music in Me" is a pop song by The Kiki Dee Band, released in 1974. It was written in 1973 by Bias Boshell, Kiki Dee Band's keyboardist. It is also the title of a Kiki Dee Band album released in 1974 and re-mastered and re-issued with bonus tracks in 2008.
"Don't Go Breaking My Heart" is a 1976 duet by Elton John and Kiki Dee.
It's a pretty good deeply cheesy Broadway-disco shout-along, though...But it's a perfectly likable piece of amiable mid-'70s pop hackery.