Empty Sky

Last updated

Empty Sky
Elton John - Empty Sky.jpg
Studio album by
Released6 June 1969 (UK)
13 January 1975 (US)
RecordedNovember 1968 – April 1969
Studio Dick James, London
Genre
Length41:11(original release)
54:53 (1995 reissue)
Label
Producer Steve Brown
Elton John chronology
Empty Sky
(1969)
Elton John
(1970)
Alternative cover
Elton John - Empty Sky - U.S. cover.jpg
U.S. album cover

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 (on MCA), with different cover art, well after John's fame had been established internationally.

Contents

Background

Recorded during the winter of 1968 and spring of 1969 in a DJM Records 8-track studio, Empty Sky is the only album in the early part of Elton John's career not produced by Gus Dudgeon, instead helmed by friend and DJM staffer Steve Brown. The album was released in the UK in both stereo and mono, the latter now being a rare collector's item.

John plays harpsichord on several tracks, including "Skyline Pigeon", which John has described as being "the first song Bernie and I ever got excited about that we ever wrote." [2]

John used musicians who were friends either of him or of Brown. Guitarist Caleb Quaye and drummer Roger Pope, both at the time members of the band Hookfoot, played on many of the tracks. (Quaye and Pope would rejoin John a few years later as part of his studio and touring band behind Rock of the Westies in 1975 and Blue Moves in 1976.) Tony Murray from The Troggs played bass. Empty Sky is the first appearance with John of then Plastic Penny and Spencer Davis Group member Nigel Olsson, who played drums on "Lady What's Tomorrow?" (Olsson and fellow Spencer Davis bandmate, bassist Dee Murray, would soon join John as his early 1970s touring band.) Also listed in the production credits is Clive Franks, who would later produce John's live sound in concert for a tremendous amount of his touring career, as well as occasionally co-produce with John on albums such as A Single Man and 21 at 33 . The original sleeve design was done by David Larkham (billed as "Dave"), who would go on to create designs for John and other artists.

"Skyline Pigeon" is the most popular and best-known song on the album, and the only one which John, albeit infrequently, still performs as part of his live shows. The more definitive version of "Skyline Pigeon" featuring an orchestra and piano backing in place of harpsichord was recorded for 1973's Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player , and initially appeared as the B-side of "Daniel" in 1973. Another appearance of the song was in 1974, when a version recorded in London was featured as the opening track on the Here and There live LP and its 1995 CD reissue. A version of the title track, "Empty Sky", was also included at various stops on John's 1975 tour.

Although John has since called the album naive, he does have fond memories of making the record. These include walking home from recording at 4 a.m. and lodging at the Salvation Army HQ in Oxford Street, which was run by Steve Brown's father. "I remember when we finished work on the title track – it just floored me. I thought it was the best thing I'd ever heard in my life," John recalled. [3] He later recalled that he was "unsure what style I was going to be ... [maybe what] Leonard Cohen sounds like." [4]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [1]
Disc & Music Echo Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg

A contemporary review from Disc & Music Echo said, "Can't help feeling that the lyrics could still do with a little more intensity, a little less youthful pretension. But that's just carping because the music is so nice and pretty that you can't really put it down. Well worth a good, deep listen." [5] AllMusic's retrospective review showed a subdued reaction to the material, concluding "There aren't any forgotten gems on Empty Sky, but it does suggest John's potential." [1]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin.

Side one
No.TitleLength
1."Empty Sky"8:29
2."Val-Hala"4:11
3."Western Ford Gateway"3:15
4."Hymn 2000"4:29
Side two
No.TitleLength
1."Lady What's Tomorrow"3:09
2."Sails"3:45
3."The Scaffold"3:18
4."Skyline Pigeon"3:37
5."Gulliver / Hay Chewed / Reprise"6:58
Total length:41:11
Bonus tracks (1995 Mercury and 1996 Rocket reissue)
No.TitleLength
10."Lady Samantha"3:02
11."All Across the Havens"2:52
12."It's Me That You Need"4:04
13."Just Like Strange Rain"3:44
Total length:54:53
Notes

Personnel

Production

Charts

Related Research Articles

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

The self-titled second studio album by English singer-songwriter Elton John was released on 10 April 1970 by DJM Records and by Uni Records in United States. The album was the first release by John in the United States because Empty Sky was not released in the country until 1975.

<i>Tumbleweed Connection</i> 1970 studio album by Elton John

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.

<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 in 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, 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 honors. 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 4 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, released in 1976, is a live album by English musician 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.

<i>Blue Moves</i> 1976 studio album by Elton John

Blue Moves is the eleventh studio album by English musician Elton John. It was released in October 1976. It was John's second double album and the first to be released by his own label, Rocket Records Ltd. The album reached number 3 in the US charts, ending a long streak of chart-topping albums for John that began with Honky Château in 1972.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nigel Olsson</span> British drummer

Nigel Olsson is an English rock drummer best known for his long-time affiliation with Elton John. A dynamic drummer and backing vocalist, Olsson helped establish the Elton John sound as a member of the Elton John Band alongside bassist Dee Murray.

<i>Friends</i> (film soundtrack) 1971 soundtrack album by Elton John

Friends, released in 1971, is the fourth official album release by Elton John. It was a project John and Bernie Taupin took on before their breakout success in the US, and served as the soundtrack album for the Friends film released in the same year. It was certified Gold in April 1971 by the RIAA. It became John's third gold record in as many months in that market. The title track was a minor hit in the US despite the film's poor performance. The album also received a 1972 Grammy nomination for Best Original Score Written for a Motion Picture.

<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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lady Samantha</span> 1969 single by Elton John

"Lady Samantha" is a song by English musician Elton John with lyrics by Bernie Taupin. It was released on 17 January 1969 as his second single, six months before his first album, Empty Sky, came out. It appeared on its 1995 reissue as a bonus track.

"Skyline Pigeon" is a ballad composed and performed by English musician Elton John with lyrics by Bernie Taupin. It is the eighth track on his first album, Empty Sky. It was originally released by Guy Darrell and Roger James Cooke simultaneously as a single in August 1968.

Caleb Quaye, is an English rock guitarist and studio musician best known for his work in the 1960s and 1970s with Elton John, Mick Jagger, Pete Townshend, Paul McCartney, Hall & Oates and Ralph McTell, and also toured with Shawn Phillips in the 1970s. He is the son of Cab Kaye, younger brother of Terri Quaye, and older half-brother of singer Finley Quaye.

<i>Tommy</i> (soundtrack) 1975 soundtrack album by The Who

Tommy is a soundtrack album by The Who with contributions from numerous artists. The soundtrack was used in the 1975 Tommy film that was based on the original album that was released by The Who in 1969. Pete Townshend oversaw the production of this double-LP recording that returned the music to its rock roots, and on which the unrecorded orchestral arrangements he had envisaged for the original Tommy LP were realised by the extensive use of synthesiser.

<i>17-11-70</i> 1971 live album by Elton John

17-11-70 is the fifth official album release for English musician Elton John and his first live album.

<i>Regimental Sgt. Zippo</i> 2021 studio album by Elton John

Regimental Sgt. Zippo is the thirty-first studio album by English musician Elton John. Originally recorded in 1967 and 1968, it remained unreleased until Record Store Day of June 2021, when the mono version was issued on vinyl. In early July 2022, the album saw a broader release in stereo vinyl and stereo/mono CD.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Empty Sky at AllMusic
  2. "Skyline Pigeon" track from "Here And There", Disc 1, Track 1. Released 30 April 1976, MCA Records.
  3. Liner notes from "Empty Sky". 1995 Rocket/Island CD Reissue.
  4. "Elton John". Spectacle. Season 1. Episode 1. 2008.
  5. "July Disc LP Guide". Disc & Music Echo . 12 July 1969. p. 13.
  6. "Top RPM Albums: Issue 3934a". RPM . Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 22 February 2023.
  7. "Elton John Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 14 September 2022.