Friends (film soundtrack)

Last updated

"Friends" Original Soundtrack Recording
Friendsalbum.jpg
Soundtrack album by
Elton John
Released5 March 1971
RecordedSeptember 1970
Studio Trident Studios, London
Genre Film music, soft rock
Length37:51
Label Paramount
Producer Gus Dudgeon
Elton John chronology
Tumbleweed Connection
(1970)		"Friends" Original Soundtrack Recording
(1971)		 17-11-70
(1971)
Singles from Friends
  1. "Friends"
    Released: 10 March 1971
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music Star full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [1]

"Friends" Original Soundtrack Recording, 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 (following the albums Elton John in February and Tumbleweed Connection in March). [2] The title track was a minor hit in the US (#34 on the pop chart) despite the film's mediocre performance. The album also received a 1972 Grammy nomination for Best Original Score Written for a Motion Picture or Television Special at the 14th Annual Grammy Awards. [3]

Contents

The rights to the soundtrack are now with Universal Music Group, which shares ownership of John's music with him, and which also owns the Paramount Records catalogue.

Apart from the original vinyl release in 1971, it has yet to be issued as a standalone CD, but the Friends soundtrack is available on the Rare Masters (1992) 2-CD set, tracks 10–19 on Disc One, albeit with the tracks in a different order to the original LP. The difference is that "Michelle's Song" changes places with "Honey Roll" and "Variations on Friends".

In the early 1970s, John performed the title track and "Can I Put You On" in concert, with the latter appearing on the next release, the live recording 17-11-70 (retitled 11-17-70 in North America). "Seasons Reprise" was heard on the The Wonder Years season 3 episode "Night Out" where Kevin Arnold (Fred Savage) and Winnie Cooper (Danica McKellar) have their first kiss. The most recent performance of "Friends" was during the An Evening with Elton John tour in 1999.

Track listing

All tracks written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin, except where noted.

Side One
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Friends" 2:20
2."Honey Roll" 3:00
3."Variations on Friends Theme (The First Kiss)" (instrumental)John, Paul Buckmaster 1:45
4."Seasons" 3:52
5."Variation on Michelle's Song (A Day in the Country)" (instrumental)John, Buckmaster2:44
6."Can I Put You On" 5:52
Side Two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Michelle's Song" 4:16
2."I Meant to Do My Work Today (A Day in the Country)"John, Buckmaster, lyrics: Richard Le Gallienne 1:33
3."Four Moods" (instrumental)Buckmaster10:56
4."Seasons Reprise" 1:33

Personnel

Information taken from the original LP's liner notes. [4]

Production

Charts

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI) [10] Gold100,000^
United States (RIAA) [11] Gold500,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Related Research Articles

<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>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, in March 1970, and released in October 1970 in the UK and January 1971 in the US. It is a concept album based on country and western and 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 on 5 November 1971 by 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 on the US Billboard 200, the first of John's seven consecutive US number one albums.

<i>Goodbye Yellow Brick Road</i> 1973 album by Elton John

Goodbye Yellow Brick Road is the seventh studio album by English singer, pianist, and composer Elton John. A double album, it was released on 5 October 1973, by DJM Records. Recorded at the Château d'Hérouville in France, the album became a double LP once John and his band became inspired by the locale. Among the 17 tracks, the album contains the hits "Candle in the Wind", US number-one single "Bennie and the Jets", "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" and "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting", along with the live favourite "Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding".

<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, released on 23 May 1975 by DJM Records in the UK and MCA Records in the US. The album is an autobiographical account of the early musical careers of Elton John and his long-term lyricist Bernie Taupin. 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 pun on the phrase "West of the Rockies", the album having been recorded at Caribou Ranch in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado.

<i>The One</i> (Elton John album) 1992 studio album by Elton John

The One is the twenty-third studio album by British recording artist Elton John, released on 22 June 1992. It was recorded at Studio Guillaume Tell in Paris, produced by Chris Thomas and managed by John Reid. The album was dedicated to Vance Buck, and its cover artwork was designed by Gianni Versace.

Tiny Dancer 1972 single by Elton John

"Tiny Dancer" is a song written by English musician and composer Elton John and lyricist Bernie Taupin, and performed by John. It was originally released on John's 1971 album Madman Across the Water, and was later produced and released as a single in 1972.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daniel (Elton John song)</span> 1973 single by Elton John

"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. The original single release was also notable for a re-recorded version of 'Skyline Pigeon" on its B-side, which went on to be a popular track in its own right.

<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>Reg Strikes Back</i> 1988 studio album by Elton John

Reg Strikes Back is the twenty-first studio album by English musician Elton John, released in 1988. It was his self-proclaimed comeback album, and his own way of fighting back against bad press. The "Reg" in Reg Strikes Back refers to John's birth name, Reginald Kenneth Dwight.

<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".

<i>Jump Up!</i> (Elton John album) 1982 studio album by Elton John

Jump Up! is the sixteenth studio album by English musician Elton John. It was released in 1982 by The Rocket Record Company except in the US and Canada, where it was released by Geffen Records. In the United States, the album was certified gold by the RIAA in November 1982.

<i>Duets</i> (Elton John album) 1993 studio album by Elton John and various artists

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Levon (song)</span> 1971 song by Elton John and Bernie Taupin

"Levon" is a song written by English musician Elton John and songwriter Bernie Taupin, and performed by John. It was recorded on 27 February 1971, and was released on John's 1971 album, Madman Across the Water. Backing vocals are provided by Tony Burrows. Paul Buckmaster wrote the orchestral arrangements and conducted the orchestra.

<i>The Captain & the Kid</i> 2006 studio album by Elton John

The Captain & the Kid is the twenty-eighth studio album by English musician Elton John, released in 2006. It is his second autobiographical album with lyricist Bernie Taupin, picking up where Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy (1975) left off. The Captain & the Kid chronicles the events in their lives over the intervening three decades.

<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.

References

  1. ↑ Larkin, Colin (2011). "John, Elton". The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th concise ed.). London: Omnibus Press. p. 2,003. ISBN   978-0-85712-595-8.
  2. ↑ "Elton John's Gold & Platinum Albums". Neosoul.com. 28 August 2000. Retrieved 16 February 2012.
  3. ↑ "Discography". Archived from the original on 11 May 2018. Retrieved 18 April 2017.
  4. ↑ "LP's liner notes". albumlinernotes.com. Retrieved 7 December 2020.[ permanent dead link ]
  5. ↑ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
  6. ↑ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 5382". RPM . Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 22 February 2023.
  7. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Soundtrack / Elton John – Friends" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 22 February 2023.
  8. ↑ "Elton John Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 22 February 2023.
  9. ↑ "Jaaroverzichten – Album 1971" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
  10. ↑ "great britain's million sellers, 1971-72" (PDF). Cash Box . 6 July 1974. p. 8, Part II. Retrieved 20 December 2020.
  11. ↑ "American album certifications – Elton John – Friends". 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.