"Levon" | ||||
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Single by Elton John | ||||
from the album Madman Across the Water | ||||
B-side | "Goodbye" | |||
Released | 29 November 1971 [1] | |||
Recorded | 27 February 1971; Trident Studios (London, England) | |||
Genre | Symphonic rock | |||
Length | 5:22 (album version) 4:59 (single version) | |||
Label | Uni (US) DJM (UK) | |||
Songwriter(s) | ||||
Producer(s) | Gus Dudgeon | |||
Elton John singles chronology | ||||
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Audio | ||||
"Levon" by Elton John on YouTube |
"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 . [2] Backing vocals are provided by Tony Burrows. [3] Paul Buckmaster wrote the orchestral arrangements and conducted the orchestra.
The song reached number 24 on the US Billboard Hot 100, and peaked at number six on the Canadian RPM singles chart. [4]
According to Gus Dudgeon, Taupin named the character in the song after the Band's co-founder, drummer and singer Levon Helm. The Band were apparently John and Taupin's favourite group at the time. In 2013, however, Taupin said that the song was unrelated to Helm. [5] According to fellow Band member Robbie Robertson, Levon Helm did not like the song, quoting him as saying "Englishmen shouldn't fuck with Americanisms". [6]
The "Alvin Tostig" mentioned in the song (Levon's father) is, according to Taupin, fictional. [7]
The song was omitted from John's 1974 compilation album Greatest Hits [8] but was included in the U.S. edition of Elton John's Greatest Hits Volume II (1977). [9]
John performed the song for his spring 1972 concert. A portion of the live performance appeared in the bootleg recording releases Scope 72 and Apple Pie. [10]
The song's lyrics refer to the character Levon as being born on Christmas, and John's first son Zachary, who was born on December 25, 2010, has Levon as one of his middle names. [11]
Author Elizabeth J. Rosenthal in 2001 labelled "Levon" one of Elton John's signature songs. She criticised the orchestra for almost "jeopardizing the simple grandeur of the melody and Elton's chord progressions." [12]
The song peaked at number 24 on Billboard Hot 100 on the week ending 5 February 1972, more than two months after its single release on 29 November 1971. [1]
Record World called it John's and Taupin's "'Eleanor Rigby,' sort of" with high hit potential. [13]
Chart (1972) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australia (Kent Music Report) [14] | 94 |
Canada Top Singles ( RPM ) [15] | 6 |
US Billboard Hot 100 [16] | 24 |
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
United States (RIAA) [17] | Platinum | 1,000,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
"Levon" has been covered by several artists, including Myles Kennedy, Jon Bon Jovi (who covered the song on the tribute album Two Rooms , and says that "Levon" is his favourite song of all time, saying that he looks up to Elton John as his idol) [18] and Canadian rock singer-songwriter Billy Klippert. Mary McCreary recorded a version of "Levon" on her LP Jezebel, Shelter Records SR-2110 (1974). Phil Lesh and Friends started playing the song in April 2012, shortly after Levon Helm's death.
Since 1971, John regularly performed this song alongside "Tiny Dancer" on his concert tours in various decades. [19]
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.
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.
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.
Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player is the sixth studio album by English musician Elton John. Released on 26 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 on the US Billboard 200 and first No. 1 album on the UK Albums Chart.
"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 as its opening track, and was later produced and released as a single in 1972.
Elton John's Greatest Hits Volume II is the sixteenth official album release for English musician Elton John, and the second compilation. The original 1977 US version features one song from 1971 and two songs from 1974 that were not on the first greatest hits album. It also features several hit songs from 1975 and two hit singles from John's past year of performing in 1976. The cover photograph was taken by Gered Mankowitz.
21 at 33 is the fourteenth studio album by British musician Elton John. It was released on 23 May 1980, through MCA Records in the US and The Rocket Record Company in all other territories. The album was co-produced by John and Clive Franks, and was primarily recorded in August 1979 at Super Bear Studios in Nice, France. The record was the first since Blue Moves (1976) to feature lyrics written by Bernie Taupin, while John also continued to experiment with other lyricists, including Gary Osborne and Tom Robinson. Contributors to the album include members of Toto and the Eagles, as well as Dee Murray and Nigel Olsson, marking their first appearance on an Elton John album since Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy (1975).
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.
Made in England is the twenty-fourth studio album by English musician Elton John, released in 1995. It was produced by John and Greg Penny, his first album since Leather Jackets without producer Chris Thomas. The album was dedicated to John's boyfriend and future husband David Furnish. It was also dedicated to the memory of Denis Gauthier and Peter Williams. It was the last album to feature regular Elton John Band percussionist Ray Cooper until 2016's Wonderful Crazy Night. Bob Birch became John's full-time recording and touring bass player until his death in 2012.
"Your Song" is a song written by musician Elton John and lyricist Bernie Taupin, and performed by John. It was John's first international Top 10 chart single.
"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 Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
"Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting" (sometimes written "Saturday Night's Alright (For Fighting)") is a song originally recorded by English musician Elton John. John composed it with his long-time songwriting partner Bernie Taupin. It was released on John's best-selling album Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (1973) and as the first single. It has been covered by many artists and featured on motion picture, video game, and television soundtracks.
"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.
"Philadelphia Freedom" is a song by English musician Elton John and songwriter Bernie Taupin. It was released as a single on 28 February 1975, credited to the Elton John Band. The song was the fourth of John's six number-one singles in the US during the early and mid-1970s, which saw his recordings dominating the charts. In Canada it was his eighth single to hit the top of the RPM national singles chart.
"This Train Don't Stop There Anymore" is the final track on Elton John's 2001 album Songs from the West Coast. Written by John and Bernie Taupin, the song's lyrics detail John's fame being over and his coming to terms with getting older but still keep touring and giving great performances around the world. It was released as the second single from the album and reached No. 24 in the UK Singles chart and was a Top 10 Adult Contemporary chart hit in the US. The song was less successful in the Netherlands, reaching No. 83.
"Ego" is a 1978 song performed by English musician Elton John, written by John and Bernie Taupin. It was released in early 1978 as a standalone single, and did not appear on the album released in the same year, A Single Man. John played this song live from 1978 up until 1980. The single reached #34 in both the UK and the US.
"Have Mercy on the Criminal" is a song written by English musician Elton John and songwriter Bernie Taupin, and performed by John. It is the most frequent live-track on the album besides the two dominating singles, "Daniel" and "Crocodile Rock".
"Rocket Man(I Think It's Going to Be a Long, Long Time)" is a song written by English musician Elton John and songwriter Bernie Taupin and performed by John. It was originally released on 17 April 1972 in the US, as the lead single to John's album Honky Château. The song first charted in the UK on 22 April, rising to No. 2 in the UK Singles Chart and No. 6 in the US Billboard Hot 100, becoming a major hit single for John.
"Friends" is a song written by English musician Elton John and songwriter Bernie Taupin, and performed by John. It was John's third U.S. hit, and his second to reach Top 40 after the breakthrough success of "Your Song".
"Heartache All Over the World" is an upbeat song by English musician Elton John from his 20th studio album, Leather Jackets (1986). Written by John and Bernie Taupin, it was released as the album's lead single in September 1986, charting at number 45 in the UK Singles Chart and at number 55 on the US Billboard Hot 100, and reaching the top 10 in Australia, where it peaked at number 7. The song talks about not being able to date for a night.
General
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