Live in Australia with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra

Last updated

Live in Australia with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra
Live in australia.JPG
Live album by
Released13 June 1987
Recorded14 December 1986
Venue Sydney Entertainment Centre (Sydney, Australia)
Genre Rock, symphonic rock
Length73:46
Label Rocket (UK)
MCA (US)
Festival/ABC/Warner Bros. (Australasia)
Producer Gus Dudgeon
Elton John chronology
Leather Jackets
(1986)
Live in Australia with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra
(1987)
Elton John's Greatest Hits Vol. 3
(1987)
Singles from Live in Australia with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra
  1. "Your Song [live]"
    Released: 1987
  2. "Candle in the Wind [live]"
    Released: 1987
  3. "Take Me to the Pilot [live]"
    Released: 1988
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [1]
Number One Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [2]

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.

Contents

Album history

The concert, recorded on 14 December 1986, was the last of a series of concerts done throughout the last two months of 1986, which were part of John's Tour De Force of Australia and New Zealand. The concerts consisted of two sets: the first was limited to John and his 14-piece band, including backing vocalists and the Onward International horn section, and his flamboyant stage dress, featuring Mohawk and Tina Turner wigs and some outlandish eyewear; the second featured John, the band and the 88-piece Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, with him dressed as Mozart.

John's band was essentially the lineup used on Leather Jackets , which he was touring behind at the time, including Jody Linscott and special guest Ray Cooper, both of whom played percussion.

James Newton Howard, who had previously played keyboards in John's band during 1975-1976 and was at the time an up-and-coming film composer in Hollywood, joined John to conduct and write larger, augmented charts of not only his own previous work on "Tonight," but also Paul Buckmaster's original arrangements, since the music was to be played by 88 musicians, instead of the smaller studio orchestra for which the compositions were originally designed. He also wrote brand new full orchestra parts for songs such as "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me", which previously only had a horn arrangement.

The album features most of the songs recorded in the second half of the show, excluding "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting", "Carla/Etude", "Cold as Christmas (In the Middle of the Year)" and "Slow Rivers", which was sung by John alone (John dueted "Slow Rivers" with Cliff Richard on Leather Jackets).

John's live sound engineer, Clive Franks, handled the recording of the band (assisted by Keith Walker and Dennis Fox), while album producer Gus Dudgeon supervised recording of the orchestra by Leon Minervini and Nic Jeremy. Dudgeon took the tapes back to Wisseloord Studios in the Netherlands for mixing with engineer Graham Dickson, who had also worked on Leather Jackets.

This concert was the last to feature Elton's legendary stage costumes, which he had featured in his shows since the early 1970s. It was also his last show before undergoing throat surgery in January 1987. Despite being completely successful, the surgery prevented Elton from singing and touring for several months and permanently altered his voice.

Track listing

All songs written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin.

  1. "Sixty Years On" – 5:41
  2. "I Need You to Turn To" – 3:14
  3. "The Greatest Discovery" – 4:09
  4. "Tonight" – 5:58
  5. "Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word" – 3:58
  6. "The King Must Die" – 5:21
  7. "Take Me to the Pilot" – 4:22
  8. "Tiny Dancer" – 7:46
  9. "Have Mercy on the Criminal" – 5:50
  10. "Madman Across the Water" – 6:38
  11. "Candle in the Wind" – 4:10
  12. "Burn Down the Mission" – 5:49
  13. "Your Song" – 4:04
  14. "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" – 6:06

Six of the fourteen songs originally appeared on the 1970 studio album Elton John (tracks 1, 2, 3, 6, 7 & 13).

Laserdisc edition

Side 1 (Elton and His Band)

  1. "Funeral for a Friend"
  2. "One Horse Town"
  3. "Rocket Man"
  4. "The Bitch Is Back"
  5. "Daniel"
  6. "Song For You"
  7. "Blue Eyes"
  8. "I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues"
  9. "Bennie and the Jets"
  10. "Sad Songs"
  11. "I'm Still Standing"

Side 2 (Elton and Orchestra)

  1. "Sixty Years On"
  2. "I Need You to Turn To"
  3. "Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word"
  4. "Take Me to the Pilot"
  5. "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me"
  6. "Candle in the Wind"
  7. "Burn Down The Mission"
  8. "Your Song"
  9. "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting"

Releases

In the US, it was certified gold in January 1988 and platinum in October 1995 by the RIAA. [3]

A home video release commemorated the concert and was originally released on both laserdisc and VHS. Both editions included most of the "Elton & His Band" portion of the show (except "Heartache All Over The World" and "This Town"), but omitted several songs in the symphony orchestra portion ("The Greatest Discovery", "Tonight", "The King Must Die", "Cold as Christmas", "Carla/Etude", "Tiny Dancer", "Have Mercy on the Criminal", "Slow Rivers", and "Madman Across the Water".) A version of the Laserdisc program has surfaced on DVD. In terms of audio, the "Elton & His Band" portion, "Daniel" and "Medley: Song for You, Blue Eyes, I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues" were issued in 1988 as bonus tracks on the Rocket Records maxi-single for "A Word in Spanish" (UK/Europe only) as EJSCD 18, 872 299-2. The audio from "Carla/Etude" from the concert appeared on the To Be Continued... boxed set.

CD editions

The running time of the original 1987 US CD release on MCA Records (MCAD-8022) is 73:58, whilst the 1998 remastered CD edition on Mercury/Island Records (314 558 477-2) runs only 73:48. The missing time is due to the removal of several seconds of applause following the song "Tonight".

The track listing for both editions is the same. However, the running time of most of the remastered tracks vary from the original release due to a different placement of the track marks between songs. In many cases, the track mark changes move a song's spoken introduction from the beginning of the track to the end of the preceding track.

Personnel

Charts

Chart (1987)Peak
position
Australian Albums (Kent Music Report) [4] 5
Canada Top Albums/CDs ( RPM ) [5] 41
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) [6] 43
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [7] 29
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ) [8] 11
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) [9] 9
UK Albums (OCC) [10] 43
US Billboard 200 [11] 24

Certifications and sales

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA) [12] Platinum85,000 [13]
Canada (Music Canada) [14] 2× Platinum200,000^
Netherlands10,000 [15]
Spain25,000 [16]
United States (RIAA) [17] Platinum1,000,000^

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

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, 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 until a partial resumption of their working partnership with 21 at 33 (1980).

<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.

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">Candle in the Wind</span> 1974 single by Elton John

"Candle in the Wind" is a threnody written by English musician Elton John and songwriter Bernie Taupin, and performed by John. It was originally written in 1973, in honour of Marilyn Monroe, who had died 11 years earlier.

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

Reg Strikes Back is the 21st 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>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".

<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 mediocre performance. The album also received a 1972 Grammy nomination for Best Original Score Written for a Motion Picture.

<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>Kiss Symphony: Alive IV</i> 2003 live album by Kiss

Kiss Symphony: Alive IV is a 2003 live album from the American rock band, Kiss, performing with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra (MSO). The arrangements were made by David Campbell, who also conducted the MSO. It is the group's fourth album in the Alive series and first release under Kiss Records and Sanctuary Records.

<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">Take Me to the Pilot</span> 1970 single by Elton John

"Take Me to the Pilot" is a song written by English musician Elton John and songwriter Bernie Taupin, and performed by John. It was originally released on John's eponymous second album in 1970.

<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.

The Tour De Force was a concert tour by English musician and composer Elton John. The tour consisted in 26 shows scheduled in Australia accompanied by the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.

References

  1. https://www.allmusic.com/album/r10487
  2. Gray, Fraser (10 October 1987). "Review: Elton John — Live in Australia (Rocket)". Number One . No. 225. London: IPC Magazines Ltd. p. 12. ISSN   0266-5328 . Retrieved 18 November 2022 via Flickr.
  3. ""Live in Australia" RIAA platinum". On RIAA .
  4. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
  5. "Top RPM Albums: Issue 0874". RPM . Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved April 4, 2023.
  6. "Dutchcharts.nl – Elton John with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra – Live In Australia" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved April 4, 2023.
  7. "Offiziellecharts.de – Elton John with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra – Live In Australia" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved April 4, 2023.
  8. "Charts.nz – Elton John with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra – Live In Australia". Hung Medien. Retrieved April 4, 2023.
  9. "Swisscharts.com – Elton John with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra – Live In Australia". Hung Medien. Retrieved April 4, 2023.
  10. "Elton John | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved April 4, 2023.
  11. "Elton John Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
  12. "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 1990 Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association.
  13. "The Majors" (PDF). Billboard . 30 January 1988. p. A-22. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
  14. "Canadian album certifications – Elton John – Live in Australia". Music Canada . Retrieved 14 December 2020.
  15. "Elton John - Holland" (PDF). Music & Media . 22 December 1990. p. 47. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
  16. "Elton John - Spain" (PDF). Music & Media . 30 January 1988. p. 45. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
  17. "American album certifications – Elton John – Elton John Live in Australia". Recording Industry Association of America . Retrieved 14 December 2020.

https://web.archive.org/web/20070630170447/http://www.vex.net/~paulmac/elton/ej1987.html#1987