Last month marked the 35th anniversary of the release of Elton John’s Goodbye Yellow Brick Road. It was his seventh studio album and certainly his most commercially successful. Below is an excerpt from writer, Jeff Perkins, who takes a look back at this seminal music recording.
Jeff Perkins writes:
Recorded throughout May 1973 at the 18th century Chateau d’Herouville, Pontoise, Paris it went on to outsell any of his other work that has been released during his forty year career. The sprawling double vinyl with its memorable and highly distinctive album cover represents one of Elton’s finest moments. It went to number one in the US, UK, most of Europe and Australia. It also produced several successful singles, the title track itself, Saturday Night’s Alright For Fighting, Bennie And The Jets, and Candle In The Wind. The last of which was later re-released having been performed by Sir Elton at the funeral of Princess Diana.
Every song on the album was accompanied by an illustration. Each song tells a story through the lyrics of Bernie Taupin. The cast of characters appear one after the other. Marilyn Monroe in Candle In The Wind. A rock band in Bennie And The Jets. The sailor’s favourite diversion “Sweet Painted Lady”. There’s the young sixteen year old ‘yo-yo’ lesbian call-girl in, All The Girls Love Alice. Even western hero Roy Rogers makes an appearance. READ MORE
