A priceless piece of history... Karen, Tina, Olivia, Peaches, and Toni singing an Eagles hit!

I watched Tina Turner's HBO documentary the other day.  Included within that program was a clip from the time period during which Tina Turner was recovering from her marriage to and divorce from Ike Turner.  Tina joined Olivia Newton-John on a TV special she did around 1980 or so.  It was quite the epic party, and also included Elton John, Andy Gibb, and it looks like Cliff Richard was also on hand.

Check out Toni Tennille, Tina, Olivia, Karen Carpenter, and Peaches from Peaches and Herb.  Crazily enough, as I played this, my husband thought Peaches was me.  

Dayum!  Lots of talent up there!

What do you know?  Someone uploaded the whole show!  Wonder if I want to watch it?

Now THIS is entertainment!  I think this aired in April 1980; so I would have been seven years old.

I actually kind of miss these sorts of shows.  They were fun to watch, and the people behind them were legitimately talented.  Yes, they were often corny, but they allowed us to escape life for awhile.  I was as child at the time these aired, though, which may be why I liked them so much.  There's no accounting for taste, especially when you're a little kid.

I think most of these folks had the odd TV special... well, the women did, anyway.  I know The Carpenters and the Captain and Tennille did them.  And poor Tina was once on The Brady Bunch Hour.  Now THAT is an embarrassing way to make money!  But at least they didn't make her wear a skin tight polyester jumpsuit.

Elton John's Me

I just shared my review of Elton John's autobiography, Me, on my main blog.  Normally, I would also share it here, since it's a book about a pop musician who was popular in the 70s and 80s.  However, I am typing this on my laptop in a hotel room, and it's just not convenient.  So, for those who would like to read my opinion of, Me, here is the link.

The short version is-- I really liked the book, found it very entertaining and kind of scandalous at times.  Elton John is a good storyteller and is relatable to me, although others didn't see it that way.  I would recommend the book for those who are fans and don't mind being kind of shocked about some of Elton's stories.  He's led a very interesting life... but then, haven't we all?

Decent read!

I breezed through this book and enjoyed almost all of it.  I don't care that he's tacky and an asshole at times, either.  Aren't we all?

The Rumour...

Since I'm on an Olivia kick, how about this song from 1988?  I didn't actually hear this until I was about three years into college.

Olivia looks pretty good in this video...

Listen to the music.  Does it sound familiar?  It should.  Elton John wrote it and provided backing vocals.  I don't know why it wasn't a big hit.  Maybe it's because it sounds like a hybrid of "Mama Can't Buy You Love" and "Don't Go Breaking My Heart".  And even though Olivia sings it, you can totally hear Elton in it.

"Mama Can't Buy You Love"

"Don't Go Breaking My Heart"

And maybe a little like "I Don't Wanna Go On With You Like That"...  in a different key, of course.  The rhythm and styling is kind of similar.

"I Don't Wanna Go On With You Like That"...

I love Elton John's music and I think it suits Olivia pretty well.  But maybe "The Rumour" was a little too Elton and not enough Olivia.  I still like the song, though.  And it's fun watching Olivia dance.  I miss the 80s.

Daniel… Wilson Phillips style...

My previous post inspired me to try Wilson Phillips' version of Elton John's "Daniel".



I actually like Elton's version better, but Wilson Phillips does it in a better key for my voice.  This comes from Two Rooms: Celebrating the songs of Elton John and Bernie Taupin, which was released in 1992 or so.  I didn't like all the songs on this disc, but some of the reworked versions of classic songs by Elton John turned out very intriguing.  And it's kind of cool that I can try them myself…

I'm really finding myself interested in sound engineering lately.  I'd love to take a basic course to find out if it's something I'd be good at.

Elton John...

This morning, I was writing an Epinions review of an old Elton John album I had.  It highlighted his music from 1976-1986.  Elton's style changed dramatically during that time.  I noticed that his best songs were written with Bernie Taupin, though he did collaborate with other writers and managed to write some songs that were hits, even if they weren't quite as magical as his Taupin collaborations were.

As I was writing the review, it occurred to me how very much Elton has evolved over the years.  I loved his 70s stuff, sort of liked his 80s stuff, and started not liking him as much in the 90s.  I did like his Lion King performances, but I think the last album I bought by him was The One, which came out in 1992 or so.

Most recently, he showed up on Kate Bush's latest album, 50 Words for Snow.  I love Kate Bush's music and I can say that she's stayed just as weird as always.  Elton was sounding a bit hammy on his song with Kate Bush, though... I was missing the way he used to be.  I'll always respect him as a great talent regardless.

Here are a few of my favorites...

This is probably the first song by Elton that I loved.  Every time I hear it, it takes me back to my earliest years when we lived in England.  It's an unusual song and I love it's somber sound, especially given Elton's outfit.

I remember hearing the song "Friends" on an ad for a singer-songwriter compilation on TV.  I eventually found it on an Elton John rarities compilation.  It was composed for the soundtrack of a 1971 film by the same name.

I think "Your Song" is one of the most beautiful songs.  The melody is gorgeous and the words are so poetic and loving.  I think I would melt if the object of my affections had written a tribute like this for me.

"Funeral For A Friend/Love Lies Bleeding" is an epic track... It's fun to drive to this.

I was introduced to "Writing" when I lived in Armenia and bought a bootleg cassette of Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirty Cowboy.

Of course, I also love the song "Don't Go Breaking My Heart", which Elton sang with Kiki Dee.  When I was in college, my best friend and I changed the words to "Don't Go Pissing Me Off".

Here's a great party song... and perhaps my theme song...

I also love this classic from 1976.  Hall & Oates later covered it and didn't do it justice...

Here's "Rocket Man"... and Elton is sounding a bit tired.  Kate Bush covered it and I actually like what she did with it.

Elton John's "Sorry Seems to Be The Hardest Word" is one that most anyone with a conscience can relate to...

And finally, my favorite Elton John song from the 1980s...

"Empty Garden" is a beautiful tribute to the late John Lennon...