From Pinner to LA - Elton's big breakthrough, 1970

As a depiction of how you can go from being a pop fan to a pop idol in the blink of an eye, the story of how Elton John and Bernie Taupin went from sitting in the crowd at the 1969 Isle of Wight Festival watching Bob Dylan, to being ushered into Dylan’s presence at an LA club a few months later, is hard to beat.

In 1970, Elton was living at his mother’s house in Pinner, a suburb west of London. with his songwriting partner Bernie Taupin. He was frustrated at their lack of success and had considered giving it all up and becoming a session pianist.

His recent album Elton John, had failed to capture the British public’s imagination, but it had gained a measure of recognition in America, where Elton was considered a new talent to match the singer songwriters of LA’s Laurel Canyon.

Russ Regan, an LA-based A&R man, picked up on the airplay the Elton John album was getting and wanted to bring Elton, drummer Nigel Olsson and bassist Dee Murray out to LA. Troubadour club owner Doug Weston agreed to give them a six night residency.

Having never been to America, but having worshipped its music from afar, Elton and Bernie went from the obscurity of a suburban living room in Pinner to the very centre of the music business in one move.

Elton and Bernie Taupin in 1970

Their opening night at the Troubadour, with Quincy Jones, Mike Love and Henry Mancini in the crowd, was the moment that changed Elton and Bernie’s lives forever.

The audience had come to hear the new British balladeer. Before the show Neil Diamond took the stage and introduced Elton: “Folks, I’ve never done this before, so please be kind to me. I’m like the rest of you; I’m here because of having listened to Elton John’s album. So I’m going to take my seat with you now and enjoy the show.”

Elton himself recalled: “It was very hot and smoky and a great vibe. We came on; I was in flying boots and hotpants and did (a heavy version of) Sixty Years On. They weren’t expecting it. They thought it was going to be a low-key thing, because the music on the Elton John album was very orchestral. But with a three-piece band, we went out and did the songs completely differently and just blew everyone away. We knew halfway through the show that we were on fire.”

I have discovered some rare footage from 1971 of the trio playing Sixty Years On, which shows perfectly how they beefed-up the songs; Elton pounding the piano, Nigel using mallets with gusto on the drums while Dee uses his bass like a lead guitar.

On the second night at the Troubadour, Elton had looked up to see another hero, Leon Russell staring straight at him: “I nearly shat myself”. Then, one night at the Fillmore West in San Francisco, Elton and Bernie were led to a booth for an audience with Bob Dylan himself.

Elton told Mojo magazine: "Dylan said he loved the song My Father’s Gun, from Tumbleweed Connection. Bernie and I were petrified. Dylan has an aura about him. It’s not frightening, it’s just - foo, blimey."

Melody Maker Sept 5th 1970 notes Elton's success in LA

Having seen the Troubadour show, Robert Hilburn, music critic for the Los Angeles Times, wrote: “Tuesday night at the Troubadour was just the beginning. He’s going to be one of rock’s biggest and most important stars.”

But much like the Stax artists who toured Britain in the 60s as major stars, only to return to the US as nobodies, back in London, Elton's career moved slowly forward.

Record sales remained sluggish, but that all changed in February 1971, when his label DJM released Your Song from Elton John as a single. A whole different phenomenon was about to begin – the era of Elton as a pop star in the UK.

With a run of hit singles in 1971 and '72 - Honky Cat, Rocket Man, Crocodile Rock, Daniel etc, Elton found himself increasingly part of the developing Glam Rock scene, along with T. Rex, David Bowie and Roxy Music. This played well with his natural flamboyance on stage, and the costumes became more outrageous.

Front page of Melody Maker 1973

In contrast, his reputation in the US grew on the strength of his albums, particularly the ersatz Americana of Tumbleweed Connection and the Laurel Canyon songwriter vibe of Madman Across The Water.

In the UK, his albums from 1972’s Don’t’ Shoot Me, I’m Only The Piano Player onwards sold well, but his earlier albums such as Tumbleweed and Madman, both full of great songs, did not get the attention they deserved at the time, nor probably even today from record buyers in the UK.

The elaborate lyric books that came with Elton's early 70s LPs

For more insight into how good those early shows were, the album 17-11-70 captures a live radio broadcast in New York that year. Also worth checking out, for the sheer power of their performance, is the Cleveland Music Hall show on 26th November 1970, available at the Concert Vault website - http://www.wolfgangsvault.com/elton-john/concerts/music-hall-cleveland-november-26-1970.html

It's easy to see why he created such a buzz in America. He demanded your attention and rightly so - these are powerful performances.

With his mother and stepfather in Pinner, 1971

Pinner happens to be my hometown too, though Elton is significantly older than me and our paths have never crossed. When he was making the journey to LA for his big breakthrough, I was about to enter my second year of high school. One of the first singles I bought was Rocket Man.

To conclude this piece, here's another example of how Elton's life changed so dramatically in 1970. Every year, Pinner has its May Fair. In his diary for May 1969, Elton wrote, “Went to Pinner Fair with Mick and Pat. I won a coconut and two goldfish!" He called them John and Yoko.

Wind forward five years and Elton played a key role in reuniting the real John and Yoko after their brief separation. During this period, Elton collaborated with Lennon on the song Whatever Gets You Through The Night.

“My life has been incredible,” he says now.

Here are a few additional links:
An early performance of 'Amoreena' from the US tour in 1970
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZnzuL-xCX0U

Elton talks about songwriting with Bernie and the breakthrough gigs at The Troubadour:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=javNC9znQQA

Elton rehearsing with Nigel and Dee, 1970
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-bnX1d1s7Y

Full performance of Sixty Years On in 1971
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eEgE0ojgRi4

Elton in the throes of writing 'Tiny Dancer', 1971
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbZmPdu8Vko

Performance of 'Levon' for BBC TV, 1971
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mire1WJKdR8

Mona Lisa and Mad Hatters, 1972
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrOu0oc9aB4

See also on this blog, Elton John and Rod Stewart at Watford FC, 1974
https://bangnzdrum.blogspot.com/2012/10/elton-and-rod-at-watford-fc-1974.html