Sean Callaghan
Bio
Neurodivergent, Writer, Drummer, Singer, Percussionist, Rock Music Star Wars and Disney Devotee.
Stories (113)
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'Reg Strikes Back'
Coming off the career nadir of Leather Jackets in 1986 and a victorious lawsuit against British tabloid The Sun in 1987 for false and scandolous rumors against him, Elton John sought a new start with 1988's Reg Strikes Back. Chris Thomas who produced Elton's work earlier in the 80s returned as producer. It was recorded at AIR Studios and Westside Studios in London England and Circle Seven Recording and The Record Plant in Los Angeles California.
By Sean Callaghan6 years ago in Beat
'Leather Jackets'
Released in 1986, Leather Jackets is considered by Elton John himself to be his worst album — "about as close to an unmitigated disaster as anything I've ever released" according to his autobiography . Producer Gus Dudgeon said it was a mad hassle to produce, Elton was in the thick of his cocaine addiction at the time and it was the first Elton John album since Tumbleweed Connection not to yield a top 40 hit, charted the worst and is probably an album everyone involved in making it would rather forget.
By Sean Callaghan6 years ago in Beat
'Ice on Fire'
Elton John's 1985 album, Ice on Fire marked the return of Elton's original Producer Gus Dudgeon behind the desk but ironically also saw the dismissal of Elton's original rhythm section of Dee Murray on bass and Nigel Olsson on drums, replaced with ex-Pilot bassist David Paton and drummer Charlie Morgan. Also on board was keyboardist and additional guitarist Fred Mandel. Davey Johnstone on guitars once again remained on board. The album was recorded at Sol Studios in Cookham, Berkshire England.
By Sean Callaghan6 years ago in Beat
'Breaking Hearts'
After the success of Too Low for Zero, Elton John decided to keep basically the same production team for its follow-up album, Breaking Hearts. The classic band of Davey Johnstone on guitars and vocals, Dee Murray on bass and vocals, and Nigel Olsson on drums and vocals, returned as did producer Chris Thomas. Bernie Taupin was now firmly back as Elton's full time lyricist. The album (like its predecessor) was recorded at AIR Studios in Montseratt. The engineer on the album was Renate Blauel, to whom Elton would later be briefly married.
By Sean Callaghan6 years ago in Beat
'Too Low for Zero'
After years of relatively lackluster albums, Elton John decided to go back to basics with 1983's Too Low for Zero. Chris Thomas, who had produced Elton's last few albums, would return, however, for the first time since Blue Moves, Bernie Taupin would write all lyrics for the album, and all instrumental tracks would feature the classic core band of Davey Johnstone on guitar and vocals, Dee Murray on bass and vocals, and Nigel Olsson on drums and vocals. As was the case with many of Elton's albums, things came together quickly. Bernie's lyrics were set to music and the entire album was recorded within two weeks at AIR Studios in Monserrat and Sunset Sound Recorders in Los Angeles.
By Sean Callaghan6 years ago in Beat
'Jump Up!'
Elton John's sixteenth studio album, Jump Up!, was released on April 9, 1982. It was the first Elton John album to be fully produced by Chris Thomas, the Abbey Road technician who worked on the Beatles' White Album and was responsible for supervising the mixing of Pink Floyd's The Dark Side of the Moon. Thomas would produce most of Elton's work through the better part of the next two decades, all the while working as well with acts including Roxy Music, Pete Townshend and The Pretenders—not to mention David Gilmour and Paul McCartney of the aforementioned Floyd and Beatles respectively. The album also saw five tracks that featured lyrics by Bernie Taupin, the most he had contributed since Blue Moves in 1976 (The next Elton John album, Too Low for Zero, would feature only songs with Taupin lyrics.).
By Sean Callaghan6 years ago in Beat
'The Fox'
Elton John's The Fox was released on May 20, 1981. It was produced by Elton John and Clive Franks, as well as Chris Thomas who had previously supervised the mixing of Pink Floyd's Legendary The Dark Side of the Moon and would produce much of Elton's recorded work through the 1980s and 1990s.
By Sean Callaghan7 years ago in Beat
'21 at 33'
21 at 33, Elton John's first album of the 1980s, was released on May 13, 1980. The album title refers to the fact that this was Elton's 21st release at the age of 33—a pretty good pace for a 12-year period. (Had he kept up that pace, there'd be over 70 albums by now.) 21 was recorded at Super Bear Studios in Nice, France, which was home base for the currently hot album The Wall by Pink Floyd, with additional work done at Sunset Sound in Los Angeles, California. It was produced by Elton with Clive Franks.
By Sean Callaghan7 years ago in Beat
'Victim of Love'
Victim of Love is an anomaly in the Elton John catalog, mostly because Elton did not write any of the songs or even play keyboard, It featured none of his band members, nor Bernie Taupin lyrics. It is the shortest album of Elton John's career at just 36 minutes, and is consistently ranked as one of the worst Elton John albums, as well as the third worst selling. It was produced by Pete Bellotte whose other credits include Janet Jackson and Tina Turner, among others. It was recorded in Musicland Studio in Munich and Musk Sound Studios in Hollywood—surprisingly by a decent set of studio musicians, all of whom have seen better professional moments.
By Sean Callaghan7 years ago in Beat
'A Single Man'
A Single Man, released in October of 1978, was Elton John's return to the limelight after a nearly two-year hiatus from recording and touring. It is the first Elton John album not to feature Bernie Taupin as lyricist. The lyrics on this album are instead by Gary Osborne, a former lyricist for Elton associate Kiki Dee. It is the only album where the melodies were mostly written before the lyrics. It was also the first Elton album since Empty Sky to not be produced by Gus Dudgeon. Instead, Elton produced it with engineer Clive Franks at The Mill in Berks England. It was also only the second Elton LP to be released on Rocket Records—Elton's personal record label that he was contractually unable to record for, prior to Blue Moves. It is also the first Elton album since Madman Across the Water to feature session musicians rather than Elton's touring band, which had disbanded after the 1977 tour; although Ray Cooper stayed on board and a few of the musicians who played on the album would become a part of the band for Elton's 1980 tour.
By Sean Callaghan7 years ago in Beat
'Blue Moves'
After riding high in 1975 with two number one albums and still getting kudos for his 1973 double disc monster Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, it must have seemed to make sense for the always-prolific Elton John to attempt another double album in 1976. However, the album Blue Moves, mostly recorded in Toronto Canada and released in October 1976, was released to a rather lukewarm critical reaction and to this day, many see the album as an abrupt end to Elton's "classic years."
By Sean Callaghan7 years ago in Beat
