BITTERBLUE

BONNIE TYLER

SONGWRITER:

COUNTRY: WALES

ALBUM: BITTERBLUE

LABEL: HANSA RECORDS

GENRE: POP ROCK

YEAR: 1991

 

      Gaynor Sullivan(née Hopkins; born 8 June 1951), known professionally as Bonnie Tyler, is a Welsh singer who is known for her distinctive husky voice. Tyler came to prominence with the release of her 1977 album The World Starts Tonight and its singles "Lost in France" and "More Than a Lover". Her 1978 single "It's a Heartache" reached number four on the UK Singles Chart, and number three on the US Billboard Hot 100.

         In the 1980s, Tyler ventured into rock music with songwriter and producer Jim Steinman. He wrote Tyler's biggest hit "Total Eclipse of the Heart", the lead single from her 1983 UK chart-topping album Faster Than the Speed of Night. Steinman also wrote Tyler's other major 1980s hit "Holding Out for a Hero". She had success in mainland Europe during the 1990s with Dieter Bohlen, who wrote and produced her hit "Bitterblue". In 2003, Tyler re-recorded "Total Eclipse of the Heart" with singer Kareen Antonn. Their bilingual duet, titled "Si demain... (Turn Around)", topped the French charts.

          Bitterblue is the eighth studio album by Welsh singer Bonnie Tyler. It was released on 11 November 1991, through Hansa Records. Bitterblue is a pop rock album, described by Dieter Bohlen as "more commercial" than her previous albums. Bohlen began working with Tyler in early 1991, writing and producing multiple songs for the album. Bitterblue also features compositions from Albert Hammond, Nik Kershaw and Giorgio Moroder.

       Bitterblue received mixed reviews from music critics, with the songs being complimented but the production criticised. The album had major success in mainland Europe, where it reached number one in Austria and Norway. In 1992 it was certified 3× Platinum by IFPI Norway. Three singles were released from the album, including the hits "Bitterblue" and "Against the Wind".

I'll take the train to nowhere

This love is a sacrifice

My heart ain't big enough babe

For your paradise –

Oh darling I'm crazy - after all these years

 

Don't throw away my love babe

I'm not a lonely child

Tomorrow's such a long time

My dreams are running wild –

Oh Darling I'm crazy - after all these years

 

I gave you all my love for free

My tears are full of memories

Give me love, give me all

Baby, catch me when I'll fall tonight

 

Bitterblue, Bitterblue

Breaking up is hard to do

Bitterblue you know that I'm too

Proud to cry

Bitterblue, Bitterblue

I can't take my eyes off you

That's no way to say goodbye

 

I'll be sailing on a rainbow

If you will change your mind

Don't throw away this love babe

Love is hard to find –

Oh darling I'm crazy - after all these years

 

Come save a little room babe

In your heart for me

We can make it better

Love is a mystery –

Oh darling I'm crazy - after all these years

 

Oh I sold my heart to you

I gave you love and heaven, too

Give me love, give me all

Baby catch me when I'll fall tonight

 

Bitterblue, Bitterblue

Breaking up is hard to do

Bitterblue you know that I'm too

Proud to cry

Bitterblue, Bitterblue

I can't take my eyes off you

And that's no way to say goodbye

 

Bitterblue, Bitterblue

Breaking up is hard to do

Bitterblue you know that I'm too

Proud to cry

Bitterblue, Bitterblue

I can't take my eyes off you

And that's no way to say goodbye

 

And that's no way to say goodbye

And that's no way to say goodbye

And that's no way to say goodbye.

SWEET PEOPLE

ALYOSHA

SONGWRITERS: BORIS KUKOBA; ELENA KUCHER & VADIM LISITSA

COUNTRY: UKRAINE

WHERE: LIVE AT EUROVISION

ALBUM: SWEET PEOPLE

LABEL: CATAPULTL MUSIC

GENRE: POP rock

YEAR: 2017

 

      Olena Oleksandrivna Kucher-Topolya (Ukrainian: Олена Олександрівна Кучер-Тополя; born 14 May 1986), better known by her stage name Alyosha (Ukrainian: Aльоша), is a Ukrainian singer.

        Alyosha was born on 14 May 1986 in Zaporizhia. She studied vocals at the Kyiv National University of Culture and Arts and signed with the Catapult Music record label in 2008.

           2010: Ukraine in the Eurovision Song Contest 2010

     On 20 March 2010, Alyosha won the Ukrainian National Final and thus represented Ukraine in the Eurovision Song Contest 2010. She replaced Vasyl Lazarovych who was originally picked on December 29, 2009, to represent Ukraine. After some political changes that took place in Ukraine his candidacy was withdrawn on March 15 under suspicion that he was picked with the help of the current director of the State National Television (1st National) Vasyl Ilashchuk. The petition to organize another concourse and to cancel the current results was signed by several Ukrainian performers such as Taisia Povaliy, Ruslana Pysanka, and Kostyantyn Meladze.

      Originally, she was due to participate in the contest with the song "To Be Free". Later on, it came to the light that the winning song has been available for purchase (under the name of Alonya) at Amazon.de since 12 April 2008. This would break the rules of the Eurovision Song Contest. A new song, "Sweet People", was chosen, two days after the 22 March deadline had passed, so NTU was fined by the EBU. Alyosha performed in the second semi-final on 27 May 2010, where she progressed to the final. In the final Alyosha finished 10th with 108 points. 

Oh, sweet people

What have we done?

Tell me what is happening?

For all that we've built

Tumbles and is gone

 

Oh, sweet people

Have you no love for mankind?

Must you go on killing

Just to pass the time.

 

The message is so true

The end is really near

All these feelings take me down

It steals the things so dear

Yes, the message is so real.

Don't turn all the earth to stone

Because, because, because

This is your home

 

Oh, sweet people

what about our children?

In theaters and video games

They watch what we send to ruin

 

Oh, sweet people

What senseless game

Have we all been playing?

No one but you to blame?

 

The message is so true

The end is really near

All these feelings take me down

It steals the things so dear

Yes, the message is so real.

Don't turn all the earth to stone

Because, because, because

This is your home

This is our home.

UN'EMOZIONE PER SEMPRE

EROS RAMAZZOTTI

COMPOSITORI:  ADELIO COGLIATI; CLAUDIO GUIDETTI; EROS RAMAZZOTTI & MAURIZIO FABRIZIO

PARSR: ITALIA

ALBUM: 9(SPANISH VERSION)

ETICHETTA: ARIOLA RECORDS

GENERE: POP ROCK

ANNO: 2003

 

     Eros Ramazzotti, all'anagrafe Eros Luciano Walter Ramazzotti(Roma, 28 ottobre 1963), è un cantautore italiano.

        Annoverato tra i cantanti di maggior successo nel panorama della musica leggera italiana, del pop rock e del pop latino a livello internazionale dagli anni ottanta, dal 1984 ha venduto circa 60 milioni di dischi, i quali lo rendono uno degli artisti italiani con il maggior numero di vendite. Ramazzotti vanta anche importanti collaborazioni artistiche con cantanti di levatura internazionale come Nicole Scherzinger, Tina Turner, Cher, Anastacia, Ricky Martin, Luis Fonsi, Joe Cocker, Helene Fischer, Andrea Bocelli e Luciano Pavarotti vincendo, inoltre, numerosi premi e riconoscimenti (come l'Echo Music Award 1999 e il NIAF Award 2008) ottenuti per aver promosso l'immagine della musica italiana all'estero.

Vorrei poterti ricordare così

Con quel sorriso acceso d'amore

Come se fosse uscita di colpo lì

Un'occhiata di sole

Vorrei poterti ricordare lo sai

Come una storia importante davvero

Anche se ha mosso il sentimento che hai

Solo un canto leggero

Sto pensando a parole di addio e

Dando un dispiacere

Ma nel deserto che lasciano dietro

Se trovano da bere

 

Certi amori regalano

Un'emozione per sempre

Momenti che restano così

Impressi nella mente

Certi amori ti lasciano

Una canzone per sempre

Parole che restano così

Nel cuore della gente (no, no)

 

Vorrei poterti dedicare di più

Più di quel tempo che ti posso dare

Ma nel mio mondo non ci sei solo tu

Io perciò devo andare

Ci sono mari e ci sono colline

Che voglio rivedere

Ci sono amici che aspettano ancora me

Per giocare insieme

 

Certi amori regalano

Un'emozione per sempre

Momenti che restano così

Impressi nella mente

Certi amori ti lasciano

Una canzone per sempre

Parole che restano così

Nel cuore della gente

Nel cuore della gente

 

Certi amori regalano

Un'emozione per sempre

Momenti belli che restano così

Impressi nella mente

No, no, no, no, no, yeah

Di quelli che restano così

Nel cuore della gente (no, no, no, no, no, yeah).

CATHY'S CLOWN

THE EVERLY BROTHERS

SONGWRITER: DONALD I EVERLY

COUNTRY: U. S. A.

ALBUM: A DATE WITH THE EVERLY BROTHERS

LABEL: WARNER BROS. RECORDS

GENRE: POP ROCK

YEAR: 1960

 

         The Everly Brothers were an American rock duo, known for steel-string acoustic guitar playing and close harmony singing. Consisting of Isaac Donald "Don" Everly (February 1, 1937 – August 21, 2021) and Phillip "Phil" Everly (January 19, 1939 – January 3, 2014), the duo combined elements of rock and roll, country, and pop, becoming pioneers of country rock.

       The duo was raised in a musical family, first appearing on radio singing along with their father Ike Everly and mother Margaret Everly as "The Everly Family" in the 1940s. When the brothers were still in high school, they gained the attention of prominent Nashville musicians like Chet Atkins, who began to promote them for national attention.

       They began writing and recording their own music in 1956, and their first hit song came in 1957, with "Bye Bye Love", written by Felice and Boudleaux Bryant. The song hit Nº 1 in the spring of 1957, and additional hits would follow through 1958, many of them written by the Bryants, including "Wake Up Little Susie", "All I Have to Do Is Dream", and "Problems". In 1960, they signed with the major label Warner Bros. Records and recorded "Cathy's Clown", written by the brothers themselves, which was their biggest selling single. The brothers enlisted in the United States Marine Corps Reserve in 1961, and their output dropped off, though additional hit singles continued through 1962, with "That's Old Fashioned (That's the Way Love Should Be)" being their last top-10 hit.

       Long-simmering disputes with Wesley Rose, the CEO of Acuff-Rose Music, which managed the group, and a growing drug usage in the 1960s, as well as changing tastes in popular music, led to the group's decline in popularity in its native U.S., though the brothers continued to release hit singles in the U.K. and Canada and had many highly successful tours throughout the 1960s. In the early 1970s, the brothers began releasing solo recordings, and in 1973 they officially broke up. Starting in 1983, the brothers got back together and continued to perform periodically until Phil's death in 2014. Don died seven years later.

         The group was highly influential with the music of the generation that followed it. Many of the top acts of the 1960s were heavily influenced by the close-harmony singing and acoustic guitar playing of the Everly Brothers, including the Beatles, the Beach Boys, the Bee Gees, and Simon & Garfunkel. In 2015, Rolling Stone ranked the Everly Brothers Nº 1 on its list of the 20 Greatest Duos of All Time. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as part of the inaugural class of 1986, and into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2001. Don was inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum in 2019, earning the organization's first Iconic Riff Award for his distinctive rhythm guitar intro to the Everlys' massive 1957 hit "Wake Up Little Susie".

       A Date with the Everly Brothers is the fourth studio album by American singing duo the Everly Brothers, released in 1960. It peaked at Nº 9 on the Billboard Pop albums charts and reached Nº 3 in the UK.

          The song "Love Hurts" appears here for the first time. It would subsequently be covered by numerous other artists. Other than the "Cathy's Clown"/"Always It's You" single, all of the tracks on A Date with the Everly Brothers were recorded in just four sessions during July 1960.

        Writing for Allmusic, critic Richie Unterberger wrote of the album "Although the material is not on the killer level of 'It's Everly Time', there are some very fine songs on their second Warner LP."

       The album was included in Robert Dimery's 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.

Don't want your love anymore

Don't want your kisses, that's for sure

I die each time I hear this sound

Here he comes, that's Cathy's clown

 

I gotta stand tall

You know a man can't crawl

When he knows you're tellin' lies and he hears 'em passing by

He's not a man at all

 

Don't want your love anymore

Don't want your kisses, that's for sure

I die each time I hear this sound

Here he comes, that's Cathy's clown

 

When you see me shed a tear

And you know that it's sincere

Don't you think it's kinda sad that you're treating me so bad

Or don't you even care?

 

Don't want your love anymore

Don't want your kisses, that's for sure

I die each time I hear this sound

Here he comes, that's Cathy's clown

 

That's Cathy's clown

That's Cathy's clown.

 I'D REALLY LOVE TO SEE YOU TONIGHT

ENGLAND DAN & JOHN FORD COLEY

SONGWRITER: PARKER MCGEE

COUNTRY: U. S. A.

ALBUM: NIGHTS ARE FOREVER

LABEL: BIG TREE RECORDS

GENRE: POP ROCK

YEAR: 1976

 

         England Dan & John Ford Coley were an American soft rock duo composed of Danny Wayland "England Dan" Seals and John Edward "John Ford" Coley, active throughout the 1970s. Native Texans, they are best known for their 1976 single "I'd Really Love to See You Tonight", a Nº 2 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 and a Nº 1 Adult Contemporary hit. After they disbanded, Seals began performing as Dan Seals and launched a country music career through the 1980s which produced 11 Nº 1 country hits.

         Nights Are Forever is the fourth album by the pop rock duo England Dan & John Ford Coley. It was the pair's breakthrough album. "I'd Really Love to See You Tonight" became one of their biggest hits, peaking at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100. The follow-up

single, "Nights Are Forever Without You," also proved successful, peaking at #10.

         The album was produced by Kyle Lehning. Both top ten singles were written by Parker McGee.

     Joe Viglione write on Allmusic, "Nights Are Forever was the breakthrough album for Dan Seals and John Coley after some sincere and excellent work on A&M Records in the early '70s. Two of their biggest hits were the title track and the beautiful "I'd Really Love to See You Tonight." Those songs are a good indication of the fine performances this 1976 album contains. The duo's originals like "Long Way Home" and the Dan Fogelberg-ish "Westward Wind" could have been hits as well displaying superb musicianship and delicate vocals." He also praises the work of songwriter Parker McGee as well as producer Kyle Lehning.

Hello, yeah, it's been a while

Not much, how 'bout you?

I'm not sure why I called

I guess, I really just wanted to talk to you

 

And I was thinking maybe later on

We could get together for a while

It's been such a long time

And I really do miss your smile

 

I'm not talking 'bout moving in

And I don't want to change your life

But there's a warm wind blowing the stars around

And I'd really love to see you tonight

 

We could go walking through a windy park

Or take a drive along the beach

Or stay at home and watch TV

You see, it really doesn't matter much to me

 

I'm not talking 'bout moving in

And I don't want to change your life

But there's a warm wind blowing the stars around

And I'd really love to see you tonight

 

I won't ask for promises

So, you don't have to lie

We've both played that game before

Say "I love you", then say "Goodbye"

 

I'm not talking 'bout moving in (I'm not talking)

And I don't want to change your life ('bout changing your life)

But there's a warm wind blowing the stars around

And I'd really love to see you tonight (I'd really love to see you tonight)

 

I'm not talking 'bout moving in (I'm not talking)

And I don't want to change your life ('bout changing your life)

But there's a warm wind blowing the stars around

And I'd really love to see you tonight (I'd really love to see you tonight)

 

I'm not talking 'bout moving in (I'm not talking)

And I don't want to change your life ('bout changing your life)

But there's a warm wind blowing the stars around.

SOMETIME WHEN WE TOUCH

ROD STEWART

SONGWRITERS: BARRY MANN & DAN HILL

COUNTRY: U. K.

ALBUM: IF WE FALL IN LOVE TONIGHT

LABEL: WARNER BROS

GENRE: POP ROCK

YEAR: 1996

 

           Sir Roderick David Stewart(born 10 January 1945) is a British rock and pop singer and songwriter. Born and raised in London, he is of Scottish and English ancestry. With his distinctive raspy singing voice, Stewart is among the best-selling music artists of all time, having sold over 250 million records worldwide. He has had 10 number-one albums and 31 top ten singles in the UK, six of which reached number one. Stewart has had 16 top ten singles in the US, with four reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100. He was knighted in the 2016 Birthday Honours for services to music and charity.

       Stewart's music career began in 1962 when he took up busking with a harmonica. In 1963, he joined The Dimensions as a harmonica player and vocalist. In 1964, Stewart joined Long John Baldry and the All Stars before moving to the Jeff Beck Group in 1967. Joining Faces in 1969, he also maintained a solo career releasing his debut album that year. Stewart's early albums were a fusion of rock, folk music, soul music, and R&B. His third album, 1971's Every Picture Tells a Story, was his breakthrough, topping the charts in the UK, US, Canada and Australia, as did its ballad "Maggie May". His 1972 follow-up album, Never a Dull Moment, also reached number one in the UK and Australia, while going top three in the US and Canada. Its single, "You Wear It Well", topped the chart in the UK and was a moderate hit elsewhere.

        After Stewart had a handful more UK top ten hits, the Faces broke up in 1975. Stewart's next few hit singles were ballads with "Sailing", off the 1975 UK and Australian number-one album, Atlantic Crossing, becoming a hit in the UK and the Netherlands (number one), Germany (number four) and other countries, but barely charting in North America. A Night on the Town(1976), his fifth straight chart-topper in the UK, began a three-album run of going number one or top three in the US, Canada, the UK and Australia with each release. That album's "Tonight's the Night (Gonna Be Alright)" spent almost two months at number one in the US and Canada, and made the top five in other countries. Foot Loose & Fancy Free(1977) contained the hit "You're in My Heart(The Final Acclaim)" as well as the rocker "Hot Legs". Blondes Have More Fun(1978) and its disco-tinged "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy" both went to number one in Canada, Australia and the US, with "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy" also hitting number one in the UK and the top ten in other countries. Stewart's albums regularly hit the upper rungs of the charts in the Netherlands throughout the 70s and in Sweden from 1975 onward.

       After a disco and new wave period in the late 1970s and early 1980s, Stewart's music turned to a soft rock/middle-of-the-road style, with most of his albums reaching the top ten in the UK, Germany and Sweden, but faring less well in the US. The single "Rhythm of My Heart" was a top five hit in the UK, US and other countries, with its source album, 1991's Vagabond Heart, becoming, at number ten in the US and number two in the UK, his highest-charting album in a decade. In 1993, he collaborated with Bryan Adams and Sting on the power ballad "All for Love", which went to number one in many countries. In the early 2000s, he released a series of successful albums interpreting the Great American Songbook.

         If We Fall in Love Tonight is an album released by Rod Stewart on 12 November 1996. It includes mostly previously released songs. The album was released in both the US and UK, though the versions differ slightly. It was released by Warner Bros. Records, and produced the singles "If We Fall in Love Tonight" and "When I Need You".

      The title track "If We Fall in Love Tonight", written for this album, The album also includes another original recording, "For the First Time", which was an Adult Contemporary hit for Kenny Loggins after it was included in the soundtrack for the film One Fine Day. The album includes two newly recorded cover versions of hit songs: "Sometimes When We Touch", originally by Dan Hill and "When I Need You", originally by Albert Hammond and a hit for Leo Sayer a few months later. Two other songs had not been previously released on a Rod Stewart album: "So Far Away", originally by Carole King, which had been released as a single in 1995 from that year's Carole King tribute album, Tapestry Revisited, and "All for Love", a collaboration with Bryan Adams and Sting, from the 1993 film soundtrack The Three Musketeers. Additionally, two songs were revamped for If We Fall in Love Tonight: "Have I Told You Lately", originally by Van Morrison and initially released on Stewart's Vagabond Heart, was remixed here; and "Forever Young", initially on Stewart's Out of Order, which was completely re-recorded. The remaining tracks were all previously released on various Rod Stewart albums.

You ask me if I love you

And I choke on my reply

I'd rather hurt you honestly

Than mislead you with a lie

 

And who am I to judge you

In what you say or do?

I'm only just beginning

To see the real you

 

And sometimes when we touch

The honesty's too much

And I have to close my eyes and hide

I want to hold you 'til I die

'Til we both break down and cry

I want to hold you 'til the fear in me subsides

 

Romance and all it's strategy

Leaves me battling with my pride

But through all the insecurity

Some tenderness survives

 

I'm just another writer

Still trapped within my truth

A hesitant prize fighter

Still trapped within my youth

 

And sometimes when we touch

The honesty's too much

And I have to close my eyes and hide

I want to hold you 'til I die

'Til we both break down and cry

I want to hold you 'til the fear in me subsides

 

At times I'd like to break you

And drive you to your knees

At times I'd like to break through

And hold you endlessly

 

At times I understand you

And I know how hard you try

I watched while love commands you

And I've watched love pass you by

 

At times I think we're drifters

Still searching for a friend

A brother or a sister

But then the passion flares again

 

And sometimes when we touch

The honesty's too much

And I have to close my eyes and hide

I want to hold ya 'til I die

'Til we both break down and cry

I want to hold you 'til the fear in me subsides, subsides. 

HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO LIVE WITHOUT YOU

MICHAEL BOLTON

SONGWRITER: MICHAEL BOLTON & ANDREW GOLDMARK

COUNTRY: U. S. A.

ALBUM: SOUL PROVIDER

LABEL: COLUMBIA RECORDS

GENRE: POP ROCK

YEAR: 1989

 

     Michael Bolotin(born February 26, 1953), known professionally as Michael Bolton, is an American singer and songwriter. Bolton originally performed in the hard rock and heavy metal genres from the mid-1970s to the mid-1980s, both on his early solo albums and those he recorded as the frontman of the band Blackjack. He became better known for his series of pop rock ballads, recorded after a stylistic change in the late 1980s.

       Bolton has sold more than 75million records, and recorded eight top 10 albums and two number-one singles on the Billboard charts, as well as winning six American Music Awards and two Grammy Awards.

He represented Connecticut at the American Song Contest 2022 with the song, "Beautiful World"

    Soul Provider is the sixth studio album by American recording artist Michael Bolton. The album was released on June 19, 1989 by Columbia Records/CBS. To date, the album has sold 12.5 million copies worldwide.

      Containing five US top 40 hits (including three that reached the top 10), Soul Provider achieved longevity on the charts. The album spent almost four years on the Billboard 200 and peaked at number 3. It was certified 6× Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America(RIAA).

For the single version of "Georgia on My Mind", CBS edited out Michael Brecker's saxophone solo and replaced it with one by Kenny G.

     Soul Provider has received generally mixed reviews from critics. AllMusic retrospectively described it as "more of the same", but noted that due to this album, Bolton "was now stoking the romantic fires in bedrooms across America". Robert Christgau gave the album a negative review, declaring Bolton to be "indistinguishable from pop metal except in the wattage of his guitar parts and the shamelessness of his song doctors." The Rolling Stone Album Guide described the album as the beginning of Bolton's descent into overdone and disrespectful covers, though they added that some of the self-penned performances on the album showed potential.

I could hardly believe it

When I heard the news today

I had to come and get it straight from you

They said you were leavin'

Someone's swept your heart away

From the look upon your face, I see it's true

So tell me all about it, tell me 'bout the

Plans you're makin'

Then tell me one thing more before I go

 

Tell me how am I supposed to live without you

Now that I've been lovin' you so long

How am I supposed to live without you

How am I supposed to carry on

When all that I've been livin' for is gone

 

I didn't come here for cryin'

Didn't come here to break down

It's just a dream of mine is coming to an end

And how can I blame you

When I build my world around

The hope that one day we'd be so much

More than friends

And I don't wanna know the price I'm

Gonna pay for dreaming

When even now it's more than I can take

 

Tell me how am I supposed to live without you

Now that I've been lovin' you so long

How am I supposed to live without you

How am I supposed to carry on

When all that I've been livin' for is gone

 

And I don't wanna know the price I'm

Gonna pay for dreaming

Now that your dream has come true

 

Tell me how am I supposed to live without you

Now that I've been lovin' you so long

How am I supposed to live without you

How am I supposed to carry on

When all that I've been livin' for is gone.

TINY DANCER

ELTON JOHN

SONGWRITER: ELTON JOHN & BERNIE TAUPIN

COUNTRY: U. K.

ALBUM: MADMAN ACROSS THE WATER

LABEL: DJM RECORDS

GENRE: POP ROCK

YEAR: 1971

 

        Sir Elton Hercules John(born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, pianist and composer. Commonly nicknamed the Rocket Man after his 1972 hit single of the same name, John has led a commercially successful career as a solo artist since the 1970s, having released 31 albums since 1969. Collaborating with lyricist Bernie Taupin since 1967, John is acclaimed by critics and musicians, particularly for his work during the 1970s, and his lasting impact on the music industry. John's music and showmanship have had a significant impact on popular music. His songwriting partnership with Taupin is one of the most successful in history.

         Raised in Pinner, John learned to play piano at an early age, and by 1962 had formed Bluesology, a blues band he was a member of until 1967. He met his longtime musical partner Taupin in 1967, after they both answered an advert for songwriters. For two years, they wrote songs for other artists, and John worked as a session musician for artists. In 1969, John released his debut album Empty Sky. In 1970, he formed the Elton John Band and released his first hit single, "Your Song", which became his first top ten in both the UK and the US. John's critical success was at its peak in the 1970s, when he released a streak of chart-topping albums in the US and UK, which began with Honky Château(1972) and culminated with Rock of the Westies(1975). John continued his success in the 1980s and 1990s, having several hit singles and albums in both decades, and has continued to record new music since then. He has also had success in musical films and theatre, composing music for The Lion King and its stage adaptation, Aida and Billy Elliot the Musical. In 2017, John released the greatest hits album Diamonds, spanning his hits from 1970 to 2016. In 2018, John began his ongoing farewell tour Farewell Yellow Brick Road, which will conclude in 2023. John's autobiography, Me, was published in 2019. That same year, his life and music career was dramatised in the biopic Rocketman. While he did not appear in his own biopic, John has made cameos in other films and television shows.

     Outside of music, John is an HIV/AIDS charity fundraiser, and has been involved in the fight against AIDS since the late 1980s. Following the deaths of Ryan White and Freddie Mercury, John established the Elton John AIDS Foundation in 1992, and a year later he began hosting his annual Foundation Academy Awards Party, which has since become one of the biggest high-profile Oscar parties in the Hollywood film industry. Since its inception, the foundation has raised over £300 million. John owned Watford F.C. from 1976 to 1987 and again from 1997 to 2002, and is an honorary life president of the club.

      John is one of the best-selling artists of all time, having sold over 300 million records worldwide in a six decade career in music. He has more than fifty Top 40 hits in the UK Singles Chart and US Billboard Hot 100, including nine number ones in the UK and US, as well as seven consecutive number-one albums in the US. His 1973 double album Goodbye Yellow Brick Road and his 1974 Greatest Hits compilation album are among the best-selling albums worldwide. His tribute single "Candle in the Wind 1997", a rewritten version of his 1974 single in dedication to Diana, Princess of Wales, sold over 33million copies worldwide and is the best-selling chart single of all time. In 2019, John was ranked by Billboard as the top solo artist in US chart history (third overall), and the top Adult Contemporary artist of all time. In 2021, John became the first solo artist with UK Top 10 singles across six decades.

       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. The album contains nine tracks, each composed and performed by John and with lyrics written by songwriting partner Bernie Taupin. Yes band keyboardist Rick Wakeman plays Hammond organ on three songs.

       There were two singles released from Madman Across the Water, "Levon" and "Tiny Dancer". The album was certified gold in February 1972, followed by platinum in March 1993, and 2× platinum in August 1998 by the RIAA. The album was included in Robert Dimery's 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. On 10 June 2022, the album was reissued as a deluxe edition for its 50th anniversary, featuring 18 unreleased tracks including demos, outtakes and alternate takes, as well as a 40-page book detailing the album's creation with notes from John and Taupin.

Blue-jean baby

L.A. lady

Seamstress for the band

Pretty-eyed

Pirate smile

You'll marry a music man

 

Ballerina

You must've seen her

Dancing in the sand

And now she's in me

Always with me

Tiny dancer in my hand

 

Jesus freaks

Out in the street

Handing tickets out for God

 

Turning back

She just laughs

The boulevard is not that bad

 

Piano man

He makes his stand

In the auditorium

 

Looking on

She sings the songs

The words she knows

The tune she hums

 

But oh, how it feels so real

Lying here, with no one near

Only you and you can hear me

When I say softly, slowly

 

Hold me closer, tiny dancer

Count the headlights on the highway

Lay me down in sheets of linen

You had a busy day today

 

Hold me closer, tiny dancer

Count the headlights on the highway

Lay me down in sheets of linen

You had a busy day today

 

Blue-jean baby

L.A. Lady

Seamstress for the band

Pretty-eyed

Pirate smile

You'll marry a music man

 

Ballerina

You must have seen her

Dancing in the sand

Now she's in me

Always with me

Tiny dancer in my hand

 

Oh, oh, how it feels so real

Lying here, with no one near

Only you, and you can hear me

When I say softly, slowly

 

Hold me closer, tiny dancer

Count the headlights on the highway

Lay me down in sheets of linen

You had a busy day today

 

Hold me closer, tiny dancer

Count the headlights on the highway

Lay me down in sheets of linen

You had a busy day today.