Artist:Elton John f/George Michael
Song:Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me
Album:Duets
This duet version of Elton John's Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me topped the charts in 1991 and then John decided to record an album of Duets. The original recording of Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me was on John's 1974 album Caribou and it reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100. Then it appeared on his 1986 album Live in Australia. John said in his 2019 autobiography that he planned to retire the song as he soon having throat surgery. But he didn't retire it and after performing an acoustic version on MTV Unplugged in 1990, John first performed Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me with George Michael at Live Aid 1985. Michael performed the song regularly on his shows. Then at his Mar. 23, 1991 Wembley Arena concert, Michael brought out John as a surprise guest and they filmed it later at the Rosemont Horizon in Chicago. The record was a worldwide smash at a time when John needed a hit. It got a couple of Grammy nominations. At first the record was only going to be released as a single. But it was decided to record an album of duets. That decision was probably made by MCA's Steve Brown who worked a lot with John. Michael produced the record with studio musicians. The Duets album was released in 1993. Artists include k.d. lang, P.M. Dawn, Little Richard, Don Henley, Kiki Dee, Chris Rea, Tammy Wynette, Nik Kershaw, Gladys Knight, RuPaul, Marcy Levy, Paul Young Bonnie Raitt and Leonard Cohen. The production coordinator was Elton John's percussionist Ray Cooper. This album is available as a budget CD. But George Michael fans can get the song on the comp Ladies & Gentlemen: The Best of George Michael. The album was certified Platinum. But I assume album sales were affected negatively by the two year time lag. Listeners have short memories. Here's the video for Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me by Elton John featuring George Michael.
No comments:
Post a Comment