Our guest was studio manager of the Caribou Ranch studio in Colorado where Elton recorded several albums including 1974 classic Caribou. John Carsello talks about the making of the album, ahead of the release of an extended vinyl version on UK Record Store Day, 20 April. Find out how Elton was evicted by the Rolling Stones, and how Elton swapped ro…

Here's a snippet of what to expect on March 30. Saturday Night's Alright (for Podcasting) is released every last Saturday of the month, at 18:00 hours London time. Check it out on the eltonjohn.world launchpad! Catch-up with all Radio Elton John episodes from the eltonjohn.world launchpad online! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spot…

First-ever news bulletin devoted to Elton John and his world. Read by George Matlock. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/radio-elton-john/message

First-ever news bulletin devoted to Elton John and his world. Read by Charles Watt. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/radio-elton-john/message

First-ever news bulletin devoted to Elton John and his world. Airs from Luxembourg on 12 Feb 2024. Read by George Matlock. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/radio-elton-john/message

First-ever news bulletin devoted to Elton John and his world. Airs from London on 05 Feb 2024. Read by George Matlock. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/radio-elton-john/message

First-ever news bulletin devoted to Elton John and his world. Airs from Luxembourg on 22 January 2024. Read by George Matlock. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/radio-elton-john/message

First-ever news bulletin devoted to Elton John and his world. Airs from London on 15 January 2024. Read by George Matlock. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/radio-elton-john/message

First-ever news bulletin devoted to Elton John and his world. Airs from London on 18 January 2024. Read by George Matlock. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/radio-elton-john/message

First-ever news bulletin devoted to Elton John and his world. Airs from London on 18 December 2023. Read by George Matlock. Next bulletin 8 January 2024. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/radio-elton-john/message

First-ever news bulletin devoted to Elton John and his world. First bulletin airs from Luxembourg on 11 December 2023. Read by George Matlock --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/radio-elton-john/message

It's super easy to listen to Radio Elton John via a smart speaker or smart wristwatch. George shows you how on Alexa device for Amazon Music. But you can also do it on Apple Podcasts. Be sure to pair your Alexa account with Amazon or Apple. You can command your Alexa device by saying "Alexa play podcast Radio Elton John on Amazon Music". Or you can…

In a first, Radio Elton John hosts a multiple guest debate on the end of the Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour, and rediscovers veteran Elton fans. Joining us are: Stephan Heimbecher, founder of Rocket Fan, latterly Hercules Fan Club, Wayne Martin, Elton author Claude Bernardin, Paul Smith, founder of Facebook group Elton John Online. and identical t…

The trailer was originally released on 19 August 2022. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/radio-elton-john/message

The first of six 'Jewel Box Companion' episodes. It's taken me a while to get to grips with all of the extra new material and versions that we have been treated to. I've boiled it down into six relatively short playlists, and I'm going to be introducing them, one by one, and providing a little context and interpretation where I can. 'Chapter 1' is …

It's the 50th Frenniversary! Elton's 4th album was a pick-and-mix, with three pastoral pop songs from the same mould as the Elton John Album, two spiky rock songs that kept the Tumbleweed rolling, and a 10 minute long Buckmaster-stroke, thrown in for good measure. While it is an uneven listen, it contains some of Elton's finest music. The album get…

Here we are at last! This is the concluding part of the Tumbleweed Conversation I had with John Higgins, Elton's Legacy Consultant and Feature Writer at eltonjohn.com, and Peter Thomas, founder of pmc-speakers.com and Elton collector extraordinaire. Once again, I invite you to accompany us on our ramble along the timeline, all the way to the Trouba…

I am very thankful to John Higgins, Elton's Legacy Consultant and Feature Writer at eltonjohn.com, and Peter Thomas, founder of pmc-speakers.com and Elton audio expert, who both joined me for this episode of the podcast. We got together for a marathon conversation (this is just part one), where we untangled the various strands of the timeline that …

It's all go in Eltonland! The label have marked the 50th anniversary of Tumbleweed with a reissue of the album on green vinyl, plus an entirely unexpected companion 10" single, featuring the unearthed almost 8 minute long original version of Come Down in Time, backed with a full band DJM demo of Ballad of a Well Known Gun. Everything is available, …

Here's the rest of my track by track breakdown with John Higgins of the 'Elton John' album. The album lit a fuse. Four and a half months later, Elton exploded at the Troubadour. John and I got to talk about some of the strides and the mis-steps that were taken along the way. John is Feature Writer at www.eltonjohn.com as well as Elton's Legacy Cons…

Well it's finally happened. I've got pretty much everything I've ever asked for, and probably a bit more. In this quickie episode, I dip into the mind-bending rarities track-list, and talk about what's new and what's not. All of the details can be found at the Elton John website.Di Neil Barrett

Enormous thanks to John Higgins - Feature Writer for the eltonjohn.com website - who came onto the podcast to share his love for the 'Black Album', and to tell me some of the stories that he'd been able to hear during interviews that he carried out with Paul Buckmaster and Gus Dudgeon about their work on the project. We listened through some 'mixes…

In this episode I apologise for my absence; make some excuses; review the autobiography, in a limited sense; talk about the way that the book, the film and reality interact in one case; accept that I was wrong in another; mentally stage a residency, made up of Elton's deep cuts; all before the main event, which is a follow up to episode 14 - The So…

This episode starts off with a Rocketman competition, courtesy of Paramount Home Media (here is the prize pack that's up for grabs) before the main event, an interview with Anett Murray, wife of Dee Murray, and a big part of the Elton John family during the first half of the seventies. Anett tells us some fascinating stories of life at home and on …

Welcome aboard the Mystery Machine, as we take a Flight of Fancy into the unknown corners of Elton's musical world. In this episode, I investigate the spookiest, dustiest corners of discogs, I search for the bootlegs that don’t even exist in our reality, and I uncover the songs that live only in the memories of people who say that they have heard t…

Empty Sky, Elton’s debut album, and also his most honest, laid-back sounding set of songs, hit the shelves 50 years ago this month. It didn’t make much impact at the time, but it is greatly loved, both by fans, and by the people that created it. This episode tells the story of the album through interviews with the gang of ‘lost boys’ who were credi…

You are invited to a very special listening session and conversation with Peter Thomas, the preeminent Elton John collector and archivist. Peter Thomas, in his role as founder of monitor and speaker company PMC, has worked with the finest studios, mastering houses and broadcasters in the world. He has a passion for sound quality, and this extends i…

This episode counts down the 15 biggest non-Elton singles on Rocket, and in the process, tells the story of the label, attempts to define the Rocket sound (spoiler - there isn’t one), and draws out the connections with Elton’s music, where these exist. The chart itself can be viewed here. Thanks to Doug Sanders from The Lambrettas, who was intervie…

This episode revels in the obscure, picking up the curios in the discography, studying them, and making an attempt at explaining them. Here are the early versions, the erroneous edits that never should have been heard, the remixes, the rough mixes and the acoustic mixes. The highlight of this episode, for me, is the mono mix of Hymn 2000, which is …

This is the story of Elton's personal redemption, through the prism of the song 'Passengers', the UK top 5 hit single with the unique songwriting credit - Elton, Bernie, Davey and South African musician Phineas Mkhize. This episode follows Elton from the lows of being placed on the UN's cultural blacklist in 1983, for playing at Sun City, to the hi…

In this episode, I finish going through the imaginary box-set. First, I detail all of the non-album tracks that were released between 1984 and 1990 (CD3 of the collection that I have programmed), and I then go on to discuss the rarities that might find their way onto Rare Masters Vol. 2 (annexed off onto CD4). If you're inspired enough to get some …

The Elton John Podcast with the unwieldy name goes where the record company dare not go - Rare Masters Vol. 2. We all loved the first volume when it came out, and many of us have been going grey waiting for the next instalment. It didn't look like it was going to happen, so I've just gone ahead and done it. All of the non-album A and B-sides record…

Another treat - an interview with David Larkham – the man who controlled the visual element of the classic albums, liaising with Steve Brown, Bernie, Elton and others to bring their ideas to life. David was there at Steve Brown’s house in 68/69 with Bernie and Elton, hanging out; he was there at the Troubadour, taking photos; he was out there in Ja…

In this episode, I attempt to play (and sing in one case) the three ‘new’ songs from 1967 that have come to light via Bernie’s upcoming auction. I also go through the working lyrics that Bernie is selling in New York on the 9th of November, and talk about what they tell us about Bernie’s process. You can currently download the pdf featuring the lyr…

I was lucky enough to be able to spend more than an hour in the company of the brilliant Caleb Quaye. Without Caleb, there would be no Elton John as we know him. He got Elton and Bernie the gig with Dick James, and it was his audacious approach to using Dick James' studio that made it possible for Elton to take his first, extraordinary musical step…

Stuart Epps is Elton John royalty! He was a huge part of the team that worked together to bring Elton out from the sidelines of Tin Pan Alley, into megastardom. He saw that process first hand, working in a variety of different roles. Here he tells his story. Stuart's brand new audiobook can be ordered from his website. The rarity that I play in the…

In this episode the cake is unbaked, and every ingredient of the Elton John recipe is celebrated. Complex drum and percussion sounds are unpicked, backing vocals are highlighted, lead vocals are isolated, and previously buried piano tracks are brought to the surface. A few techniques are used. As well as the out of phase stereo technique, (used ext…

It's well known that Elton and Bernie spent their formative years trying to write hits for other artists, while trying to find their own voice. This episode tells the story of Elton and Bernie's early years through the prism of those early cover versions. Included are the 'surprise' number 3 hit in New Zealand in 1969, the song on the US Top 10 Gol…

In his formative years as a session musician, in fact even after the recording of his third album, Elton earned some extra cash recording cover versions of the hits of the day, anonymously, for budget record labels. These long player albums retailed at around the same price as a regular single, and they would be rushed out to share the shelves with…

The second of a two-part biography of Davey Johnstone's early musical history. Davey's range, and his scope for development, were apparent to all at his first Elton John session, for Holiday Inn. Elton wasn't going to let a talent like Davey slip through his fingers. This episode takes in Davey's astonishing work for Madman, Honky Chateau and Don't…

The first of a two-part biography of Davey Johnstone's early musical history. Just three years after getting his first guitar, a 14-year-old Davey could be found in folk clubs around Scotland, a class apart from the groups of seasoned musicians who welcomed him. At 17 he moved to London. He quickly found his home on the road and in the studio, wher…

24 months passed between the recording sessions for Crazy Water, and those for Elton's next (major) single, the angry, jagged Ego. From the sound of the record, Elton hadn't been able to find much solace in the interim. Ego twists with the energy of a tantrum. It's dark and humourous, petulant and self-mocking, all at once. Backed with Flintstone B…

Elton wrote a lot of incredible music over the years, in fact, more than he needed at some points of his career. This is the story of the songs that Elton gave away, either by design, or by default. Two of Elton's demos are featured - both of them are significant upgrades in terms of sound quality over what generally circulates.…

50 years ago today, on the 1st of March 1968, a 20-year-old Elton released his first solo single, 'I've Been Loving You', on Philips. Today's episode is an all-encompassing celebration of that moment, telling the story through the people around Elton, and the music they were making at the time. Two practically impossible rarities are included to ma…

A thematic analysis of Bernie's early work, with a particular focus on his songs about incarceration and exile. One very special rarity is included.Di Neil Barrett

If you like Elton John songs, then you'll probably like these relatively obscure renditions of Elton John songs, by musicians who tried to do something original with the material.Di Neil Barrett

Elton came back from rehab stronger than ever at the end of 1991. Here, in review, is the album that he brought back from the brink with him. The context, the music, the lyrics, the instrumentation - it's all given the analysis it deserves in this episode .Di Neil Barrett

A tribute to Elton's first musical mentor - his mother Sheila. This episode is a trip through the music of the 1950s that was dear to Sheila, to her mum Ivy, and to Reg. On the way, we take in the story of how Reg came to play the piano, and get an idea of the pieces of music that were in his early repertoire. We go all the way up to 1962, when Lit…

Dee Murray was a truly innovative force in the Elton John band. In this episode I look at what made him special, from the jigsaw puzzle of ideas that Dee and Elton threw around in the 3-piece band; taking in the almost-soul of Philadelphia Freedom; and beyond, into the 1980s. A biographical, loving, and detailed look at the work of the man that mad…

I attempt to piece together the weekly Saturday evening TV shows, hosted by the impish Lulu, that led up to the UK's selection being made for the 1969 Eurovision Song Contest, and follow up the progress of the careers of the six sets of songwriters who got through to that final stage. Whatever became of them?…