Goodbye Yellow Brick Road was the seventh studio album by Elton John, released in 1973. The album proved to be extremely popular, selling over 30 million copies worldwide, and is regarded as one of his best. In 2003, the album was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
Track listing
1. “Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding”
2. “Candle in the Wind”
3. “Bennie and the Jets”
4. “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road”
5. “This Song Has No Title”
6. “Grey Seal”
7. “Jamaica Jerk-Off”
8. “I’ve Seen That Movie Too”
9. “Sweet Painted Lady”
10. “The Ballad of Danny Bailey (1909–34)”
11. “Dirty Little Girl”
12. “All the Girls Love Alice”
13. “Your Sister Can’t Twist (But She Can Rock ‘n Roll)”
14. “Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting”
15. “Roy Rogers”
16. “Social Disease”
17. “Harmony”
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Goodbye Yellow Brick Road was released on October 5, 1973. The cover art, depicting John stepping into a poster, was created by illustrator Ian Beck
Vodka and Tonics Photo By: Charlie Gillett/Redferns/Getty Images
Under the working titles of Vodka and Tonics and Silent Movies, Talking Pictures, Bernie Taupin wrote the lyrics in two and a half weeks. Elton John composed most of the music in three days while staying at the Pink Flamingo Hotel in Kingston, Jamaica
France vs. Jamaica Photo By: Michael Putland/Getty Images
The album was recorded at the Château d'Hérouville in France after problems recording at the intended location of Jamaica arose. Elton had wanted to go to Jamaica he has said, in part, because the Rolling Stones had just recorded Goats Head Soup there
Double Album Photo By: Ron Howard/Redferns/Getty Images
Originally intended to be a single album, the move to the Château from Jamaica provided Elton and his band with a great deal of creative inspiration. An abundance of quality material was produced and this led to the decision to release the material as a double album
Funeral for a Friend Photo By: Chris Walter/WireImage/Getty Images
The first part, "Funeral for a Friend,” was created by Elton while thinking of what kind of music he would like at his funeral. He said the two songs were not written as one piece, but fit together since "Funeral for a Friend" ends in the key of A, and "Love Lies Bleeding" opens in A
Candle in the Wind Photo By: Bettmann/Getty Images
Candle in the Wind" was originally written in 1973, in honour of Marilyn Monroe, who had died 11 years earlier. In 1997, Elton performed a rewritten version of the song as a tribute to Diana, Princess of Wales
Bennie and the Jets Photo By: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
Elton John was set against releasing "Bennie and the Jets" as a single, believing it would fail. The song peaked at #1 on the U.S. singles chart in 1974 and sold 2.8 million copies by August 1976
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road Photo By: David Warner Ellis/Redferns/Getty Images
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" was released in 1973 as the album's second single, and entered the Top Ten in both the U.K. and the U.S. The song's flip side was a song called "Screw You,” though the U.S. release re-titled the song "Young Man's Blues," so as not to offend American record buyers
Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting Photo By: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
Bernie Taupin has said that "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting" was meant to be an American rock and roll song set in Britain. It was inspired by his raucous teenage days. In particular this was the fist fights happening in his local pub, the Aston Arms in Market Rasen
Harmony Photo By: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
“Harmony,” the album's final track, was considered as a fourth single. However, it was not issued at the time because the chart longevity of the album and its singles brought it too close to the upcoming release of Caribou and its proposed accompanying singles
