I have to tell you that your review of Rocket Man kind of ruined the movie for me.
You see, I, too, saw it over the weekend … and absolutely loved it.
No, maybe it didn’t follow his story exactly, but it was two hours of pure escapism with an incredible soundtrack. I found it to be absolutely delightful.
I guess I can understand why someone like you, obsessed with the facts, would be put off by some of the discrepancies you mentioned in your review … it must be hard for you to see any film pertaining to music, knowing as much as you do about the subject matter … but I think you will come to enjoy and appreciate the film more when you see it again and just accept it for what it is. Let the music speak for itself, lose yourself in the fantasy, and I believe you will have a much better experience.
Mary
Yeah, I think Elton learned VERY quickly how to manipulate the press and his surroundings. Cool clip.
I’ve told the story before how I saw Elton John live in concert for the first time in 1970 / 1971 when he was booked to open for Three Dog Night, at the time the hottest group in the world.
This was going to be Elton’s big introduction to The United States … and it was a plum position to be in. Three Dog Night had already recorded a couple of his and Bernie’s songs (“Lady Samantha,” a UK hit for Elton, appeared on their second album and their new LP would feature their version of “Your Song,” recorded before it became a huge, smash hit for John.)
The second time I saw him was several years later when Elton was sitting on top of the pop world. Now he was the headliner (in fact I’m not even sure there was an opening act) and he had an arsenal of hits to choose from.
(Between 1970 and 1980, Elton John had nearly twenty Top Ten Hits here in America, including NINE #1’s!) What a different show this was THAT night, as he pulled out all the stops to put on one of the most energetic shows I’ve ever seen. (kk)
Saw the movie and your comments are exactly the way I feel.
As you know, I had written and assembled a multi-voice narrative strictly about Elton John's 1965 - 1980 life. Thankful for the kudos received, especially one from the daughter of Russ Regan, the visionary A&R man and music executive who signed Elton John to his UNI / MCA record deal for North America.
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You see, I, too, saw it over the weekend … and absolutely loved it.
No, maybe it didn’t follow his story exactly, but it was two hours of pure escapism with an incredible soundtrack. I found it to be absolutely delightful.
I guess I can understand why someone like you, obsessed with the facts, would be put off by some of the discrepancies you mentioned in your review … it must be hard for you to see any film pertaining to music, knowing as much as you do about the subject matter … but I think you will come to enjoy and appreciate the film more when you see it again and just accept it for what it is. Let the music speak for itself, lose yourself in the fantasy, and I believe you will have a much better experience.
Mary
It IS difficult for me to see SO many facts blatantly misrepresented. (The one that probably set me off the most was the illusion that Elton John took his stage surname from John Lennon … TOTALLY preposterous, not to mention insulting to his mentor, Long John Baldry. The fact that Elton himself signed off on this makes me wonder if somehow this was payback from some great disservice Baldry inflicted upon John early in his career. What other excuse could there be?)
Let’s face it, if it was more a tribute to Lennon that he was going for, they could have shown that in much the same way they ran scattered video clips along the way … the two “Johns” recording “Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds” or “Whatever Gets You Thru The Night” … or Elton bringing Lennon on stage at Madison Square Garden to sing his #1 Hit, thus reuniting him with Yoko … or Elton’s beautiful tribute tune “Empty Garden,” written after Lennon was gunned down in 1980. Hell, they could have also shown how compassionate John was by airing bits and pieces of his Ryan White involvement … or the second-coming of “Candle In The Wind” after the death of Princess Diana.
Those are REAL documented facts that show a side of Elton John not really discussed in the movie. Instead, they chose to simply make up stuff, thus defeating the very definition of a biopic. (Can you tell I was a little bit angry after leaving the theater???)
Anyway, I think I probably will appreciate it more for its strengths at a later date. Some of these films work fine as a backdrop while doing other things around the house … and hoping this will become one of them. (kk)
Let’s face it, if it was more a tribute to Lennon that he was going for, they could have shown that in much the same way they ran scattered video clips along the way … the two “Johns” recording “Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds” or “Whatever Gets You Thru The Night” … or Elton bringing Lennon on stage at Madison Square Garden to sing his #1 Hit, thus reuniting him with Yoko … or Elton’s beautiful tribute tune “Empty Garden,” written after Lennon was gunned down in 1980. Hell, they could have also shown how compassionate John was by airing bits and pieces of his Ryan White involvement … or the second-coming of “Candle In The Wind” after the death of Princess Diana.
Those are REAL documented facts that show a side of Elton John not really discussed in the movie. Instead, they chose to simply make up stuff, thus defeating the very definition of a biopic. (Can you tell I was a little bit angry after leaving the theater???)
Anyway, I think I probably will appreciate it more for its strengths at a later date. Some of these films work fine as a backdrop while doing other things around the house … and hoping this will become one of them. (kk)
FH Reader Davis Salidor pointed us toward this review of “Rocket Man” run yesterday in The Mac Wire, written by GH Harding …
David also tells us:
I’d give it a good review - but, I was definitely disappointed - that ending when Taron subs for EJ in the "I'm Still Standing" video was very, very tacky.
Thanks –
DS
Long-time FH Reader Steve Sarley tells of a personal one-on-one experience with Elton John back in the ‘70’s when he worked as an Andy Frain usher at one of John’s concerts …
I don't know if I shared this with you before or not, so please pardon me if I did.
Jim Williams at CBS did a 30-minute show after the news one evening last fall about Andy Frain.
I am on-screen a few times but am featured telling a story about Elton John starting at 9:20.
There was a big deal about airing this, as the CBS lawyers in New York were fearful of being sued, because Elton is known to be very litigious. They had to search to find people who attended the concert in question who could verify my story. They succeeded and the piece aired.
My fifteen minutes of fame!
Thank you -
Steve Sarley
Thanks –
DS
Long-time FH Reader Steve Sarley tells of a personal one-on-one experience with Elton John back in the ‘70’s when he worked as an Andy Frain usher at one of John’s concerts …
I don't know if I shared this with you before or not, so please pardon me if I did.
Jim Williams at CBS did a 30-minute show after the news one evening last fall about Andy Frain.
I am on-screen a few times but am featured telling a story about Elton John starting at 9:20.
There was a big deal about airing this, as the CBS lawyers in New York were fearful of being sued, because Elton is known to be very litigious. They had to search to find people who attended the concert in question who could verify my story. They succeeded and the piece aired.
My fifteen minutes of fame!
Thank you -
Steve Sarley
Yeah, I think Elton learned VERY quickly how to manipulate the press and his surroundings. Cool clip.
I’ve told the story before how I saw Elton John live in concert for the first time in 1970 / 1971 when he was booked to open for Three Dog Night, at the time the hottest group in the world.
This was going to be Elton’s big introduction to The United States … and it was a plum position to be in. Three Dog Night had already recorded a couple of his and Bernie’s songs (“Lady Samantha,” a UK hit for Elton, appeared on their second album and their new LP would feature their version of “Your Song,” recorded before it became a huge, smash hit for John.)
The second time I saw him was several years later when Elton was sitting on top of the pop world. Now he was the headliner (in fact I’m not even sure there was an opening act) and he had an arsenal of hits to choose from.
(Between 1970 and 1980, Elton John had nearly twenty Top Ten Hits here in America, including NINE #1’s!) What a different show this was THAT night, as he pulled out all the stops to put on one of the most energetic shows I’ve ever seen. (kk)
Saw the movie and your comments are exactly the way I feel.
As you know, I had written and assembled a multi-voice narrative strictly about Elton John's 1965 - 1980 life. Thankful for the kudos received, especially one from the daughter of Russ Regan, the visionary A&R man and music executive who signed Elton John to his UNI / MCA record deal for North America.
I know there was a big fantasy aspect to the movie. I can suspend some facts: Elton wore a beard at his Troubadour debut, and it was a three-piece on stage, not a quartet portrayed. But I was really miffed, like you were, at the sequence where John Lennon's name is exploited as his new stage moniker. It's an insult to John Baldry. Elton Dean of Soft Machine fame was at least acknowledged in this show business transformation.
Taron Egerton was very effective as Elton John. Terrific acting and singing job.
There were deep-dive moments on screen that were gripping, akin to your reaction of "Your Song" being played for the first time. That was celluloid magic.
Best,
Harvey Kubernik
Check out Harvey’s Elton John profile via the link above for a much more in-depth, factual expose on his life at the time. (kk)
After seeing “Rocket Man” Saturday afternoon, we came home and watched the HBO Premier of the movie “Bad Times At The El Royale,” a movie we had considered catching while it was still in theaters but never got around to seeing.
It’s an unusual mix that takes awhile (like about an hour!!!) to really get off the ground … but there was something intriguing enough about us to keep us tuned in.
Maybe it was the killer soundtrack, much of which came from our favorite year in music, 1967. (After kicking off with “26 Miles” by The Four Preps, the film jumps ahead ten years and we’re treated to “Twenty-Five Miles” by Edwin Starr.
Other 1967 favorites followed, including “Bend Me, Shape Me” by The American Breed (now when did you EVER think you’d hear THIS song in a movie?!?!), “Bernadette” by The Four Tops, “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” by Frankie Valli and many, many more. (The 1967 hits “The Letter” by The Box Tops, “Twelve-Thirty” by The Mamas and the Papas, “Hush” by Deep Purple are also included as is the Tommy Roe recording of “Baby, I Love You” and actress / singer Cynthia Erivo doing excellent versions of “This Old Heart Of Mine,” “Try A Little Tenderness,” “You Can’t Hurry Love, “Unchained Melody,” “Hold On, I’m Comin’,” “What Becomes Of The Broken Hearted” and more.)
The film (also starring Jeff Bridges, Dakota Johnson, Jon Hamm, Chris Hemsworth and Nick Offerman) continued to improve and became a pretty decent murder mystery thriller by the time it was over.
Check it out if you get the chance … but give it some time to gell. (In the meantime, enjoy the killer soundtrack!) kk
kk …
Can you believe they are still finding these clips after all this time?
FB
Long-lost Beatles footage to be revealed after 50 years - CNN
https://www.cnn.com/2019/05/29/entertainment/beatles-lost-footage-intl-scli/index.html?utm_term=link&utm_content=2019-05-29T21%3A03%3A15&utm_medium=social&utm_source=fbCNNi&fbclid=IwAR1Vl-0p7U0uPyTrX1s-KoHmMAVKOBpu9ltjRkKIGbpumV5acoAPHbFiUNY
And, speaking of The Beatles, I picked up the new, deluxe version of Paul McCartney’s #1 Album “Egypt Station” and I’ve gotta tell you … most of the music included on the bonus disc is better than the stuff that made the final LP!
Although it doesn’t “officially” start for three more weeks, Memorial Day Weekend has always been the “unofficial” kick-off to summer. (Quite honestly, this year we never really got a spring … with measurable snow still falling the last week of April and first week of May … after a particularly brutal winter to boot … I guess you could say that this year, spring came in like a lion and went out like a tyrannosaurus rex!
Still, we’re all for summer … and here locally, we’re looking forward to another “Summer of Me” on Me-TV-FM … while The Drive is already promoting their “97 Days of Summer” series.
Over the years, numerous radio stations from coast to coast have picked up on our list of Summer Favorites, as voted on by our legion of oldies fans across the country.
If you’re going to be using our list this year in any type of special promotion or countdown, please let us know so that we can repay the favor by posting a “Listen Live” link on our website to let readers know where they can go to hear their all-time summer favorites. (This makes for a great weekend feature.)
You can find that complete list here:
http://forgottenhits.com/your_all-time_summer_favorites
(You’ll also find the Biggest Hits of Summer for every year, 1955 – 1980, posted on the site for additional countdown possibilities … think about what a great 4th of July programming opportunity this is to give your staff a well-deserved rest while “the countdown continues”!!!) kk
Clearly we’ve fallen behind again …
By now I’m sure you know that Leon Redbone (who scored the minor hit “Seduced” in 1981,always one of my favorites, and voiced the animated snowman in the motion picture “Elf” passed away last week.
I got this from FH Reader Bob Merlis …
It was announced by family members that singer/performer Leon Redbone, whose musical style recalled an earlier era, died earlier today. Within the last few hours, a notice was posted on www.leonredbone.com that read as follows:
“It is with heavy hearts we announce that early this morning, May 30th, 2019, Leon Redbone crossed the delta for that beautiful shore at the age of 127. He departed our world with his guitar, his trusty companion Rover, and a simple tip of his hat. He's interested to see what Blind Blake, Emmett, and Jelly Roll have been up to in his absence … and has plans for a rousing sing-along number with Sári Barabás. An eternity of pouring through texts in the Library of Ashurbanipal will be a welcome repose, perhaps followed by a shot or two of whiskey with Lee Morse, and some long overdue discussions with his favorite Uncle, Suppiluliuma I of the Hittites. To his fans, friends, and loving family who have already been missing him so in this realm he says, " Oh behave yourselves. Thank you ... and good evening everybody.""
Redbone had retired from performing in 2015 after an improbable career that saw the release of 16 full-length albums beginning with On The Track, his 1975 debut on Warner Bros. He went on to put out albums on his own August imprint through Blue Thumb, Private Music and Rounder with his most recent new release 2014’s Flying By was issued through his August Records imprint (distributed by Rounder) as have all of his recordings dating back to the mid-1980s. A compilation of his earliest recordings titled Long Way From Home was released in 2016 via Third Man Records.
Redbone’s reverence for gramophone-era music including jazz, country, ragtime, blues and vaudeville, was reflected in his performance, stage patter and attire. Most often dressed in a white suit with a string tie, wearing dark glasses and a panama hat, he gave voice to a bygone era of music, recalling Bing Crosby, Jimmie Rodgers, Jelly Roll Morton, Ted Lewis, Emmett Miller, Blind Blake and other notable artists whose heyday was the first half of the 20th century.
The enigmatic Redbone emerged from the folk scene in Toronto and experienced a breakthrough when Bob Dylan “discovered” him at 1972’s Mariposa Folk Festival in Orillia, Ontario. Dylan noted that if he had his own record label, he would have signed Redbone. Always protective of his identity, Redbone eschewed a photo of himself for his first album. Instead, it was adorned by an illustration of Michigan J. Frog, the cartoon character who had sprung into the modern day from a time capsule, the perfect visual metaphor for Redbone’s focus on that which had gone before. “The only thing that interests me,” said Redbone in a 1991 interview, “is history, reviewing the past and making something out of it.”
His voice was heard in films and on TV, most notably “According To Our New Arrival,” the theme song for Mr. Belvedere, the hit series that ran on ABC for six seasons. His version of Fats Waller’s “Your Feets Too Big” was the theme of all 72 episodes of Universal Television’s Harry and the Hendersons in the early 90s.
He was the first performing artist to appear twice in the same season of Saturday Night Live (Season 1: 1975-76) and returned to the show in Season 3 (1977) and Season 8 (1983). Only Leon Redbone could have performed such tin-pan alley repertoire such as “Shine On Harvest Moon” and “Ain’t Misbehaven” so successfully in that context. He provided the voice of the animated character Leon The Snowman in the 2003 film Elf and performed a duet with Zooey Deschanel of “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” for the film.
Taron Egerton was very effective as Elton John. Terrific acting and singing job.
There were deep-dive moments on screen that were gripping, akin to your reaction of "Your Song" being played for the first time. That was celluloid magic.
Best,
Harvey Kubernik
Check out Harvey’s Elton John profile via the link above for a much more in-depth, factual expose on his life at the time. (kk)
After seeing “Rocket Man” Saturday afternoon, we came home and watched the HBO Premier of the movie “Bad Times At The El Royale,” a movie we had considered catching while it was still in theaters but never got around to seeing.
It’s an unusual mix that takes awhile (like about an hour!!!) to really get off the ground … but there was something intriguing enough about us to keep us tuned in.
Maybe it was the killer soundtrack, much of which came from our favorite year in music, 1967. (After kicking off with “26 Miles” by The Four Preps, the film jumps ahead ten years and we’re treated to “Twenty-Five Miles” by Edwin Starr.
Other 1967 favorites followed, including “Bend Me, Shape Me” by The American Breed (now when did you EVER think you’d hear THIS song in a movie?!?!), “Bernadette” by The Four Tops, “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” by Frankie Valli and many, many more. (The 1967 hits “The Letter” by The Box Tops, “Twelve-Thirty” by The Mamas and the Papas, “Hush” by Deep Purple are also included as is the Tommy Roe recording of “Baby, I Love You” and actress / singer Cynthia Erivo doing excellent versions of “This Old Heart Of Mine,” “Try A Little Tenderness,” “You Can’t Hurry Love, “Unchained Melody,” “Hold On, I’m Comin’,” “What Becomes Of The Broken Hearted” and more.)
The film (also starring Jeff Bridges, Dakota Johnson, Jon Hamm, Chris Hemsworth and Nick Offerman) continued to improve and became a pretty decent murder mystery thriller by the time it was over.
Check it out if you get the chance … but give it some time to gell. (In the meantime, enjoy the killer soundtrack!) kk
kk …
Can you believe they are still finding these clips after all this time?
FB
Long-lost Beatles footage to be revealed after 50 years - CNN
https://www.cnn.com/2019/05/29/entertainment/beatles-lost-footage-intl-scli/index.html?utm_term=link&utm_content=2019-05-29T21%3A03%3A15&utm_medium=social&utm_source=fbCNNi&fbclid=IwAR1Vl-0p7U0uPyTrX1s-KoHmMAVKOBpu9ltjRkKIGbpumV5acoAPHbFiUNY
And, speaking of The Beatles, I picked up the new, deluxe version of Paul McCartney’s #1 Album “Egypt Station” and I’ve gotta tell you … most of the music included on the bonus disc is better than the stuff that made the final LP!
Although it doesn’t “officially” start for three more weeks, Memorial Day Weekend has always been the “unofficial” kick-off to summer. (Quite honestly, this year we never really got a spring … with measurable snow still falling the last week of April and first week of May … after a particularly brutal winter to boot … I guess you could say that this year, spring came in like a lion and went out like a tyrannosaurus rex!
Still, we’re all for summer … and here locally, we’re looking forward to another “Summer of Me” on Me-TV-FM … while The Drive is already promoting their “97 Days of Summer” series.
Over the years, numerous radio stations from coast to coast have picked up on our list of Summer Favorites, as voted on by our legion of oldies fans across the country.
If you’re going to be using our list this year in any type of special promotion or countdown, please let us know so that we can repay the favor by posting a “Listen Live” link on our website to let readers know where they can go to hear their all-time summer favorites. (This makes for a great weekend feature.)
You can find that complete list here:
http://forgottenhits.com/your_all-time_summer_favorites
(You’ll also find the Biggest Hits of Summer for every year, 1955 – 1980, posted on the site for additional countdown possibilities … think about what a great 4th of July programming opportunity this is to give your staff a well-deserved rest while “the countdown continues”!!!) kk
Clearly we’ve fallen behind again …
By now I’m sure you know that Leon Redbone (who scored the minor hit “Seduced” in 1981,always one of my favorites, and voiced the animated snowman in the motion picture “Elf” passed away last week.
I got this from FH Reader Bob Merlis …
It was announced by family members that singer/performer Leon Redbone, whose musical style recalled an earlier era, died earlier today. Within the last few hours, a notice was posted on www.leonredbone.com that read as follows:
“It is with heavy hearts we announce that early this morning, May 30th, 2019, Leon Redbone crossed the delta for that beautiful shore at the age of 127. He departed our world with his guitar, his trusty companion Rover, and a simple tip of his hat. He's interested to see what Blind Blake, Emmett, and Jelly Roll have been up to in his absence … and has plans for a rousing sing-along number with Sári Barabás. An eternity of pouring through texts in the Library of Ashurbanipal will be a welcome repose, perhaps followed by a shot or two of whiskey with Lee Morse, and some long overdue discussions with his favorite Uncle, Suppiluliuma I of the Hittites. To his fans, friends, and loving family who have already been missing him so in this realm he says, " Oh behave yourselves. Thank you ... and good evening everybody.""
Redbone had retired from performing in 2015 after an improbable career that saw the release of 16 full-length albums beginning with On The Track, his 1975 debut on Warner Bros. He went on to put out albums on his own August imprint through Blue Thumb, Private Music and Rounder with his most recent new release 2014’s Flying By was issued through his August Records imprint (distributed by Rounder) as have all of his recordings dating back to the mid-1980s. A compilation of his earliest recordings titled Long Way From Home was released in 2016 via Third Man Records.
Redbone’s reverence for gramophone-era music including jazz, country, ragtime, blues and vaudeville, was reflected in his performance, stage patter and attire. Most often dressed in a white suit with a string tie, wearing dark glasses and a panama hat, he gave voice to a bygone era of music, recalling Bing Crosby, Jimmie Rodgers, Jelly Roll Morton, Ted Lewis, Emmett Miller, Blind Blake and other notable artists whose heyday was the first half of the 20th century.
The enigmatic Redbone emerged from the folk scene in Toronto and experienced a breakthrough when Bob Dylan “discovered” him at 1972’s Mariposa Folk Festival in Orillia, Ontario. Dylan noted that if he had his own record label, he would have signed Redbone. Always protective of his identity, Redbone eschewed a photo of himself for his first album. Instead, it was adorned by an illustration of Michigan J. Frog, the cartoon character who had sprung into the modern day from a time capsule, the perfect visual metaphor for Redbone’s focus on that which had gone before. “The only thing that interests me,” said Redbone in a 1991 interview, “is history, reviewing the past and making something out of it.”
His voice was heard in films and on TV, most notably “According To Our New Arrival,” the theme song for Mr. Belvedere, the hit series that ran on ABC for six seasons. His version of Fats Waller’s “Your Feets Too Big” was the theme of all 72 episodes of Universal Television’s Harry and the Hendersons in the early 90s.
He was the first performing artist to appear twice in the same season of Saturday Night Live (Season 1: 1975-76) and returned to the show in Season 3 (1977) and Season 8 (1983). Only Leon Redbone could have performed such tin-pan alley repertoire such as “Shine On Harvest Moon” and “Ain’t Misbehaven” so successfully in that context. He provided the voice of the animated character Leon The Snowman in the 2003 film Elf and performed a duet with Zooey Deschanel of “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” for the film.
He never directly answered questions about his origin, age, etc., preferring to invest his creative energies in his artistry and the persona he inhabited. He offered, “I don't do anything mysterious on purpose. I'm less than forthcoming, but that doesn't necessarily mean I'm mysterious. It just means I'm not inclined to go there.”
Leon Redbone is survived by his wife Beryl Handler, daughters Blake and Ashley and three grandchildren, Devin, Amberley and Holland.
"Redbone is the cat that swallowed the canary. He has made a career from his musical passion, while keeping his own identity - which would only interfere - a mystery. If time hasn't forgotten him, it is only because time never fully knew Redbone in the first place." - Brad Wheeler / Globe & Mail, November 8, 2010
Leon Redbone is survived by his wife Beryl Handler, daughters Blake and Ashley and three grandchildren, Devin, Amberley and Holland.
"Redbone is the cat that swallowed the canary. He has made a career from his musical passion, while keeping his own identity - which would only interfere - a mystery. If time hasn't forgotten him, it is only because time never fully knew Redbone in the first place." - Brad Wheeler / Globe & Mail, November 8, 2010
kk …
This time I think they've gone to far -- with your favorite song.
Frank B.
This time I think they've gone to far -- with your favorite song.
Frank B.
Not my favorite song … but it HAS opened up a commanding lead in our Most Essential Classic Rock Songs Poll. (For the past two months, “Hotel California” and “Bohemian Rhapsody” have flip-flopped almost daily between the #1 and #2 spots … as soon as one would take over, the other would displace it in the very next vote. I actually thought we may have to do a “playoff round” of the trend continued!)
But based on the most recent wave of votes and documented airplay (along with Memorial Day 500 stats compiled from several of the twenty Classic Rock Stations we’re monitoring from coast to coast in order to come up with the definitive list of favorites), “Hotel California” has made a MAJOR leap out front.
Also displaced this past weekend … “Layla,” which has held down the #3 spot since Day Two of our poll. (It was actually the #1 choice the day we announced our survey.)
It has now been passed up by “Sweet Home Alabama” by Lynyrd Skynyrd, which also now holds a sizeable lead.
Watch for more details on all of this by the end of the week …
Watch for more details on all of this by the end of the week …
But meanwhile, keep those votes coming …
Don’t let YOUR favorites get passed by!
Vote now by emailing ClassicRockVote@yahoo.com!!!
