Tumbleweed Connection and The Stranger
Johnnie and David Hepworth discuss early albums from 1970 and 1977 by Elton John and Billy Joel, with archive clips from Elton and Billy, Sting, Bernie Taupin and Phil Ramone.
Classic early albums from 1970 and 1977 from superstars Elton John and Billy Joel. Archive clips come from Elton and Billy, Sting, Bernie Taupin and Billy's producer the late Phil Ramone.
Phil remembers auditioning for The Stranger, not knowing that he was being considered alongside Sir George Martin, and saying he wanted to harness Billy's stage energy and just have fun in the studio.
Billy remembers the characters in Scenes From An Italian Restaurant, his muse on She's Always A Woman and his initial negative feelings about Just The Way You Are.
Tumbleweed Connection was written at the same time as the eponymous Elton John album and Elton talks about deciding where tracks would go with producer Gus Dudgeon. He thinks people preferred Tumbleweed because it was looser. As David Hepworth points out it's probably the finest Wild West concept album, written by two cowboys, from Pinner and Sleaford, who had, at the time, yet to even visit the United States.
Johnnie and David also discuss Elton's career changing performance at Hollywood venue The Troubadour and the subsequent newspaper review, with comments from the Los Angeles Times critic Robert Hilburn and Troubadour owner Doug Weston.
Last on
More episodes
Next
You are at the last episode
Music Played
-
Billy Joel
Only The Good Die Young
- The Stranger.
- Columbia.
- 6.
-
Billy Joel
She's Always A Woman
- The Stranger.
- Columbia.
- 7.
-
Billy Joel
Just The Way You Are
- Billy Joel - Greatest Hits Vol.1.
- CBS.
-
Billy Joel
Scenes From An Italian Restaurant
- The Stranger.
- Columbia.
- 4.
-
Elton John
Country Comfort
- Tumbleweed Connection.
- Island.
- 003.
-
Elton John
Come Down In Time
- Tumbleweed Connection.
- Island.
- 002.
-
Elton John
Love Song
- Tumbleweed Connection.
- Island.
- 007.
-
Elton John
Burn Down The Mission
- Tumbleweed Connection.
- Island.
- 010.
Broadcast
- Wed 25 Feb 2015 22:00Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 2