Empty Sky
Empty Sky | ||||
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Studio album by Elton John | ||||
Released | 29 December 1969 (UK) 13 January 1975 (US) | |||
Recorded | November 1968 – April 1969 | |||
Studio | Dick James, London | |||
Genre | Soft rock[1] | |||
Length | 41:11 (original release) 54:53 (1995 reissue) | |||
Label |
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Producer | Steve Brown | |||
Elton John chronology | ||||
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U.S. release (1975) | ||||
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Empty Sky is the debut studio album by British singer-songwriter Elton John, released on 29 December 1969. It was not issued in the United States until January 1975 (on MCA), with different cover art, well after John's fame had been established internationally.
Background
Recorded during the winter of 1968 and spring of 1969 in a DJM Records 8-track studio, Empty Sky is the only album in the early part of Elton John's career not produced by Gus Dudgeon, instead helmed by friend and DJM staffer Steve Brown. The album was released in the UK in both stereo and mono, the latter now being a rare collector's item.
John plays harpsichord on several tracks, including "Skyline Pigeon", which John has described as being "the first song Bernie and I ever got excited about that we ever wrote."[2]
John used musicians who were friends either of him or of Brown. Guitarist Caleb Quaye and drummer Roger Pope, both at the time members of the band Hookfoot, played on many of the tracks. (Quaye and Pope would rejoin John a few years later as part of his studio and touring band behind Rock of the Westies in 1975 and Blue Moves in 1976.) Tony Murray from The Troggs played bass. Empty Sky is the first appearance with John of then Plastic Penny and Spencer Davis Group member Nigel Olsson, who played drums on "Lady What's Tomorrow?" (Olsson and fellow Spencer Davis bandmate, bassist Dee Murray, would soon join John as his early 1970s touring band.) Also listed in the production credits is Clive Franks, who would later produce John's live sound in concert for a tremendous amount of his touring career, as well as occasionally co-produce with John on albums such as A Single Man and 21 at 33. The original sleeve design was done by David Larkham (billed as "Dave"), who would go on to create designs for John and other artists.
"Skyline Pigeon" is the most popular and best-known song on the album, which John, albeit infrequently, performed as part of his live shows. The more definitive version of "Skyline Pigeon" featuring an orchestra and piano backing in place of harpsichord was recorded for 1973's Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player, and initially appeared as the B-side of "Daniel" in 1973. Another appearance of the song was in 1974, when a version recorded in London was featured as the opening track on the Here and There live LP and its 1995 CD reissue. The only other song from the album that was played live was the title track, "Empty Sky", was included at various stops on John's 1975 tour.
Although John has since called the album naive, he does have fond memories of making the record. These include walking home from recording at 4 a.m. and lodging at the Salvation Army HQ in Oxford Street, which was run by Steve Brown's father. "I remember when we finished work on the title track – it just floored me. I thought it was the best thing I'd ever heard in my life," John recalled.[3] He later recalled that he was "unsure what style I was going to be ... [maybe what] Leonard Cohen sounds like."[4]
Reception
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Disc & Music Echo | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
A contemporary review from Disc & Music Echo said, "Can't help feeling that the lyrics could still do with a little more intensity, a little less youthful pretension. But that's just carping because the music is so nice and pretty that you can't really put it down. Well worth a good, deep listen."[5] AllMusic's retrospective review showed a subdued reaction to the material, concluding "There aren't any forgotten gems on Empty Sky, but it does suggest John's potential."[1]
Track listing
All tracks are written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Empty Sky" | 8:29 |
2. | "Val-Hala" | 4:11 |
3. | "Western Ford Gateway" | 3:15 |
4. | "Hymn 2000" | 4:29 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Lady What's Tomorrow" | 3:09 |
2. | "Sails" | 3:45 |
3. | "The Scaffold" | 3:18 |
4. | "Skyline Pigeon" | 3:37 |
5. | "Gulliver / Hay Chewed / Reprise" | 6:58 |
Total length: | 41:11 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
10. | "Lady Samantha" | 3:02 |
11. | "All Across the Havens" | 2:52 |
12. | "It's Me That You Need" | 4:04 |
13. | "Just Like Strange Rain" | 3:44 |
Total length: | 54:53 |
- Notes
- "Val-Hala" was titled "Valhalla" on the 1975 US reissue.
- "Hay Chewed" was titled "It's Hay-Chewed" on the 1995 CD reissue.
Personnel
- Elton John – vocals, piano, organ, Hohner Pianet, harpsichord
- Caleb Quaye – electric guitar, acoustic guitar, congas
- Tony Murray – bass guitar
- Roger Pope – drums, percussion
- Nigel Olsson – drums on "Lady What's Tomorrow"
- Don Fay – saxophone, flute
- Graham Vickery – harmonica
Production
- Steve Brown – producer
- Frank Owen – engineer
- Clive Franks – tape operator, whistling
- Dave Larkham – sleeve design, illustration
- Jim Goff – sleeve production
- Tony Brandon – original sleeve notes
- David Symonds – original sleeve notes
- Gus Dudgeon – liner notes
- John Tobler – liner notes
Charts
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
|
References
- ^ a b c Empty Sky at AllMusic
- ^ "Skyline Pigeon" track from "Here And There", Disc 1, Track 1. Released 30 April 1976, MCA Records.
- ^ Liner notes from "Empty Sky". 1995 Rocket/Island CD Reissue.
- ^ "Elton John". Spectacle. Season 1. Episode 1. 2008.
- ^ "July Disc LP Guide". Disc & Music Echo. 12 July 1969. p. 13.
- ^ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 3934a". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 22 February 2023.
- ^ "Elton John Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 14 September 2022.
External links
- Empty Sky at Discogs (list of releases)
- v
- t
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- Empty Sky
- Elton John
- Tumbleweed Connection
- Madman Across the Water
- Honky Château
- Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player
- Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
- Caribou
- Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy
- Rock of the Westies
- Blue Moves
- A Single Man
- Victim of Love
- 21 at 33
- The Fox
- Jump Up!
- Too Low for Zero
- Breaking Hearts
- Ice on Fire
- Leather Jackets
- Reg Strikes Back
- Sleeping with the Past
- The One
- Duets
- Made in England
- The Big Picture
- Songs from the West Coast
- Peachtree Road
- The Captain & the Kid
- The Diving Board
- Wonderful Crazy Night
- Regimental Sgt. Zippo
- The Lockdown Sessions
- Friends
- The Lion King (1994)
- Elton John and Tim Rice's Aida
- The Muse
- The Road to El Dorado
- Gnomeo & Juliet
- Rocketman
- The Lion King (2019)
- Greatest Hits
- Greatest Hits Volume II
- The Thom Bell Sessions
- Lady Samantha
- Greatest Hits Vol. 3
- The Complete Thom Bell Sessions
- To Be Continued
- The Very Best of Elton John
- Rare Masters
- Greatest Hits 1976–1986
- Chartbusters Go Pop
- Classic Elton John
- Love Songs
- Prologue
- Greatest Hits 1970–2002
- Elton John's Christmas Party
- Rocket Man: The Definitive Hits
- Diamonds
- Elton: Jewel Box
- "I've Been Loving You"
- The Thom Bell Sessions
- Remixed
- Two Rooms: Celebrating the Songs of Elton John & Bernie Taupin
- The Union
- Good Morning to the Night
- Revamp & Restoration
- 1970 World Tour
- Rock of the Westies Tour
- Louder Than Concorde Tour
- 1979 tour of the Soviet Union
- 1980 World Tour
- Jump Up Tour
- Too Low for Zero Tour
- European Express Tour
- Breaking Hearts Tour
- Ice on Fire Tour
- Tour De Force
- Sleeping with the Past Tour
- The One Tour
- Face to Face 1994
- Face to Face 1995
- Made in England Tour
- Face to Face 1998
- An Evening with Elton John
- Medusa Tour
- Stately Home Tour
- Face to Face 2001
- Songs from the West Coast Tour
- Face to Face 2002
- A Journey Through Time
- 2003 Tour
- Face to Face 2003
- 2004 Tour
- Peachtree Road Tour
- 2006 European Tour
- The Captain and the Kid Tour
- Rocket Man: Greatest Hits Live
- Face to Face 2009
- Face to Face 2010
- 2010 European Tour
- Greatest Hits Tour
- 40th Anniversary of the Rocket Man
- The Diving Board Tour
- Follow the Yellow Brick Road Tour
- All the Hits Tour
- The Final Curtain Tour
- Wonderful Crazy Night Tour
- Farewell Yellow Brick Road
performances
- The Lion King
- 1994 film
- 2019 film
- 1997 musical
- The Road to El Dorado
- Aida
- Billy Elliot the Musical
- Lestat
- The Devil Wears Prada
- Tammy Faye
- Bernie Taupin
- Elton John Band
- Gus Dudgeon
- Paul Buckmaster
- John Reid
- Ray Williams
- Dick James
- DJM Records
- David Furnish
- Kiki Dee
- Elton John AIDS Foundation
- Watford F.C.
- Bluesology
- Hookfoot
- Woodside, Old Windsor
- Rocket Pictures
- Elton John: Tantrums & Tiaras
- Elton John: Me, Myself & I
- The Union
- Elton John: The Classic Years
- Rocketman (film)
- Me
- Elton John: Never Too Late
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