Post by erik on Jan 29, 2022 13:23:09 GMT -5
Sir Elton John got less flamboyant during the 1980's; and one of the ways was with the contemplative 1982 hit ballad in this week's Pop Music Hits Spotlight.
BLUE EYES (Elton John; Geffen; 1982)—With the relationship between him and long-time friend and lyricist Bernie Taupin somewhat on the rocks at the end of the 1970’s and the start of the 1980’s, Elton John, alias “Captain Fantastic” and “The Rocketman”, turned to Gary Osborne for lyrical inspiration as he entered the decade where artists were about to do much wilder things than he ever did in the decade before. Instead of stuff like “Bennie And The Jets”, “Crocodile Rock”, “The Bitch Is Back”, and “Island Girl”, all of which were created with Taupin, both John and Osborne went in a decidedly different direction as the 1980’s opened. Part of that stemmed from the his friendship with John Lennon, which was, of course, cut off at the root on December 8, 1980 by Mark David Chapman, and which resulted in the song “Empty Garden”. And then there was “Blue Eyes”, a meditative ballad about missing a loved one when you’re far away from them, and the longing that brings that person home. To a lot of rock critics, of course, this was the first sign that Sir Elton’s material was leaning more towards what they considered bland and Adult Contemporary pop. But there was no longer really any way that sticking with the glam-rock stage style was going to work during the Eighties, particularly after the flamboyance of Michael Jackson and Prince, and the blatant, kiddie-porn sexuality of Madonna took over American pop music culture. The end result, however, was one of his best songs, and a song that peaked at #12 on the Hot 100 in September 1982, and #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart. In later years, John would return to Taupin, as well as engage in a collaboration with Andrew Lloyd Weber, with movie soundtracks like The Lion King, well into the 21st century, though he would officially retire in 2022.
BLUE EYES (Elton John; Geffen; 1982)—With the relationship between him and long-time friend and lyricist Bernie Taupin somewhat on the rocks at the end of the 1970’s and the start of the 1980’s, Elton John, alias “Captain Fantastic” and “The Rocketman”, turned to Gary Osborne for lyrical inspiration as he entered the decade where artists were about to do much wilder things than he ever did in the decade before. Instead of stuff like “Bennie And The Jets”, “Crocodile Rock”, “The Bitch Is Back”, and “Island Girl”, all of which were created with Taupin, both John and Osborne went in a decidedly different direction as the 1980’s opened. Part of that stemmed from the his friendship with John Lennon, which was, of course, cut off at the root on December 8, 1980 by Mark David Chapman, and which resulted in the song “Empty Garden”. And then there was “Blue Eyes”, a meditative ballad about missing a loved one when you’re far away from them, and the longing that brings that person home. To a lot of rock critics, of course, this was the first sign that Sir Elton’s material was leaning more towards what they considered bland and Adult Contemporary pop. But there was no longer really any way that sticking with the glam-rock stage style was going to work during the Eighties, particularly after the flamboyance of Michael Jackson and Prince, and the blatant, kiddie-porn sexuality of Madonna took over American pop music culture. The end result, however, was one of his best songs, and a song that peaked at #12 on the Hot 100 in September 1982, and #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart. In later years, John would return to Taupin, as well as engage in a collaboration with Andrew Lloyd Weber, with movie soundtracks like The Lion King, well into the 21st century, though he would officially retire in 2022.