Star 94 Radio interview highlights

by Lisa

Elton appeared for what I believe was his 6th or 7th interview over the years with Star 94 in Atlanta this morning. He was on once again for almost 2 hours and was extremely entertaining and divulged some information that you fellow Rowers will be excited to hear about. Elton also treated us Atlanta fans to 4 cuts off the new Aida album by the guest artists. Some were quite good and others I disliked and will talk in more detail about later in the post.

He discussed the tour by saying:

• On playing old tunes :
  "I had to rehearse stuff, I can never remember the lyrics , poor Bernie."
  "I have to get out the old song books and um and go through the lyrics and even the chords."
  "The instrumental idea of Carla / Etude going into Tonight, I mean I haven't played that since Australia when we did the tour with the orchestra, so I had to rehearse that one a lot. I had to listen to the record... chuckle chuckle... to see how it went."
• On forgetting lyrics during a show:
  "Sometimes with a band you know, suddenly you get so into it and you think, what time am I leaving tomorrow, where am I going what have I got to do, and then suddenly the instrumental break is over and you have to come in and I go bimmmiimmmmmm, I'm still standing."
  "I'm Still Standing I always seem to get that one wrong, and there was once years ago, it's the only time I've ever done this on Your Song but I started in with dah da da da and I couldn't think of the first line.... I just completely dried up. I just laughed and the audience laughed with me, and I said what's the first line and someone yelled it out.. big laugh... and I was ok after that."
• On adding new material to the show especially Aida stuff, his response was:
  "I didn't cause I got so much other stuff to do, towards the end of the tour I might put a couple songs in."
  "There are things I take out and put in every night."
  He then divulged what song he would add to today's Peoria show. [Written In The Stars]
• He also said he'll come back and do the West Coast in May, then off to Europe. Then he said "I'll come back in the fall," meaning the US and said "I'm doing something special." "I can't tell yet but it's going to be great." On that note he would divulge no more. So no confirmation on the Tina Turnershows.
• On Bernie being in Atlanta:
  "Yeah he had a great time here. He came in from Los Angeles, he was in between rodeos, he's a big brown dirt cowboy." chuckle "He was off to Las Vegas straight away after here to go to another rodeo."
• On the next album:
  he's been writing songs here in Atlanta, doesn't know when he'll get them recorded as he wants to write all the songs ahead of time this time instead of just when he gets into the studio.
  "I wanted to write some songs , have all the songs written before I go into the studio, because the last couple of albums, I've been writing in the studio, and I don't want that pressure this time."
  "I've done three songs here (Atlanta) two of which I really like, and throughout the year I'll be doing three or four songs here and there so we have a big repertoire before we go in."
• On writing the film score for The Muse:
  "I did it in January over in England... I wrote it in three days and we recorded it very quickly um ... and I'm thrilled with it, it's mostly a classical score."
  "The theme song is written by me and Bernie, and it's called The Muse, and I recorded it in Atlanta last week with Darryl Simmons,... he's a great producer and dear guy.... so that's already done."
• On Aida:
  the song Not Me is back in the show for Chicago ( never made it into the Atlanta version) along with two other songs.
  "We go to Chicago on November the 5th, and then hopefully Broadway in Feb., March."
  According to Elton the male lead is not officially cast yet, but they are thinking of someone from Rent (as mentioned here on the row earlier).
• When asked about the pyramid and where it's being kept:
  Elton had to say "Oh blow it up" followed by huge laugh "I hated it so much, every night I used to go and see that thing and I'd think when's it going to break down. It's going to break down soon so I wasn't even thinking about the show I was thinking when's that bloody pyramid going to break down."
  "I saw it about ten times (the show) and it broke down about 9 times out of 10 when I was there, it's like I was the curse."

A Step to Far was played and as you can hear from the single snippet, features EJ and the two stars of the show (Heather Headley & Sherie Scott). On listening to the whole song I have to say I prefer the original from the play. This version is very slow and AC sounding. Portions of it heavily remind me of Philadelphia Freedom with the toot toot, keyboards in the background. Elton's vocals are good but seem an octave higher than I recall the lyrics being sung in the play. The oh, oh chorus is the best feature of the song, IMHO.

I Know the Truth with Janet Jacksonwas played as well. I love the opening lyrics sung by Elton, he does a terrific job, but once again, extremely slow tempo. I totally hated Janet's part... sorry. Way to nasally or whiney... something didn't sit well, and when they duet the final verse she seems to drown him out and we all really want to hear Elton anyway ... don't we.:) The song goes on way to long and just seems to drag. I hear his demo version is a much better. Possible 4th single off album.

Not Me by Boyz II Men. Very good. I'd never heard this tune as it was left out of the Atlanta play which I saw. They are always great, and it was very well done. great changes in the melody. I hear EJ's demo version is outstanding as well. Elton hinted that this might be a second or third single off the album. And he hopes the Spice Girl's will release their's as a single.

Elaborate Lives was played at the very end of the interview. Awesome as always. So glad to hear Heather Headleysing her showcase piece. Sounds almost exactly like version from the play. Elton say she's so beautiful, great voice and personality to match and will be a huge star. I think so as well!!

Check this out, Barbara Streisand was asked by Elton to sing this title song and she turned it down. She didn't like the song. Go figure.

As usual Elton and DJ Vikki got into a great discussion on the Grammy's and the Oscars. Elton had many hilarious remarks to say about actors or the shows that he hated. He once again he reiterated his extreme dislike for the Grammy's.

Here are his thoughts on these subjects:

• His pick to win the Oscar for best picture... A Thin Red Line
  "this was just a beautiful spiritual thing about war..."
  He favors Elizabeth over Shakespeare in Love.
  On Life is Beautiful -
  "hated it, walked out... I wanted to hit him, he was so annoying that guy... it's horrible to say it but I just wanted the Nazi's to come there and then cart him off.... I hated him, I hated him so much, he was trying to be funny.. but he wasn't funny.... he was about as funny as a wart at the end of your what's it."
  On Rushmore -
  "Walked out of that, hated it.... what's the big deal bout that.. it's about as funny as a boil on your backside."
  "It was absolute crap"
• On the Grammy's:
  "I just thought the show was dead, I mean you had people in the audience like Garbage that should have been on stage playing"
  "I was so disappointed with Lauryn Hill, .... great album, came on but can't deliver on the stage..... I think she's a great record but the thing is all these people make these records and do videos and spend fortunes on videos and they don't go and play on stage. It's a waste of time, their career will last four or five years then they'll be gone."
• On too many categories:
  "It's like best album by a group not yet signed to a record label"
  "Best album by a lesbian shopkeeper...best classical album by someone who's only got one limb...I mean the Grammy's basically are crap!!"
  "It's too political."

Ok and finally to settle the where will Elton play in 2000 question... well he wouldn't say. It's a big hush hush, but he did say it won't be the Sydney 2 time zone ordeal, and it won't be the UK or Egypt because he did say that it would be in the US. When asked if Air Tran airlines could take us there he said yes, and the DJ's clarified to him that it doesn't fly to the West Coast and he said that's ok. So make what you will out of that, which means it's pretty much somewhere on the Eastern half of the US. And boy do I hope it's Atlanta over NYC.

Better yet maybe Disney is paying him a king's ransom to perform there so they can televise it. Wouldn't that be great.

All in all he was hysterical and kept me laughing and he cracked many jokes with sexual references as he usually does.

Hope many of you were able to tune in this morning and catch him on the web broadcast as I've left off a million things he had to talk about. I almost got to chat with him and was put on hold for over an hour 45 min. but he only took two calls and one of our own rowers from NC was one of the lucky ones. Valerie actually had Elton roaring with laughter at times so way to go!

Thanks for the great morning entertainment Elton!

Lisa

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