Revamp Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9bx8ZgFGn8
Restoration Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHX5l6nBiCM&feature=youtu.be
SUPERSTAR ARTISTS REIMAGINE ELTON JOHN’S BIGGEST HITS
TWO ALBUMS CELEBRATING THE EXTRAORDINARY CATALOGUE AND SONGWRITING PARTNERSHIP OF ELTON JOHN AND BERNIE TAUPIN
REVAMP AND RESTORATION OUT NOW
https://EltonJohn.lnk.to/RevampRestoration
Miley Cyrus, Lady Gaga, Vince Gill and Don Henley, The Killers, Miranda Lambert, Demi Lovato, Maren Morris, Willie Nelson, P!nk and Logic, Ed Sheeran, Sam Smith, Chris Stapleton, and More
** Artist Quotes Below From Mary J Blige, Alessia Cara, Rosanne Cash, Miley Cyrus, The Killers, Little Big Town, Demi Lovato, Chris Martin, Brothers Osborune, Ed Sheeran, Sam Smith, Q-Tip and Queens Of The Stone Age**
April 6, 2018 – Some of the world’s biggest pop, rock and country artists are celebrating Elton John’s most beloved and legendary catalogue of hits with two albums Revamp (Island Records) and Restoration (Universal Music Group Nashville) out today. The superstar lineup features artists both new and iconic reinterpreting the timeless songs of the over 50 year writing partnership that Elton and Bernie Taupin share. These renditions and artists show the depth of the catalogue these two icons have created, which can easily cross musical genres and their unparalleled influence across popular music of all styles.
Buy/Stream here: https://EltonJohn.lnk.to/RevampRestoration
Revamp features the hits reimagined by the best in pop, rock and urban with Mary J. Blige, Alessia Cara, Coldplay, Miley Cyrus, Florence And The Machine, Lady Gaga, The Killers, Mumford and Sons, P!nk and Logic, Q-Tip ft. Demi Lovato, Queens of the Stone Age, Ed Sheeran, Sam Smith,
Restoration highlights countries biggest stars with thoughtful interpretations by Dierks Bentley, Rosanne Cash and Emmylou Harris, Miley Cyrus, Vince Gill and Don Henley, Miranda Lambert, Little Big Town, Maren Morris, Kacey Musgraves, Willie Nelson, Brothers Osborne, Chris Stapleton, Rhonda Vincent and Dolly Parton and Lee Ann Womack.
Ahead of both album releases, two songs from Revamp and two songs from Restoration were unveiled to a rapturous response from fans and critics alike. “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” by Q-Tip and Demi Lovato is reinterpreted as a motown esque, hip-hop infused strut with an accompanying video, followed by Lady Gaga’s powerful take on “Your Song.” From Restoration we saw Chris Stapleton deliver a poignant and soulful interpretation of ‘I Want Love’ followed up by Little Big Town’s harmony-rich version of “Rocket Man.”
Artist Quotes
Elton John says: “It’s always a huge compliment when an artist loves your song enough to take the time and effort to rework it. As songwriters, Bernie and myself are thrilled when singers we admire and respect as much as those on Revamp choose to add their own unique twist in the process. It means that our music is still relevant and ultimately that our songs continue to reach new audiences. We’re humbled and thank them all for their generosity.”
“Because of our love of all kinds of music, we’re not stuck in one genre,” said Bernie Taupin. “From day one we borrowed from everything that’s good about American music – whether it’s blues, country, gospel, pop, pure rock – everything got thrown in the mix. I think that’s why our music over the years has been so varied. It would be tiring if you just got stuck in one niche your entire career, especially when it’s one as long as ours.”
Mary J. Blige says: “Doing a song for Elton John’s tribute album is special to me not only because he is a good friend of mine but also because of my love for his songwriting and amazing songs! I specifically chose to sing “Sorry Seems to be the hardest word” because of how beautiful and sad the song is and it was also so cathartic for me to sing. Elton and Bernie’s songs, so inspiring and powerful, will continue to stand the test of time.
Alessia Cara says: “I love Elton John, I love everything he stands for. He has made such an impact on music and the way that I look at art and the way that I look at music. Any chance to honor him in any way is amazing.”
Rosanne Cash says: “Elton is a deep musicologist. He loves everything from the deepest, most obscure Appalachian songs through George Jones through deep folk music, gospel, early blues. All of that, Elton loves. And I know that it had a profound influence on his writing.”
Miley Cyrus says: “Elton John is more than a legend, he’s a pioneer who has inspired me on so many levels. I am honored to join him in his fight against AIDS through his amazing foundation and now to join his series of tribute albums is an honor! I’ve never wanted to be boxed in by anything, especially genre, and Elton gave me the freedom to participate in both the pop and country records. “Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me” has always been special and I really think it’s so timely and appropriate, while “Bitch Is Back” has so much attitude that I feel it really shows my personality and how I feel right now in my life.”
Brandon Flowers of The Killers says: I wasn’t familiar with “Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters,” it wasn’t until I saw Million Dollar Piano, which is the second incarnation of Elton’s show in Las Vegas and I saw him play it live and it knocked me over that there was this song out there that existed that I didn’t know about that would touch me and be so powerful. I sat there with tears in my eyes in the audience going ‘what is this song,’ so I guess that that is why it jumped out at me to cover”
Little Big Town says: “One of the main reasons why we chose Rocket Man was because we were so intrigued by not just of course, Elton John, but by using the sounds from the Juno project so we had all these Jupiter noises and we were like what if we did the acapella version of Rocket Man on the Elton record and Frank Liddell loved that idea and we were off to the races.”
**NASA’s Mission Juno, which launched in 2011, is exploring Jupiter and gradually unlocking some of the
secrets of the giant planet and our origins. The sounds from Juno’s Waves radio instrument were used to create the sounds that have been weaved into the harmonies on “Rocket Man”. Dr. Scott Bolton, the Principal Investigator for the Juno mission, worked with Little Big Town and Chris Coleman in helping to incorporate the Juno
Demi Lovato says: ‘Don’t Go Breaking My Heart is such a classic, it’s just always been around me- I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to work on this. Elton’s such an icon, a legend, I’m honored to be a part of Revamp. He’s a trail blazer and he’s authentic and true to himself. This version of the song has a more soulful edge, Q-Tip did a great job.’
Chris Martin says: “It’s an honor to do it. For as much as one progresses through life, if you’re lucky, you get to meet all these people and spend time with them and work with them. Sometimes it’s important to remember that the music that’s come through them has really changed my life. Elton is in that group for me, with Chopin and Bob Marley and Beyonce, and a bunch of people who their work has really shaped the way I enjoy life. It means a lot.”
Brothers Osborne’s John Osborne says: “Elton kind of plays like a guitar player. He’s really aggressive. He can do finesse, but he also has a lot of grip when he plays, and that’s kind of my style as a guitar player. So it was actually really easy to transition into that.”
Ed Sheeran says: “I think Elton has influenced most artists nowadays musically – he’s just a great songwriter. The first time I heard ‘Candle In The Wind’ would have been Diana’s funeral, I was six at the time, I remember my dad bringing me in and sitting me in front of the TV and being like this is really important – you have to watch this and you have to remember this.”
Sam Smith says: “Not only am I completely in love with Elton’s music and have been ever since I can remember, he has also become an important figure in my life, and a beautiful friend. It was an honour to celebrate him and Bernie with all the other wonderful artists. I chose to sing Daniel as there is something about that song that speaks to me and my family and friends. It is a treasure in my eyes & was truly a joy to sing. Thank you to Elton and Bernie for the opportunity”
Chris Stapleton says, “At any stage of life you can pick out a moment and a place in time, things that were going on and there’s an Elton John song playing somewhere in the background. He’s always going to be present in every musician’s mind and mine as well because his music reaches that far.”
Q-Tip says: “Elton’s influence shows you that the possibilities of music are endless. He’s astute in so many types of music, he does it all and being a hip hop kid, our whole aesthetic was that everything was up for grabs and that’s how he has always been to me. I remember the premiere of Don’t Go Breaking My Heart with Kiki Dee and seeing it as a kid and loving it. Elton was gracious enough to be part of the last Tribe album, so it was serendipitous and logical to return the favor. Rhythmically, we just wanted to make it a little funkier. He’s a master showman, singer, pianist. He’s the all-round goods.”
Joshua Homme (Queens of the Stone Age) says: ‘It’s nice to pick something that may seem off kilter at first for us to do. But “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” really has the psychedelic carousel nature to it. I think at first we thought we will tinker with the arrangement, but there’s so many beautiful chords- the chord progression is so wonderful- once you step on that carousel, it’s just this beautiful musical swirl and it’s really intoxicating to be on that carousel. And it seemed like there’s a psychedelic element that we could bring out, that it’s touching on, and that maybe the key for us to do it would be to accentuate the wispiness that is going on in the song.’
Revamp
- Bennie and The Jets – Elton John, P!nk, Logic
- We All Fall In Love Sometimes – Coldplay
- I Guess That’s Why They Call It The Blues – Alessia Cara
- Candle In The Wind – Ed Sheeran
- Tiny Dancer – Florence And The Machine
- Someone Saved My Life Tonight – Mumford and Sons
- Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word – Mary J. Blige
- Don’t Go Breaking My Heart – Q Tip feat. Demi Lovato
- Mona Lisas And Mad Hatters – The Killers
- Daniel – Sam Smith
- Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me – Miley Cyrus
- Your Song – Lady Gaga
- Goodbye Yellow Brick Road – Queens of the Stone Age
Restoration
- Rocket Man – Little Big Town
- Mona Lisas And Mad Hatters – Maren Morris
- Sacrifice – Don Henley and Vince Gill
- Take Me To The Pilot – Brothers Osborne
- My Father’s Gun – Miranda Lambert
- I Want Love – Chris Stapleton
- Honky Cat – Lee Ann Womack
- Roy Rogers – Kacey Musgraves
- Please – Rhonda Vincent and Dolly Parton
- The Bitch Is Back – Miley Cyrus
- Sad Songs (Say So Much) – Dierks Bentley
- This Train Don’t Stop – Rosanne Cash and Emmylou Harris
- Border Song – Willie Nelson
The caliber of names contributing to Revamp and Restoration is another reminder of Elton’s enduring popularity at a busy and prolific time for the superstar. Last month Elton announced his ‘Farewell Yellow Brick Road’ tour. Comprising of over 300 dates across five continents over three years, the tour kicks off in the US in September and marks the finale of 50 years on the road. The first 60 dates sold out immediately after going on general sale, confirming that the farewell tour will be some of, if not the, hottest gig tickets of the coming three years.
Music stars honor Elton John’s illustrious career spanning five decades with a rockin’ tribute on ELTON JOHN: I’M STILL STANDING A GRAMMY SALUTE, to be broadcast Tuesday, April 10 (9:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. The concert showcases musicians from multiple genres performing classic songs written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin, including Alessia Cara, Miley Cyrus, Lady Gaga, Miranda Lambert, John Legend, Kesha, Little Big Town, Chris Martin, Shawn Mendes, Maren Morris, Ed Sheeran, Sam Smith and SZA.
