Latest news with #SwingForTheFences
Arab Times
12-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Arab Times
Sir Elton John celebrates 'extraordinary' 10th UK No. 1 album
LONDON, April 12: Sir Elton John has achieved an incredible milestone, securing his 10th UK number-one album with 'Who Believes In Angels?, a collaboration with US country star Brandi Carlile. This achievement comes 52 years after the release of his first number-one album. In an interview with the BBC, Sir Elton expressed his surprise and gratitude, stating, "It seems quite extraordinary that my career has gone on so long. It always feels good to top a chart, no matter where it is. And with this album, I'm especially thrilled because I think it's the finest album I've done for a long time." Who Believes In Angels? was written and recorded in just three weeks in late 2023. The album has garnered critical acclaim, with reviews describing it as "a gutsy, flamboyant tearjerker" and a "late-career high." However, the process of creating the album was not without its challenges. A documentary posted on YouTube revealed the behind-the-scenes tension, showing Sir Elton expressing frustration by slamming down his headphones, shouting at collaborators, and even tearing up song lyrics. Reflecting on the difficulties, Sir Elton explained, "I was nervous, irritable... I was recovering from a hip replacement, but also working in a new way — writing live in the studio with Brandi, producer Andrew Watt, and lyricist Bernie Taupin. It was an enormous challenge, getting those four people together." He continued, "The challenge really was at my feet. I was very nervous because I wanted the album to stand a certain way, but you can't always guarantee it will. My nerves and insecurities and doubt led to a few bad behavior moments, which was just about frustrations within myself." Despite the rough start, once the opening track, The Rose of Laura Nyro, was completed, Sir Elton said, "everything fell into place." Within two and a half weeks, the team had recorded and finished 14 songs. The album's release was initially delayed due to an eye infection that left Sir Elton with vision difficulties. In a recent interview with The Times, he revealed that the condition has impacted his ability to watch his sons play rugby. One of the standout tracks from the album, Swing For The Fences, has been widely praised. Written by Brandi Carlile, the song is seen as a powerful call for empowerment and self-expression. "I'm a woman, Elton's a man, and we both have families, and our dreams have come true," Carlile shared with NME. "I wanted to write an anthem for young people out there, inspiring them to embrace a bigger, more elegant, and more fabulous life." Sir Elton echoed this sentiment, telling BBC News, "At the moment when Brandi wrote this lyric, she wanted to say, 'Listen, fight for yourself. Be proud of yourself who you are, never be ashamed of who you are, and you will win through.'" In the UK, Who Believes In Angels? sold over 15,000 copies in its first two days, making it the best-seller of the week on vinyl. Sir Elton now shares the record for the most UK number-one albums with ABBA, Queen, Kylie Minogue, and Michael Jackson. Elton John's UK Number One Albums: Don't Shoot Me I'm Only The Piano Player (1973) Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (1973) Caribou (1974) Elton John's Greatest Hits (1974) Sleeping With The Past (1989) The Very Best Of Elton John (1990) Good Morning To The Night (with Pnau) (2012) Diamonds (2017) The Lockdown Sessions (2021) Who Believes In Angels? (2025) This week's chart also saw the debut of Forever Howlong, the third album by Cambridge indie band Black Country, New Road, which entered at number three. The album, their first without frontman Isaac Wood, marks a shift towards a more soothing, baroque-pop sound. In the singles chart, Alex Warren's Ordinary maintained its number one position for a fourth week, while Chappell Roan's Pink Pony Club held steady at number two. Ed Sheeran made a notable return to the Top 10 with his comeback single, Azizam, which entered at number three. Despite its success, it became the first lead single from an album in Sheeran's career to not debut at number one.
BBC News
11-04-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Sir Elton John celebrates 'extraordinary' 10th UK number one album
Sir Elton John says he is "blown away" after scoring the 10th UK number one album of his Believes In Angels?, a collaboration with US country star Brandi Carlile, has topped the charts 52 years after the star's first number one."It seems quite extraordinary that my career has gone on so long," Sir Elton told the BBC. "It always feels good to top a chart, no matter where it is. And with this album, I'm especially thrilled because I think it's the finest album I've done for a long time." Written and recorded over three weeks in late 2023, Who Believes In Angels? has received rave reviews from critics, who have called it "a gutsy, flamboyant tearjerker" and a "late-career high".But the album had a difficult gestation, which was captured in a warts-and-all documentary posted on Elton was seen slamming down his headphones, shouting at his collaborators, ripping up song lyrics and threatening to quit. 'Bad behaviour moments' The star was "nervous" and "irritable", partly because he was recovering from a hip replacement, he said, but also because he was working in a new way - writing live in the studio with Carlile, producer Andrew Watt and long-term lyricist Bernie Taupin."It was an enormous challenge, getting those four people together," he told the BBC. "And the challenge really was at my feet."I was very nervous [because] I wanted the album to stand a certain way, but you can't always guarantee it will."I think my nerves and my insecurities and my doubt led to a few bad behaviour moments, which was just about frustrations within myself."Once they had recorded the opening track, The Rose of Laura Nyro, "everything fell into place", Sir Elton said."In two and a half weeks, we recorded 14 songs and finished them."The album's release was delayed last year after an eye infection left the star with vision difficulties. Last week, he told the Times he could no longer watch his sons playing rugby. With the album finally released, there has been particular praise for the single Swing For The Fences, which Carlile conceived as rallying call for the LGBTQ community."I'm a gay woman, Elton's a gay man and we both have families, and our dreams have come true," she told the NME."I was thinking, wouldn't it be cool to write an anthem for young gay kids out there that calls them into a bigger, more elegant, more fabulous life? Just like, 'Go, go! Don't let anything hold you back!'""It's a tough time out there for LGBTQ+ people," Sir Elton told BBC News. "At the moment when Brandi wrote this lyric, she wanted to say, 'Listen, fight for yourself. Be proud of yourself who you are, never be ashamed of who you are, and you will win through.'" In the UK, the album sold more than 15,000 copies in its first two days and was the week's best-seller on Elton has now drawn level with Abba, Queen, Kylie Minogue and Michael Jackson on the list of artists with the most UK number one albums. The Beatles and Robbie Williams share the top spot, with 15 number ones apiece. Elton John's UK number one albums Don't Shoot Me I'm Only The Piano Player (1973)Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (1973)Caribou (1974)Elton John's Greatest Hits (1974)Sleeping With The Past (1989)The Very Best Of Elton John (1990)Good Morning To The Night (with Pnau) (2012)Diamonds (2017)The Lockdown Sessions (2021)Who Believes In Angels? (2025) The other new entry in this week's Top 10 came from Cambridge indie band Black Country, New Road, whose third album Forever Howlong debuted at number band's first release since the departure of frontman Isaac Wood, it trades itchy, off-centre guitar riffs for a more soothing, baroque-pop sound, with lyrics that focus on friendship and was the week's biggest-seller in independent record shops, according to the Official Charts the singles chart, Alex Warren's Ordinary remained in pole position for a fourth week, with Chappell Roan's Pink Pony Club at number Sheeran had the highest new entry at number three with his comeback single Azizam. The Persian-flavoured track is the star's 42nd Top 10 hit in the UK - but it's the first time since the start of his career that the lead single from an album has failed to enter the chart number one.
CBS News
30-03-2025
- Entertainment
- CBS News
Elton John on Brandi Carlile: She gave me "a fresh start"
Sir Elton John has millions of fans all over the world, but few of them as devoted as a young girl who first heard his music more than 30 years ago. In 1992, Brandi Marie Carlile was a kid living in a single-wide trailer in rural Washington State, and to her, Elton John was everything. Young Brandi collected everything about him she could get her hands on – records, photos, even an Elton John book she borrowed from a library 33 years ago, and kept(!). "The date is still on here. Boulevard Park Library, May 10, 1992. It's all time stamped. And they're gonna have to come and get it!" Little Brandi is now music superstar Brandi Carlile, but to a young girl coming of age and struggling with her own sexuality, Elton John was a flicker of hope in a confusing world. She loved him, and said so in writing, covering an entire page front to back with "I love Elton John." "It's insane," she said. "I look at it now. I just can't believe what happened in my life to get me to where I am now. It's such a strange thing. It makes you wonder, it just makes you wonder. I do love Elton John!" As a kid, she never dreamed she'd get to actually meet him one day, but sometimes dreams have a funny way of coming true. Now they're not only friends, but collaborators . It started a few years back when Carlile wrote to John out of the blue, and asked him to play piano on her new record. Long story short, he said yes, and they grew to be the best of friends – appearing together, performing together, even vacationing together with their families. And now, they're about to release an album they made together, recorded at Sunset Sound in Hollywood. It's Brandi Carlile's eighth studio album, and Elton John's 33rd. So, why did they decide to do an entire album together? John said, "She's someone I wanted to work with for so long because I know how great she is. I know how her voice is, and I knew what she's capable of, and I wanted to push her more. And I wanted her to push me more. So, I wanted to make a record that was full of energy and great songs. And it turned out really brilliantly." There were cameras in the studio to capture all the highs, and a few of the lows. "I didn't even think of them being there," John said. "Yeah, I never saw one," Carlile said. It got tense at times (John admits, "I haven't really seen the footage, but a lotta people say it's really, really very moving. And all of my behavior is not so moving!"), but for Brandi, it was still the greatest show on Earth. "It really felt like I was watching Mozart or, like, one of the great composers," she said. "Stream of consciousness through their entire body, create music in a way that I've never seen. And I was so close. I had a front-row seat." John called it "one of the greatest musical experiences of my life." Elton John and Brandi Carlile perform "Swing For The Fences": The fact that John got through the recording process at all is remarkable. For the past year, he's been fighting a severe eye infection that's left him nearly blind. But he says that, all things considered, he's doing all right. "Medically, I'm fit as I've ever been," he said. "I have checkups every month. But the eyesight thing is a bit of a bind, because I haven't been able to watch anything for about seven months. I haven't been able to read. I haven't been able to watch television or anything. "But you know what? I've come to the conclusion that if we can't find a solution to it, and this is what it's like for the rest of my life, then I'm okay," he said. "I can still play the piano. I can still sing, which is a gift. My life's fantastic. It's still the greatest gift that anyone could have." These days, John, who turned 78 this past week, is counting his blessings. But the final track on the album really struck a nerve: "When This Old World Is Done With Me," co-written by longtime collaborator Bernie Taupin. He got very emotional in the studio while recording it: "Well, I started singing, and I thought the verse was really beautiful. But then I had no idea what was coming. And when I got to the chorus, I realized what was coming, and I just broke down. And I sobbed, and I sobbed, and I sobbed, because it's about my death, basically. And when you get to my age, and a certain age, you think about mortality, because I wanna spend so much time with my children and David and my friends, that you want every single moment to count. And so, this was a song about I don't want to die. I wanna be with my children. I wanna be with David forever. And so, it really got to me." David is husband David Furnish. The two were married in 2014. They have two sons, Zachary and Elijah. Dad might be a global superstar, but there's no doubt where his heart is. Asked what he is most proud of, John replied, "Yeah, my kids. My husband. That's it. All I want on my gravestone is, 'He was a great dad.' Nothing to do with music. 'He was a great dad.' That's all I care about." Their new album will be released this week, and for Carlile, it's still a little hard to believe: "Yeah, it's so weird. Is it not? It's brilliant. Like, it's a wonderful thing. I hope everybody can take some hope and beauty and mysticism from the fact that this has happened. If it could happen to 11-year-old single-wide mobile home Brandi Carlile, it could really happen to anyone." Turns out these two friends don't just lean on each other; they push each other to new heights. The title track of their album is "Who Believes In Angels." But maybe Elton John and Brandi Carlile are angels for each other. Elton John and Brandi Carlile perform "Who Believes In Angels": John said, "God, it was a challenge. But that's what life's all about. If you don't have a challenge at 76, then never give up. Never coast. There are so many artists that coast that don't make new songs. They just go around and play their hits, like I did. I didn't wanna do it with this record. I wanted a new start. I want a fresh start. "And she gave it to me." ONLINE EXCLUSIVE: Watch an extended interview with Elton John and Brandi Carlile For more info: Story produced by John D'Amelio. Editor: Steven Tyler. See also:
Yahoo
13-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Elton John and Brandi Carlile drop Xavier Dolan-directed music video for ‘Swing For The Fences'
The hype machine for the by and is in full swing, and the pair are delighting fans once again today with a brand new music video for their latest single. 'Swing For The Fences' was released just last week and today sees the release of its video, directed by none other than the award winning Canadian filmmaker Xavier Dolan. 'When Brandi and Elton reached out with their song, the brief mentioned it was written for 'young queer kids'. I immediately saw this young lonely man dancing to himself,' Dolan commented. 'It isn't fortuitous that music and dancing have always been central to queer culture; it is an ultimate act of expression, abandonment, selflessness.' The Mommy director, who has also worked with Adele on music videos for her comeback singles 'Hello' and 'Easy On Me', kept things relatively simple on the clip of 'Swing For The Fences'. The video comprises mostly scenes of a young male model dancing around a rather desolate (but beautifully lit) apartment and caressing his chiselled abdomen. You can watch the video in full below: The boy's dancing-like-nobody's-watching catharsis is interrupted by a knock on his door from a man who, after spotting him through the window from across the street, comes over to join the fun. The video ends with the two men, played by models William Darby and Abdalla Amour, sharing a tender kiss in bed. The video was choreographed by Emilia Peréz choreographer Damian Jallet. 'Helping Xavier to put together this video with such a beautiful and hopeful message was an offer I couldn't refuse,' Jallet commented. 'The goal here was to not dim or tame the feeling of an eruptive and spontaneous dancing joy by over choreographed routines. 'I attempted to guide William and Abdalla in the development of meaningful and overjoyed gestures and impulses, allowing them to portray in the most personal way possible this anthem for freedom and pride,' he continued. Elton has previously said that the song, which is the second single from the upcoming album Who Believes In Angels?, changed the direction of the album. 'When we recorded 'Swing For The Fences', it was the moment that crystallised where the album was going,' he said. 'It was hard to get to that point, but we knew we had to rise to the occasion and we all just felt this massive sense of joy and euphoria. 'After our initial difficulties, all the uncertainties started to dissipate when this song came together. It just sounded great.' 'Swing For The Fences' was a little gem I took into the studio with me,' Carlile said of the song. 'I'm a gay woman, Elton's a gay man and we both have families, and our dreams have come true. 'I was thinking, wouldn't it be cool to write an anthem for young gay kids out there that calls them into a bigger, more elegant, more fabulous life. Just like 'go, go! don't let anything hold you back!'.' The album Who Believes In Angels? will be released in full on 4 April. The post Elton John and Brandi Carlile drop Xavier Dolan-directed music video for 'Swing For The Fences' appeared first on Attitude.
