Elton John Music, Elton John Bio-Discography,vinyl,1962-68

Elton John was born Reginald Kenneth Dwight in Pinner, Middlesex, England. The son of Squadron Leader Stanley Dwight and his wife, Sheila. Reginald was raised primarily by his mother, grandmother and aunt, and saw little of his father during his childhood. Stanley and Sheila divorced in 1962 when Reginald was 14. He began playing piano when he was four and, something of a child prodigy, he was able to play on piano any melody he heard on radio or phonograph. It is well documented that in 1950 at around 3 and a half years old, the young Reg Dwight surprised his mother by playing 'The Skater's Waltz' and Sheila discovered her son's musical gift. He began piano lessons with Mrs. Jones, a local piano instructor soon afterwards. Around 1956 or 1957 having heard Elvis Presley's 'Heartbreak Hotel' and Bill Haley's 'ABC Boogie', he began to play tunes by ear. The first two 45 singles he ever bought were Little Richard's ' She's Got It' and 'The Girl Can't Help It'.

In the autumn of 1958, eleven-year-old Reg Dwight was awarded a scholarship to the prestigious Royal Academy of Music, where he passes the audition and is designated a piano student of special interest. Helen Piena became his teacher every Saturday morning for four years (it is here that he met Chris Thomas and Paul Buckmaster). Reg often performed in school concerts at Pinner County Grammar school, during which time he adopted glasses, not for any failing eyesight, but as homage to Buddy Holly (eventually he needed the corrective prescription glasses). Though tutored in the classics, his heart belonged to rock and roll and the likes of Ray Charles, Buddy Holly, Chuck Berry and Jerry Lee Lewis.

In 1959, the now 12-year-old Reg performed in his first public appearance at the Ruislip - Norwood Music Festival in Middlesex. He played several classical pieces, including ' Les Petites Litanie de Dieu' by G. Grouvlez. In the early 60’s (61-62), Reg Dwight played at the Northwood Hills Hotel, Pinner every Friday, Saturday and Sunday for a whole year. He played and sung Jim Reeves and Cliff Richard songs, anything that was popular. Also, there were tunes like ' Roll Out The Barrel' and other cockney classics. He used to earn money by passing a box round at the end of the evening. Eventually people started to come in and take notice and, after a while, it was packed every weekend. Elton says; “With the money people used to put in my box I was earning about 25 quid a week, which was great."

By 1962 Reg had bought himself an electric piano and played in a band called The Corvettes (a popular sports car and a brand of shaving cream at the time). With Stuart Brown on guitar & Geoff Dyson on bass, they played children's parties and neighbourhood affairs. It was none to serious and the band quickly broke up when the novelty wore off. In late 1962 Bluesology (named after a Django Reinhardt, French jazz guitarists' tune) was formed. Mick Inkpen on drums, Rex Bishop on bass, Stuart Brown on guitar and Reg Dwight on electric piano. Their repertoire was predominantly soul music. Recalling those times, Elton says;"We played Jimmy Witherspoon numbers like The Times Are Getting Tougher Than Tough and When The Lights Go Out. Our lead singer, Stuart Brown, was Jimmy Witherspoon crazy so that's what we used to play. All I really wanted to do was play like Jerry Lee Lewis or Little Richard".

Come March 5, 1965, Reg attends Pinner County Grammar school for the last time. He leaves to work at Mills Music (a music publisher) on Denmark Street in London as a messenger. He started at 5 pounds a week. His history master, Bill Johnson, tells him: "When you're forty you'll either be some sort of glorified office-boy or you'll be a millionaire..............."

On June 3 1965, Bluesology entered the studio (Phillips Studios, London) to record their first single Come back Baby with a ‘B’ side of ' Times Getting Tougher Than Tough'. ' Come back Baby' was written by Reg Dwight and is based on a Ray Charles song with the same title. The session engineer was Jack Baverstock, head of A&R at Fontana Records. The following month in July 1965, Bluesology turn professional and are signed by the Roy Tempest Agency following an audition. The agency organised tours by American R&B artists and Bluesology toured Europe and the UK for 18 months as a backing band. Later that same month, Come Back Baby was released in the UK.

July 1965 - Come Back Baby (Dwight)/Times Getting Tougher Than Tough (Witherspoon) Fontana TF594 (UK)

In November 1965, Bluesology recorded a second Reg Dwight compostion. Released as a single in February 1966 (Phillips Studios, London) titled, Mr Frantic This single has the ‘B’ side of 'Everyday (I Have The Blues)'. By December of the same year, Bluesology are supporting Little Richard at his only London show in the Saville Theatre, Shaftesbury Avenue. Reg is ‘made up’. As a piano player and performer, Little Richard greatly influenced him. 24 years later, the two performed together at the Lupus Foundation Benefit in LA and in 1993 recorded "The Power" for Elton's Duets album. The 1995 song "Made In England" acknowledges his influence.
Later that same month Long John Baldry becomes the lead singer of Bluesology and soon expands the group into a nine-piece and moves to the cabaret circuit as the John Baldry Show.

February 1966 - Mr Frantic (Dwight)/Everyday (I Have The Blues)(Chatman) Fontana TF668 (UK)

In June of 1967, the UK music magazine, NEW MUSICAL EXPRESS solicited talent for Liberty Records. Reg answers the ad placed by Liberty 'thereby setting in motion a chain of events that would result in his teaming up with lyricist Bernie Taupin, his lifetime songwriting collaborator. At the Regent Sound Studios, Denmark Street, London, Reg Dwight auditions for Liberty. He sings “He’ll have to go” and “I love you because”. Ray Williams declines to sign him, but suggests that Reg might want to "try" writing songs with another applicant, Bernie Taupin.

Later in June 1967, Elton and Bernie demo'd a collection of songs which were to become known as the Sergeant Zippo sessions . These sessions were named as such by fans but the collection was never released. An acetate exists (reportedly) from the session, and Elton intended to use this material as a first album. Also refered to as the "I've Been Loving You" sessions, the Sergeant Zippo theme is apt, as the songs were inspired by the Beatles Sgt Pepper album. Recording of these tracks (Demo's) are available on the "Unsurpassed Dick James Demos" CD collection. Vol 1, 2 and 3 cover the majority of the work recorded by Elton during the early days at Dick James Music. It was on the basis of these songs that Elton was signed to that label.

The Dick James Demos Vol 1
Recorded on Yellow Dog YDCD 023. The Dick James demo's release on CD in 1993
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The Dick James Demos Vol 2
Recorded on Yellow Dog YDCD 024. The Dick James demo's release on CD in 1993
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The Unsurpassed Dick James Demos Vol 3
Recorded on Yellow Dog YDCD 043. The Dick James demo's release on CD in 1993
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As Reg and Bernie developed their songwriting partnership, Bluesology continue to release singles. In October 1967, they release Since I Found You Baby, with the ‘B’ side of Just A Little Bit (Recorded in August of that year at IBC Studios, Portland Place, London.). The ‘B’ side appeared the LP ROCK LEGENDS - RARE TRACKS on Polydor (2475 711 Australia) and was also released in Germany. It was around this time that Caleb Quaye joined the band.

5th October 1967 - Since I Found You Baby (Byrne/Lynch)/Just A Little Bit (Shuman/Lynch) Polydor 56195 (UK)

On November 17th 1967, Reg and Bernie sign a record deal with DJM records. In December, Reg Dwight resigned from Bluesology and changed his name to Elton John. The name is combined from those of his bandmates, saxophone player Elton Dean and lead singer Long John Baldry. Elton played his last gig for Bluesology in Scotland on May 7th 1969.

In November 1967, Bluesology completed the backing on "Anabella", the B-Side to a UK single (PYE 7N17385) by Long John Baldry. "Hey Lord, You Made the Night Too Long" - written among others by Reg - was the B-Side of PYE 7N17408, the export version. LJ Baldry's hit A-Side to both of these was "Let the Heartaches Begin"

March 1st, 1968 saw the release of the first Elton John single in the UK. ' I’ve been Loving You' (Recorded in Dec 67/Jan 68) with it’s ‘B’ side of 'Here’s to the Next Time' did not chart.

March 1968 - I've Been Loving You (John)/Here's To The Next Time (John). Phillips BF1643 (UK). Dick James Studios, London.

From January to August, Elton begins recording demo versions of songs for music publisher Dick James Music (The song include those in the list below), however in May (7th) due to his prior commitments, Elton plays his last gig for Bluesology in Scotland.

Later in 1968, "I Cant go on living without you" was given to Lulu for the Eurovision Song Contest the following February. She performed the song in February 1969. The John/Taupin song was one of six songs selected as a British entry in the Eurovision Song Contest. Lulu was chosen as the performer to represent Britain and she performed the song on 1st February 1969, on her Saturday pop TV show. The problem is that, come the contest, it was voted 6th out of 6 !!! 'Boom-Bang-A-Bang' was voted in for Britain.

Issued in 1968 on Decca, another example of Elton's session work. He performed backing vocals on Tom Jones' hit Delilah. Released on Decca (F12747).

In October 1968, Elton recorded with The Barron Knights, a comedic group in the UK. The song title was "An Olympic record" and Elton played piano on the song which was released on Columbia DO8536 and reached number 35 in the UK chart.

An occasion, for us collectors, happened during December 1968. Elton completed a recording session at EMI Studio, Abbey Road. This was the session where The Bread and Beer Band was formed. The other members of the group were Bernie Calver (bass), Caleb Quaye (quitar), Roger Pope (drums) and two Jamaican percussionists Rolfo and Lennox. They recorded a single, which was used as the theme to a popular TV series. ' The Dick Barton Theme (the devils gallop)' which was released later on Decca (in February 1969).

In December 1968, Elton also recorded what was to be the January 1969 single release, 'Lady Samantha'. The ‘B’ side was ' All Across the Heavens' (DJM 7008).

UK Copyright and Demo'd during June-Dec 1967
"THE SERGEANT ZIPPO SESSIONS"

A dandelion Dies in the Wind, A Little Love Goes A Long Long Way, Can't You See It, Mr Lightning Strik a man, Onetime, Sometime or Never , Scarecrow, Velvet Fountain, Nina, Watching The Planes Go By, I Want To See You Smile (Elton John / Caleb Quaye), Countryside Love Affair , I Could Never Fall In Love With Anybody Else, I get a Little Bit Lonely, Where it’s At (Reg Dwight with Nicky James), Who's Gonna Love You (Reg Dwight with Kirk Duncan), The Witch's House, Year Of The Teddy Bear, Annabella, Colour Slide City, I Cant Go on Living Without You, Lemonade Lake, Mirrors of My Mind, Queen of Diamonds, Season of the Rain, Swan Queen of the Laughing Lake, The Tide Will Turn for Rebecca, Here's to the Next Time, I've Been Loving You, Thankyou for All of Your Loving (with Caleb Quaye), Regimental Sgt Zippo, The Angel tree, Tartan Coloured Lady.

UK Copyright and Demo'd during Jan-Aug 1968 (Songs mainly written for other people).

Reminds Me of You, I'll Stop Living When You Stop Loving Me, And the Clock Goes Round, Trying To Hold On To A Love That's Dying, When I was Tealby Abbey, You’ll be Sorry to See Me Go, Cry Willow Cry, If I Asked You, There is Still A Little Love,
Baby I miss You, My Bonnie's Gone Away, There’s Still Time for Me, I love You and That's All That Matters, I'll Never Let You Go, Not the Man I Used to Be, Sing Me No Sad Songs, Sitting Doing Nothing (with Caleb Quaye), Taking the Sun Frm My Eyes,
Turn To Me, When The First Tear Shows.

Digging My Grave, Two Of A Kind, Going Home, Just An Ordinary Man, Smokestack Children, The Girl on the Angle ,Pavement, If You Could See Me Now, Sarah's Coming Back (Paul Raymond and Tony Murray), S.O.S.