In 1974, Elton John became director of a professional football team, Watford FC. On Thanksgiving Day of that year, he coaxed a reclusive John Lennon onstage for three songs during a Madison Square Garden concert that turned out to be Lennon's final public performance. In April "Bennie and the Jets," reached #1 in the US, a tribute to R&B music from 'Goodbye Yellow Brick Road'. In July "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me", reached #2, the same as "The Bitch is Back" in November.

During January of 1974, Elton and the band were at the Caribou Ranch, Colorado for the recording of; 'Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me', 'The Bitch Is Back' and 'Cold Highway'.

February 1974 was the release in the UK of Candle in the Wind and Bennie and the Jets. DJM DJS 297 reached number 11 and charted for 9 weeks.

February 1974 - Candle in the Wind/Benny and the Jets - DJM DJS 297

Also released in the US MCA 40198 got to number 1 on the Billboard chart and lasted 18 weeks.

Benny and the Jets was released in the UK and the US as a single too. The UK release on DJM was not until 1976.

February and March was Elton’s tour of Japan, Australia and New Zealand. In NZ (Auckland), Roads are jammed for hours as 34,000 people travel to the show. March 14th was the show at Randwick Racecourse in Sydney.

During this tour The Daily Telegraph reported that Elton's manager John Reid is to serve a month in a New Zealand jail for assaulting a journalist and female writer on the night of his February 28th 1974 Auckland concert.

April and May was originally scheduled as a European tour. The shows were cancelled because of fatigue, however, he did play a short tour in Japan and 3 shows to benefit the Watford Football Club. Elton headlines with support by Nazareth and Rod Stewart.

During April, Elton completed the sessions for the upcoming movie 'Tommy' based on Pete Townshend's rock opera. Elton performs 'Pinball Wizard'.

May 16th was the UK release of ‘Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me’,  with the B-Side of  Sick City . DJM DJS 302 reached number 16.

May 16, 1974 –Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me- DJM DJS 302

On May 18th, a concert featured on the London side of the ' Here And There' album was performed for the Invalid Children's Aid Society Benefit - Royal Festival Hall, London.

May 27th 1974 was Eltons turn at the Empire Pool, Wembley followed shortly afterwards by the US single release of Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me. MCA 40259 reached number 2 and charted on Billboard for 15 weeks.

June 19th 1974 was the MCA announcement about Elton’s contract. MCA takes out full page ads in the New York Times and Los Angeles Times to announce the signing of Elton John to a long term recording contract. The June 22 issue of Billboard magazine quotes label president Mike Mailand as saying it is "the best deal anybody ever got". The contract provided Elton with $8 million in advances over the life of the deal, plus new high percentages on his existing catalogue.

June 24th was the US release of the album Caribou on MCA MCA-2116
June 28th was the launch in the UK.  It reached number 1 in the UK.

June 28, 1974 –Caribou- DJM DJLPH 439

June 1974 - UK Cassette -Caribou- DJM ZCDJL 439

CD on Mercury 528158-2

Speaking about Caribou, Elton (Melody Maker): "It was recorded under the most excruciating of circumstances. We had eight days to do fourteen numbers. We did the backing tracks in two and a half days. It drove us crazy because there was a huge Japanese tour, then Australia and New Zealand, that could not be put off. And it was the first time we had recorded in America, and we just couldn't get adjusted to the monitoring system which was very flat. I never thought we'd get an album out of it. I thought it would get slagged off, because it seemed the time for something of mine to get slagged. I think the British press might have decided it's time to knock me again, so I'm just sitting back and taking it."

In July 1974 it is rumored that Elton took the S.S. France from England to New York City and travels with Julian Lennon and Tony King. Elton supposedly wrote the Captain Fantastic album on the trip.

July sees Elton back in the studio, this time with John Lennon. At the Caribou Ranch, Colorado, they record ' Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds', 'One Day At A Time' and 'Philadelphia Freedom'

August is the UK release of the The Bitch is Back. With a B-Side of ' Cold Highway', DJM DJS 322 reached number 15.

August 1974 –The Bitch is Back-  DJM DJS 322

The same single is released in the US on September 3rd and reached number 4 in the US chart (The Bitch is Back on MCA 40297). During September, Elton embarks on his sell out North American Tour.

October is the John Lennon release of Walls and Bridges, where Elton plays organ, piano, vocal harmony on 'Whatever Gets You Through The Night' and harmony on ' Surprise, Surprise'.
 
The single 'Whatever Gets You Through The Night' was released in the UK and the US during October too.

Hard Luck Story by Kiki Dee was released in 1974. Written by Elton and Bernie under the pseudonym's of Anne Orsen and Carte Blanche, it was produced by Elton and was one of the first releases on Rocket. Elton later recorded the song for the 'Rock of the Westies" album.

There is always some kind of mystery surrounding the early songs of Elton john. This one is no exception. 'Sing Me No Sad Songs' by Guy Darrell appeared on a cassette in the UK. As an Elton and Bernie composition, it is rumored to be the only known release of this song. A single (by Darrell) was released in October 1969, but was immediately withdrawn.

More Elton work is revealed on the US LP, Smiler by Rod Stewart ‘Let Me Be Your Car ‘ is written by Elton and Bernie, with Elton on piano and vocals.

Early in November (4th) the first Greatest Hits album was released in the US (MCA 2128). This was followed by the UK release on DJM. Another number 1 !!

November 8th 1974 –Greatest Hits– DJM DJLPH 442

As the Elton machine rolls on, November also saw the release in the UK of the single Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds Featuring John Lennon, it reached number 10 in the UK chart (B-Side, ‘One Day at a Time’).

November 15th 1974 -Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds- DJM DJS 340

November 18th was the US release. MCA 40344 (US: #1). Elton had also persuaded John Lennon to join him onstage at Madison Square Garden on Thanksgiving Day 1974; it would prove to be Lennon's last live performance. Described as a fabulous night in rock history - John Lennon made a guest appearance during the show, his first stage performance in years. Lennon is reported as being terrified before going on and the thunderous reception almost brought him and Elton to tears. Elton and John had made an agreement, after they had appeared on each other's singles earlier in 1974, that if Lennon's single 'Whatever Gets You Through The Night' made #1, then Lennon would appear onstage with Elton. John Lennon appeared on Elton's cover of Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds
Elton: "We did ‘I Saw Her Standing There’, which was great and I was so glad we did that. Originally I said, 'Let's do two numbers, but you'll have to do another. Why not do Imagine?'  He said, 'Oh no, boring. I've done it before. Let's do a rock and roll song.' So I thought of I Saw Her Standing There which was the first track on the first Beatles album. And he never sang it. It was McCartney who sang it. John was so knocked out because he'd never actually sung the lead before." The New York songs on the 'Here And There' album were taken from this show.

I Saw Her Standing There with John lennon was released on 12" and 7" single, (Germany - 1975 on DJM 0934-006)

Another ex-Beatle, Ringo had Elton guest on his album Goodnight Vienna where Elton playes piano on Snookeroo. A vinyl copy of this track exists in my collection and has a B-Side of a duet with Cat Stevens called Honeyman.

Elton finished the year with a series of Christmas shows at the Hammersmith Odeon, London. The Daily Telegraph reported on those Christmas concerts. They wrote “no amount of spangled gimmickry, clowning or noise can hide his great talent as a musician and a performer of good songs, and that his precision is unfailing and never becomes mechanical”.

The December 24th concert was recorded and appears as “Rocket Man Volume 1" and a second "Elton Live Unauthorised" CD also went on sale from the 1974 shows.

Finaly in 1974, Elton releases an 8 track tape and the cassette of Lady SamanthaDJM ZCDJL 301.

"In Disguise With Glasses" (Wizzardo label) and "All Across the Heavens" (TAKRL 1946) became available in 1974 on vinyl. The unofficial releases were recordings of the LA Forum gig on 5th october 74 and the Hammersmith Odeon, London on December 24th '74, respectively.