A UNIVERSAL MUSIC COMPANY
Elton John writes (from the CD liner notes):
In 2008 I was on the first episode of Spectacle, a music program with Elvis Costello that I produce with my partner David Furnish. I talked about three singer/songwriters that I thought had been forgotten; Leon Russell was one of them. The other two were Laura Nyro and David Ackles, who have both passed away. During that show I made up a kind of Leon Russell song at the end and thought no more about it. David, because he didn't know about Leon Russell's music or Laura Nyro or David Ackles, bought their CDs and put them on his iPod. Fast forward to January 2009 in South Africa on safari: David and I are getting ready for lunch, he's playing his iPod, and he's playing Leon Russell's "Retrospective" and I'm sitting there listening to it and suddenly I burst into tears and I start sobbing uncontrollably. David said, 'What the hell is the matter?' and I said, 'His music takes me hack to one of the most beautiful and fantastic times of my life. It's not fair that people have forgotten about how wonderful this man's music was and that makes me angry.'
Leon Russell was my biggest influence in the late 60s and early 70s, from a piano-playing point-of-view and from a vocal point-of-view.
'I've been influenced by a lot of other piano' players too, but Leon was my man; he was the master as far as I was concerned. And I got to meet him. He was in the Troubadour club on the second night I played there in 1970.
I saw him sitting in the audience and I was petrified because he was my idol. You couldn't miss him; he was such an incredible looking man with his silver hair and his dark glasses, He was so kind to me from the word 'go' and we did concerts together. We did the Fillmore East. We did other dates together and for me that was a dream come true to actually play with him, and for him to be so nice to me.
We were two people happening at the same time, being successful at the same time. He was the greatest band leader of his era. He did Delaney & Bonnie and Joe Cocker with Mad Dogs and Englishmen and then his own records and then, of course, the Concert for Bangladesh, which was one of the best live concerts ever and probably the first charity record ever made from a charity concert.
Anyway, then I lost touch with Leon and our paths kind of went different ways. And until I did the Spectacle program, I never really thought about getting in touch with him even though I listened to his records constantly throughout the years that we'd been apart. I think 37 years. I phoned Johnny Barbis who is my U.S. manager and who has been working with me for about 30 years. He used to work with Leon Russell in the days of Shelter Records. I told him the story and I said, 'You know, I've got to talk to Leon.' So, he got a number for me for Leon, who was living in Columbia outside of Nashville in Tennessee. And I phoned Leon up and he was very sweet. He said, 'Thank you for the Elvis Costello show, bless your heart,' and I said, 'What have you been doing?' and he said, 'I've just been writing, riding in my bus, playing shows, doing this and that, making my records and selling them on the Internet.' I said, 'When I come to America, I'd love to see you and catch up and have dinner,' and he said, 'Well, I'd like that too.' So, I put the phone down and I said to David, 'You know, that's not the reason I called him.' So I phoned Johnny Barbis back and I said, 'Johnny, can you get me a number for T Bone Burnett?'
Now, T Bone Burnett is one of my favorite producers, but I'd never spoken to him.
I called him and I told him the story, like I'm telling you now, about how I broke down and how he was my idol and I said, 'Would you ever consider making a record with the two of us?' And he said, 'Well having heard that story, I'd love to.' So that kind of got the ball rolling and then I phoned Leon back and I said, 'Would you like to do a record?' and he said, 'Well do you think I can?' and I said, 'Of course you can.' I said T Bone would do it and Leon said, 'Let's do it!' So he was very excited and I was very excited.
He came to Las Vegas while I was finishing up the Red Piano show and we met and we talked and it was great to see him. And then Bernie Taupin and Johnny Barbis went to Austin to see him. And suddenly the seeds were being planted to make this record.
We were originally going to make the record in January 2010 and start writing then as well, but in October of last year, Billy Joel got sick and canceled the northwestern part of the American tour, so I thought, I'm going to go to Los Angeles and go into the studio with T Bone, Bernie and Leon and start seeing if we could write some songs. Bernie had some lyrics ready and we came into the studio - The Village Recorder in Los Angeles - and we sat in the control room talking about music, and it wasn't until T Bone played a video of Mahalia Jackson singing "Didn't It Rain" at the Newport Jazz Festival that the ice was broken. Leon and I have a deep love of gospel music. I went out to the piano and started writing a song called "A Dream Come True," and then Leon came and started playing with me and then the two pianos sounded so great, so we knew that would work. And then we sang together and all of a sudden, the ice really was broken. Not that it was ice in a bad way, but it was awkwardness. And suddenly the album was definitely on and it was just gung-ho from that point on.
During those four days, ten songs were written. Leon had already written one song with Bernie called "I Should Have Sent Roses." Leon and I wrote a couple of songs together, so in that period of time we had ten songs written before we convened in January of 2010. We came to Los Angeles to record but Leon had to have a major operation a week before we made the record; the operation lasted 5-1/2 hours and was very debilitating for him. He came into the studio a week later and would stay for two or three hours playing his part, singing his part, maybe writing a song here and there. And a week later, he was doing the Grammys with Zac Brown and we were doing the MusiCares concert for Neil Young and gradually people came into the studio and found out that Leon was in town. Ringo, Sharon Stone, Stevie Nicks, Grace Jones and LeAnn Rimes came by the studio. Brian Wilson came and sang on the record because Leon had played on a lot of The Beach Boys records. All of a sudden, this man who was very frail, because of his illness, and who had been forgotten about, suddenly got his confidence again and started to play the grand piano instead of the electric piano, and all his great piano playing came flooding back and we made this incredible record. When I say incredible, it's incredible because the music I think is pretty fantastic, but more so, it's the most poignant journey of someone who had been lost in the consciousness of American music and who is going to come back now into the forefront of American music; someone who was a giant, who had written so many beautiful songs, was a great composer, a great arranger and had played on SO many people's records, including all the Phil Spector records.
You know, his CV (curriculum vitae) is amazing and I'm here making a record with my idol and, to be honest with you, what happened was it brought someone back to life. It gave him the confidence and love from his people who were his peers (for instance, Jim Keltner, who played drums on the record used to be in Leon's band). So, with the quality of musicians he was playing with on this record, he finally got the confidence and the love that he should have had for a long time. And I can honestly say, of all the records I've made - and I've made so many records with so many wonderful memories - this one stands out because not only was I making a record with my idol, I was also working with T Bone Burnett, who is also an idol of mine and my dear partner Bernie's. And what ensued was probably one of the most personal and wonderful stories that you're ever going to hear in music: someone coming back from not the dead, but more or less the dead, to become someone who is claiming his rightful place in American music, and I'm so proud of him for doing that. I just got to know and love this man so much and this album is the result of what went on.
And in March 2010, I'm sitting in the same room on safari, 12-to-14 months later, and I have the album recorded and it's one of these things that was meant to be. From Spectacle and David playing his iPod, to me having the courage to go ask for his phone number and phoning Leon up, then T Bone, then Billy canceling; all these things lined up with the stars to make this record. I'm so proud of it, but most of all, I'm proud of Leon for coming back and proving to us all what a wonderful and incredible artist he is.
- Elton John
Production and Personnel
Producer: T Bone Burnett
Executive Producers: Elton John & Johnny Barbis
Mixed by: Mike Piersante
Recorded by: Mike Piersante, Jason Wormer
Additional Engineering: Kyle Ford, Mark Lambert, Ben McAmis
Assistant Engineers: Vanessa Parr, Chris Owens, Kory Aaron, Brett Lind
Editing: Jason Wormer
Recorded and Mixed at: The Village Recorder, Los Angeles, CA
Additional Recording at: Quad Studios, Nashville, TN, and Silent Sound Studios, Atlanta, GA
Guitar Technician: Paul Ackling
Music Transcriptions: John & Julie Eidsvoog at Singing Potato, Inc.
Mastering: Gavin Lurssen at Lurssen Mastering, Hollywood, CA
Production Coordinators: Ivy Skoff, Jon Howard & Adrian Collee
Design: Peacock
Photography (cover art / p.6-7 / booklet back cover): Annie Leibovitz
Additional Photography (gatefold portraits / booklet inside front cover / p.5): Joseph Guay
Photography of T Bone Burnett (p.13): Frank Ockenfels
Photograph of a young Leon Russell (gatefold) courtesy of: Steve Todoroff
Elton John Management: Rocket Music Entertainment Group
Leon Russell Management: Johnny Barbis
T Bone Burnett Management: Larry Jenkins
Assistant To T Bone Burnett: Jessica C. Mitchell
Elton John plays Yamaha pianos
This CD was recorded using Yamaha HOI and DC7 pianos played by Leon Russell
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Special Thanks: Maurice Patist, Peter Thomas, and everyone @ PMC Speakers
The Union - track listing
Elton John and Leon Russell
Decca Records
B0014921-02
______________________________________________________________________
1. IF IT WASN'T FOR BAD
Written by: Leon Russell
Young Carney Music (ASCAP)
Leon Russell - Piano and Vocals
Elton John – Vocals
Jim Keltner - Drums, Percussion
Jay Bellerose - Drums, Percussion
Dennis Crouch - Acoustic Bass
Marc Ribot – Guitar
Booker T. Jones - B3
Keefus Ciancia – Keyboards
Darrell Leonard - Trumpet, Bass Trumpet
Ira Nepus – Trombone
Maurice Spears – Trombone
George Bohanon - Trombo'ne, Baritone Horn
William Roper – Tuba
Alfie Silas Durio, Judith Hill, Rose Stone, Tata Vega, Jean Witherspoon - Background Vocals
Horns Arranged and Conducted by Darrell Leonard
Background Vocals Arranged by Leon Russell
Background Vocals Conducted by Bill Maxwell
2. EIGHT HUNDRED DOLLAR SHOES
Written by: Elton John & Bernie Taupin
HST Publishing Limited (administered by Universal Songs of Polygram International Jnc) (BMl}/ Rouge Booze Inc (administered by Universal Polygram International Publishing Inc) (ASCAP)
Elton John – Piano and Vocals
Leon Russell – Piano and Vocals
Jim Keltner – Drums, Percussion
Jay Bellerose - Drums, Percussion
Dennis Crouch - Acoustic Bass
Marc Ribot – Guitar
Keefus Ciancia – Keyboards
Bill Cantos, Louis Pardini, Jason Scheff, Tata Vega - Background Vocals
Background Vocals Arranged and Conducted by Bill Maxwell
3. HEY AHAB
Written by: Elton John & Bernie Taupin
HST Publishing Limited (administered by Universal Songs of Polygram International Inc) (BMl)/Rouge Booze Inc (administered by Universal Polygram International Publishing Inc) (ASCAP)
Elton John - Piano and Vocals
Leon Russell - Piano and Vocals
Jim Keltner - Drums, Percussion
Jay Bellerose - Drums, Percussion
Mike Piersante - Tambourine
Dennis Crouch - Acoustic Bass
Marc Ribot – Guitar
T Bone Burnett - Electric Guitar
Keefus Ciancia – Keyboards
Tanya Balam, Bill Cantos, Alfie Silas Durio, Judith Hill, Kellye Huff, Perry Morgan, Tiffany Smith, Rose Stone, Tata Vega, Jean Witherspoon - Background Vocals
Background Vocals Arranged and Conducted by Bill Maxwell
4. GONE TO SHILOH
Written by: Elton John & Bernie Taupin
HST Publishing Limited (administered by Universal Songs of Polygram International Inc) (BMl)/Rouge Booze Inc (administered by Universal Polygram International Publishing Inc) (ASCAP)
Elton John - Piano and Vocals
Leon Russell - Piano and Vocals
Neil Young – Vocals
Jim Keltner - Drums, Percussion
Jay Bellerose - Drums, Percussion
Dennis Crouch - Acoustic Bass
Marc Ribot – Guitar
Keefus Ciancia - Keyboards;
Jason Wormer - Dulcimer
Darrell Leonard – Trumpet
Ira Nepus – Trombone
Maurice Spears – Trombone
George Bohanon - Trombone, Baritone Horn
William Roper - Tuba
Horns Arranged and Conducted by Darrell Leonard
5. JlMMIE RODGERS' DREAM
Written by: Elton John, Bernie Taupin & T Bone Burnett
HST Publishing Limited (administered by Universal Songs of Polygram International Inc) (EMI)/Rouge Booze Inc (administered by Universal Polygram International Publishing Inc) (ASCAP), Henry Burnett Music (administered by BUG) (BMI)
Elton John - Piano and Vocals
Leon Russell - Piano and Vocals
Jim Keltner - Drums, Percussion
Jay Bellerose - Drums, Percussion
Debra Dobkin - Beaded Gourd
Dennis Crouch - Acoustic Bass
Marc Ribot – Guitar
T Bone Burnett - Electric Guitar
Russ Pahl - Pedal Steel
Keefus Ciancia – Keyboards
Bill Cantos, Louis Pardini, Jason Scheff, Tata Vega – Background Vocals
Background Vocals Arranged and Conducted by Bill Maxwell
6. THERE'S NO TOMORROW
Written by: Elton John, Leon Russell, James Timothy Shaw & T Bone Burnett
HST Publishing Limited (administered by Universal Songs of Polygram, International Inc) (BMI), Young Carney Music (ASCAP), EMI Longitude Music (BMI), Henry Burnett Music (administered by BUG) (BMI)
Elton John - Piano and Vocals
Leon Russell - Piano and Vocals
Jim Keltner - Drums, Percussion
Jay Bellerose - Drums, Percussion
Dennis Crouch - Acoustic Bass
Marc Ribot - Guitar
Robert Randolph - Pedal Steel
Keefus Ciancia – Keyboards
Martin Grebb – Keyboards
Alfie Silas Durio, Judith Hill, Tata Vega, Jean Witherspoon - Background Vocals
Background Vocals Arranged by Leon Russell
Background Vocals Conducted by Bill Maxwell
7. MONKEY SUIT
Written by: Elton John & Bernie Taupin
HST Publishing Limited (administered by Universal Songs of Polygram International Inc) (BMI)/Rouge Booze Inc (administered by Universal Polygram International Publishing Inc) (ASCAP)
Elton John - Piano and Vocals
Leon Russell - Piano and Vocals
Jim Keltner - Drums, Percussion
Jay Bellarose - Drums, Percussion
Mike Piersante - Tambourine
Dennis Crouch – Acoustic Bass
Marc Ribot – Guitar
Robert Randolph – Pedal Steel
Keefus Ciancia – Keyboards
Darrell Leonard - Trumpet, Bass Trumpet
Jim Thompson – Saxophone
Joseph Sublett – Saxophone
Thomas Peterson - Saxophone
Tanya Balam, Bill Cantos, Alfie Silas Durio, Judith Hill, Kellye Huff, Perry Morgan,
Tiffany Smith, Rose Stone, Tata Vega, Jean Witherspoon - Background Vocals
Horns Arranged and Conducted by Darrell Leonard
Background Vocals Arranged and Conducted by Bill Maxwell
8. THE BEST PART OF THE DAY
Written by: Elton John & Bernie Taupin
HST Publishing Limited (administered by Universal Songs of Polygram International Inc) (HMI)/Rouge Booze Inc (administered by Universal Polygram International Publishing Inc) (ASCAP)
Elton John - Piano and Vocals
Leon Russell - Piano and Vocals
Jim Keltner - Drums, Percussion
Jay Bellerose - Drums, Percussion
Dennis Crouch - Acoustic Bass
Marc Ribot – Guitar
Booker T. Jones - B3
Keefus Ciancia - Keyboards
Bill Cantos, Louis Pardini, Jason Scheff, Tata Vega - Background Vocals
Background Vocals Arranged and Conducted by Bill Maxwell
9. A DREAM COME TRUE
Written by: Elton John and Leon Russell
HST Publishing Limited (administered by Universal Songs of Polygram International Inc) (BMI) & Young Carney Music (ASCAP)
Elton John - Piano and Vocals
Leon Russell- Piano and Vocals
Jim Keltner – Drums, Percussion
Jay Bellerose – Drums
Rose Stone – Tambourine
Mike Piersante, Jason Wormer, Kyle Ford - Hand Claps
Dennis Crouch - Acoustic Bass
Marc Ribot – Guitar
Keefus Ciancia – Keyboards
Alfie Silas Durio, Judith Hill, Rose Stone, Tata Vega, Jean Witherspoon - Background Vocals
Background Vocals Arranged by Leon Russell
Background Vocals Conducted by Bill Maxwell
10. WHEN LOVE IS DYING
Written by: Elton John & Bernie Taupin
HST Publishing Limited (administered by Universal Songs of Polygram International Inc) (BMI)/Rouge Booze Inc (administered by Universal Polygram International Publishing Inc) (ASCAP)
Elton John - Piano and Vocals
Leon Russell - Piano and Vocals
Jim Keltner - Drums, Percussion
Jay Bellerose - Drums, Percussion
Dennis Crouch - Acoustic Bass;
Marc Ribot – Guitar
T Bone Burnett - Electric Guitar
Keefus Ciancia Keyboards; Bill Cantos,
Alfie Silas Durio, Judith Hill, Louis Pardini, Jason Scheff, Rose Stone, Tata Vega, Jean Witherspoon - Background Vocals
Brian Wilson - Background Vocals and Vocal Arrangement
Additional Background Vocals Arranged and Conducted by Bill Maxwell
11. I SHOULD HAVE SENT ROSES
Written by: Leon Russell and Bernie Taupin
Young Carney Music (ASCAP) & Rouge Booze Inc (administered by Universal Polygram International Publishing Inc) (ASCAP)
Elton John - Piano and Vocals
Leon Russell - Piano and Vocals
Jim Keitner – Drums
Jay Bellerose – Drums
Don Was - Bass
Doyle Bramhall II - Guitar
Booker T. Jones - B3
Keefus Ciancia – Keyboards
Darrell Leonard - Trumpet, Bass Trumpet
Ira Nepus – Trombone
Maurice Spears - Trombone
George Bohanon – Trombone, Baritone Horn
William Roper – Tuba
Jim Thompson – Saxophone
Joseph Sublett – Saxophone
Thomas Peterson - Saxophone
Horns Arranged and Conducted by Darrell Leonard
12. HEARTS HAVE TURNED TO STONE
Written by: Leon Russell
Young Carney Music (ASCAP)
Leon Russell - Piano and Vocals
Elton John - Vocals
Jim Keltner - Drums, Percussion
Jay Bellerose - Drums, Percussion
Don Was – Bass
Davey Faragher - Bass
Doyle Bramhall II - Guitar
Booker T. Jones - B3
Keefus Ciancia – Keyboards
Darrell Leonard – Trumpet
Jim Thompson- Saxophone
Joseph Sublett – Saxophone
Thomas Peterson - Saxophone
Alfie Silas Durio, Judith Hill, Tata Vega, Jean Witherspoon - Background Vocals
Horns Arranged and Conducted by Darrell Leonard
Background Vocals Arranged by Leon Russell
Background Vocals Conducted by Bill Maxwell
13. NEVER TOO OLD (TO HOLD SOMEBODY)
Written by: Elton John & Bernie Taupin
HST Publishing Limited (administered by Universal Songs of Polygram international inc) (BMI)/Rouge Booze Inc (administered by Universal Polygram International Publishing Inc) (ASCAP)
Elton John - Piano and Vocals
Leon Russell - Piano and Vocals
Jim Keltner - Drums, Percussion
Jay Bellerose - Drums, Percussion
Dennis Crouch - Acoustic Bass
Marc Ribot – Guitar
Keefus Ciancia – Keyboards
Bill Cantos, Alfie Silas Durio, Judith Hill, Louis Pardini, Jason Scheff, Tata Vega - Background Vocals
Background Vocals Arranged and Conducted by Bill Maxwell
14. IN THE HANDS OF ANGELS
Written by: Leon Russell
Young Carney Music (ASCAP)
Leon Russell - Piano and Vocals;
Martin Grebb – Keyboards
Drew Lambert - Electric Bass
Tanya Balam, Bill Cantos, Alfie Silas Durio, Judith Hill, Kellye Huff, Perry Morgan, Tiffany Smith, Rose Stone, Tata Vega, Jean Witherspoon - Background Vocals
Background Vocals Arranged by Leon Russell
Background Vocals Conducted by Bill Maxwell
