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Elton John: Don’t Shoot Me I’m Only the Piano Player

 A l b u m   D e t a i l s


Label: DJM Records
Released: 1972.06.01
Time:
 42:45
Category: Pop/Rock
Producer(s): Gus Dudgeon
Rating:
Media type: CD
Web address: www.eltonjohn.com
Appears with:
Purchase date: 2012
Price in €: 1,00





 S o n g s ,   T r a c k s


[1] Daniel (E.John/B.Taupin) - 3:54
[2] Teacher I Need You (E.John/B.Taupin) - 4:10
[3] Elderberry Wine (E.John/B.Taupin) - 3:33
[4] Blues for My Baby and Me (E.John/B.Taupin) - 5:42
[5] Midnight Creeper (E.John/B.Taupin) - 3:55
[6] Have Mercy on the Criminal (E.John/B.Taupin) - 5:57
[7] I'm Going to Be a Teenage Idol (E.John/B.Taupin) - 3:55
[8] Texan Love Song (E.John/B.Taupin) - 3:33
[9] Crocodile Rock (E.John/B.Taupin) - 3:58
[10] High Flying Bird (E.John/B.Taupin) - 4:12
       Bonus tracks (1995 Mercury and 1996 Rocket reissue)
[11] Screw You (Young Man's Blues) (E.John/B.Taupin) - 4:43
[12] Jack Rabbit (E.John/B.Taupin) - 1:49
[13] Whenever You're Ready (We'll Go Steady Again) (E.John/B.Taupin) - 2:51
[14] Skyline Pigeon (Piano version) - 3:56

 A r t i s t s ,   P e r s o n n e l


Elton John – Vocals, Piano, Electric Piano, Leslie Piano, Farfisa Organ, Harmonium, Mellotron
Davey Johnstone – Acoustic, Electric & Leslie Guitars, Banjo, Sitar, Mandolin, Backing Vocals on [2,7,10]
Dee Murray – Bass Guitar, Backing Vocals on [2,7,10]
Nigel Olsson – Drums, Maracas, Backing Vocals on [2,7,10]

Ken Scott – Arp Synthesiser on [1]
Gus Dudgeon – Brass Arrangement on [3,5,7], Producer
Paul Buckmaster – Orchestral Arrangement on [4,6]
Jacques Bolognesi – Trombone
Ivan Jullien – Trumpet
Jean-Louis Chautemps – Saxophones
Alain Hatot – Saxophones

Ken Scott - Engineer
Ed Caraeff - Photography
David Larkham - Artwork, Design
Michael Ross - Artwork, Design
John Tobler - Liner Notes

 C o m m e n t s ,   N o t e s


Recorded at Château d'Hérouville, Hérouville, France, June 1972.



One of the best entries from Elton John and Bernie Taupin's remarkably successful mid-'70s run, this album still holds up well over a quarter of a century after its release. Even casual fans will recognize "Daniel," "Elderberry Wine," and "Crocodile Rock," but "Teacher I Need You," "Have Mercy on the Criminal" and "I'm Going to Be a Teenage Idol" are equally good. Elton's backing band at the time (guitarist Davey Johnstone, bassist Dee Murray, and drummer Nigel Olsson) was easily his best, and producer Gus Dudgeon and orchestral arranger Paul Buckmaster bathed the tracks in a warm and enticing glow. The only complaint is that, due to its size, the CD reissue doesn't remotely do justice to the colorful packaging of the original album.

Dan Epstein - Amazon.com



Elton John became a true superstar with 1972's Honky Chateau. He followed that album with Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player, his most direct, pop-oriented album to date. Designed as a pastiche of classic and contemporary pop styles, the album almost sounds like an attempt to demonstrate the diversity of the John/Taupin team. Though the hits are remarkable - "Daniel" is a moving ballad and "Crocodile Rock" is a sly take on '50s rock & roll - the album is slightly uneven. Several of the album tracks, particularly the knowing "I'm Gonna Be a Teenage Idol" and the rocking "Elderberry Wine," are as strong as anything John had recorded, but there are too many melodies that simply don't catch hold. Nevertheless, the singles were strong enough to keep the album at the top of the charts, and at its best, it is a very enjoyable piece of well-crafted pop/rock.

Stephen Thomas Erlewine - All Music Guide



Als eines der besten Alben aus Elton Johns und Bernie Taupins bemerkenswert erfolgreichen Zeit in den Mittsiebzigern, macht es sich, immerhin ein Vierteljahrhundert nach seiner Veröffentlichung, immer noch verdammt gut. Selbst der eher beiläufige Fan kennt "Daniel", "Elderberry Wine" und "Crocodile Rock". Songs wie "Teacher I Need You", "Have Mercy on the Criminal" und "I'm Going to Be a Teenage Idol" sind dabei mindestens genau so gut. Eltons Begleitband zu der Zeit - der Gitarrist Davey Johnstone, Bassist Dee Murray und der Drummer Nigel Olsson - war die beste, die er je hatte. Produzent Gus Dudgeon und Arrangeur Paul Buckmaster betteten die Nummern in einen warmen, einlullenden Sound. Der einzige Einwand, den man vorbringen könnte: Wegen ihrer Größe kommt das Cover dieser CD-Wiederveröffentlichung leider nicht an die Farbenpracht des original LP-Covers heran.

Dan Epstein - Amazon.de



Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player is the sixth studio album by British singer/songwriter Elton John, released by DJM Records.

This was John's second straight No. 1 album in the US and yielded his first No. 1 single in both the US and Canada: "Crocodile Rock". "Daniel" was also a major hit from the album, giving him his second Canadian No. 1 single on the RPM Top Singles Chart and just missing the top slot south of the border, stalling at No. 2 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and reaching No. 4 in the UK, one place higher than achieved by "Crocodile Rock". According to writer Philip Norman in his early 1990s authorised biography, Elton, during a party in Los Angeles, John's friend Groucho Marx jokingly pointed his index fingers at the singer, as if holding a pair of six-shooters. John is reported to have put up his hands and said, "Don't shoot me, I'm only the piano player", so naming the album. (The album's cover photograph, which shows a young couple going to see a fictional movie, "Don't Shoot Me, I'm Only The Piano Player, starring Elton John", also includes a movie poster of the Marx Brothers' "Go West", though whether this was an intentional subtle tribute to Groucho is uncertain).

Once again, the team returned to France to record at the Château d'Hérouville, also known at the time as "Strawberry Studios," which was how the studio was credited in the album's sleeve. The album featured horns arranged by producer Gus Dudgeon on "Elderberry Wine" (the B-side to "Crocodile Rock"), "Midnight Creeper" and "I'm Gonna Be a Teenage Idol", the latter of which was inspired by John's friend, T-Rex frontman Marc Bolan. The horn players were the same ones, in fact, who were used on Honky Château. Paul Buckmaster returned to add strings on "Blues for My Baby and Me" and "Have Mercy on the Criminal". During his Australian concerts with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra in 1986, John lauded Buckmaster's work on songs such as "Have Mercy on the Criminal", calling the string arrangements "revolutionary".

The album was a huge hit on both sides of the Atlantic, topping the UK and US album charts. It is one of only two albums to feature just the core band of John on pianos and keyboards, Davey Johnstone on guitars, Dee Murray bass and Nigel Olsson on drums, without percussionist Ray Cooper. The other album is Breaking Hearts in 1984.

An outtake of note was a re-recording of "Skyline Pigeon", which became the B-side to the single of "Daniel".

Critics at the time called some of the performances, especially "Crocodile Rock", derivative, which John freely acknowledged years later. In His Song: The Musical Journey of Elton John by author Elizabeth Rosenthal, John said "Crocodile Rock" was written as an overt homage to '50s records, and his vocal intentionally mimicked singer Bobby Vee. "High Flying Bird" was designed to sound like a Van Morrison record, and "Midnight Creeper" was a tip of the hat to the Rolling Stones.

John toured Australia during 1972 and was so inspired by Daddy Cool's hit single "Eagle Rock" that, with Taupin, he wrote "Crocodile Rock". The cover of this album has a photo of lyricist Taupin wearing a "Daddy Who?" promotional badge.

"Don't Shoot Me..." was also, according to John, the first album during which he felt comfortable experimenting with his vocal performances and style.

Wikipedia.org
 

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