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Re: Glen and Elton John Collaborate on Elton's The Lockdown Sessions

Posted: Sat Feb 26, 2022 5:22 pm
by Mike Joyce
Hi Guys, great topic. As has been mentioned, this idea has grown over the years with some good success. There was even a show with modern artists singing with artists who had passed being displayed on a large screen, synced to the song being sung. Of course they took it to the next level by having Glen singing a duet with Elvis on Glen sings for the king ( We call on him.) I agree with the point that if it is done, they should add something to the arrangement and not just over dub a new vocal. Isn't that just Karaoke in a studio?. Carl Jackson did a great job producing this track and it really is a standout on the album.
PS, I hope everyone is well and covid 19 is behind us. The local folk clubs seem to be starting up again so it will be nice to dust off the guitar again.

Re: Glen and Elton John Collaborate on Elton's The Lockdown Sessions

Posted: Sat Feb 05, 2022 2:40 am
by Cowpoke
That’s right Glen choose LA. He wasn’t looking to be strictly a CW artist. He wanted to become a pop artist. And he succeeded. When that run was over he started recording in Nashville to make a second career as a country artist. And from the early nineties on, as a contemporary christian artist too. In fact, in the nineties he was doing both in paralel. I always felt his heart was more into the chriatian contemporary music. He recorded some ambitious songs for his CCM albums while his last country album was rather… lacklustre.

Re: Glen and Elton John Collaborate on Elton's The Lockdown Sessions

Posted: Tue Feb 01, 2022 8:47 am
by jay
Willie seems lackluster on most of his stuff now. I think his lung capacity has been greatly limited by age and maybe by excess...but he struggles with lyrics and rushes through them because of that...I believe.

Nashville would have loved Glen to commit to CW. I think that is why Chet seemed a little chill to him...because he chose west coast Capitol instead of Nashville RCA. Chet could pick winners. Back then that is why Jerry and Glen never collaborated on an album.

But even Willie couldn't make it in Nashville. Heck of a story to be told there. The dude knew how to write songs.

Re: Glen and Elton John Collaborate on Elton's The Lockdown Sessions

Posted: Tue Jan 11, 2022 12:34 am
by Cowpoke
KMFrye54, I dont think these posthumous duets of songs the deceased artist already recorded add anything. In this case, its even worse than normal. Its still the same instrumental track that Glen used right? So all Elton had to do is add his vocals. Now if Elton would have rearranged it on piano it would have shed some new light on the track. On the other hand, then you have Glen singing to a instrumental track that has been replaced by something else. The album See You There (Jay’s all-time favorite) is a prime example of that technique.

As for the duet with Willie Nelson on Funny how time slips away… I dont know when they added Willie’s vocal but he definitely wasn’t in the same studio as Glen. The reason I like that recording is that it is a new recording, Glen sang (a)live to the instrumental track we hear (or a demo version of it) and he hadnt recorded it before. I do wish they would release a version with only Glen doing the singing because he is killing it while Willie sounds rather lacklustre.

Re: Glen and Elton John Collaborate on Elton's The Lockdown Sessions

Posted: Wed Jan 05, 2022 9:49 am
by jay
KMFrye54
Totally agree...and I could take either side of the conversation.

But it is how things are done today. Whether the artists are dead or alive. Send me the * track and I will add (vocal, guitar, drum, whatever)
Glen did nothing new for this record (for obvious reasons), so I think the response from GC fans was anti-climatic.

Heck, Chet recorded with a lot of greats at RCA...but always took his part to his house afterward and improved on it in his studio. lol.

Good topic.

Re: Glen and Elton John Collaborate on Elton's The Lockdown Sessions

Posted: Mon Jan 03, 2022 12:28 pm
by KMFrye54
Not to be overly down on the idea, but ever since David Foster successfully merged Natalie Cole and her late father into a seamless and memorable "Unforgettable", it seems that singing duets with departed stars has found something of a niche in the market.

This is a different kettle of fish than the "other" kind of duet,, where Tony Bennett and Lady Ga-Ga (for instance) both were in the studio to record new versions of existing songs, albeit on different days. Instead we have examples like Elvis "on tour" with members of his former band while in another realm, voice actors in 3D animations like "Over the Hedge" never meet off-screen and record everything individually, leaving it to the producers and technology wizards to create a seamless conversation out of the pieces. Moreover, back in 1967, Herb Alpert added his memorable trumpet track to the "Casino Royale" theme in LA, while the rest of the soundtrack was created and recorded in London England by Burt Bacharach.

What all of this boils down to is the question of whether Elton and Glen ever actually were in the same studio at the same time? And does it matter?

I am personally of two minds about the concept. One the one hand, it allows new audiences to hear classic recordings with a modern twist, but it also feels exploitive when one of the voices has passed on.

Technology has made a great many things possible, but is there a point where perhaps we shouldn't simply be doing it "because we can"?

How do others feel? Is this merging of talent a good thing, or is it a little exploitive? I'm curious to know how others feel.

Re: Glen and Elton John Collaborate on Elton's The Lockdown Sessions

Posted: Sun Jan 02, 2022 11:08 am
by jay
Cowpoke, seemed odd to me that a "remake" would follow a "make" so closely. But maybe you have to look at the 4-5 year interim that existed prior to its release and maybe that is where this chapter gets legs. Maybe closer to 2014 than 2021?

Maybe during that time, it was going to be a duets album. There are several songs that have artist participation w Glen. And it ended up being this and that. Hit and miss.
Another song that stands out on Adios seems to be "Arkansas Farm Boy." Is it true that Glen never recorded that until this LP?
Kim: Carl wrote that, and they did a demo of that with Emmylou Harris singing background vocals. It never made it onto an album or anything.
Just guessing. Elton's story seems random when you look at the totality of the history of the release...but in line with his COVID themed album...who knows. There is something about his story that doesnt add up.

IMO, Glen's version is more powerful than the duet...but an easy rev stream for the Campbells from a guy that can sell albums.

Makes you wonder if there are other full duets from the album on a shelf somewhere.

Your thoughts?

Re: Glen and Elton John Collaborate on Elton's The Lockdown Sessions

Posted: Wed Dec 29, 2021 6:04 am
by Cowpoke
Very interesting Jay. Does this release mean that remake idea is off the table? Or will it be used as promotion for that album.

Remake of Last Album?

Posted: Sun Dec 19, 2021 12:26 pm
by jay
Interesting..."Glen Campbell's people got in touch and said they were doing a remake of his last album"


Elton John Liner Notes:
This track came about because I once said in an interview that the original version was one of the most beautiful songs I'd ever heard as it's about his battle with Alzheimer's. Glen Campbell's people got in touch and said they were doing a remake of his last album and asked if I would be interested in duetting with him on this track. It was a real honour to do it and we recorded at Abbey Road where I often played as a session musician. Returning there and being on this song brought back so many amazing memories for me.
Elton John Apple interview:
I got a phone call from Glen Campbell’s people saying the last song he wrote was called “I’m Not Gonna Miss You”. And when that came out, I said in an interview that I thought it was one of the most beautiful songs that I ever heard because it was very short and sweet, but it was about his battle with Alzheimer’s. They said they were doing a remake of the album with people duetting with him. ‘Would you sing that song?‘ I said, 'Yes, absolutely, I’d love to sing that with him.’
—via Apple Music

Re: Glen and Elton John Collaborate on Elton's The Lockdown Sessions

Posted: Tue Nov 30, 2021 8:53 pm
by jay
No...I haven't seen any Oscar references for Elton, Glen, or Elton and Glen.
Elton got one last year for Rocketman.

Elton obviously dug this song.