Just in case you thought the last blog entry was a one-off, I thought I would follow it up with this hit from Elton John, who like Freddie Mercury has been immortalised in film over the last few years. Interesting fact, the director of both Starman and Bohemian Rhadsopy was Dexter Fletcher, who played Spike in Press Gang. Why I am telling you this? Probably because I was already thinking about becoming a writer when Press Gang was on TV as well as having a massive crush on Dexter Fletcher. But I am getting sidetracked here, let us get back to song 198 of the jukebox - Tiny Dancer by Elton John.
I think for me, Elton John has always been one of those artists that have been there in the fabric of my music. Never, someone, I would have rushed out to buy his latest album, but on a trusty, homemade tape mix, his songs would appear and over the years, I have found myself collecting his music. This year has seen the release of the highly delayed, Rocketman, a film charting the early years of Elton’s music journey and struggles with addiction. Having loved the film about Freddie Mercury, I was ready to hate this film as I wondered how they could tell a truthful account of the life of someone who is very much alive. Having now seen it, I was blown away by the whole movie. I thought the use of his music in the movie and the reimagined songs, sung by Aaron Egerton and Jamie Bell to mention the two leads, was incredible. You have to praise Elton John for being able to hand over his life and allow others to tell his story. Yes, I know he had control over the final cut of the movie, but even being in control, you are handed over your life to others to tell your story and that has to be brave. I think we sometimes forget that celebrities are real people and what makes a really good story, requires people to open up themselves and allow people to walk through memories, both bad and good.
For me, I count myself lucky, I have actually seen Elton John live. Not because I spent months planning my tickets, because I found myself there when other people weren’t able to go. We saw Elton at St. Johnstone’s McDiarmid Park in Perth. A small gig compared to the dizzy heights of Madison Square Gardens, in New York, but here we were listening to one of the most iconic pop stars. I am glad I can say that I have experienced his music live, even though we didn’t know all the hits.
Out of all the Elton John hits, Tiny Dancer stands out for me as it makes me think of one of my own character, who I created about 13 years ago, Little Pink. Little Pink is a very personal character as she is a version of myself, who challenges me and reminds me to keep exploring life. When the character first appeared on my page, I saw her as a vision of pink dancing in a hospital corridor, and the lyric from Tiny Dancer, which goes, “Ballerina, you must have seen her dancing in the sand. And now she's in me, always with me, tiny dancer in my hand”, fits Little Pink. Although Little Pink is the tiny dancer in my head.
Written by Elton John & Bernie Taupin, there is a relaxed hopefulness in the song, which never fails to bring a smile to my face. Released in February 1972, it wasn’t an overnight success, and it wasn’t released as a single in the UK as it faired badly in the USA. However, the Canadian markets loved it, and over time it has become one of the most popular songs released by Elton John. The lyrics were written after Bernie Taupin’s first trip to the USA. I still find it crazy to think that whilst Elton John is one of the most recognisable faces on the planet, Bernie Taupin is a name everyone knows but he could walk past me in the street and I wouldn’t know him from the next guy. And coming back to Rocketman, the beating heart of the movie was the friendship between John and Taupin, who conquered the world with their music but maintain their friendship. I think in life we sometimes forget how important friendship is. Everyone talks about falling in love and being loved, but equally, friendships are so important. You need to have people who are there supporting you, whether you are just about to play live at Wembley or when you feel lost to the whole world. Friends are the family we choose for ourselves and should always be celebrated.
For me, friendship comes through in the song as it has one of the tunes which makes me think of having big adventures with friends and chilling out afterwards reflecting on the fun you have just had. I don’t know how it makes you feel but I hope you enjoy it:
Listen here to Tiny Dancer
Tiny Dancer by Elton John and Bernie Taupin
Released: 7 February 1972
Album: Madman across the water
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