Tag Archives: Step Into Christmas

25 Days Of Christmas Music 2024: Day 17

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Hello, everyone. Welcome back to the countdown.

Day 17

A sweet vintage Christmas card image from Pinterest. (Image found online.  Original source unknown.)

Christmas came early for us Elton John fans. Last month his new documentary, “Never Too Late” was released and a few days ago it started streaming on on Disney+. It not only went behind the scenes of his final U.S. concert at Dodger Stadium in California in 2022, but it took a look back at his magnificent more-than-five-decade career and the happiness he has found as a husband and father which prompted his retirement from the road. Needless to say, it is an incredible look at an astounding life & significant collaborations, especially his work with John Lennon in the 1970’s.

If you recall, EJ’s Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour was interrupted by the pandemic. And what did he do while he could not go out on the road? He collaborated with several other artists to bring us the album aptly titled, The Lockdown Sessions. A bonus track was a holiday song he co-wrote with Ed Sheeran that was released in December 2021. Who said nothing good came from a universal pandemic?

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EJ and Ed
Lockdown

Top: Elton John’s 1973 Christmas record. Middle: EJ (L) and Ed Sheeran (R) in a clip from the video for their 2021 holiday song. Bottom: EJ’s 2021 album. (Images found online.  Original sources unknown.)

Elton John: “Step Into Christmas” (1973, written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin).

Ed Sheeran and Elton John: “Merry Christmas” (2021, written by Ed Sheeran and Elton John).

What are some of your favorite Christmas songs?

Until next time, happy listening!!!

25 Days Of Christmas Music 2023: Day 11

Posted in 25 Days Of Christmas Music by

Hello, everyone. Welcome back to the countdown.

A sweet vintage Christmas card image from Pinterest. (Image found online.  Original source unknown.)

Today’s holiday song is celebrating its golden anniversary this year. Elton John released it in November 1973 to cap off the remarkable success of a year where he had two #1 albums: Don’t Shoot Me I’m Only the Piano Player and the smash, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, which was in the top spot when today’s track was released.

Written with his magnificent lyricist, Bernie Taupin, and released with a performance video of Elton and his band enjoying every minute of their time performing this song, it is not played nearly enough each December while we are inundated with tracks many of us wish were retired long ago. But fifty years later, we can count on EJ to provide a really fun part of the festive season.

“Welcome to my Christmas song
I’d like to thank you for the year
So I’m sending you this Christmas card
To say it’s nice to have you here“.

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images

Top: The sleeve for Elton John’s 1973 holiday song. Bottom: Bernie Taupin (L) and Elton (R) circa 1974. (Images found online.  Original sources unknown.)

Elton John: “Step Into Christmas“: (1973, written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin).

What are some of your favorite Christmas songs?

Until next time, happy listening!!!

25 Days Of Christmas Music 2022: Day 1

Posted in 25 Days Of Christmas Music, Christmas by

Happy December, everybody!!!

December

(Image found online.  Original source unknown.)

We have officially arrived at the Christmas season so what better way to celebrate this festive time of year than with a daily countdown of great holiday songs to usher in the big day. All are welcome even if you are not a fan of this genre or you do not observe the holiday. Great music of any kind should be enjoyed by all.

We begin with an iconic artist who held his final U.S. concert last month at Dodger Stadium in California. It was also livestreamed so anyone who wanted to could watch the show that closed the American leg of his “Farewell Yellow Brick Road” tour. From the first time I heard “Daniel” I was completely enamoured with Sir Elton Hercules John and his impossibly prolific, eloquent & poignant lyricist, Bernie Taupin. It was one of the first records I ever bought for myself and John’s 1974 “Greatest Hits” compilation was the first album I ever owned. I have loved, adored and worshiped him for my entire life.

He has been a vital part of music and culture from day one. His artistry, his philanthropy, his 1997 Princess Diana tribute song, his foray into songs for film & Broadway and his own 2019 biopic, “Rocketman”, confirmed his legendary status while continuing his reign as one of the greatest artists of all time.

Even though my reverence for John knows no bounds, I have not been able to bring myself to watch his last concert yet. As happy as I am for him that he has found such pleasure and contentment in his personal life with his husband and two sons, the idea of never attending another one of his shows just crushes my heart. It is a chapter I just do not want to close. But John deserves every blessing in life for his mere existence in this world for all the sublime music he has bestowed upon the world for over 50 years. His melodies & Taupin’s lyrics are love, light, hope & joy defined.

EJ 1975

ej 1975 B

EJ 2022

ej 2022 B

Top: Two images from Elton John’s 1975 concert at Dodger Stadium. Bottom: John’s last show in America at the same stadium in November 2022. The last photo shows John on stage the night of the show when he was joined on stage by his two sons and husband, David Furnish. (Image found online.  Original source unknown.)

Elton John: “Step Into Christmas” (1973,written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin).

What are some of your favorite Christmas songs?

Until next time, happy listening!!!