Thursday July 14, 2022 “Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding” Elton John
Technically this song is only forty nine years old but I know you will forgive one minor lapse so that we can include this amazing piece of music by Elton John and lyricist Bernie Taupin. I believe it is, at 11:08, the longest song that we have had on song of the day.
We have had long songs before but I have chosen to either edit them or include a shorter radio-friendly version but not today’s because it is just too damn brilliant in its entirety. This tune is the opening track to Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, Elton John's best selling studio album.
Although it rarely gets mentioned Elton John had one of the most talented bands that toured and recorded with him and this track is a prime example of their overall musicianship. Some soaring guitar solos by Davey Johnstone and a tight and creative rhythm section with Nigel Olsson on drums and Dee Murray on bass. The opening synthesizer part was played by Dave Hentschel, a producer and engineer who was one of the few people who could program and play the instrument and the ‘funeral’ portion of the song is what Elton has suggested he was thinking might be played at his own funeral.
Stay safe and well...and set aside eleven minutes for this remarkable piece of music as it builds and builds to tell the story of what the rock and roll life on the road does to relationships.