A Lifesaving Breakup

Along with his talent, something that amazes me about Elton John's music is how long he and some members of "the Elton John Band" have been performing together.  Elton John and guitarist Davey Johnstone have been performing together for 45 years.  With the exception of 5 years, Nigel Olsson has been playing the drums in Elton's music since 1969!  There are other bandmembers worth noting (like the John Mahon, the late Bob Birch, and some of the newer additions), but tonight, I'm going back to a 1975 lineup of Johnstone, Olsson, Dee Murray, and Ray Cooper.

I imagine that you're wondering why I'm beginning this post  by talking about Elton John's band.  It's that for "Someone Saved My Life Tonight,"  they created a vocal harmony that I would compare to what the Beach Boys displayed in "Forever."

Alan Aldridge's cover art for 1975's
Captain Fantasic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy.

Like when Dennis Wilson was writing that masterpiece, Elton John and Bernie Taupin wrote "Someone Saved My Life Tonight" about something extremely personal.  Elton was engaged engaged to marry Linda Woodrow back in 1969, and he couldn't stand the relationship.  According to the song he found her so dominating.  People have called their significants others a "ball and chain," but Elton John took that further.  He described being tied down and kept from freedom.  He was contemplating suicide when a friend and fellow musician (Long John Baldry) suggested that he break off the relationship.  He was a butterfly, who wanted to fly free in his colorful magnificence.

In 1976, Elton John came out as bisexual, and after a failed four year marriage in the 80's, he more specifically (and proudly) identified as gay.  A few years later the butterfly began a relationship with David Furmish.  The couple are now married and with two sons.

The reason that I emphasized his personal life and relationships is to show how Elton John (the butterfly) created strong bonds with musicians as his career developed, and after some trials and tribulations, had developed a family that he could comfortably settle down in.  I find it to be a great twist that Elton began working with Olsson the same year that he broke up with that first fiancé.  He's been committed to some personal and professional relationships that have lasted longer than most marriages.