Jump Up!
Encyclopedia
Jump Up! is the 16th studio album
by British singer/songwriter Elton John
, released in 1982 on Rocket Records
except in the US and Canada, where it was released on Geffen Records
. It features such songs as "Empty Garden (Hey Hey Johnny)
", a tribute to John Lennon
(who had also signed to Geffen for the release of Double Fantasy
, which is now owned by EMI
). It was recorded at Air studios in Montserrat and Pathe Marconi studios in France. This is one of the first few LPs that showcases John singing in a deeper voice, as can be heard in songs such "Blue Eyes
", "Princess", "Ball & Chain", and "Spiteful Child". "Legal Boys" was written by John and Tim Rice, who would write lyrics for songs for The Lion King
12 years later. This is the last studio album in which James Newton-Howard plays keyboards. In a 2010 Sirius radio special, John's lyricist, Bernie Taupin
, called Jump Up! "one of our worst albums," adding "it's a terrible, awful, disposable album, but it had 'Empty Garden' on it, so it's worth it for that one song." In the U.S. it was certified
Gold on November 22, 1982 by the RIAA.
Previously only available in the later 1980s and early 1990s on CD in Europe with the Rocket/Phonogram label, in 2003, Elton John's company, Rocket, in association with Mercury/Universal Records, reissued the album on CD, remastered by Gary Moore. It had no bonus tracks, but did include lots of new and previously released photographs of Elton during the early 1980s, full lyrics and snapshots of the cover art for the album's singles, along with liner notes by John Tobler.
"Hey Papa Legba" was recorded during the sessions for 21 at 33
in August 1979.
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
by British singer/songwriter Elton John
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
, released in 1982 on Rocket Records
Rocket Records
The Rocket Record Company was a record label founded by Elton John, with Bernie Taupin, Gus Dudgeon and Steve Brown among others, in 1972. The name is from the hit, "Rocket Man"...
except in the US and Canada, where it was released on Geffen Records
Geffen Records
Geffen Records is an American record label, owned by Universal Music Group, and operated as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-Beginnings:...
. It features such songs as "Empty Garden (Hey Hey Johnny)
Empty Garden (Hey Hey Johnny)
"Empty Garden " is a hit ballad from British pop-rock performer Elton John's 1982 album Jump Up!. It reached number 13 in the US singles chart. He dedicated the song in memory of the late Beatle, John Lennon, who had been murdered by an obsessed fan in front of his New York City apartment on...
", a tribute to John Lennon
John Lennon
John Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
(who had also signed to Geffen for the release of Double Fantasy
Double Fantasy
Double Fantasy is an album released by John Lennon and his wife, Yoko Ono, in 1980. Though initially poorly received, the album is notable for its association with Lennon's murder three weeks after its release, whereupon it become a worldwide commercial success, and went on to win the 1981 Album...
, which is now owned by EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
). It was recorded at Air studios in Montserrat and Pathe Marconi studios in France. This is one of the first few LPs that showcases John singing in a deeper voice, as can be heard in songs such "Blue Eyes
Blue Eyes (Elton John song)
"Blue Eyes" is a song, of the ballad type, performed by Elton John. It was released in 1982, both as a single and on the album Jump Up!, which reached No. 8 in the UK. In the US, the song went to No. 12 on the Billboard Magazine Hot 100 and No...
", "Princess", "Ball & Chain", and "Spiteful Child". "Legal Boys" was written by John and Tim Rice, who would write lyrics for songs for The Lion King
The Lion King
The Lion King is a 1994 American animated film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures. It is the 32nd feature in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series...
12 years later. This is the last studio album in which James Newton-Howard plays keyboards. In a 2010 Sirius radio special, John's lyricist, Bernie Taupin
Bernie Taupin
Bernard John "Bernie" Taupin is an English lyricist, poet, and singer, best known for his long-term collaboration with Elton John, writing the lyrics for the majority of the star's songs, making his lyrics some of the best known in pop-rock's history.In 1967, Taupin answered an advertisement in...
, called Jump Up! "one of our worst albums," adding "it's a terrible, awful, disposable album, but it had 'Empty Garden' on it, so it's worth it for that one song." In the U.S. it was certified
Gold on November 22, 1982 by the RIAA.
Side one
- "Dear John" (Elton John, Gary OsborneGary OsborneGary Osborne is an English singer and songwriter from the United Kingdom.-Career:Osborne was born in London, educated in Switzerland, and followed his father into the music industry at the age of fifteen....
) – 3:28 - "Spiteful Child" – 4:11
- "Ball and ChainBall and Chain (Elton John song)"Ball and Chain" is a song by Elton John with lyrics by Gary Osborne. It is the third track on his 1982 album "Jump Up!" and was released as a single in the United States in September that year. It features Pete Townshend of The Who on acoustic guitar....
" (John, Osborne) – 3:27 - "Legal Boys" (John, Tim RiceTim RiceSir Timothy Miles Bindon "Tim" Rice is an British lyricist and author.An Academy Award, Golden Globe Award, Tony Award and Grammy Award-winning lyricist, Rice is best known for his collaborations with Andrew Lloyd Webber, with whom he wrote Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Jesus...
) – 3:08 - "I Am Your Robot" – 4:42
- "Blue EyesBlue Eyes (Elton John song)"Blue Eyes" is a song, of the ballad type, performed by Elton John. It was released in 1982, both as a single and on the album Jump Up!, which reached No. 8 in the UK. In the US, the song went to No. 12 on the Billboard Magazine Hot 100 and No...
" (John, Osborne) – 3:25
Side two
- "Empty Garden (Hey Hey Johnny)Empty Garden (Hey Hey Johnny)"Empty Garden " is a hit ballad from British pop-rock performer Elton John's 1982 album Jump Up!. It reached number 13 in the US singles chart. He dedicated the song in memory of the late Beatle, John Lennon, who had been murdered by an obsessed fan in front of his New York City apartment on...
" – 5:05 - "Princess" (John, Osborne) – 4:55
- "Where Have All the Good Times Gone" – 3:58
- "All Quiet on the Western FrontAll Quiet on the Western Front (song)"All Quiet on the Western Front" is a song by Elton John with lyrics by Bernie Taupin. It is the closing track of his 1982 album, Jump Up!. It was also released as a single in the U.K. without charting....
" – 6:00
Previously only available in the later 1980s and early 1990s on CD in Europe with the Rocket/Phonogram label, in 2003, Elton John's company, Rocket, in association with Mercury/Universal Records, reissued the album on CD, remastered by Gary Moore. It had no bonus tracks, but did include lots of new and previously released photographs of Elton during the early 1980s, full lyrics and snapshots of the cover art for the album's singles, along with liner notes by John Tobler.
Outtakes
Several outtakes from Jump Up! include "At This Time in My Life", "Desperation Train", "I'm Not Very Well", "Jerry's Law", "Moral Majority", "Waking Up in Europe", and "The Ace of Hearts & the Jack of Spades". All of these songs have yet to see official release.B-sides
| Song | Format |
|---|---|
| "Take Me Down to the Ocean" | "Empty Garden" 7" (US/UK) |
| "Hey Papa Legba" | "Blue Eyes" 7" (US/UK) |
| "Where Have All the Good Times Gone" (alternate version) | "All Quiet on the Western Front" 7" (UK) / "Ball and Chain" 7" (US) |
| "The Retreat" | "Princess" 7" (UK) |
"Hey Papa Legba" was recorded during the sessions for 21 at 33
21 at 33
-Side two:...
in August 1979.
Personnel
- Elton JohnElton JohnSir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
– vocals and piano, background vocals - Pete TownshendPete TownshendPeter Dennis Blandford "Pete" Townshend is an English rock guitarist, vocalist, songwriter and author, known principally as the guitarist and songwriter for the rock group The Who, as well as for his own solo career...
– guitar on "Ball and Chain" - James Newton-Howard – synthesizers, electric pianoElectric pianoAn electric piano is an electric musical instrument.Electric pianos produce sounds mechanically and the sounds are turned into electrical signals by pickups. Unlike a synthesizer, the electric piano is not an electronic instrument, but electro-mechanical. The earliest electric pianos were invented...
- Dee MurrayDee MurrayDee Murray was an English bassist, best known as a member of Elton John's original rock band.-Biography:Murray was born David Murray Oates in Southgate, London in 1946...
– bass, background vocalsBacking vocalistA backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists... - Jeffrey PorcaroJeff PorcaroJeffrey Thomas "Jeff" Porcaro was an American session drummer and a founding member of the Grammy Award winning band Toto. Porcaro was one of the most recorded drummers in history, working on hundreds of albums and thousands of sessions...
– drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person .... - Richie ZitoRichie ZitoRichie Zito is a session guitarist and record producer from Los Angeles.He has worked with Poison, Neil Sedaka, Yvonne Elliman, Eric Carmen, Art Garfunkel, Leo Sayer, Diana Ross, Marc Tanner, Elton John, the Motels, as well as The Cult, White Lion, Eddie Money, Heart, and Bad English...
– guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
s - Steven Holly – tambourineTambourineThe tambourine or marine is a musical instrument of the percussion family consisting of a frame, often of wood or plastic, with pairs of small metal jingles, called "zils". Classically the term tambourine denotes an instrument with a drumhead, though some variants may not have a head at all....
on "Ball and Chain", synth drum on "I Am Your Robot" - Gary OsborneGary OsborneGary Osborne is an English singer and songwriter from the United Kingdom.-Career:Osborne was born in London, educated in Switzerland, and followed his father into the music industry at the age of fifteen....
– background vocals - Strings and brass arranged and conducted by James Newton-Howard
- Brass and orchestra provided by Martin Fjord
- Orchestra led by Gavin WrightGavin WrightGavin Wright is an economic historian and the William Robertson Coe Professor of American Economic History at Stanford University.Most of Wright's research has focused on the Civil War and the Civil Rights movement.- Works :...
Credits
- Produced by Chris ThomasChris Thomas (record producer)Chris Thomas is an English record producer who has worked extensively with The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Roxy Music, Badfinger, Elton John, Paul McCartney, Pulp and The Pretenders. He has also produced breakthrough albums for The Sex Pistols and INXS.Thomas is quoted as saying -Early life:Thomas was...
- Recorded by Bill PriceBill Price (record producer)Bill Price is a producer and engineer famed for his work with The Clash, The Sex Pistols, Guns N' Roses, The Jesus and Mary Chain, The Nymphs and The Waterboys....
- Mastered by Greg FulginitiGreg FulginitiGregory Fulginiti is an American recording and mastering engineer.In a career spanning three decades, Fulginiti was nominated for the TEC Awards by Mix magazine 6 times, earned 175 Gold and Platinum Awards, 25 Multi-Platinum Awards, 100 Number One recordings, 135 Grammy nominees, including the...
- John KalodnerJohn KalodnerJohn David Kalodner is a retired American A&R executive. His achievements included signing Foreigner, AC/DC, Peter Gabriel and Phil Collins to Atlantic Records in the seventies....
: A&R