Rock of the Westies
Encyclopedia
Rock of the Westies is the tenth studio album
by British singer/songwriter Elton John
, released in 1975 (see 1975 in music
).
Like Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy
, Rock of the Westies also debuted on the United States Billboard charts at # 1, the only two albums at that time to have done so. It was less successful in the artist's home territory of the United Kingdom, where it only reached # 5. Rock of the Westies also contained the U.S. # 1 (but only # 14 in the UK) single, "Island Girl," which was released prior to the album coming out. Elton John noted at the time in a radio interview that he had wanted to release "Dan Dare (Pilot of the Future)" as the album's first single instead of "Island Girl," because he thought it had more commercial potential. He was however, overruled, and "Dan Dare" was never released as a single, and "Island Girl" became a huge hit.
The title of the album is a comedic play on words devised by Elton himself. He turned the phrase "West of the Rockies" into Rock of the Westies.
The make-up of Elton John's band was different on Rock of the Westies, with long-time drummer Nigel Olsson
and long-time bass player Dee Murray
gone after being fired via telephone by Elton himself. Added in their place were drummer Roger Pope, a long-time acquaintance of John's who had played on "Empty Sky," and bassist Kenny Passarelli, who had previously played with Stephen Stills
and in Joe Walsh
's band Barnstorm, among others. Pope and Passarelli had also played in Kiki Dee's touring band. James Newton-Howard, a keyboard whiz kid who had played for singer Melissa Manchester and Ringo Starr, was also brought on board. Also included to help round out the guitar sound was Caleb Quaye, another old mate of John's from back in his early DJM session days. Like Pope, Quaye had also played on "Empty Sky." Retained from the previous lineup were Davey Johnstone and Ray Cooper.
Accordingly, the sound of John's music was somewhat different on this album, and had a much harder edge to it. This was a disappointment to many long-time Elton John fans, which was evident by weaker sales of his next single from Rock of the Westies (the double-sided "Grow Some Funk of Your Own
" / "I Feel Like a Bullet (In the Gun of Robert Ford)"), as well as the somewhat softer sales of his next effort, the double album Blue Moves
.
The track "Hard Luck Story" had already been recorded by Kiki Dee and released as a single one year prior to its recording for "Rock Of The Westies". It and "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" are credited to Ann Orson/Carte Blanche (An horse and cart, Blanche) a moniker Elton devised when composing a song (music and lyrics) on his own. The name Ann Orson is also used as the name of a back-up vocalist which is assumed to be Elton.
Labelle
performs backing vocals on the opening track, "Medley: Yell Help/Wednesday Night/Ugly."
While the music of Rock of the Westies was not well-regarded during and immediately after the time of its release, it has subsequently been revisited over time by music critics and Elton John fans alike as being a strong effort, and probably his last "great" album during that stage of his career. In the U.S. it was certified Gold on 10/21/1975 and Platinum on 3/23/1993 by the R.I.A.A.
Outside the US and Canada, this was the last original studio release from John on DJM Records, as he would finally be able to record for his own Rocket Records
.
The song "Street Kids" was featured in the 2008 video game Grand Theft Auto IV
.
This track was credited as simply "I Feel Like a Bullet".
Singles – Billboard (North America)
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 1975 (see 1975 in music
1975 in music
-January–April:*January 2 - New York City U.S. District Court Judge Richard Owen rules that former Beatle John Lennon and his lawyers can have access to Department of Immigration files pertaining to his deportation case....
).
Like Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy
Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy
Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy is the ninth studio album by British singer/songwriter Elton John, released in 1975. It debuted at number 1 on the U.S. Pop Albums chart, the first album ever to do so, and stayed there for seven weeks. It was certified Gold on 5/21/1975 and was...
, Rock of the Westies also debuted on the United States Billboard charts at # 1, the only two albums at that time to have done so. It was less successful in the artist's home territory of the United Kingdom, where it only reached # 5. Rock of the Westies also contained the U.S. # 1 (but only # 14 in the UK) single, "Island Girl," which was released prior to the album coming out. Elton John noted at the time in a radio interview that he had wanted to release "Dan Dare (Pilot of the Future)" as the album's first single instead of "Island Girl," because he thought it had more commercial potential. He was however, overruled, and "Dan Dare" was never released as a single, and "Island Girl" became a huge hit.
The title of the album is a comedic play on words devised by Elton himself. He turned the phrase "West of the Rockies" into Rock of the Westies.
The make-up of Elton John's band was different on Rock of the Westies, with long-time drummer Nigel Olsson
Nigel Olsson
Nigel Olsson is an English rock drummer, who is best known for his work with Elton John. Olsson helped establish the Elton John sound as one of the first members of John's band, on drums, percussion and backing vocals. When not working with Elton, Olsson has taken up the role of a session musician...
and long-time bass player Dee Murray
Dee Murray
Dee 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...
gone after being fired via telephone by Elton himself. Added in their place were drummer Roger Pope, a long-time acquaintance of John's who had played on "Empty Sky," and bassist Kenny Passarelli, who had previously played with Stephen Stills
Stephen Stills
Stephen Arthur Stills is an American guitarist and singer/songwriter best known for his work with Buffalo Springfield and Crosby, Stills & Nash . He has performed on a professional level in several other bands as well as maintaining a solo career at the same time...
and in Joe Walsh
Joe Walsh
Joseph Fidler "Joe" Walsh is an American musician, songwriter, record producer, and actor. He has been a member of three commercially successful bands, the James Gang, Barnstorm, and the Eagles, and has experienced notable success as a solo artist and prolific session musician, especially with B.B...
's band Barnstorm, among others. Pope and Passarelli had also played in Kiki Dee's touring band. James Newton-Howard, a keyboard whiz kid who had played for singer Melissa Manchester and Ringo Starr, was also brought on board. Also included to help round out the guitar sound was Caleb Quaye, another old mate of John's from back in his early DJM session days. Like Pope, Quaye had also played on "Empty Sky." Retained from the previous lineup were Davey Johnstone and Ray Cooper.
Accordingly, the sound of John's music was somewhat different on this album, and had a much harder edge to it. This was a disappointment to many long-time Elton John fans, which was evident by weaker sales of his next single from Rock of the Westies (the double-sided "Grow Some Funk of Your Own
Grow Some Funk of Your Own
"Grow Some Funk of Your Own" is the name of a song by Elton John. It was released as a single in 1976 and comes from his album Rock of the Westies. It shared its A-Side status with "I Feel Like a Bullet ". The song is considered to be one of John's heavier rock songs. The song went to #14 on the...
" / "I Feel Like a Bullet (In the Gun of Robert Ford)"), as well as the somewhat softer sales of his next effort, the double album Blue Moves
Blue Moves
Blue Moves is the eleventh studio album by British singer/songwriter Elton John, released in 1976. It was also his second double album , and his first album released by his own Rocket Records Ltd...
.
The track "Hard Luck Story" had already been recorded by Kiki Dee and released as a single one year prior to its recording for "Rock Of The Westies". It and "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" are credited to Ann Orson/Carte Blanche (An horse and cart, Blanche) a moniker Elton devised when composing a song (music and lyrics) on his own. The name Ann Orson is also used as the name of a back-up vocalist which is assumed to be Elton.
Labelle
Labelle
Labelle is an American all female singing group who were a popular vocal group of the 1960s and 1970s. The group was formed after the disbanding of two rival girl groups in the Philadelphia/Trenton areas, the Ordettes and the Del-Capris, forming as a new version of the former group, later changing...
performs backing vocals on the opening track, "Medley: Yell Help/Wednesday Night/Ugly."
While the music of Rock of the Westies was not well-regarded during and immediately after the time of its release, it has subsequently been revisited over time by music critics and Elton John fans alike as being a strong effort, and probably his last "great" album during that stage of his career. In the U.S. it was certified Gold on 10/21/1975 and Platinum on 3/23/1993 by the R.I.A.A.
Outside the US and Canada, this was the last original studio release from John on DJM Records, as he would finally be able to record for his own 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"...
.
The song "Street Kids" was featured in the 2008 video game Grand Theft Auto IV
Grand Theft Auto IV
Grand Theft Auto IV is a 2008 open world action video game published by Rockstar Games, and developed by British games developer Rockstar North. It has been released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 video game consoles, and for the Windows operating system...
.
Side one
- "Medley (Yell Help/Wednesday Night/Ugly)" – 6:13
- "Dan Dare (Pilot of the Future)" – 3:30
- "Island GirlIsland Girl"Island Girl" is a song performed by Elton John that went to number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US and number 14 in the UK in 1975.In the U.S. it was certified Gold on 12/4/1975 and Platinum on 9/13/1995 by the R.I.A.A...
" – 3:42 - "Grow Some Funk of Your OwnGrow Some Funk of Your Own"Grow Some Funk of Your Own" is the name of a song by Elton John. It was released as a single in 1976 and comes from his album Rock of the Westies. It shared its A-Side status with "I Feel Like a Bullet ". The song is considered to be one of John's heavier rock songs. The song went to #14 on the...
" (John, Davey JohnstoneDavey JohnstoneDavey Johnstone , is a Scottish rock guitarist and vocalist, best known for his work with Elton John.-Career:...
, Taupin) – 4:43 - "I Feel Like a Bullet (In the Gun of Robert Ford)I Feel Like a Bullet (In the Gun of Robert Ford)"I Feel Like a Bullet " is a song on British pop singer Elton John's 1975 album Rock of the Westies.The song's lyrics compare the shooting of Jesse James by James' outlaw-partner Robert Ford to a failed romance....
" – 5:28
Side two
- "Street Kids" – 6:23
- "Hard Luck Story" (Ann Orson/Carte BlancheElton JohnSir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
) – 5:10 - "Feed Me" – 4:00
- "Billy Bones and the White Bird" – 4:24
Bonus tracks (1996 Rocket reissue)
- "Planes" – 4:31
- "Sugar on the Floor" (Kiki DeeKiki DeeKiki Dee is an English singer with a career spanning more than 40 years....
) – 4:31
Bonus track (1995 Mercury reissue)
- "Don't Go Breaking My HeartDon't Go Breaking My Heart"Don't Go Breaking My Heart" is a duet by Elton John and Kiki Dee. It was written by Elton John with Bernie Taupin under the pseudonym "Ann Orson" and "Carte Blanche" , and intended as an affectionate pastiche of the Tamla Motown style, notably the various duets recorded by Marvin Gaye and singers...
" [with Kiki DeeKiki DeeKiki Dee is an English singer with a career spanning more than 40 years....
] (Ann Orson/Carte BlancheElton JohnSir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
) – 4:28
Side One
- "Medley (Yell Help/Wednesday Night/Ugly)" – 6:13
- "Dan Dare (Pilot of the Future)" – 3:30
- "Island GirlIsland Girl"Island Girl" is a song performed by Elton John that went to number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US and number 14 in the UK in 1975.In the U.S. it was certified Gold on 12/4/1975 and Platinum on 9/13/1995 by the R.I.A.A...
" – 3:42 - "Feed Me" – 4:00
- "Billy Bones and the White Bird" – 4:24
Side two
- "Street Kids" – 6:23
- "Hard Luck Story" (Ann Orson/Carte BlancheElton JohnSir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
) – 5:10 - "Grow Some Funk of Your OwnGrow Some Funk of Your Own"Grow Some Funk of Your Own" is the name of a song by Elton John. It was released as a single in 1976 and comes from his album Rock of the Westies. It shared its A-Side status with "I Feel Like a Bullet ". The song is considered to be one of John's heavier rock songs. The song went to #14 on the...
" (John, Davey JohnstoneDavey JohnstoneDavey Johnstone , is a Scottish rock guitarist and vocalist, best known for his work with Elton John.-Career:...
, Taupin) – 4:43 - "I Feel Like a Bullet (In the Gun of Robert Ford)I Feel Like a Bullet (In the Gun of Robert Ford)"I Feel Like a Bullet " is a song on British pop singer Elton John's 1975 album Rock of the Westies.The song's lyrics compare the shooting of Jesse James by James' outlaw-partner Robert Ford to a failed romance....
" – 5:28
This track was credited as simply "I Feel Like a Bullet".
B-sides
| Song | Format |
|---|---|
| "Sugar on the Floor" | Island Girl 7" (US/UK) |
Personnel
- Elton John – piano, vocals
- Ray CooperRay CooperRay Cooper is an English musician. He is a session and road-tour percussionist, and occasional actor, who has worked with several musically diverse bands and artists including George Harrison, Billy Joel, Eric Clapton, and Elton John. Cooper is commonly regarded by music fans, critics and fellow...
– castanets, congaCongaThe conga, or more properly the tumbadora, is a tall, narrow, single-headed Cuban drum with African antecedents. It is thought to be derived from the Makuta drums or similar drums associated with Afro-Cubans of Central African descent. A person who plays conga is called a conguero...
, maracas, marimbaMarimbaThe marimba is a musical instrument in the percussion family. It consists of a set of wooden keys or bars with resonators. The bars are struck with mallets to produce musical tones. The keys are arranged as those of a piano, with the accidentals raised vertically and overlapping the natural keys ...
, 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....
, kettle drums, vibraphoneVibraphoneThe vibraphone, sometimes called the vibraharp or simply the vibes, is a musical instrument in the struck idiophone subfamily of the percussion family....
, shaker, cowbell, jawbone, bell tree, wind chimesWind Chimes"Wind Chimes" is a song composed by Brian Wilson and Van Dyke Parks for the American rock band The Beach Boys. The original version of the song was written and recorded for the aborted 1966 album Smile. The band completely re-recorded the song for inclusion on their next album, Smiley Smile... - Kiki DeeKiki DeeKiki Dee is an English singer with a career spanning more than 40 years....
– backing vocals - Clive Franks – percussion, vocals, background vocals
- Davey JohnstoneDavey JohnstoneDavey Johnstone , is a Scottish rock guitarist and vocalist, best known for his work with Elton John.-Career:...
– acoustic guitar, banjoBanjoIn the 1830s Sweeney became the first white man to play the banjo on stage. His version of the instrument replaced the gourd with a drum-like sound box and included four full-length strings alongside a short fifth-string. There is no proof, however, that Sweeney invented either innovation. This new...
, mandolinMandolinA mandolin is a musical instrument in the lute family . It descends from the mandore, a soprano member of the lute family. The mandolin soundboard comes in many shapes—but generally round or teardrop-shaped, sometimes with scrolls or other projections. A mandolin may have f-holes, or a single...
, electric guitarElectric guitarAn electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
, rhythm guitar, background vocals, slide guitarSlide guitarSlide guitar or bottleneck guitar is a particular method or technique for playing the guitar. The term slide refers to the motion of the slide against the strings, while bottleneck refers to the original material of choice for such slides: the necks of glass bottles...
, voice bag - LabelleLabelleLabelle is an American all female singing group who were a popular vocal group of the 1960s and 1970s. The group was formed after the disbanding of two rival girl groups in the Philadelphia/Trenton areas, the Ordettes and the Del-Capris, forming as a new version of the former group, later changing...
– backing vocals - James Newton-Howard – synthesiser, harpsichordHarpsichordA harpsichord is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It produces sound by plucking a string when a key is pressed.In the narrow sense, "harpsichord" designates only the large wing-shaped instruments in which the strings are perpendicular to the keyboard...
, 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...
, clavinetClavinetA Clavinet is an electrically amplified keyboard instrument manufactured by the Hohner company. It is essentially an electronically amplified clavichord, analogous to an electric guitar. Its distinctive bright staccato sound has appeared particularly in funk, disco, rock, and reggae songs.Various...
, mellotronMellotronThe Mellotron is an electro-mechanical, polyphonic tape replay keyboard originally developed and built in Birmingham, England in the early 1960s. It superseded the Chamberlin Music Master, which was the world's first sample-playback keyboard intended for music...
, elkaElkaELKA or Elka may refer to one of the following:*An Italian Synthesizer manufacturer, now defunct. Notable units include; ELKA Synthex, ELKA Rhapsody, ELKA X-55, and the ELKA MKxx series of MIDI controllers . Notable customers include Jean Michel Jarre, Tangerine Dream, Klaus Schulze and, Supertramp... - Kenny Passarelli – bass, backing vocals
- Ann Orson – backing vocals
- Roger Pope – drums
- Caleb QuayeCaleb QuayeCaleb Quaye , is an English Afro-European rock guitarist and studio musician best known for his work in the 1960s and 1970s with Elton John, Mick Jagger, Pete Townshend, Paul McCartney and Hall & Oates...
– acoustic guitar, electric guitar, rhythm guitar, backing vocals
Charts
Album – Billboard (North America)| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | Pop Albums | 1 |
Singles – Billboard (North America)
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | "Island Girl" | Pop Singles | 1 |
| 1976 | "Grow Some Funk Of Your Own" | Pop Singles | 14 |
| 1976 | "I Feel Like A Bullet (In The Gun Of Robert Ford)" | Pop Singles | 14 |