''21 at 33'' is the fourteenth studio album by English musician
Elton John and his 21st album in total, made when John was 33 years old, hence the title.
''21 at 33'' was recorded at Super Bear Studios,
Nice
Nice ( , ; Niçard dialect, Niçard: , classical norm, or , nonstandard, ; it, Nizza ; lij, Nissa; grc, Νίκαια; la, Nicaea) is the prefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes departments of France, department in France. The Nice urban unit, agg ...
,
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
, in September 1979 and at
Rumbo Recorders
Rumbo Recorders was a recording studio in the Canoga Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California.
History
In 1977, Daryl Dragon and Toni Tennille, the husband and wife team widely known as Captain & Tennille, began building the studio at 20215 S ...
and Sunset Sound in Los Angeles, California, from January to March 1980. Three singles were released from the album, including "
Little Jeannie
"Little Jeannie" (spelled "Little Jeanie" on the cover of certain single releases) is a song written by English musician Elton John and Gary Osborne recorded by John, and released as a single in 1980 from John's album ''21 at 33''. It reached n ...
", his highest-charting U.S. single in 5 years.
The album sold over 900,000 copies in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
, missing a Platinum certification.
Background
The two other founding members of the original Elton John Band (active 1969–1975), drummer
Nigel Olsson
Nigel Olsson (born 10 February 1949) is an English rock drummer and singer best known for his long-time affiliation with Elton John. A dynamic drummer and backing vocalist, Olsson helped establish the Elton John sound as a member of the Elton J ...
and bass player
Dee Murray
Dee Murray (born David Murray Oates; 3 April 1946 – 15 January 1992) was an English bass guitarist. He was best known for his long-time collaboration with Elton John as a member of the Elton John Band.
Biography
Murray was born in Gillingham ...
, reunited with him for two songs. His keyboardist
James Newton Howard returned and performed on almost every track, as was the case on ''
Rock of the Westies'' and ''
Blue Moves
''Blue Moves'' is the eleventh studio album by English musician Elton John. It was released in October 1976. It was John's second double album (after '' Goodbye Yellow Brick Road'') and the first to be released by his own label, Rocket Records ...
''. Other musicians included members of the
Eagles
Eagle is the common name for many large birds of prey of the family Accipitridae. Eagles belong to several groups of genera, some of which are closely related. Most of the 68 species of eagle are from Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, jus ...
and
Toto, as well as
Peter Noone
Peter Blair Denis Bernard Noone (born 5 November 1947) is an English singer-songwriter, guitarist, pianist and actor. He was the lead singer "Herman" in the 1960s pop group Herman's Hermits.
Early life
Noone was born in Davyhulme, Lancashir ...
from
Herman's Hermits and
Bill Champlin
William Bradford Champlin (born May 21, 1947) is an American singer, musician, arranger, producer, and songwriter. He formed the band Sons of Champlin in 1965, which still performs today, and was a member of the band Chicago from 1981–2009. ...
and
Toni Tennille
Cathryn Antoinette "Toni" Tennille (born May 8, 1940) is an American singer-songwriter and keyboardist, best known as one-half of the 1970s duo Captain & Tennille with her former husband Daryl Dragon; their signature song is " Love Will Keep Us ...
of
Captain & Tennille
Captain & Tennille were American recording artists whose primary success occurred in the 1970s. The husband-and-wife team were "Captain" Daryl Dragon (1942–2019) and Toni Tennille (born 1940). They have five albums certified gold or platinu ...
fame.
The title comes from the fact that this was John's 21st album in total at the age of 33. According to the liner notes in the remastered edition of the album, the count includes all standard albums, two
greatest hits compilations, two live albums, as well as the soundtrack release ''
Friends'', the three -song 12-inch EP ''
The Thom Bell Sessions'' and the
UK-only rarities collection ''
Lady Samantha
"Lady Samantha" is a song by English musician Elton John with lyrics by Bernie Taupin. It was released on 17 January 1969 as his second single, six months before his first album, '' Empty Sky'', came out. It appeared on its 1995 reissue as a b ...
''.
John has not played any of the material in concert since touring in 1980, with the exception of "
Little Jeannie
"Little Jeannie" (spelled "Little Jeanie" on the cover of certain single releases) is a song written by English musician Elton John and Gary Osborne recorded by John, and released as a single in 1980 from John's album ''21 at 33''. It reached n ...
", which, despite having been a huge North American hit (#3 Pop and #1 Adult Contemporary in the United States, and #1 in Canada), was included only in the two concerts from 2000 entitled ''
One Night Only'', and the warm up gig for the two Madison Square Garden concerts in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.
[''One Night Only: The Greatest Hits'' DVD, 2000.]
Track listing
Side one
Side two
*Eleven more songs, excluding the B-sides, were recorded during these sessions: five of which were "Heart in the Right Place", "Carla/Etude", "Fanfare", "Chloe" and "
Elton's Song"; these would appear on John's next release, ''
The Fox''. Two other songs recorded were French-language duets with
France Gall
Isabelle Geneviève Marie Anne Gall (9 October 1947 – 7 January 2018), known professionally as France Gall, was a French ''yé-yé'' singer. In 1965, aged 17, she won the Eurovision Song Contest for Luxembourg. Between 1973 and 1992, ...
, entitled "Les Aveux" and "Donner Pour Donner", which were respectively released in France as the A-side and B-side of a 7" single. One song was "The Retreat" which was the B-side of the single "Princess" in 1982 and was later included as a bonus track on remastered version of the album ''
Too Low for Zero
''Too Low for Zero'' (stylised as ''2 ▼ 4 0'') is the seventeenth studio album by English musician Elton John. Released in 1983, the album marked a comeback for John, whose previous four albums had failed to yield many enduring international ...
''. The other three songs were the B-sides for singles released from ''The Fox'' in 1981.
*In 2003, Mercury/Universal and The Rocket Record Company reissued the album on CD, remastered by Gary Moore; the new line-up contained no bonus tracks.
Personnel
Track numbering refers to CD and digital releases of the album.
*
Elton John – lead vocals, backing vocals, acoustic piano (1, 3, 5, 6),
overdubbed
Overdubbing (also known as layering) is a technique used in audio recording in which audio tracks that have been pre-recorded are then played back and monitored, while simultaneously recording new, doubled, or augmented tracks onto one or more av ...
piano (1, 3, 5, 6, 8),
Yamaha electric piano (4),
Wurlitzer electric piano
The Wurlitzer electronic piano is an electric piano manufactured and marketed by Wurlitzer from the mid-1950s to mid-1980s. Sound is generated by striking a metal reed with a hammer, which induces an electric current in a pickup. It is concept ...
(8)
*
James Newton Howard –
Fender Rhodes (2, 6, 7),
Yamaha CS-80
The Yamaha CS-80 is an analog synthesizer released in 1977. It supports true 8-voice polyphony, with two independent synthesizer layers per voice each with its own set of front panel controls, in addition to a number of hardwired preset voice set ...
(2),
electronic keyboards
An electronic keyboard, portable keyboard, or digital keyboard is an electronic musical instrument, an electronic derivative of keyboard instruments. Electronic keyboards include synthesizers, digital pianos, stage pianos, electronic organs ...
(3, 7), acoustic piano (9)
*
David Paich –
organ (6)
*
Steve Lukather – electric guitar (1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 9)
*
Richie Zito
Richie Zito (born August 21, 1952) is an American songwriter, composer and record producer from Los Angeles. In a career spanning more than 50 years, Zito has experienced success as a prolific session musician, being featured on a wide array of ...
– acoustic guitar (2, 7), electric guitar (5, 8)
* Steve Wrather – electric guitar (7)
*
Reggie McBride
Reggie McBride (born September 17, 1954) is an American bass player.
Biography
McBride was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, United States; listening to Motown records, he began to play bass at the age of 8. At the age of 14, he played in ...
– bass (1–4, 6–9)
*
Dee Murray
Dee Murray (born David Murray Oates; 3 April 1946 – 15 January 1992) was an English bass guitarist. He was best known for his long-time collaboration with Elton John as a member of the Elton John Band.
Biography
Murray was born in Gillingham ...
– backing vocals (2), bass (5)
*
Alvin Taylor
Alvin Taylor (born March 26, 1953) is an American drummer, producer and musical director, who is best known for his work with Elton John, Eric Burdon, George Harrison, Billy Preston, and Bob Welch.
Early life and career
Alvin Taylor start ...
– drums (1, 3, 4, 6–9)
*
Nigel Olsson
Nigel Olsson (born 10 February 1949) is an English rock drummer and singer best known for his long-time affiliation with Elton John. A dynamic drummer and backing vocalist, Olsson helped establish the Elton John sound as a member of the Elton J ...
– drums (2, 5)
*
Victor Feldman
Victor Stanley Feldman (7 April 1934 – 12 May 1987) was an English jazz musician who played mainly piano, vibraphone, and percussion. He began performing professionally during childhood, eventually earning acclaim in the UK jazz scene as ...
–
tambourine
The tambourine is a musical instrument in the percussion family consisting of a frame, often of wood or plastic, with pairs of small metal jingles, called "zills". Classically the term tambourine denotes an instrument with a drumhead, though ...
(1, 3, 5, 9)
* Clive Franks – tambourine (4, 6),
cowbell
A cowbell (or cow bell) is a bell worn around the neck of free-roaming livestock so herders can keep track of an animal via the sound of the bell when the animal is grazing out of view in hilly landscapes or vast plains. Although they are t ...
(4)
*
Lenny Castro –
congas (5, 9)
*
Jim Horn
James Ronald Horn (born November 20, 1940) is an American saxophonist, woodwind player, and session musician.
Biography
Horn was born in Los Angeles, and after replacing saxophonist Steve Douglas in 1959, he toured with member Duane Eddy for f ...
– brass arrangements (2, 4),
piccolo flute
The piccolo ( ; Italian for 'small') is a half-size flute and a member of the woodwind family of musical instruments. Sometimes referred to as a "baby flute" the modern piccolo has similar fingerings as the standard transverse flute, but the so ...
(2),
alto saxophone (2),
tenor saxophone
The tenor saxophone is a medium-sized member of the saxophone family, a group of instruments invented by Adolphe Sax in the 1840s. The tenor and the alto are the two most commonly used saxophones. The tenor is pitched in the key of B (while ...
(4)
*
Richie Cannata
Richie Cannata (born March 3, 1949) is an American music producer, saxophonist, keyboardist and studio owner. He is most notable for playing saxophone in Billy Joel's band alongside Liberty DeVitto, Russell Javors, and Doug Stegmeyer. After leav ...
– alto saxophone (7)
*
Larry Williams
Larry Williams (born Lawrence Eugene Williams, a.k.a. Lawrence Edward Williams; May 10, 1935 – January 7, 1980) was an American rhythm and blues and rock and roll singer, songwriter, producer, and pianist from New Orleans, Louisiana. Williams ...
– tenor saxophone (9)
*
Chuck Findley –
trombone
The trombone (german: Posaune, Italian, French: ''trombone'') is a musical instrument in the brass family. As with all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player's vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate ...
(2, 4),
trumpet
The trumpet is a brass instrument commonly used in classical and jazz ensembles. The trumpet group ranges from the piccolo trumpet—with the highest register in the brass family—to the bass trumpet, pitched one octave below the standard ...
(2, 4)
*
Bill Reichenbach Jr.
William Frank Reichenbach Jr. (born November 30, 1949) is an American jazz trombonist and composer. He is the son of Bill Reichenbach, who was the drummer for Charlie Byrd from 1962 to 1973. He is best known as a session musician for television, ...
– trombone (9)
*
Jerry Hey
Jerry Hey (born 1950) is an American trumpeter, flugelhornist, horn arranger, string arranger, orchestrator and session musician who has played on hundreds of commercial recordings, including Michael Jackson's ''Thriller'', '' Rock with You'' ...
– flugelhorn (2, 9), trumpet (4, 9), brass arrangements (9)
* Larry Hall – trumpet (9),
flugelhorn (9)
*
Byron Berline
Byron Douglas Berline (July 6, 1944 – July 10, 2021) was an American fiddle player who played many American music styles, including old time, ragtime, bluegrass, Cajun, country, and rock.
Life and career
Berline was born in Caldwell, Kansas, ...
–
fiddle (8)
*
David Foster
David Walter Foster (born November 1, 1949) is a Canadian musician, composer, arranger, record producer and music executive who chaired Verve Records from 2012 to 2016. He has won 16 Grammy Awards from 47 nominations. His music career spans mor ...
– string arrangements (9)
* Venette Gloud – backing vocals (1, 3, 6, 9)
* Stephanie Spruill – backing vocals (1, 3, 6, 9)
*
Carmen Twillie – backing vocals (1, 3, 6, 9)
*
Bill Champlin
William Bradford Champlin (born May 21, 1947) is an American singer, musician, arranger, producer, and songwriter. He formed the band Sons of Champlin in 1965, which still performs today, and was a member of the band Chicago from 1981–2009. ...
– backing vocals (2, 9)
*
Max Gronenthal – backing vocals (2)
*
Glenn Frey
Glenn Lewis Frey (; November 6, 1948 – January 18, 2016) was an American singer, guitarist and a founding member of the rock band Eagles. Frey was the co-lead singer and frontman for the Eagles, roles he came to share with fellow member Don H ...
– backing vocals (5)
*
Don Henley – backing vocals (5)
*
Timothy B. Schmit – backing vocals (5)
*
Curt Becher – choir vocals (6)
*
Joe Chemay
Joe Chemay is an American bassist and background singer, known for his recording session work.
Biography
Chemay started out working as a session and touring support musician in Los Angeles, but moved to Nashville in 1989.
Chemay has worked wi ...
– choir vocals (6)
*
Bruce Johnston
Bruce Arthur Johnston (born Benjamin Baldwin; June 27, 1942) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer who is a member of the Beach Boys. Johnston also collaborated on many records with Terry Melcher (his bandmate in Bru ...
– choir arrangements (6), choir vocals (6)
* Jon Joyce – choir vocals (6)
*
Peter Noone
Peter Blair Denis Bernard Noone (born 5 November 1947) is an English singer-songwriter, guitarist, pianist and actor. He was the lead singer "Herman" in the 1960s pop group Herman's Hermits.
Early life
Noone was born in Davyhulme, Lancashir ...
– choir vocals (6)
*
Toni Tennille
Cathryn Antoinette "Toni" Tennille (born May 8, 1940) is an American singer-songwriter and keyboardist, best known as one-half of the 1970s duo Captain & Tennille with her former husband Daryl Dragon; their signature song is " Love Will Keep Us ...
– choir vocals (6)
Production
* Produced by Clive Franks and Elton John
* Engineers – Clive Franks, Steve Desper (Track 6), Patrick Jaunead (Tracks 1–4, 6–9).
* Second engineers – David Burgess (Tracks 1–4, 6–9), David Leonard, Peggy McCreary and Stephen McManus.
* Recorded at Super Bear Studios (
Berre-les-Alpes
Berre-les-Alpes (; oc, Bèrra) is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France.
Toponymy
By a decree of 22 December 1997, Berre-''des''-Alpes became Berre-les-Alpes.
Geography
"The superb national road from Nice to ...
,
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
); Rumbo Recorders and
Sunset Sound Recorders
Sunset Sound Recorders is a recording studio in Hollywood, California, United States located at 6650 Sunset Boulevard.
Background
The Sunset Sound Recorders complex was created by Walt Disney's Director of Recording, Tutti Camarata, from a colle ...
(Los Angeles, CA).
* Mixed at Sunset Sound Recorders
* Mastered by
Bernie Grundman
Bernie Grundman is an American audio engineer.
He is most known for his mastering work and his studio, Bernie Grundman Mastering, which he opened in 1984 in Hollywood. The studio, which includes engineers Chris Bellman, Patricia Sullivan, and Mi ...
at
A&M Mastering Studio (Los Angeles, CA).
* Studio coordinator – Adrian Collee
* Art direction – George Osaki
* Design and concept – Norman Moore
* Photography – Jim Shea
* Management –
John Reid Management, LTD.
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Certifications
}
}
References
External links
*
{{Authority control
Elton John albums
1980 albums
Albums produced by Elton John
MCA Records albums
The Rocket Record Company albums
Albums recorded at Sunset Sound Recorders