"Don't Go Breaking My Heart" is a 1976 duet by English musician

Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, pianist and composer. Commonly nicknamed the "Rocket Man" after his 1972 hit single of the same name, John has led a commercially successful career a ...

and English singer

Kiki Dee Pauline Matthews (born 6 March 1947), better known by her stage name Kiki Dee, is an English singer. Known for her blue-eyed soul vocals, she was the first female singer from the UK to sign with Motown's Tamla Records. Dee is best known for h ...

. It was written by John with Bernie Taupin under the pseudonyms "Ann Orson" and "Carte Blanche", respectively, and intended as an affectionate pastiche of the

Motown Motown Records is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. It was founded by Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on June 7, 1958, and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmanteau of ''moto ...

style, notably the various duets recorded by Marvin Gaye and singers such as

Tammi Terrell Tammi Terrell (born Thomasina Winifred Montgomery; April 29, 1945 – March 16, 1970) was an American singer-songwriter, widely known as a star singer for Motown Records during the 1960s, notably for a series of duets with singer Marvin Gaye. ...

and

Kim Weston Kim Weston (born December 20, 1939) is an American soul singer, and Motown alumna. In the 1960s, Weston scored hits with the songs "Love Me All the Way" and "Take Me in Your Arms (Rock Me a Little While)", and with her duet with Marvin Gaye ...

. John and Taupin originally intended to record the song with

Dusty Springfield Mary Isobel Catherine Bernadette O'Brien (16 April 1939 – 2 March 1999), known professionally as Dusty Springfield, was an English singer. With her distinctive mezzo-soprano sound, she was a popular singer of blue-eyed soul, Pop music, p ...

, but ultimately withdrew the offer; Springfield's partner Sue Cameron later said this was because she was too ill at the time.

Reception

Cash Box ''Cashbox'', also known as ''Cash Box'', was an American music industry trade magazine, originally published weekly from July 1942 to November 1996. Ten years after its dissolution, it was revived and continues as ''Cashbox Magazine'', an online ...

'' said that "there are some great harmonies in the

chorus Chorus may refer to: Music * Chorus (song) or refrain, line or lines that are repeated in music or in verse * Chorus effect, the perception of similar sounds from multiple sources as a single, richer sound * Chorus form, song in which all verse ...

" and that John and Dee "seem perfectly wedded in this tune."

Chart performance

Writers John and Taupin received the 1976

Ivor Novello award The Ivor Novello Awards, named after the entertainer Ivor Novello, are awards for songwriting and composing. They have been presented annually in London by the Ivors Academy (formerly the BASCA) since 1956, and over 1,000 statuettes have been ...

for Best Song Musically and Lyrically. Unlike many of John's singles from the 1970s, it was never included on an original album (although it was recorded during the ''

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 ...

'' sessions), but was subsequently released as the third single on the album ''

Duets A duet is a musical composition or piece for two performers. Duets or The Duets may also refer to: Films and television * ''Duets'' (film), a 2000 film, starring Gwyneth Paltrow, Paul Giamatti and Huey Lewis * "Duets" (''Glee''), a 2010 episo ...

'', in early 1994. This version of the song was recorded with RuPaul and reached number seven on the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

and number one in Iceland. "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" was the first No. 1 single in the UK for both John and Kiki Dee, topping the chart for six weeks in mid 1976. John would not enjoy a solo British chart-topper until "

Sacrifice Sacrifice is the offering of material possessions or the lives of animals or humans to a deity as an act of propitiation or worship. Evidence of ritual animal sacrifice has been seen at least since ancient Hebrews and Greeks, and possibly exi ...

" in 1990. It also became his sixth No. 1 single in the US, topping the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 for four weeks and spent one week on the

Easy Listening Easy listening (including mood music) is a popular music genre and radio format that was most popular during the 1950s to 1970s. It is related to middle-of-the-road (MOR) music and encompasses instrumental recordings of standards, hit songs, n ...

chart. ''Billboard'' ranked it as the No. 2 song for 1976, giving him his second consecutive appearance in the ''Billboard'' Year-end Top 3. In the U.S., it has been certified platinum by the

Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...

. After this duet with Dee, John failed to have another US solo number one single until "

Candle in the Wind 1997 "Candle in the Wind 1997", also known as "Goodbye England's Rose" and "Candle in the Wind '97", is a song by English musician Elton John and songwriter Bernie Taupin, a re-written and re-recorded version of their 1973 song "Candle in the Wind". ...

". This 21-year period included two intervening number one hits in America with musical partners: "

That's What Friends Are For "That's What Friends Are For" is a song written by Burt Bacharach and Carole Bayer Sager. It was first recorded in 1982 by Rod Stewart for the soundtrack of the film '' Night Shift'', but it is better known for the 1985 cover version by Dionn ...

" by Dionne & Friends in 1986, and a 1992 re-make of John's "

Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" is a song written by English musician Elton John and his lyricist Bernie Taupin. It was originally recorded by John for his eighth studio album, '' Caribou'' (1974), and was released as a single that peaked ...

" with George Michael credited as a duet. The B-side, "Snow Queen", was supposedly inspired by

Cher Cher (; born Cherilyn Sarkisian; May 20, 1946) is an American singer, actress and television personality. Often referred to by the media as the Honorific nicknames in popular music, "Goddess of Pop", she has been described as embodying female ...

, with John quoting past Sonny & Cher hits "

I Got You Babe "I Got You Babe" is a song performed by Sonny & Cher and written by Sonny Bono. It was the first single taken from their debut studio album '' Look at Us''. In August 1965, their single spent three weeks at number one on the ''Billboard'' Hot 1 ...

" and " The Beat Goes On", as well as the solo Cher song " Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)" during the fadeout of the song. In 1977, John guest-starred on ''

The Muppet Show ''The Muppet Show'' is a sketch comedy television series created by Jim Henson and featuring the Muppets. The series originated as two pilot episodes produced by Henson for ABC in 1974 and 1975. While neither episode was moved forward as a s ...

'' and performed the track with

Miss Piggy Miss Piggy is one of the Muppet characters known for her breakout role in Jim Henson's ''The Muppet Show''. Since her debut in 1976, Miss Piggy has been notable for her temperamental diva superstar personality, tendency to use French phrases i ...

. In 1985, John and Dee performed the track to the crowd at

Wembley Stadium Wembley Stadium (branded as Wembley Stadium connected by EE for sponsorship reasons) is a football stadium in Wembley, London. It opened in 2007 on the site of the Wembley Stadium (1923), original Wembley Stadium, which was demolished from 200 ...

during John's set at Live Aid (where Dee sang backup). In 1987, John appeared with Minnie Mouse on the NBC series ''

Totally Minnie ''Totally Minnie'' is a 1988 musical television special on NBC hosted by Suzanne Somers and starring Minnie Mouse. It was the first film to feature Minnie Mouse in the lead role, and, until the premiere of ''Mickey Mouse Works'' in 1999, this was ...

'' miming to the track. He performed the track with

Alan Partridge Alan Gordon Partridge is a comedy character portrayed by the English actor Steve Coogan. A parody of British television personalities, Partridge is a tactless and inept broadcaster with an inflated sense of celebrity. Since his debut in 1991, h ...

(

Steve Coogan Stephen John Coogan (; born 14 October 1965) is an English actor, comedian, producer and screenwriter. He is most known for creating original characters such as Alan Partridge, a socially inept and politically incorrect media personality, which ...

) at the 2001 British Comedy awards. He also performed it with the Spice Girls on his

ITV ITV or iTV may refer to: ITV *Independent Television (ITV), a British television network, consisting of: ** ITV (TV network), a free-to-air national commercial television network covering the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islan ...

tribute programme '' An Audience with ... Elton John''. In June 2013, 37 years after its original release, the single reached one million sales in the UK. The B-side, "Snow Queen", remained unavailable on CD outside Australia until April 2019 when it was included as a bonus track on the reissue of Kiki Dee's ''Cage the Songbird'' album, included in the 5-CD box set ''The Rocket Years''. In May 2019 it was also included on the 3-CD box set ''Gold'', a retrospective of Dee's career spanning various labels. In 2020, it was also included on Elton John's 8-CD box set ''

Jewel Box Jewel box or Jewel Box may refer to: * Jewelry box, a container for gemstones Places or architecture * Jewel Box (St. Louis), listed on the NRHP in Missouri * Jewel Boxes, a name for eight banks designed by architect Louis Sullivan *Jewel Box P ...

''.

Personnel

Based on information on the Elton John official website. *

– lead vocals and backing vocals, electric piano *

– lead vocals and backing vocals *

James Newton Howard James Newton Howard (born June 9, 1951) is an American film composer, music producer and keyboardist. He has scored over 100 films and is the recipient of a Grammy Award, an Emmy Award, and nine nominations for Academy Awards. His film scores ...

– acoustic piano and orchestral arrangements *

Caleb Quaye Caleb Quaye (born 9 October 1948), is an English rock guitarist and studio musician best known for his work in the 1960s and 1970s with Elton John, Mick Jagger, Pete Townshend, Paul McCartney, Hall & Oates and Ralph McTell, and also toured with ...

– electric guitar *

Kenny Passarelli Kenny Passarelli (born October 28, 1949 in Denver, Colorado) is an American bass guitarist. Passarelli was a founding member of the Joe Walsh-led band Barnstorm, co-writing the hit "Rocky Mountain Way". He later served as a contract player for ...

– bass * Roger Pope – drums * Ray Cooper – tambourine, congas and bongos * Kiki Dee,

Curt Boettcher Curtis Roy Boettcher (January 7, 1944 – June 14, 1987), sometimes credited as Curt Boetcher or Curt Becher, was an American singer, songwriter, arranger, musician, and record producer from Wisconsin. He was a pivotal figure in what is now t ...

Cindy Bullens Cidny Bullens (formerly Cindy Bullens; born March 21, 1950) is an American singer-songwriter, who is best known for serving as backup vocalist on tours and albums with Elton John and Rod Stewart, as well as providing vocals on the soundtrack o ...

, Ken Gold, Jon Joyce – uncredited backing vocals

Charts

Weekly singles charts

Year-end charts

All-time charts

Sales and certifications

Elton John and RuPaul version

In 1994, Elton John and American drag queen, actor, model, singer, songwriter, and television personality RuPaul released the song as a duet. It was released as the third single from the album, ''

'' and reached number three on the '' Billboard''

Dance Club Songs Dance Club Songs is a chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine in the United States. It is a national look over of club disc jockeys to determine the most popular songs being played in nightclubs across the country. It was launched as t ...

in the US. In Europe, the song peaked at number-one in Iceland and within the top 10 in Portugal and the UK, the top 20 in Denmark, Ireland and Italy, and the top 30 in Austria, France and Switzerland. On the

Eurochart Hot 100 The European Hot 100 Singles was compiled by '' Billboard'' and ''Music & Media'' magazine from March 1984 until December 2010. The chart was based on national singles sales charts in 17 European countries: Austria, Belgium (two charts separately ...

, "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" peaked at number 18 in March 1994. Outside Europe, the song reached number 39 in New Zealand, number 45 in Australia, and number 92 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US.

Critical reception

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

editor

Stephen Thomas Erlewine Stephen Thomas Erlewine (; born June 18, 1973) is an American music critic and senior editor for the online music database AllMusic. He is the author of many artist biographies and record reviews for AllMusic, as well as a freelance writer, occ ...

described the song as a "kitschy number".

Larry Flick Larry Flick is an American journalist, former dance music columnist, single reviewer, and Senior Talent Editor for ''Billboard'' magazine, where he worked for 14 years. Now he produces and hosts Sirius XM radio shows. Flick started in the music ...

from '' Billboard'' wrote that John "recreates his classic

duet with the world's favorite drag queen. Revamped quasi- rave/

hi-NRG Hi-NRG (pronounced "high energy") is a genre of uptempo disco or electronic dance music (EDM) that originated in the United States during the late 1970s and early 1980s. As a music genre, typified by fast tempo, staccato hi-hat rhythms (and the ...

version of the track is way stronger than the less-than-pleasing mix on John's current collection, rendering it a formidable contender for action on both dancefloors and radio. Oodles of good fun." Dave Sholin from the '' Gavin Report'' commented, "Thanks to producer

Giorgio Moroder Giovanni Giorgio Moroder (, ; born 26 April 1940) is an Italian composer, songwriter, and record producer. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Father of Disco", Moroder is credited with pioneering euro disco and electronic dance mu ...

, there's a few more beats per minute, as well as a hilarious video, and a super performance of a great tune." Alan Jones from ''

Music Week ''Music Week'' is a trade publication for the UK record industry distributed via a website and a monthly print magazine. It is published by Future. History Founded in 1959 as '' Record Retailer'', it relaunched on 18 March 1972 as ''Music W ...

'' rated it four out of five, calling it "somewhat soulessly produced" and a "smash-bound but tacky remake". John Kilgo from ''The Network Forty'' stated that this remake of the previous number-one smash "is for real..." Tom Doyle from ''

Smash Hits ''Smash Hits'' was a British music magazine aimed at young adults, originally published by EMAP. It ran from 1978 to 2006, and, after initially appearing monthly, was issued fortnightly during most of that time. The name survived as a brand fo ...

'' gave it one out of five, saying that "the music sounds like it was done with the help of a Gameboy running low on batteries".

Music video

A music video was made to accompany the song, featuring Elton John and RuPaul. It was directed by Randy Barbota. The video was uploaded to YouTube in December 2016. , it has amassed more than 2 million views.

Track listing

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Other versions

The musical comedy troupe the Capitol Steps recorded a parody of the song, in which then President

George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...

is told by his wife Laura Bush, "Don't go faking you're smart".

Notes

References

{{authority control 1976 singles Songs with music by Elton John Songs with lyrics by Bernie Taupin Elton John songs Kiki Dee songs RuPaul songs Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles Cashbox number-one singles European Hot 100 Singles number-one singles UK Singles Chart number-one singles Male–female vocal duets Song recordings produced by Gus Dudgeon The Rocket Record Company singles 1976 songs 1994 songs Works published under a pseudonym MCA Records singles Number-one singles in Australia Number-one singles in Iceland RPM Top Singles number-one singles Irish Singles Chart number-one singles Number-one singles in New Zealand Number-one singles in South Africa