"Little Jeannie" (spelled "Little Jeanie" on the cover of certain single releases) is a song written by English musician Elton John and

Gary Osborne Gary Osborne (born 1949 in London) is an English singer and songwriter. He chaired The Songwriters Executive of the British Academy Of Songwriters Composers and Authors for 12 years during which time he was also chairman of The Ivor Novello Awar ...

recorded by John, and released as a single in 1980 from John's album ''

21 at 33 ''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, France, in September 1979 and at ...

''. It reached number three on the Billboard

pop chart A record chart, in the music industry, also called a music chart, is a ranking of recorded music according to certain criteria during a given period. Many different criteria are used in worldwide charts, often in combination. These include re ...

in the United States, becoming the singer's biggest U.S. hit since 1976's "

Don't Go Breaking My Heart "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" is a 1976 duet by English musician Elton John and English singer Kiki Dee. It was written by John with Bernie Taupin under the pseudonyms "Ann Orson" and "Carte Blanche", respectively, and intended as an affectio ...

" (a duet with 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 ...

), and his highest-charting solo hit since 1975's " Island Girl". It became John's fifth No. 1 on the U.S.

Adult contemporary chart The Adult Contemporary chart is published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine and lists the most popular songs on adult contemporary radio stations in the United States. The chart is compiled based on airplay data submitted to ''Billboard'' by sta ...

, and was certified Gold by the RIAA. It peaked at No. 3 in both '' Billboard'' and '' Cash Box''. In Canada, it hit number one on the '' RPM 100'' national singles chart. In the US, it would be John's highest-charting single co-written with Gary Osborne, while in the UK, where the song only reached number 33, "

Blue Eyes Eye color is a polygenic phenotypic character determined by two distinct factors: the pigmentation of the eye's iris and the frequency-dependence of the scattering of light by the turbid medium in the stroma of the iris. In humans, the p ...

" would eventually hold that honour. Despite its impressive performance in the US charts, Elton John has rarely performed "Little Jeannie" live, doing so only on his 1980 tour and during 2000's '' One Night Only'' concerts.

Composition

Composed in the key of B flat, which allowed its notable saxophone solo to ring out, the song can be described as an uptempo ballad similar in feel, with its electric piano, to his earlier 1973 hit, " Daniel".

Critical reception

Billboard's ''Billboard'' (stylized as ''billboard'') is an American music and entertainment magazine published weekly by Penske Media Corporation. The magazine provides music charts, news, video, opinion, reviews, events, and style related to the music ...

'' reviewer noted that "this melodic midtempo ballad recalls the consummate commercial craftsmanship which characterized John's output around the time of '' Caribou'' in 1974" and "some brassy horn fills constitute the only real update on John's traditional sound." '' Cash Box'' said that "the Latin-flavored percussives and brass add a new exciting dimension to the mid-tempo beat."

Personnel

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 * Chuck Findley – trumpet, trombone * Max Gronenthal – backing vocals *

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 *

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 arrangement,

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 ...

, alto saxophone * James Newton Howard – Fender Rhodes,

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 ...

* Elton John – lead vocals, backing vocals *

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 guitar *

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 *

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 *

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– acoustic guitar

Charts

Weekly charts

Year end charts

Certifications

References

{{authority control 1980 singles Elton John songs RPM Top Singles number-one singles Songs with music by Elton John Songs with lyrics by Gary Osborne 1980 songs The Rocket Record Company singles