Podcasts by I Guess Thats Why They Call It The Elton John Podcast

Episode 42 - Jewel Box Companion 1: Bernie's Letter from 2021-06-07T14:56:53

The first of six 'Jewel Box Companion' episodes. It's taken me a while to get to grips with all of the extra new material and versions that we have been treated to. I've boiled it down into six ...

Episode 41 - Old Friends from 2021-03-07T02:55:33

It's the 50th Frenniversary!

Elton's 4th album was a pick-and-mix, with three pastoral pop songs from the same mould as the Elton John Album, two spiky rock songs that kept the Tumbleweed...

Episode 40 - Tumbleweed Connection at 50 (part 2) with John Higgins and Peter Thomas from 2021-02-18T20:39:38

Here we are at last! This is the concluding part of the Tumbleweed Conversation I had with John Higgins, Elton's Legacy Consultant and Feature Writer at eltonj...

Episode 39 - Tumbleweed Connection at 50 with John Higgins and Peter Thomas from 2020-11-30T23:22:40

I am very thankful to John Higgins,  Elton's Legacy Consultant and Feature Writer at eltonjohn.com, and Peter Thomas, founder of from 2020-10-13T23:19:46

Episode 36 - Jewel Box Joy from 2020-09-17T22:40:52

Well it's finally happened. I've got pretty much everything I've ever asked for, and probably a bit more. In this quickie episode, I dip into the mind-bending rarities track-list, and talk about...

Episode 35 - 'Elton John' at 50 with John Higgins from 2020-08-29T00:49:08

Enormous thanks to John Higgins - Feature Writer for the eltonjohn.com website - who came onto the podcast to share his love for the 'Black Album', and to tell me some of the stories that he'd b...

Episode 34 - Fantasy Residency and More Songs They Gave Away from 2020-02-01T03:12:24

In this episode I apologise for my absence; make some excuses; review the autobiography, in a limited sense; talk about the way that the book, the film and reality interact in one case; accept t...

Episode 33 - Anett Murray Interview from 2019-08-24T14:13:30

This episode starts off with a Rocketman competition, courtesy of Paramount Home Media (here is the prize pack that's up...

Episode 32 - Mysteries of Elton from 2019-07-22T18:12:43

Welcome aboard the Mystery Machine, as we take a Flight of Fancy into the unknown corners of Elton's musical world. In this episode, I investigate the spookiest, dustiest corners of discogs, I s...

Episode 31 - Empty Sky at 50 from 2019-06-17T21:33:32

Empty Sky, Elton’s debut album, and also his most honest, laid-back sounding set of songs, hit the shelves 50 years ago this month. It didn’t make much impact at the time, but it is greatly love...

Episode 30 - Listening Session with Peter Thomas from 2019-04-18T00:42:38

You are invited to a very special listening session and conversation with Peter Thomas, the preeminent Elton John collector and archivist.

Peter Thomas, in his role as founder of monitor ...

Episode 29 - Top of the Charts with a ROCKET, ft. The Lambrettas from 2019-03-06T01:04:05

This episode counts down the 15 biggest non-Elton singles on Rocket, and in the process, tells the story of the label, attempts to define the Rocket sound (spoiler - there isn’t one), and draws ...

Episode 28 - Alternate Versions, Mixes and Edits from 2019-02-19T00:53:07

This episode revels in the obscure, picking up the curios in the discography, studying them, and making an attempt at explaining them. Here are the early versions, the erroneous edits that never...

Episode 27 - Breaking Down 'Passengers' from 2019-02-05T00:01

This is the story of Elton's personal redemption, through the prism of the song 'Passengers', the UK top 5 hit single with the unique songwriting credit - Elton, Bernie, Davey and South African ...

Episode 26 - Rare Masters Vol. 2 (Part 2) from 2019-01-22T01:58:10

In this episode, I finish going through the imaginary box-set. First, I detail all of the non-album tracks that were released between 1984 and 1990 (CD3 of the collection that I have programmed)...

Episode 25 - Rare Masters Vol. 2 (Part 1) from 2019-01-08T02:38:54

The Elton John Podcast with the unwieldy name goes where the record company dare not go - Rare Masters Vol. 2. We all loved the first volume when it came out, and many of us have been going grey...

Episode 24 - David Larkham Interview from 2018-11-20T00:22:29

Another treat - an interview with David Larkham – the man who controlled the visual element of the classic albums, liaising with Steve Brown, Bernie, Elton and others to bring their ideas to lif...

Episode 23 - Bernie's Auction - What We've Learned from 2018-10-31T00:21:33

In this episode, I attempt to play (and sing in one case) the three ‘new’ songs from 1967 that have come to light via Bernie’s upcom...

Episode 22 - Caleb Quaye Interview from 2018-10-20T03:09:24

I was lucky enough to be able to spend more than an hour in the company of the brilliant Caleb Quaye. Without Caleb, there would be no Elton John as we know him. He got Elton and Bernie the gig ...

Eppsisode 21 - Stuart Epps Interview from 2018-09-23T22:32:41

Stuart Epps is Elton John royalty! He was a huge part of the team that worked together to bring Elton out from the sidelines of Tin Pan Alley, into megastardom. He saw that process first hand, w...

Episode 20 - Elton's Buried Treasure vol. 2 from 2018-09-15T12:01:56

In this episode the cake is unbaked, and every ingredient of the Elton John recipe is celebrated. Complex drum and percussion sounds are unpicked, backing vocals are highlighted, lead vocals are...

Episode 19 - Early Cover Versions of Elton's Music from 2018-08-19T23:12:39

It's well known that Elton and Bernie spent their formative years trying to write hits for other artists, while trying to find their own voice. This episode tells the story of Elton and Bernie's...

Episode 18 - Elton's Anonymous Cover Versions - ft. Dana Gillespie from 2018-07-30T22:54:26

In his formative years as a session musician, in fact even after the recording of his third album, Elton earned some extra cash recording cover versions of the hits of the day, anonymously, for ...

Episode 17 - The New Routes of Davey Johnstone - 1971-73 from 2018-05-14T23:20:21

The second of a two-part biography of Davey Johnstone's early musical history. 

Davey's range, and his scope for development, were apparent to all at his first Elton John session, for Hol...

Episode 16 - The Folk Roots of Davey Johnstone - 1951-71 from 2018-05-13T21:33:30

The first of a two-part biography of Davey Johnstone's early musical history. 

Just three years after getting his first guitar, a 14-year-old Davey could be found in folk clubs around Sco...

Episode 15 - Ego at 40 from 2018-03-21T00:10

24 months passed between the recording sessions for Crazy Water, and those for Elton's next (major) single, the angry, jagged Ego. From the sound of the record, Elton hadn't been able to find mu...

Episode 14 - The Songs They Gave Away from 2018-03-04T21:33:38

Elton wrote a lot of incredible music over the years, in fact, more than he needed at some points of his career. This is the story of the songs that Elton gave away, either by design, or by d...

Episode 13 - I've Been Loving You (For Precisely 50 Years) from 2018-03-01T00:03:11

50 years ago today, on the 1st of March 1968, a 20-year-old Elton released his first solo single, 'I've Been Loving You', on Philips. Today's episode is an all-encompassing celebration of that m...

Episode 12 - Bernie's Early Themes - '67-'69 from 2018-02-25T02:02:40

A thematic analysis of Bernie's early work, with a particular focus on his songs about incarceration and exile. One very special rarity is included. 

Episode 11 - The Greatest Covers from 2018-02-14T01:07:43

If you like Elton John songs, then you'll probably like these relatively obscure renditions of Elton John songs, by musicians who tried to do something original with the material. 

Episode 10 - The One - 25 And A Half Years On from 2018-02-10T22:43:08

Elton came back from rehab stronger than ever at the end of 1991. Here, in review, is the album that he brought back from the brink with him. The context, the music, the lyrics, the instrumentat...

Episode 9 - At Home With Sheila and Reg from 2017-12-31T16:57:21

A tribute to Elton's first musical mentor - his mother Sheila. This episode is a trip through the music of the 1950s that was dear to Sheila, to her mum Ivy, and to Reg. On the way, we take in t...

Episode 8 - Dee Murray Love-In from 2017-12-11T01:14:33

Dee Murray was a truly innovative force in the Elton John band. In this episode I look at what made him special, from the jigsaw puzzle of ideas that Dee and Elton threw around in the 3-piece ba...

Episode 7 - Reconstructing 'A Song For Europe 1969' from 2017-11-25T02:27:10

I attempt to piece together the weekly Saturday evening TV shows, hosted by the impish Lulu, that led up to the UK's selection being made for the 1969 Eurovision Song Contest, and follow up the ...

Episode 6 - Cool As Christmas - Collaborations That Make Elton Cooler from 2017-11-18T18:46:22

Elton's not always seen as a particularly cool musician to be a fan of. Lots of well-respected artists have no problem associating themselves with him though. In this episode, I go through those...

Episode 5 - Don't Say It With 'Diamonds' from 2017-11-12T03:55:51

This week, Elton released another greatest hits collection, to somehow celebrate his and Bernie's 50 year anniversary of writing together. In this episode I look at 12 'genuine diamonds' - produ...

Episode 4 - It Was 40 Years Ago Today, Grumpy Elton Sacked The Band On Stage from 2017-11-03T01:00

This is the story of the band that Elton essentially sacked, live on stage, entirely out of the blue.

40 years ago, Elton played a charity gig at Wembley Pool. The band were expecting him...

Episode 3 - Regimental Sgt Zippo - The Debut Album That Never Was from 2017-11-01T19:49:26

This episode skips through the 1968 almost-debut album, track-by-track. How good would this album have been if it had come out in 1968? How would it have fared? Actually that's a question I don'...

Episode 2 - Buckmaster Before Elton from 2017-10-27T00:27:39

This episode takes you back to the 2nd of November 1969, to a Miles Davis gig, at Ronnie Scott's jazz club, where Elton met a 23 year old Paul Buckmaster for the first time.

How did Buckm...

Episode 1 - Elton's Buried Treasure from 2017-10-26T23:56:59

Welcome to the 'I Guess That's Why They Call It The Elton John Podcast' podcast. Yes it is a rather unweildy title.

In the first episode, Neil (your able host) takes some classic songs, a...