FEATURE:
Groovelines
Elton John – Rocket Man (I Think It's Going to Be a Long, Long Time)
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THERE are a couple of reasons…
IN THIS PHOTO: Elton John in 1972/PHOTO CREDIT: Terry O’Neill/Iconic Images/Getty Images
why I am celebrating Elton John’s hit, Rocket Man (I Think It's Going to Be a Long, Long Time). I have not featured it on Groovelines before. It turns fifty next month, so I wanted to look ahead to the anniversary and celebrate a classic song. As an article I am about to bring in attests, there were a few songs about space exploration out in the early-1970s. As the Moon landing happened in 1969 and the possibility of space exploration was opened, this boundary-breaking history meant that artists were fascinated and reflecting the times. Also, Elton John turns seventy-five on 25th March. I wanted to salute an iconic songwriter who, through the years, has released some of the most memorable music ever. Reaching number two in the U.K., Rocket Man (I Think It's Going to Be a Long, Long Time) is a gem of a track. Released on 17th April, 1972, it was the lead song from John’s fifth studio album, Honky Château. In this feature, Far Out Magazine tell the story of one of the greatest songs ever released:
“Space curiosity was at its peak during the time of the production of the song. When it was released, the Apollo 16 Mission landed men on the lunar surface for the fifth time. The song narrates the tale of a young boy called Doug, whose astronaut father is sent to space frequently as a part of an exploration programme that requires him to take three months journey at a regular interval. Although Doug feels his father’s absence, he still aspires to be like him one day. The father, on the other hand, has mixed feelings about this entire adventure. It breaks his heart to leave his family behind, but the call of the stars and endless void tempts him as well: “You don’t know what it is. Every time I’m out there I think, if I ever get back to Earth I’ll stay there; I’ll never go out again. But I got out, and I guess I’ll always go out.” He commits to one last mission that ends with dire consequences.
Taupin talked about the influence behind the song in 2016, explaining: “People identify it, unfortunately, with David Bowie’s Space Oddity. It actually wasn’t inspired by that at all; it was actually inspired by a story by Ray Bradbury, from his book of science fiction short stories called The Illustrated Man. In that book, there was a story called The Rocket Man, which was about how astronauts in the future would become a sort of everyday job. So, I kind of took that idea and ran with that.” However, John admitted to being unaware of this fact: “Do you know, I never knew that?”
Ray Bradbury’s story was the basis of another song of the same name that pre-dated John’s record and was released by the folk group Pearls Before Swine. In their song, the child can no longer look at the stars admiringly after being disillusioned by his father’s death. Taupin openly admitted to borrowing ideas from Pearls’ 1970 song, saying: “It’s common knowledge that songwriters are great thieves, and this is a perfect example.”
The opening lines, which read: “She packed my bags last night, pre-flight. Zero hour: 9am. And I’m gonna be high as a kite by then,” was conceived by Taupin while he was driving to his parents in Lincolnshire, England. Anxious that he’ll forget the lines, he drove some back roads as fast as he could to put it down on paper. Until he reached their house he had to “repeat it to himself for two hours,” which was “unfortunate” but also worthwhile given the magnanimous status the song achieved.
A ballad rooted in piano, the song added extra textures through an atmospheric synthesiser and processed slide guitar. The synthesiser was played by the recording engineer David Hentschel while the backing vocals featured Dee Murray, Nigel Olsson and Davey Johnstone, the trio that was to become signature backing voices in John’s other songs. It was produced by Gus Dudgeon, the same person who worked with Bowie on his 1969 release ‘Space Oddity’”.
Kate Bush released Rocket Man (I Think It's Going to Be a Long, Long Time) as a single in 1991. Reaching number twelve in the U.K, it weas released for the Two Rooms: Celebrating the Songs of Elton John & Bernie Taupin album. Her version is brilliant and has this Reggae vibe. She is a big fan of Elton John and has loved his music since she was a child. The two worked together on her 2011 album, 50 Words for Snow. I think that this is a track we will be playing and remembering decades from now. It is definitely one of Elton John’s greatest tracks. Before wrapping up, it is worth bringing in some Wikipedia information about the video for the song (which was released five years ago):
“In May 2017, an official music video for "Rocket Man" premiered at the Cannes Film Festival as a winner of Elton John: The Cut, a competition organised in partnership with AKQA, Pulse Films, and YouTube in honour of the fiftieth anniversary of his songwriting relationship with Bernie Taupin. The competition called upon independent filmmakers to submit treatments for music videos for one of three Elton John songs from the 1970s, with each song falling within a specific concept category. "Rocket Man" was designated for the animation category, and was co-directed by Iranian refugee Majid Adin and Irish animation director Stephen McNally; the video was inspired by Adin's own migration to England, portraying a character envisioning himself as an astronaut to draw parallels between the song's lyrics and the experiences of a refugee”.
As it turns fifty next month, I wanted to highlight and explore the legendary track, Rocket Man (I Think It's Going to Be a Long, Long Time). Its performer turns seventy-five on 25th March. When it comes to the all-time best Elton John songs, this 1972 slice of brilliance…
IS hard to beat.