*** Elton John turns 62 today. During the birthday segment, it wasn't a question that we were going to play an Elton song -- although, it's also Aretha Franklin's birthday, but, Elton is more of a 'JDK staple -- it was simply a question of what we would play.With a career as long and successful as Elton's, how do you pick just one song?
I wanted to go with something non-80's (so I could save an 80's tune for the 80's Escape), and his 70's work is too strong to ignore in favor of some of his 90's or '00's work.
Truth be told, I had "Rocket Man" cued up and ready to go, but our birthday segment ran about a minute too long, so I made an adjustment on the fly -- I am a professional disc jockey, after all -- and went with another 70's classic, and one that we don't play hardly ever, which made it an even better choice, "The Border Song".
Check out this 1970 live performance...
*** For the 80's Escape, I chose one of my favorite Elton songs, although it's associated with one of the worst days in music history, the assassination of John Lennon.
"Empty Garden" was written shortly after Lennon was gunned down. The two legends had been friends for a number of years, after Lennon had enlisted John for the tune "Whatever Gets You Through The Night".
The two performed the song at an Elton John concert at Madison Square Garden -- the Garden in "Empty Garden" -- in 1974. It turned out to be Lennon's last stage performance.
Here's the "Empty Garden" video, with a replica of The Dakota building -- where Lennon was shot -- set up next to Elton.
