Rocket Man: Elton John from A-Z

by Claude Bernardin and Tom Stanton

Book Overview

Grammy winner for Can You Feel the Love Tonight from Disney's 1994 blockbuster movie The Lion King, Elton John is a musician who has transcended generations. Since his U.S. debut 26 years ago, E.J. has had a top-40 hit every year. This first reference dedicated to the legendary singer/songwriter, who has been enchanting fans for nearly three decades, contains hundreds of anecdotes on people, places, and things related to his career. It includes a behind-the-scenes look at every album, a comprehensive list of all songs written or recorded (dozens never released), and the most extensive look ever at E.J.'s pre-career life. Well researched, the volume's rich detail offers a gold mine of Elton John trivia gathered by one of the artist's premier historians and the editor of the international Elton John fan magazine East End Lights. Fans and popular music buffs will enjoy the comprehensive treatment more than a quarter century since Elton John's U.S. debut.

There are four sections to this encyclopedia: Elton A-Z, featuring explanations, details, and anecdotes related to aspects of his career and life, with entries on celebrity friends, important places, and a wide variety of other topics; Albums, giving a chrononlogical, behind-the-scenes look at his more than 35 albums up to and including 1995's Made in England; Performances, listing his concert tours year by year, highlighting major performances such as John Lennon's final stage appearance in a 1974 show, a 1979 concert in Russia, and a little-publicized 1992 tribute; and Songs, listing alphabetically more than 500 songs recorded or written by Elton John.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0275956989
• ISBN13: 9780275956981
• Release Date: August 1996
• Publisher: Praeger
• Length: 280 Pages
• Weight: 0.50 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 6.1" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

BEST BOOK OUT THERE ON ELTON JOHN

Dates,songs,eras in Elton's career;it's all here.The author who did research on this book,Claude Bernardin,did an outstanding job.His research was relentless.I prefer this book to many others because it is an encyclopedia type book and facts are easily found.Alot of information on unreleased songs, which is my favorite part of the book.I recommend this book to all Elton John enthusiasts. It is a book you must have in your library if you are a die hard Elton John fan.

Rock on rocket man

Mr.Bernardin has shared his wealth of knowledge on the subject of Elton John in a clear, concise and enjoyable format. I highly recommend the book to anyone who wants to know the all of Elton.

"A-Z" should become a book series!

I don't know whether there is copyright over a book "format", but I really think "...from A to Z" should become a book series, like "The Complete Guide to the Music of..." This is easily the best reference book ever published about a single artist. It is divided in three parts: the "A-Z" itself (the entries are quite informative and comprehensive), albums (in-depth reviews and reference to alternate versions of songs) and songs (where they can be found in Elton's discography). If only all reference books were like this... That's why I suggest that this format become a series. What about "David Bowie from A-Z"?

Entertaining, behind-the-scene stories

I'm a big Elton fan, and this book is the best of those focusing on Elton's music and performances. The behind-the-scenes stories are entertaining, and the research is impressive