Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player
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| Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player | ||
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| Studio album by Elton John | ||
| Released | January 22, 1973 | |
| Recorded | Château d'Hérouville, Pontoise, France | |
| Genre | Rock | |
| Length | 56:02 | |
| Label | MCA Records | |
| Producer(s) | Gus Dudgeon | |
| Professional reviews | ||
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| Elton John chronology | ||
| Honky Château (1972) |
Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player (1973) |
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (1973) |
Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player is the seventh album by British singer/songwriter Elton John.
This was Elton John's commercial breakthrough in America and yielded his first #1 single there - Crocodile Rock. Along with Crocodile Rock, Don't Shoot Me... contained more songs with a pop flavor, including "Elderberry Wine" (the b-side of Crocodile Rock) and "Teacher, I Need You." Many long-time fans however, lamented this change, wishing he had stayed true to his original roots of simple piano ballads which were the staple on most of his earlier albums.
Contents |
[edit] Track listing
All songs written by John/Taupin.
- "Daniel" – 3:53
- "Teacher I Need You" – 4:10
- "Elderberry Wine" – 3:34
- "Blues for My Baby and Me" – 5:39
- "Midnight Creeper" – 3:52
- "Have Mercy on the Criminal" – 5:58
- "I'm Gonna Be a Teenage Idol" – 3:55
- "Texan Love Song" – 3:34
- "Crocodile Rock" – 3:58
- "High Flying Bird" – 4:12
[edit] Bonus tracks (1996 CD reissue)
- "Screw You (Young Man's Blues)" – 4:43
- "Jack Rabbit" – 1:50
- "Whenever You're Ready (We'll Go Steady Again)" – 2:51
- "Skyline Pigeon [Piano Version]" – 3:53
[edit] Personnel
- Elton John – flute, piano, harmonium, keyboard, electric piano, vocals, mellotron, farfisa organ
- Davey Johnstone – synthesizer, acoustic guitar, banjo, guitar, electric guitar, sitar, vocals, background vocals, Leslie speaker
- Dee Murray – bass, background vocals
- Nigel Olsson – drums, maracas, background vocals
[edit] Additional personnel
- Gus Dudgeon – bass arrangements on 3 4 7
- Jacques Bolognesi – trombone on 3 4 7
- Ivan Jullien – trumpet on 3 4 7
- Jean-Louis Chautemps – saxophone on 3 4 7
- Alain Hatot – saxophone on 3 4 7
- Paul Buckmaster – orchestra on 6
[edit] Charts
Album
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1973 | UK Album Chart | 1 |
| 1973 | Billboard Pop Albums | 1 |
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | Crocodile Rock | UK Singles Chart | 5 |
| 1973 | Crocodile Rock | Billboard Pop Singles | 1 |
| 1973 | Daniel | UK Singles Chart | 4 |
| 1973 | Daniel | Billboard Adult Contemporary | 1 |
| 1973 | Daniel | Billboard Pop Singles | 2 |
[edit] Certifications
| Organization | Level | Date |
|---|---|---|
| RIAA – United States | Gold | February 12, 1973 |
| RIAA – United States | Platinum | March 23, 1993 |
| RIAA – United States | Double Platinum | March 23, 1993 |
| RIAA – United States | Triple Platinum | October 11, 1995 |
