Elton John ♫ Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player ♫ 1973 MCA Orig. Vinyl LP

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I combine shipping on multiple orders to save you money and gladly ship worldwide. Please look closely at all pictures, read all relevant details and ask any questions you may have before buying. I offer a full 30-day return policy on everything I sell, so buy with confidence! And most importantly, thanks for looking! Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano PlayerStudio album by Elton JohnReleased26 January 1973RecordedChâteau d'Hérouville, Hérouville, France, June 1972GenreSoft rockrockLength42:45LabelMCA (US) DJM (UK)ProducerGus DudgeonElton John chronologyHonky Château (1972)Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player (1973)Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (1973)Singles from Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player"Crocodile Rock"/"Elderberry Wine" Released: 27 October 1972"Daniel" Released: 26 March 1973Professional ratingsReview scoresSourceRatingAllMusicRobert ChristgauC+Rolling Stone(favourable)Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player is the sixth studio album by Elton John. Released by DJM Records, it was John's sixth normal studio album release, and was his second straight No. 1 album in the US, yielding his first No. 1 single in both the US and Canada: "Crocodile Rock". "Daniel" was also a major hit from the album, giving him his second Canadian No. 1 single on the RPM Top Singles Chart and just missing the top slot south of the border, stalling at No. 2 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and reaching No. 4 in the UK, one place higher than achieved by "Crocodile Rock".BackgroundOnce again, the team returned to France to record at the Château d'Hérouville, also known at the time as "Strawberry Studios", which was how the studio was credited in the album's sleeve. The album featured horns arranged by producer Gus Dudgeon on "Elderberry Wine" (the B-side to "Crocodile Rock"), "Midnight Creeper" and "I'm Gonna Be a Teenage Idol", the latter of which was inspired by John's friend, T-Rex frontman Marc Bolan. The horn players were the same ones, in fact, who were used on Honky Château. Paul Buckmaster returned to add strings on "Blues for Baby and Me" and "Have Mercy on the Criminal". During his Australian concerts with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra in 1986, John lauded Buckmaster's work on songs such as "Have Mercy on the Criminal", calling the string arrangements "revolutionary".The album was a huge hit on both sides of the Atlantic, topping the UK and US album charts. It is one of only three albums to feature just the core band of John on pianos and keyboards, Davey Johnstone on guitars, Dee Murray bass and Nigel Olsson on drums, without percussionist Ray Cooper. The other two are Honky Château (1972) (bar a performance by Cooper on congas on the song "Amy") and Breaking Hearts (1984).An outtake of note was a re-recording of "Skyline Pigeon", which became the B-side to the single of "Daniel".Critics at the time called some of the performances, especially "Crocodile Rock", derivative, which John freely acknowledged years later. In His Song: The Musical Journey of Elton John by author Elizabeth Rosenthal, John said "Crocodile Rock" was written as an overt homage to '50s records, and his vocal intentionally mimicked singer Bobby Vee. "High Flying Bird" was designed to sound like a Van Morrison record, and "Midnight Creeper" was a tip of the hat to the Rolling Stones.John toured Australia during 1972 and was so inspired by Daddy Cool's hit single "Eagle Rock" that, with Taupin, he wrote "Crocodile Rock". The cover of this album has a photo of lyricist Taupin wearing a "Daddy Who?" promotional badge.Don't Shoot Me... was also, according to John, the first album during which he felt comfortable experimenting with his vocal performances and style.PackagingThe album's title comes from something Elton said during an evening spent with Groucho Marx. After an evening of constant ribbing from Marx, Elton's comeback was to hold his hands up and say, "Don't shoot me, I'm only the piano player." The album's cover photograph, which shows a young couple outside a movie theatre whose marquee reads: Don't Shoot Me I'm Only The Piano Player starring Elton John, also includes a movie poster of the Marx Brothers' film Go West. Whether this was an intentional tribute to Groucho, or merely a coincidence, is uncertain.The title is also a play on the 1960 François Truffaut film Shoot the Piano Player.Track listingAll songs written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin.Side one"Daniel" – 3:54"Teacher I Need You" – 4:10"Elderberry Wine" – 3:33"Blues for My Baby and Me" – 5:42"Midnight Creeper" – 3:55Side two"Have Mercy on the Criminal" – 5:57"I'm Gonna Be a Teenage Idol" – 3:55"Texan Love Song" – 3:33"Crocodile Rock" – 3:58"High Flying Bird" – 4:12Weekly chartsChartPositionAustralian Kent Music Report Albums Chart1Canadian RPM Albums Chart1Danish Album Charts4Dutch Mega Albums Chart2Finnish Albums Chart2Italian Albums Chart1Japanese Oricon LPs Chart4Norwegian VG-lista Albums Chart1Spanish Albums Chart1UK Albums Chart1US Billboard 2001West German Media Control Albums Chart16

Price: 19.99 USD

Location: Kirkland, Washington

End Time: 2025-01-11T00:04:46.000Z

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