Elton John RARE Island Girl Piano Vocal

[auggiedoggy]

Awesome acoustic version of this song. I didn't even know this recording existed. Kudos for posting this!!!

[jtownshend]

Rock Of The Westies was the very first album I've ever bought. I was 15 at the time. I went to this record store and I saw the album on display on my way to the counter. I was supposed to buy a K-tell compilation. The salesman told me they didn't have it and with great happiness I took Rock Of The Westies home. My mother hated it, ha ha ha.

[mocus1]

Righteous !

[wregerg1]

i do have to say thanks for sharing this i love this song never realized how elton was growing up with a homo-phobic father bravo and well done!!!



[tmtmoormr]

this is so cool to hear thanks so much for posting

[birdflower2011]

I love this song and where it was recorded is even more fasinating! Of course Elton was extremely strung out on drugs during the production of this record. Rock of the Westies is otherwise known as Elton's first Coke Albumn.

But I dont care it's one of my all time favorite CDs.

[larrydh57]

Elton puts the C in Creative...

[SeattleLA]

few people in history can play piano like Sir Elton

[glcorps1969]

Man, this might be better than the full band version! I love this song!

[DrunkenUFOPilot]

Impressive! The piano carries quite a bit of the song. How many hands do he have? Three?

[DancingSpiderman]

If I had piano chops like Elton, I'd remake some of ol' Harry Champion's songs with piano accompaniment. I'd enjoy singing "A little bit of Cucumber" and "Here Comes Old Beaver".

[skippergoat]

oh elton i wish you would wrap yourself around me like a well warned tire- love you, you are the greatest! congrats to you and your family

[skippergoat]

elton i love you!

[dolfanlinda]

makes my nipples hard...thanks! Great version!

[melindaqgp]

If you wanna download this mp3 goto everymp3rip doht cohm.

[Rolco64]

I much prefer this version. I love a song in its "raw" state rather than its polished  rendition. Thanks for this awesome peak into Elton's incredible piano prowess! I really appreciate you posting this.

[KatyandBled]

I like this version b/c you can see how strong his voice is and his piano. His piano playing is just amazing. you cant hear that with the drums/guitar ect.

[groovei]

A proper muso doin right. Respect!.

[drewskee67]

Dunno where you got this, but it's like a new song parallel to the original. This was--what?--34 years ago? Might as well be Elton showin' up kids on "Idol." Well done and BIG thanks!

[hamtrak]

My favorite album junior year H.S. 1975!

[LiveVideoAZ]

Love it!!!! Thank you sooo much!!!

[straightshots]

Where'd you find this demo? It's awesome!

[rillloudmother]

there are also a bunch of vocal overdubs not in this mix which really change the contour of the lead vocal line.

it is cool to hear the piano loud like this.

[elperromagico]

This is one of those songs where Elton's piano is pretty low in the mix. Good to hear what he was playing.

[titans0002]

I love this! This is also illustrative of how the producer can take a rough version of a song and craft it into a pop hit. Gus Dudgeon was an amazing producer.

[BJ22PIANO]

Sound really different w/out the band.

[Tjk116]

Great Performer

[1976REDRYDER]

FANTASTIC!  Thanks for posting.

[AndiCat14]

runningchance, let's see you give it a go . . .

[heylegba]

You know its a good song when you listen to it and don't notice that there is not other instruments.

[pedritol45]

Ja ja runningchance , jajajaja que buen chiste!! jajajaj, buen sarcasmo , Elton es lo mejor!!! lo tuyo era una broma, no? Grande Elton!!!! sos lo mejor

[Markgr122]

killin on the piano

[aureomg]

Elton John is the Best !!! É Legal ouvir uma Demo, sentir como nasce uma música, um grande sucesso!!!!

[ThisBitchWillBeBack]

Runningchance....that was retarded...this is elton!!! he is alot better at piano now...but he is killer back then too....how could u say that!!!!???

[DancingSpiderman]

One word:  sarcasm.

[eltonj4ever]

THIS IS SOOO AWESOME!

[DancingSpiderman]

Damn, I LOVE this version of the song.

Over all the other ones I've heard Elton sing and play.

Elton, you are My Mozart.

[unwindzen]

Great enthusiasm! The piano practically replaces his 10 piece band.

[runningchance]

With a little more practice this guy could be good.

[avth76]

LOL

[yomamadontdanz]

Great sounding piano,Elton John is a top knotch Pianist as well as a top knotch penisist!

[ramitupursnout]

One of my Favorite Elton records, Rock of the Westies. How in the hell did you get the naked tracks, did you steal the 24 track master?! Very Cool!

[brkdaice]

eltons fuckin awesome!

[pjw111706]

i know

[mojorisen74]

Elton John and Freddie Mercury are the best Rock pianists in my opinion!

[nonsuchfabio]

Amazing stuff. Elton is a big reason I learned to play the piano.

[SOULCLUBAVENUE]

I think that what we listen here are the original tracks (piano & lead vocal)of the song.

[frostgaard2]

Wooo... What a cool version of the song. This really shows how great a piano player he is. They should release all his old albums with only piano and vocals. I believe there is a great vault of pure treasures hidden beneath what we hear en the records....

[selatik1]

Oh and when I was 12 us kids would be dancing around in the back yard to this; and neither we or or mothers knew it was about a prostitute turning tricks on the streets of New York!

[selatik1]

I would rather pay 200 bucks to watch Elton goof around in rehearsal in a storage facility than get free VIP seating/backstage pass to just about any major performer's concert (except maybe Rush, Enya, Peter Gabriel, Loreena McKennit) They're all good. So many wonderful musicians in the world!

[logan1966]

holy crap, that was great !!!!!

[gino1314]

This song makes me hot....

[alt1962]

...yikes

[Dan474834]

@gino1314 yeah gives me a boner too...

[selatik1]

Are these the ACTUAL, raw piano/vocal tracks from the original recording? The vocal sound close. So does the piano, and the tempo is very close to what I remember.

[72miche19]

Has to be. I played the album version and this back to back. They're not close, thay're exactly the same. Except this is better.

[jimn35]

Ain't technology great?

[LordHion]

I would love to hear every single damn one of Elton's songs stripped down!

[donpetruzzi]

Elton's work is definitely more appreciated when you hear raw versions like this. Been to many of his concerts and his acoustic ones definitely showcase his true artistry. I do agree that this song was the original version with the rest of the tracks deleted.

[BamaThinBlueLine]

Excellent/outstanding, frankly I prefer this to the "finished product", thank you for posting it.

[WhisperLady023]

Thank you very much for uploading guy! This is fantastic!

[waldenhouse]

These tracks are from the master version without the backing - Ex Caribou Ranch. Well done - how the hell did you get them out of there?!

[TopJimmyWinn]

Awesome!

[5point0]

ALL RIGHT! An Amazing rare look into the song - great to hear the piano work - thanks -

[runningchance]

Hey, is this the same guy that sings the Disney songs?

[selatik1]

If you're talking about Disney's Lion King soundtrack, yes Elton John wrote some wonderful songs for that movie.

[ivoryman996]

Yess it is :)

[shinyhawk777]

My favorite song of all time. BEAUTIFUL. Thank you for sharing.

[Medic83301]

I am a keyboard player and I never could hear the true notes of the song until now !

[BamaThinBlueLine]

Thank you, realy, these "RARE" entries are exceptional, raw, uncluttered, and phenomenal, thank you for sharing

[davidwebber]

thank you for the acoustic Elton. these songs really do showcase his piano prowess! got 'Street Kids'?? or any more from "Westies"?

[paulmccartney1112]

i like how theres no moving backround. so i can just enjoy the song

[paulmccartney1112]

Such a great song. I love how its all piano. I have never heard the song played w/ just piano. This song is so great. And its really well made. I LOVE THIS SONG!

[alt1962]

Thanks Paul!

[72miche19]

I think I actually like this BETTER than the album version...the piano is just awesome!!!

[FutureAbe]

wow.. this is like having him playing in my room

[art72]

wierd...when I looked at the lyrics to this song they are completely racially driven, messed up, regular, generic white man's point of view of a black woman...I wonder if Mr. John has any other songs dedicated to black women that are actually more positive....GUESS WHAT.....NO.....

[ComeDownInTime]

First of all, Elton doesn't write his own lyrics, but yes, he does choose to sing them and record them. But Everyone that knows Elton John, knows that he is the farthest thing from racist. He has MANY, MANY African American friends.

[ComeDownInTime]

And most importantly, he has donated MILLIONS of dollars to Saving AIDS victims in Africa (He's even made special trips to Africa to visit the African Children with AIDS). There's even a Video of the visit here on YouTube.

[ComeDownInTime]

And if you did't hear about it, Elton was OUTRAGED a couple years ago when the Dark Skinned contestants on American Idol were voted off. His response to it was that the American Viewers were RACIST and he was Disgusted that such Incredible singers were voted off just because of their skin color. So, ART72, it's very obvious that Elton John is the OPPOSITE of Racist.

[GlitzPianoman]

Actually, this bootleg has been around for a number of years. I believe it's titled ELTON JOHN PLAYS WITH HIMSELF, if I'm not mistaken (no joke).

[72miche19]

LOL! Actually it sounds like a title he would come up with himself!

[GlitzPianoman]

It does indeed. I'm sure you're aware of the kinds of names he's listed himself under at hotels. Things like Sir Humphrey Handbag, and the classic Sir Horace Pussy.

[72miche19]

...and Binky Poodle Clip...there's one I like even better but I can never remember how to spell the damn thing if I'm not lookin' right at it.

[GlitzPianoman]

Binky Poodle Clip is a classic as well.

[brianxyz]

There is a bootleg by that name that has piano-only versions of the entire Rock of the Westies album. The weird thing about this version is that you don't hear him say "solo folks" right before where James Newton-Howard does his mellotron solo on the record. Maybe the version I've got is more preproduction than this one.

[EltonSouth]

Amazing. Just him and the piano. One of the greatest musicians of all time.

[hellsgrannies]

Wow. This just shows the mans talent.  Thanks.

[bebopPete]

Did you happen to be employed at a certain Caribou studio in Nederland CO, or were you friends with J.W. Guercio, or something along those lines? :-)

[g2no2000]

Even though the marimba, congas, and great steel guitar hook are really great in Island Girl, I really like this scaled down version.

Good Job!