Elton John - Take Me to The Pilot (BBC In Concert 1970)

[hudshsoft]

I love Elton's early years Gospel/Rock-style. Very good !!!

[Tara1823]

love this one by Elton

[eLyzabethjackson]

Simply the BEST!

[wingseclipsed]

Does anybody know who the background singers are here?

[warangi]

@wingseclipsed Madeline Bell (Blue Mink), Leslie Duncan (Who wrote "Love Song" off Tumbleweed) and Kay Garner.

[mcrane2882]

2 people have no musical taste, is all I can say

[rickcharmingtv]

Awww yeah. I forgot about this one!

[taohinton]

The lyrics (by Bernie Taupin) are famously incomprehensible:

"What does this song mean? ... I have no idea! You're on your own, I tell you." - Elton John

XD

Meanwhile, a rare glimpse of John Lennon at 2:22

[09140808]

fuckin love it

[ozzfan1979]

Very cool!!!

[MsQpt]

Is he talking about Andy Warhol?



[GregERobertson]

@MsQpt No . .Bernie said in some interview womewhere he was just putting words together ; they really don't really mean anything about anybody . .

[righi170693]

how can anybody dislike this?????!!!!!!!!!!

[mylotal]

superb



[EyMeng]

i love that right eyebrow twitch

[anibalnikov47]

2:23, john lennon ??

[MattHatter]

@anibalnikov47 Absolutely not. That is NOT John Lennon at 2:22. That's just a guy with long hair and glasses who was probably a big fan of John Lennon. In 1970, John had his hair short because he and Yoko cut it off for charity at the start of the year.

[headknocker66]

222 .... JOHN LENNON?

[LinkChiTu]

Omg 1 unlike... incrdbl

[tinapbutler]

Elton performed this in Philly last night and I was truly amazed!!!!!!! Yes Elton is one of the Greatest performers of our time!! I feel truly blessed to have witnessed such Greatness!!!

[1955stargazer]

I freaking LOVE this!..Thanks for putting this on You Tube!

[tado4066]

Party on Garth.

[Horaciow14]

IN SOVIET RUSSIA THE PILOT COME TO YOU! XD

[sundal9]

Muy bueno sin duda me parece la mejor cancion de Elton y una de las mejores de los 70's.

[anibalnikov47]

ARSENIO HALL !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[yangul]

Podes decirle al mundo que esta puta cancion es tuya! (Your Song, side A)

[yangul]

like "Baudelaire and Rimbaud...(who) just threw things together and went 'Wow! That sounds good'." The lyrics possess many elements: betrayal, either political or personal ("treason"); the illusion of danger ("through a glass eye"); and fearlessness toward the unknown ("take me to the pilot of your soul"). According to Elton, this and other songs recorded during this period were inspired by the science fiction books Bernie was reading at the time.

[MrDile68]

Grande artista, ogni volta che lo rivedo o lo risento sempre ancor piu' bravo e attuale

[Mia862]

OMG if I didnt have a clue about where Elton John is from I might think he is from the Deep South....he has so much soul. His piano playing is absolutely FANTASTIC!!!! I feel like im in church when I hear this song. And he always wears the coolest shades!!!!!! He is an amazing musician!!!! EJ YOU ROCK!!!!!!!!!!!!

[jessilovesnathan]

ELTON IS THE BEST

[1953jazzman]

Believe it folks and especially you young ones that weren't there 40 years ago - Elton John was a smokin' performer - a veritable wild man on piano - his first four records are still some of my favorites to this day! Check em out!

[buddydog1956]

@1953jazzman I 2nd That!!!

[jimpedigo]

@1953jazzman I completely agree, 11-17-70 is my favorite from back then.

[RecSportWorld]

Great stuff. This had never been done before, as far as I know. Thanks for the upload.

[4rainbowed]

...  finally!!

[MrsDelle]

My pretty, little Elton. <3

[jedenzniewielu]

He looks so funny at this video, but he is so awesome and genius.

[jedenzniewielu]

He looks so funny, but he is so awesome and genius.

[Shadowformer]

THIS IS SO GOOD! Worlds best melodie maker!

[candelise]

Great to see Madeline Bell and the late Lesley Duncan with Elton on this song. Is that Kay Garner also?

[gamoonbat]

@candelise - I was thinking that was Kiki Dee but Lesley Duncan may be right.

[candelise]

@gamoonbat Yes , the late Lesley Duncan, not Kiki though. Who is that other lady? Someone must know.

[gamoonbat]

@gamoonbat - Kay Garner does sound and look right to me.

[flormtr1]

This is certainly one of EJs best tunes ever!! He really rocks on the keyboard!

Love all of the early stuff. Thanks for posting the BBC videos. They are awesome!

Peace

[Greekpeople1]

Great performance =) He is the best!!!

[mactheartofwarfare]

The Greatest Melody Writer Ever In Popular Music

[TheReach1]

Wow...forgot when Elton was so young!...love it.....

[uyd]

THE BEST ELTON JOHN SONG EVER!!!!

[MsTheDoog]

agree !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Jindy2]

@uyd totally agree!



[vlunney]

@uyd Love this but "Levon" is his best. peace!:)

[brualkar]

@uyd Well let's not go that far--- I'm glad you like it and it's not his worst,but BEST?-- Listen to "Indian Sunset" from Madman across the water and "E" ma back with what you think----Most everything ( I think) and it's only me, was crap ( For AM raido ) after "Yellow Brick Road "---Bruce---P.s do "E" me after Indian sunset

[ivoryman996]

Great song! just a general question for anyonewho has an answer, why dont we use that mic set up, with the mic for vocals actually ON the piano anymore? it seems much more convenient than what we do nowadays

[cocodriloon]

ok people: take me to the pilot doesnt have any meaning or sense is just because sound good and rocky take me to the pilot allright?

[BaboonBro]

PIlot might be the Lord himself dontcha think?

[markusgro]

It doesn't?

It's obviously a love song.

To me it seems like he sings about someone he'd like a physical relationship with. Not an emotional one.

Because it's much rougher than the typical lovesong.

[jenniferjuniper97]

Lyricist Bernie Taupin was the wiz behind EJ's songs without whom I doubt EJ would have achieved stardom. IMO.

[rlsullivan15]

Does anyone know if this specific version is available on a CD - Thanks

[ymmijv3]

it says take me to the pilot

[h2rk]

it's "pilate" for X sake. One of my fave tunes ever :-)

[CaptainFunsocks]

It's not "Pilate" it's "Pilot"

Idiot.

[pekoe67]

If you're an Elton/ Bernie fan you're aware of the amount of wordplay in their songs, so 'Pilot' could indeed be 'Pilate'. This song does have religious imagery and is a gospel song musically. Just saying. And it rocks.

[TheLastIntercessor]

I'm inclined to agree with your interpretation. At least that's the impression I received, even at ten years of age...

[EyMeng]

pilot

[pekoe67]

Fantastic Post !

I wonder if that is Paul Buckmaster conducting. Why does it cut off at 3:25 ???

[emmtampa]

what a creative team, Elton and Bernie. Just fucking awesome that were so different and unique and made it work so amazingly well. They were awesome in my youth!!!!!!!!!

[taschi71]

wikiquote: Bernie just threw things together and went 'Wow! That sounds good' :))

[petebj123]

Anyone can be a rock star looking at Elton here lol!

[crazytree]

was arsenio hall one of the backup singers?

[greeniem]

arsiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinio haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa­aaaaaaaaaaaaaaawl!

[NicoLOPoliz]

LMAO!!!!

[pekoe67]

No, that's Wesley Snipes.

[westpacific52]

@crazytree

funny...TY!

[CheckDare]

@crazytree

I do believe that's the amazing Madeline Bell. She's still knocking vocal performances out of the park for fans 40 years down the road!

[gamoonbat]

@CheckDare - Perhaps also Kiki Dee?

[devtrev]

@crazytree Good call.

[Big1Bassman]

@crazytree OHHH...I see what you did there.

[Bensalem5Gang]

@crazytree - I love this song but that comment cracked me up so much I had to restart the video.

[gummiplutt]

Lol, I think that his jewelry doing the early 70's is really cool... When you just see his hands, it looks like an old lady's.

But he is still the greatest artist ever in human history, so it kindoff makes up for it xDD

[GormanToons]

This song is amazing. I think Elton was a better piano player in the seventies, but I also think he has gotten more skilled at singing than he was to make up for it. Chris Gorman, Composer

[lguvieira]

I think just the opposite! lol... Well, the guy is freaking good anyway...

[fastfret94]

me too lol

[allforleyna80]

haha love the suspenders!

[petebj123]

horrible piano, but good playing!

[TheLastIntercessor]

This has to be one of the toughest songs to play...

I can't play it on the guitar well enough to do it justice, for what that's worth.

[MOSKII58]

i play guitar much better than piano, and when i try to play some of elton's tunes from piano to guitar it ain't easy in fact it just doesn't translate properly no matter how good of a player thats just the way it is...just like trying to play some classic rock /guitarclassics on another instrument.

take a guitar orientated band like Creedence Clearwater Revival..now try playin some of their classics on piano oy organ/synthesizers..it just wouldn't work well.

[bockan14]

i think this is the best song he did :)

[Greekpeople1]

He is so great...

[ShanePanThePianoMan]

im sure the suspenders gave him his skills :P

[chenlung1]

"John Lennon" is actually Gus Gudgeon ;).

I've got a small portion of footage containing Elton at the Troubadour and his walk around a park in the US 1970.

[kennyschmitt]

Elton is the man.

[dougmarkham]

Thanks for posting this very early version. Its just a damn shame that nobody has footage of the amazing rock version played by Elton; Nigel; and Dee at the troubadour or 11-17-70 gig (at the A&R studios). Both versions really rock and make other versions look either dull or slack.

[jum1801]

I agree. It must shock those who know only his Captain Fantastic silliness to hear EJ early in his career - not only his incredible high notes that he hit with ease and laser accuracy, but the great difference in the style and content of his music.

But one correction. The 11-17-70 album was done as a live radio concert at the WABC-FM studios in NYC, hosted by well-known DJ Dave Herman. But EJ's Troubador gigs in LA were legendary for their high energy and tremendous rock and roll vibe

[Westsidekid67]

jum1801 - WNEW-FM studios on 11-17-70-- Dave Herman & Scott Muni ("Scotzo", later "The Professor)...real progressive rock in the day while 77 WABC remained Top 40 til it went Talk Radio 24/7 in 1977...

[jum1801]

But of course. Good catch.

[jonrjunk]

What, nobody caught John Lennon in the audience at 2:25?

[michitex1]

No perdistes nada, Elton solamente dice al fin:

Take me, Take me, ohhhhhhhh, Take me, Take me,

ohhhhhhh. :)

[darkfrost159]

Concha tumare para que cortas el video a la mitad hijo de perra

[SaveTheQueeen]

never seen it before! thanks thanks thanks!

[animemangalover11]

Wow, awesome, thanks for this so much =)

I haven't seen this before, but it feels as if I already should have...*shrug*

But thanks again for this upload =D