Empty Sky (song)
Encyclopedia
For the Bruce Springsteen song, see The Rising (album)
.
"Empty Sky" is a song by Elton John
with lyrics by Bernie Taupin
. It is the first track off his first album, Empty Sky
, released in 1969.
s beat which gets accompagnied by piano and then bass before the drums and guitars kicks off and starts the first verse. They all last throughout the song. It is a very simple song, a somewhat bluesy riff that just goes one note up in the choruses. It also features a backwards guitar solo, giving it a psychedelic feel. Then, all the music fades down to a very low volume, and the vocal is more audible. It is whispered, a very unusual feature, before fading in and exploding in a final jam. The song then ends, clocking as one of John's longest ever recorded at eight and a half minutes.
According to excerpts of John's diary, the music was composed on January 7, 1969.
".
On that tour appeared both drummer Roger Pope and guitarist Caleb Quaye
. They also played on the album, and on this song.
The Rising (album)
The Rising is the 12th studio album by American recording artist Bruce Springsteen, released in 2002 on Columbia Records. In addition to being Springsteen's first studio album in seven years, it was also his first with the E Street Band in 18 years...
.
"Empty Sky" is a song by Elton John
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
with lyrics by Bernie Taupin
Bernie Taupin
Bernard John "Bernie" Taupin is an English lyricist, poet, and singer, best known for his long-term collaboration with Elton John, writing the lyrics for the majority of the star's songs, making his lyrics some of the best known in pop-rock's history.In 1967, Taupin answered an advertisement in...
. It is the first track off his first album, Empty Sky
Empty Sky
Empty Sky is the debut album of British singer/songwriter Elton John, released on June 3, 1969. It was finally released in the United States in January 1975, with a different cover photograph, well after John's fame had been established internationally...
, released in 1969.
Musical structure
It was the first song John ever released on an album. It opens with an unusual congaConga
The conga, or more properly the tumbadora, is a tall, narrow, single-headed Cuban drum with African antecedents. It is thought to be derived from the Makuta drums or similar drums associated with Afro-Cubans of Central African descent. A person who plays conga is called a conguero...
s beat which gets accompagnied by piano and then bass before the drums and guitars kicks off and starts the first verse. They all last throughout the song. It is a very simple song, a somewhat bluesy riff that just goes one note up in the choruses. It also features a backwards guitar solo, giving it a psychedelic feel. Then, all the music fades down to a very low volume, and the vocal is more audible. It is whispered, a very unusual feature, before fading in and exploding in a final jam. The song then ends, clocking as one of John's longest ever recorded at eight and a half minutes.
According to excerpts of John's diary, the music was composed on January 7, 1969.
Lyrical meaning
Like many of Taupin's earliest compositions, it deals with imprisonment and the wish for "freedom". It was written in his teenage years. The song deals with a man who wants to be free as a bird, to be with the others. Many early songs are categorized the same, such as the earliest success, "Skyline PigeonSkyline Pigeon
"Skyline Pigeon" is a song by Elton John with lyrics by Bernie Taupin. It is the eighth track off his first album, Empty Sky. John performed the song at the funeral of AIDS victim and friend Ryan White in 1990 on a grand piano although he played Roland Piano on tour and in the studio at the time...
".
Performances
When the album came out, John had only done sparse radio performances. It was one of the songs performed there during the rest of the year. In 1970, things started to change, mostly musically, and the album was forgotten. It wasn't until the peak of his career, 1975, that the album saw an American release. It was performed on his 1975-1976 tour of North America as a center-piece. The song would often progress into a live jam, some reportedly 18-20 minutes long. The song has not been performed since.On that tour appeared both drummer Roger Pope and guitarist Caleb Quaye
Caleb Quaye
Caleb Quaye , is an English Afro-European rock guitarist and studio musician best known for his work in the 1960s and 1970s with Elton John, Mick Jagger, Pete Townshend, Paul McCartney and Hall & Oates...
. They also played on the album, and on this song.
Personnel
- Elton John - pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, organOrgan (music)The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with...
, vocals - Caleb QuayeCaleb QuayeCaleb Quaye , is an English Afro-European rock guitarist and studio musician best known for his work in the 1960s and 1970s with Elton John, Mick Jagger, Pete Townshend, Paul McCartney and Hall & Oates...
- guitarsElectric guitarAn electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
, congaCongaThe conga, or more properly the tumbadora, is a tall, narrow, single-headed Cuban drum with African antecedents. It is thought to be derived from the Makuta drums or similar drums associated with Afro-Cubans of Central African descent. A person who plays conga is called a conguero...
s - Tony Murray - bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
- Roger Pope - drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, percussionPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration... - Don Fay - fluteFluteThe flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
- Graham Vickery - harmonicaHarmonicaThe harmonica, also called harp, French harp, blues harp, and mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used primarily in blues and American folk music, jazz, country, and rock and roll. It is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes or multiple holes...