The Captain & the Kid
Encyclopedia
The Captain & the Kid is the twenty-ninth studio album
by British singer/songwriter Elton John
, released in 2006. It is his second autobiographical album with lyricist Bernie Taupin
, picking up where 1975's Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy
left off. The Captain & the Kid chronicles the events in their lives since they started working together 30 years ago.
Interscope Records
announced that there would be no physical single
released from this album as the emphasis is on presenting the album as a body of work
. However, a radio single
would be found in "The Bridge
". The album's booklet has photos of Elton John and Bernie Taupin all throughout their career, and on the lyrics section, two songs are included, "Across the River Thames" and "12," which do not appear on the music album. "Across the River Thames" was available as a free download to anyone inserting the CD into their computer. This is the first album created by Elton John and Bernie Taupin to have Taupin on the cover with John. This is the last studio album to feature Guy Babylon
on keyboards; he died a few years later and was replaced by Kim Bullard.
The Captain & the Kid reached UK #6, a considerable improvement over the performance of John's preceding Peachtree Road
in 2004, which peaked at #21. It reached #18 in the US, before quickly falling off the charts. At concerts in early 2007, John made clear his dissatisfaction with Interscope's promotion for the album, having threatened to nix his contract with the label.
Producer Matt Still noted during an interview that in the second track, "Just Like Noah's Ark", Elton's black and white spaniel dog Arthur "barked in the middle of [the recording], because John Mahon was playing a cowbell, and the cowbell freaked him out. So he ran over to John and started barking at him right in the middle of a take. It's funny, just randomly he happened to hit the beats and he barked in time. So I recorded it and we actually kept him in there."
The sampled "woof-bells" can be heard in place of the cow-bell on the track.
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
by British singer/songwriter Elton John
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
, released in 2006. It is his second autobiographical album with lyricist 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...
, picking up where 1975's Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy
Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy
Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy is the ninth studio album by British singer/songwriter Elton John, released in 1975. It debuted at number 1 on the U.S. Pop Albums chart, the first album ever to do so, and stayed there for seven weeks. It was certified Gold on 5/21/1975 and was...
left off. The Captain & the Kid chronicles the events in their lives since they started working together 30 years ago.
Interscope Records
Interscope Records
Interscope Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that currently operates as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-History:...
announced that there would be no physical single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
released from this album as the emphasis is on presenting the album as a body of work
Concept album
In music, a concept album is an album that is "unified by a theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, narrative, or lyrical." Commonly, concept albums tend to incorporate preconceived musical or lyrical ideas rather than being improvised or composed in the studio, with all songs contributing...
. However, a radio single
Promotional recording
A promotional recording, or promo, is an audio or video recording distributed for free, usually in order to promote a recording that is or soon will be commercially available...
would be found in "The Bridge
The Bridge (Elton John song)
"The Bridge" is the first single from Elton John's 2006 album The Captain & the Kid. The single is a simple, stripped-down production focused on John and his piano, with sparse further accompaniment. This is the first song since the title track of Breaking Hearts with this arrangement...
". The album's booklet has photos of Elton John and Bernie Taupin all throughout their career, and on the lyrics section, two songs are included, "Across the River Thames" and "12," which do not appear on the music album. "Across the River Thames" was available as a free download to anyone inserting the CD into their computer. This is the first album created by Elton John and Bernie Taupin to have Taupin on the cover with John. This is the last studio album to feature Guy Babylon
Guy Babylon
Guy Babylon was a keyboardist/composer, most noted for his work with Elton John.Babylon was born in New Windsor, Maryland. Growing up listening to the likes of Led Zeppelin, Yes and Gentle Giant, he attended Francis Scott Key High School and then moved on to the University of South Florida,...
on keyboards; he died a few years later and was replaced by Kim Bullard.
The Captain & the Kid reached UK #6, a considerable improvement over the performance of John's preceding Peachtree Road
Peachtree Road (album)
Peachtree Road is the twenty-eighth studio album by British singer/songwriter Elton John, released in 2004. It was named after Peachtree Road, the northern part of Peachtree Street in Atlanta, where one of the singer's four homes is located. This is the only album during his long career on which...
in 2004, which peaked at #21. It reached #18 in the US, before quickly falling off the charts. At concerts in early 2007, John made clear his dissatisfaction with Interscope's promotion for the album, having threatened to nix his contract with the label.
Side one
- "Postcards From Richard Nixon" – 5:14
- "Just Like Noah's Ark" – 5:33
- "Wouldn't Have You Any Other Way (NYC)" – 4:39
- "Tinderbox" – 4:26
- "And the House Fell Down" – 4:49
Side two
- "Blues Never Fade Away" – 4:45
- "The BridgeThe Bridge (Elton John song)"The Bridge" is the first single from Elton John's 2006 album The Captain & the Kid. The single is a simple, stripped-down production focused on John and his piano, with sparse further accompaniment. This is the first song since the title track of Breaking Hearts with this arrangement...
" – 3:38 - "I Must Have Lost It on the Wind" – 3:53
- "Old '67" – 4:01
- "The Captain and the Kid" – 5:01
Bonus tracks
| Song | Availability |
|---|---|
| "Across the River Thames" | UK edition |
| "Someone Saved My Life Tonight" (live) | Best Buy (CD included download link) / iTunes |
| "We All Fall in Love Sometimes/Curtains" (live) | Best Buy (CD included download link) |
| "Tell Me When the Whistle Blows" (live) | iTunes |
| "(Gotta Get A) Meal Ticket" (lve) | iTunes |
| "Better Off Dead" (live) | iTunes |
Personnel
- Elton JohnElton JohnSir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
– vocals, piano - Davey JohnstoneDavey JohnstoneDavey Johnstone , is a Scottish rock guitarist and vocalist, best known for his work with Elton John.-Career:...
– guitars, banjos, mandolins, harmonica, background vocals - Nigel OlssonNigel OlssonNigel Olsson is an English rock drummer, who is best known for his work with Elton John. Olsson helped establish the Elton John sound as one of the first members of John's band, on drums, percussion and backing vocals. When not working with Elton, Olsson has taken up the role of a session musician...
– drums, background vocals - Guy BabylonGuy BabylonGuy Babylon was a keyboardist/composer, most noted for his work with Elton John.Babylon was born in New Windsor, Maryland. Growing up listening to the likes of Led Zeppelin, Yes and Gentle Giant, he attended Francis Scott Key High School and then moved on to the University of South Florida,...
– arrangements and keyboards - Bob BirchBob BirchBob Birch is an American musician. Primarily a session musician and sideman to a variety of notable artists. Bob Birch was born Robert Wayne Birch. At an early age, Bob was inspired to pursue music by his father Chet, an upright bassist. Bob began his musical journey with the alto saxophone,...
– bass, background vocals - John MahonJohn MahonJohn Mahon is a professional percussionist and backing vocalist, most noted for his work with Elton John. He grew up in Canton, Ohio, and was attracted to music when he joined a local drum/bugle club. He attended St. Thomas Aquinas High School....
– percussion, background vocals - Arthur – "woof-bells"
Producer Matt Still noted during an interview that in the second track, "Just Like Noah's Ark", Elton's black and white spaniel dog Arthur "barked in the middle of [the recording], because John Mahon was playing a cowbell, and the cowbell freaked him out. So he ran over to John and started barking at him right in the middle of a take. It's funny, just randomly he happened to hit the beats and he barked in time. So I recorded it and we actually kept him in there."
The sampled "woof-bells" can be heard in place of the cow-bell on the track.
Peak positions
| Chart (2006) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Top 50 Albums | 37 |
| Austrian Top 40 Albums | 37 |
| Belgium (Wallonia) 100 Albums | 99 |
| Danish Top 40 Albums | 26 |
| French Top 200 Albums | 56 |
| German Albums | 25 |
| Netherlands Top 100 Albums | 43 |
| Norwegian Top 40 Albums | 10 |
| Spanish Top 100 Albums | 52 |
| Swedish Top 60 Albums | 27 |
| Swiss Top 100 Albums | 10 |
| UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
6 |
| US Billboard Billboard (magazine) Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis... 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
18 |
| US Digital Albums | 18 |
| US Rock Albums | 7 |
| US Tastemaker Albums | 14 |
Sales
| Country | Provider | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| United States | Nielsen Soundscan/Billboard | 151,000+ |