Jump Up! (Elton John album)
| Jump Up! | ||||
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| Studio album by Elton John | ||||
| Released | 9 April 1982 | |||
| Recorded | September-October 1981 at AIR Studios, Montserrat, and Pathe Marconi Studios, France | |||
| Genre | Rock, soft rock, pop rock | |||
| Length | 42:31 | |||
| Label |
Geffen (US) Rocket (UK) | |||
| Producer | Chris Thomas | |||
| Elton John chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Jump Up! | ||||
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Jump Up! is the sixteenth official album release by Elton John. It was released in 1982 by The Rocket Record Company except in the US and Canada, where it was released by Geffen Records.
Background
The album includes "Empty Garden (Hey Hey Johnny)", a tribute to John Lennon (who had also signed to Geffen for the release of Double Fantasy, which is now owned by EMI). This is one of the first few LPs that showcases John singing in a deeper voice, as can be heard in songs such as "Blue Eyes", "Princess", "Ball and Chain" and "Spiteful Child". "Legal Boys" was written by John and Tim Rice, who later wrote lyrics for The Lion King and The Road to El Dorado. This is the last studio album in which James Newton-Howard played keyboards (he played keyboards again on the soundtrack of Gnomeo & Juliet less than 30 years later).
In a 2010 Sirius radio special, John's lyricist, Bernie Taupin talking about Jump Up!, said it was "one of our worst albums". He added, "It's a terrible, awful, disposable album, but it had 'Empty Garden' on it, so it's worth it for that one song." In the United States, it was certified gold by the RIAA in November 1982. The album cover shows John's lifelong friend Vance Buck.
After 1982, only "Empty Garden" and "Blue Eyes" have been performed regularly.
Recording
It was recorded at AIR Studios in Montserrat,[2] and Pathe Marconi Studios in France.
Reception
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [3] |
| Rolling Stone | [4] |
| Robert Christgau | (B)[5] |
Track listing
All songs written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin, except where noted.
Side one
- "Dear John" (John, Gary Osborne) – 3:28
- "Spiteful Child" – 4:11
- "Ball and Chain" (John, Osborne) – 3:27
- "Legal Boys" (John, Tim Rice) – 3:08
- "I Am Your Robot" – 4:42
- "Blue Eyes" (John, Osborne) – 3:25
Side two
- "Empty Garden (Hey Hey Johnny)" – 5:05
- "Princess" (John, Osborne) – 4:55
- "Where Have All the Good Times Gone?" – 3:58
- "All Quiet on the Western Front" – 6:00
Previously only available in the later 1980s and early 1990s on CD in Europe with the Rocket/Phonogram label, in 2003, John's company, Rocket, in association with Mercury/Universal Records, reissued the album on CD, remastered by Gary Moore. It had no bonus tracks, but did include lots of new and previously released photographs of John during the early 1980s, full lyrics and snapshots of the cover art for the album's singles, along with liner notes by John Tobler.
Two slightly different artworks exist.
Outtakes
Outtakes from Jump Up! include "At This Time in My Life", "Desperation Train", "I'm Not Very Well", "Jerry's Law", "Moral Majority", "Waking Up in Europe" and "The Ace of Hearts and the Jack of Spades". They all have yet to see circulation, either on bootlegs or officially.[6]
However, "Desperation Train" was later recorded and released by John's lyricist Bernie Taupin on his 1987 album, Tribe.
B-sides
| Song | Format |
|---|---|
| "Take Me Down to the Ocean" | "Empty Garden" 7" (US/UK) |
| "Hey Papa Legba" | "Blue Eyes" 7" (US/UK) |
| "Where Have All the Good Times Gone" (alternate version) | "All Quiet on the Western Front" 7" (UK) / "Ball and Chain" 7" (US) |
| "The Retreat" | "Princess" 7" (UK) |
"Hey Papa Legba" was recorded during the sessions for 21 at 33 in August 1979.
Personnel
- Elton John – lead vocals and backing vocals, pianos, harpsichord on "Empty Garden"
- Pete Townshend – acoustic guitar on "Ball and Chain"
- James Newton-Howard – synthesizers, Fender Rhodes electric piano
- Dee Murray – bass guitar, backing vocals
- Jeffrey Porcaro – drums, possible percussion
- Richie Zito – guitars
- Steven Holly – tambourine on "Ball and Chain", synth drum on "I Am Your Robot"
- Gary Osborne – backing vocals
- Strings and brass arranged and conducted by James Newton-Howard
- Brass and orchestra provided by Martin Fjord
- Orchestra led by Gavyn Wright
Credits
- Produced by Chris Thomas
- Recorded by Bill Price
- Assistant Engineers: Nigel Barker and Mike Stavrou
- Mastered by Greg Fulginiti at Artisan Sound Recorders (Hollywood, CA).
- John Kalodner: A&R
Charts
Weekly charts |
Year-end charts
Certifications} }
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References
- ↑ "Elton John - Princess" at Discogs
- ↑ "AIR MONTSERRAT". Retrieved 16 August 2012.
- ↑ Jump Up! at AllMusic
- ↑ Rolling Stone review at the Wayback Machine (archived 4 November 2007)
- ↑ "CG: elton john". Robert Christgau. Retrieved 26 February 2012.
- ↑ Rocket Man: Elton John From A-Z (ISBN 0275956989)
- 1 2 Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- ↑ Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 9 May 2013
- ↑ "dutchcharts.nl Elton John - Jump Up!" (ASP). Hung Medien (in Dutch). MegaCharts. Retrieved 9 May 2013.
- ↑ "InfoDisc : Tous les Albums classés par Artiste > Choisir Un Artiste Dans la Liste" (PHP) (in French). infodisc.fr. Retrieved 9 May 2013.
- ↑ "charts.org.nz Elton John - Jump Up!" (ASP). Hung Medien. Recording Industry Association of New Zealand. Retrieved 9 May 2013.
- ↑ "norwegiancharts.com Elton John - Jump Up!" (ASP). Hung Medien. VG-lista. Retrieved 9 May 2013.
- ↑ "swedishcharts.com Elton John - Jump Up!" (ASP) (in Swedish). Retrieved 9 May 2013.
- ↑ "Elton John > Artists > Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved 1 May 2013.
- ↑ "allmusic ((( Jump Up! > Charts & Awards > Billboard Albums )))". allmusic.com. Retrieved 9 May 2013.
- ↑ "Album Search: Elton John - Jump Up!" (in German). Media Control. Retrieved 9 May 2013.
- ↑ "Top 100 Albums '82". RPM. 25 December 1982. Retrieved 9 May 2013.
- ↑ "Les Albums (CD) de 1982 par InfoDisc" (PHP) (in French). infodisc.fr. Retrieved 9 May 2013.
- ↑ "British album certifications – Elton John – Jump Up". British Phonographic Industry. Enter Jump Up in the field Keywords. Select Title in the field Search by. Select album in the field By Format. Select Silver in the field By Award. Click Search
- ↑ "American album certifications – Elton John – Jump Up". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH
| Preceded by Business as Usual by Men at Work |
New Zealand Chart number-one album 28 March – 4 April 1982 |
Succeeded by Business as Usual by Men at Work |
