The George Michael song Elton John admitted he was “jealous of”
There’s a good chance that Elton John has earned enough royalties from his hits to furnish several lavish mansions on his own. Throughout his glory years with Bernie Taupin, John’s way with melody put bulletproof hooks to Taupin’s words, making for musical euphoria throughout songs like ‘Candle in the Wind’ and ‘Bennie and the Jets’. That said, John could admit when he heard a song he wished he had written.
Throughout his career, though, John was always prone to a little bit of jealousy. When working without Taupin for the first time in the late 1970s, John was initially dejected after hearing what Taupin made with Alice Cooper. As he started to move away from his typical sound, though, John’s fans were more than willing to go along for the ride, sticking with him through albums like Victim of Love and Leather Jackets, the latter of which John thought to be his worst.
While John was emerging as a living legend by pop standards, another massive star was about to break out of England. Still in his teens when he got famous, George Michael made waves with the first handful of records with Wham!. Although the band were still seen as kids by most adults’ standards, the pop smarts behind tracks like ‘Careless Whisper’ and ‘Wake Me Up Before You Go Go’ made Michael a respected songwriter in the scene.
Just when the band seemed to have reached their creative pinnacle, it was time for a change, with the duo playing their final concert at Wembley Stadium before Michael moved on to a solo career. By then, John was already a big fan, even appearing at one of the shows wearing a Ronald McDonald costume as he played the piano behind him.
Once Michael shed away all of the babyfaced material, Faith was his first album written as a full-blown pop star, playing up his looks for the camera and making inroads into the world of soul and R&B. Although the album boasted immortal tracks like the title song and ‘Father Figure’, it would be one of the later singles that won over John.
When discussing Michael’s solo career, John had a particular affinity for ‘One More Try’. During an appearance on his Beats 1 radio show, John introduced the song, saying: “I don’t get jealous of many songs, but I’m jealous of this song. I’d love to have written this.” Considering the pedigree that John has in the music community, it’s clear to see how his signature magic rubbed off on Michael.
Compared to the usual pop balladry from typical divas, Michael played around with the melody the same way a seasoned professional would. Outside of the typical melodic chord structures, his use of subtle diminished chords keeps the music interesting, as if the listener is clued in on a massive breakup soap opera unfolding on the radio.
Michael was also admiring John right back, delivering an immortal cover of the song ‘Don’t Let the Sun Go Down On Me’, which he would occasionally play with John when their schedules were free. Although Michael may have had a knack for coming up with melodies in his early years, this is when he fully capitalised on his potential as one of the kings of pop music.
