“It’s so high”: The song that prompted a change in Elton John’s vocal style
For the most part, songs by Elton John evoke a visceral emotion within listeners. As merely a man and his piano, John has repeatedly achieved the incredible feat of uniting people with the power of music, bringing hundreds and thousands of people together in stadiums and on festival grounds to celebrate the one true universal language.
Throughout the 1970s, John became one of the most coveted figures in the world without making many press appearances. When he did, he simultaneously revealed profound insights into the industry and delivered words of wisdom for those struggling to come to terms with their identities and sexual orientations, even if his words were uttered behind the discomfort of his tinted glasses.
During these years, John had no idea his career would continue on the same trajectory for the next few decades. In fact, he banked on it slowing down to the point where, by the 1980s, he would take a back seat, and other contemporary musicians would lead the way. Of course, this isn’t what happened, but his touring circuit in the early and mid-1970s felt like his fame was on borrowed time.
Following an explosive concert in Madison Square Garden in 1974, John wasn’t opposed to taking an indefinite break. “It was a pretty weird night, a very sad occasion, I must say,” the singer told Rolling Stone a few months after the show. “It came to the point where I sang ‘Yellow Brick Road’ and I thought, ‘I don’t have to sing this anymore,’ and it made me quite happy inside.”
Despite floating the idea that “it could be the last gig forever” and musing about “who wants to be a 45-year-old entertainer in Las Vegas like Elvis”, John would, in fact, perform ‘Yellow Brick Road’ again, and not always to huge live audiences. John knew the song adopted a specific type of timeless energy when writing it, and his view on its appeal grew stronger with time.
During the documentary Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, he explained how it came together, saying that the initial piano chords came together first, followed by the “wistful” melody. According to producer Gus Dudgeon, one of the song’s most enticing elements was how John managed to infiltrate the piece with piano parts that connected one segment to the forthcoming melody.
At the time, John performed the song in a slightly raised register, adopting a more sped-up approach in the latter half of the song, which made for a more dynamic and interesting listen. Looking back at this, John revealed that this isn’t something that comes naturally to him anymore. “I have to take it down a key now because it’s so high,” he laughed. “My voice has changed so much,” he added. “When I listen to that album, I sound like some castrato singing.”
