The 1970 song that Elton John said has “stayed with me forever”
As Elton John can attest, there are some songs that briefly soundtrack chapters of your life before disappearing, and others which will always be there, no matter the weather or circumstances.
While almost everything in his life has changed since 1970, which was before he became a global star, his love of music and discovering new gems has never dissipated, even if the other aspects of his existence are completely unrecognisable.
Back then, his creative partnership with Bernie Taupin, which would later change the face of music, was in its infancy. Although their relationship, like any, has gone through its peaks and troughs, their bond that stems from a shared passion is unbreakable.
During the blossoming stage of their friendship, back in those halcyon days, they particularly connected over their shared love of Simon and Garfunkel, especially 1970’s Bridge Over Troubled Water.
The record became an obsession for both John and Taupin, who were in awe of the New Yorkers, who had been riding the crest of a wave for half a decade, before their final album arrived as their crowning moment. While they were huge stars already, Bridge Over Troubled Water took them to new heights and won six Grammys, allowing them to leave on a high note, a luxury afforded to very few.
Simon and Garfunkel took artistic gambles on the record by expanding their sonic boundaries, which dramatically paid off. They also recruited a series of seriously talented session musicians, who added a further sprinkling of brilliance to proceedings, with Los Ancas delivering flavourings of Peruvian folk and Larry Knechtel working his magic on the piano.
Unsurprisingly, for John, it was Knechtel’s contribution that appealed to him the most, especially on the title track. It blew him away even more than the duo’s spectacular harmonising or Simon’s bone-chilling lyricism, especially in the album’s title track.
As a pianist, it set a benchmark in his head, and all these years later, it remains a source of amazement. While Knechtel’s name isn’t on the cover of the record, and his work flies under the radar of most listeners, John views Knechtel as the special ingredient that made ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’ a masterpiece.
During an interview with The Guardian in 2014, John singled out the song when asked to pick a record he used to listen to with Taupin. He explained: “The piano playing on this track was by a guy called Larry Knechtel. Apart from it being one of the most beautiful songs I’ve ever heard, the piano is just sublime.”
Elton elaborated: “Bernie and I used to listen to that whole album on headphones.”
He also honoured Aretha Franklin’s take on ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’, describing it as “just the most amazing song.”
However, due to Knechtel’s playing on the Simon and Garfunkel original, it’s that version that means the most to Elton, who added, “But the piano playing made it for me: it stayed with me forever. I once saw them sing at the Royal Albert Hall – it was just a magical time.”
Similarly, Simon feels the same way about ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water‘, which he knew was a hit from the moment it left his pen, once recalling, “I have no idea where it came from. It came all of a sudden. It was one of the most shocking moments in my songwriting career. I remember thinking, ‘This is considerably better than I usually write.'”
The golden memories of seeing Simon and Garfunkel perform in London, as well as the endless days he spent with Taupin listening to Bridge Over Troubled Water, still make John feel like he did upon his first exposure to it in 1970.
