“Dropped it like a fucking turd”: The 2006 release that nearly drove Elton John away from music entirely
The music industry can be a cruel business, even if you’ve been sitting at the top table for several decades like Elton John.
From the outside looking in, one would presume that every record label would get behind any album that John made with their full support, even if it was merely him reading the names out of a phonebook. Due to his status in the music industry, there will always be millions of people interested in his every move; therefore, it makes no sense for a record label to neglect him.
For the last 30 or so years, if not longer, John has not needed to worry about chasing chart positions, and instead, prioritises making music that matters to him. Despite that, though, it still hurts to pour everything into an album, which doesn’t get pushed to the people.
In 2006, John and his collaborator, Bernie Taupin, found themselves in a self-reflective mood, leading to the creation of the singer’s 28th studio album, The Captain and The Kid. The LP served as the sequel to 1975’s Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy, which explored their lives up to that point and how their careers ended up intertwining.
After a 30-year impasse, John and Taupin picked up where the story left off, filling listeners in on what changed in the interim period. The album was a labour of love for the duo, which came from the heart, but unlike most of the records that adorned Elton’s name, there was little fanfare surrounding The Captain and The Kid.
Notably, his album before, 2004’s Peachtree Road, was his worst-charting record since the 1980s, which may explain why The Captain and The Kid didn’t get the support from his label that he demanded.
Nevertheless, The Captain and The Kid still reached sixth in the UK, but in America, the most crucial market, it was a different story, landing at 18th. As much as John shouldn’t lose sleep about charts, he did point the blame at his then-record label, Interscope. They believed it was unnecessary to release a single from The Captain and The Kid, which hampered the promotional drive of the album, and ultimately, it failed to hit its assumed heights.
Speaking to Rolling Stone in 2013, John reflected: “The album before this, The Captain and the Kid, was the lost gem of my life. It was telling the continuing story of us, Bernie and Elton, now. I cared so deeply about it, because it was so personal and such a really good record”.
“I was so furious with Interscope Records because they put it out and they dropped it.”
Elton elaborated: “I had meetings in the South of France, and I said, ‘I know this isn’t a commercial album, I just want you to do your best,’ and they dropped it like a fucking turd. It’s probably why I didn’t make another solo record. It was pure heartbreak.”
The sour saga turned him off the music industry, making him question if he even wanted to release another record. Eventually, he finally returned to doing what he was born to do, which wouldn’t have existed had it not been for Leon Russell coaxing him into collaborating on 2010’s The Union.
John explained: “I was so disillusioned. If it hadn’t been for Leon Russell, I wouldn’t have gone back into the studio – a chance call to Leon, just to see how he was doing and to thank him for all he did for me as a young artist, turned into one of the greatest experiences of my life.”
After seven years away, and having his love for the creative process reinvigorated thanks to Russell, he finally reemerged as a soloist in 2013 with The Diving Board.
Now, in 2026, John is retired from touring, but he’s not giving up recording music anytime soon. In recent years, his life has been depleted by losing his eyesight, but that’s still not enough to make him give up doing what he loves most. The songwriting process remains his true love despite a brief divorce following The Captain and The Kid, which almost put him into early retirement.
