The movie that convinced Elton John to cover ‘Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds’
At the time of their emergence, very few could comprehend just how earth-shattering the arrival of The Beatles would prove to be. The Fab Four forever altered the course of popular culture, with their impact still very much present in the contemporary era. One prominent musician the Liverpudlian group influenced greatly was Elton John.
At face value, it might seem like a strange assertion, given that Elton John is closely associated with the realm of chart-topping pop stars. But when you strip away the glitz and the glamour, before all else, the ‘Rocket Man’ is a rock ‘n’ roll artist. Galvanised by genre pioneers such as Elvis Presley and Little Richard during his youth, the Beatles significantly affected Elton John’s life trajectory.
After admitting that at first he wasn’t particularly enamoured by The Beatles before the penny eventually dropped, Elton John told the BBC’s Tracks of My Years: “The Beatles were extraordinary. They revolutionised the way things were recorded; even though it was on quite simple equipment, they experimented, and they wrote fantastic songs. ‘We Can Work It Out’ is such a wonderful song.”
The Beatles left such a profound mark on Elton that he would eventually cover one of their best-loved songs when he found fame of his own. In one of his most surprising moments, in 1974, he covered the John Lennon classic ‘Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds’. Elton’s rendition was nothing short of brilliant, becoming one of his most well-received covers. Adding the extra star power to John’s version, it even features Lennon, credited as Dr. Winston O’Boogie, on backing vocals and guitar.
Interestingly, it was a movie that convinced Elton John to cover the song. According to his songwriting partner Bernie Taupin in a 1974 interview with Rolling Stone, after watching The Beatles’ iconic 1968 animated film Yellow Submarine on television, which included the original ‘Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds’, John knew he needed to put his own spin on it.
Reflecting on the audience’s reaction to Elton John first playing the song during his shows, Taupin revealed that it went down a treat. “It went down incredibly well, staggeringly well,” he said. “John Lennon played on it and put his own personality on it”.
Even John Lennon was effusive about Elton’s version. “I love it,” he told Spin. “I was thrilled he [Elton] was doing it.”
Listen to Elton John’s cover of ‘Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds’ below.
Never Miss A Beat
The Far Out Beatles Newsletter
All the latest stories about The Beatles from the independent voice of culture.
Straight to your inbox.