ELTON JOHN: Glitter Queen Grows Up. Glitter King Breaks Vow Of Silence
Just after the release of Tumbleweed Connection, Elton John was approached in the Speakeasy Club one evening by Jeff Beck, who asked to join Elton's band. For the next week, they rehearsed solidly. Enter Beck's manager, who suggested that the guitarist should receive 90 per cent of the take and Elton the remaining ten.
ELTON JOHN: Glitter Queen Grows Up. Glitter King Breaks Vow Of Silence.
by
Roy Carr
"...suddenly I really felt old..."
Just after the release of Tumbleweed Connection, Elton John was approached in the Speakeasy Club one evening by Jeff Beck, who asked to join Elton's band.
For the next week, they rehearsed solidly.
Enter Beck's manager, who suggested that the guitarist should receive 90 per cent of the take and Elton the remaining ten.
Enter Dick James who was then acting on behalf of Elton John and who, to the pianist's chagrin, immediately scuppered such a onesided deal.
"Within nine months," James insisted, "Elton will be earning $15,000 a night". And nine months later his prophesy came true.
As regards visiting the States, our budding megastar was not keen. He was more concerned with establishing himself in Europe—I and his only motivation to play the Troubadour in L.A. was to satisfy his vinyl junkie fixation by visiting the world-famous Tower Records supermarket.
But within 10 days of his opening date, he was known coast-to-coast, returning soon after for a full-scale tour as a headliner.