Comment on Elton John’s duet with Blue - 2002

Originally published http://www.spot.no/33887.html

Guilty of Musical Murder

The fact that Geri Halliwell kills “It’s Raining Men”, Ewan McGregor executes “Your Song” and Robbie Williams – assisted by Nicole Kidman - sticks a knife in Frank Sinatra’s back by screeching their way through “Somethin’ Stupid” is in a way okay, I understand that. It’s when the artist sticks the knife in his own back that I don’t understand what on earth is going on.

I’ve now had the, uh, pleasure of hearing Elton John feat Blue (or was it Blue feat Elton?) with “Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word”.

I scratch my neck and one question goes through my head: Why?! When I saw the great news on TV for the first time I thought it was a bad joke. I had read about this somewhere before, but thought the boy band Blue had their own project. That Elton John first of all is involved and second of all sings… it makes me wonder what he gets out of it. And if he feels he needs it? Midlife crisis? It’s just about as rewarding as hearing Whigfield sing “Last Christmas”.

I’ve heard far worse versions of Elton John hits, but also better. This version is supposedly hip and cool, with a gang of pussy boys with voices that doesn’t even reach up to Elton’s knees. They’re probably not meant to either, but I can’t help cringing.

The only thing that’s changed on the song is a little (and when I mean little, I mean little!) more r’n’b-rhythm, the members of the boyband singing one sentence each, until Elton comes in on the second chorus, being accompanied by Blue. Towards the end there’s a sort of duet between the parties, before a thin, charm less voice ends the whole nightmare with sorry seems to be the hardest woooord.

A man once said that marriage without children is a pointless exercise and I guess this best describes this version. A pointless exercise. Why listen to a dry cover version when you have the original? Why listen to the crow when you can have the nightingale?

Elton John was on MTV’s Liquid News where he referred to the fact that George Michael couldn’t understand why Elton would want to duet with Blue. Elton replied by shouting into the camera, “George, get out more!” This pair has worked together on several occasions. In the 80’s they recorded “Nikita” and “Wrap Her Up” for Elton’s album, “Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me” and “Someone Saved My Life Tonight” as pure duets, plus George has sung solo with Elton on piano on “Ticking”, “Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me”, “Candle In The Wind” and “Tonight”. Those who have heard these songs know how a good cover can sound like.

It’s possible that it’s “sorry” that “seems to be the hardest word”, but to me it seems like it’s “sorry” followed by a “no flippin’ way” is harder. But, as Abba sang in 1976, “Money, money, money…”