Some of the world’s biggest country artists are celebrating Elton John’s most beloved and legendary catalogue of hits with the new album Restoration (Universal Music Group Nashville) out now. The superstar lineup features artists both new and iconic reinterpreting the timeless songs of the over 50-year writing partnership that Elton and Bernie Taupin share. These renditions and artists show the depth of the catalogue these two icons have created, which can easily cross musical genres and their unparalleled influence across popular music of all styles.
Restoration highlights countries biggest stars with thoughtful interpretations by Dierks Bentley, Rosanne Cash and Emmylou Harris, Miley Cyrus, Vince Gill and Don Henley, Miranda Lambert, Little Big Town, Maren Morris, Kacey Musgraves, Willie Nelson, Brothers Osborne, Chris Stapleton, Rhonda Vincent and Dolly Parton and Lee Ann Womack.
Restoration sees Chris Stapleton deliver a poignant and soulful interpretation of ‘I Want Love’ followed up by Little Big Town’s harmony-rich version of “Rocket Man.”
Elton John says: “It’s always a huge compliment when an artist loves your song enough to take the time and effort to rework it. As songwriters, Bernie and myself are thrilled when singers we admire and respect as much as those on Revamp choose to add their own unique twist in the process. It means that our music is still relevant and ultimately that our songs continue to reach new audiences. We’re humbled and thank them all for their generosity.”
“Because of our love of all kinds of music, we’re not stuck in one genre,” said Bernie Taupin. “From day one we borrowed from everything that’s good about American music – whether it’s blues, country, gospel, pop, pure rock – everything got thrown in the mix. I think that’s why our music over the years has been so varied. It would be tiring if you just got stuck in one niche your entire career, especially when it’s one as long as ours.”
Miley Cyrus says: “Elton John is more than a legend, he’s a pioneer who has inspired me on so many levels. I am honored to join him in his fight against AIDS through his amazing foundation and now to join his series of tribute albums is an honor! I’ve never wanted to be boxed in by anything, especially genre, and Elton gave me the freedom to participate in both the pop and country records. “Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me” has always been special and I really think it’s so timely and appropriate, while “Bitch Is Back” has so much attitude that I feel it really shows my personality and how I feel right now in my life.”
Little Big Town says: “One of the main reasons why we chose Rocket Man was because we were so intrigued by not just of course, Elton John, but by using the sounds from the Juno project so we had all these Jupiter noises and we were like what if we did the acapella version of Rocket Man on the Elton record and Frank Liddell loved that idea and we were off to the races.”
**NASA’s Mission Juno, which launched in 2011, is exploring Jupiter and gradually unlocking some of the secrets of the giant planet and our origins. The sounds from Juno’s Waves radio instrument were used to create the sounds that have been weaved into the harmonies on “Rocket Man”. Dr. Scott Bolton, the Principal Investigator for the Juno mission, worked with Little Big Town and Chris Coleman in helping to incorporate the Juno
Brothers Osborne’s John Osborne says: “Elton kind of plays like a guitar player. He’s really aggressive. He can do finesse, but he also has a lot of grip when he plays, and that’s kind of my style as a guitar player. So it was actually really easy to transition into that.”
Chris Stapleton says, “At any stage of life you can pick out a moment and a place in time, things that were going on and there’s an Elton John song playing somewhere in the background. He’s always going to be present in every musician’s mind and mine as well because his music reaches that far.”
Restoration
Rocket Man – Little Big Town
Mona Lisas And Mad Hatters – Maren Morris
Sacrifice – Don Henley and Vince Gill
Take Me To The Pilot – Brothers Osborne
My Father’s Gun – Miranda Lambert
I Want Love – Chris Stapleton
Honky Cat – Lee Ann Womack
Roy Rogers – Kacey Musgraves
Please – Rhonda Vincent and Dolly Parton
The Bitch Is Back – Miley Cyrus
Sad Songs (Say So Much) – Dierks Bentley
This Train Don’t Stop – Rosanne Cash and Emmylou Harris
Border Song – Willie Nelson
The caliber of names contributing to Restoration is another reminder of Elton’s enduring popularity at a busy and prolific time for the superstar. Last month Elton announced his ‘Farewell Yellow Brick Road’ tour. Comprising of over 300 dates across five continents over three years, the tour kicks off in the US in September and marks the finale of 50 years on the road. The first 60 dates sold out immediately after going on general sale, confirming that the farewell tour will be some of, if not the, hottest gig tickets of the coming three years.
