Currently listening to...

...this utterly simple but profoundly moving song written by English singer-songwriter Lesley Duncan. She sings it here with Elton John on his album "Tumbleweed Connection" from 1971. While the lyrics represent something positive and uplifting, the melody and chord progression give this piece a weight and a plaintive sadness, as though Duncan and John are pleading for this world to have a perspective that probably won't happen...underlined by the addition of the sound of waves and people enjoying themselves but far away, out of reach...

https://www.eltonjohn.com/

"Blue Moves" by Elton John

In the space of three years, between 1973 and 1975, Elton John released five career-defining albums. He and lyricist Bernie Taupin were at the height of their powers, creating the double album "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" featuring the iconic "Candle In The Wind" and "Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting," the album "Caribou" with the unforgettable "The B*itch Is Back" and the epic, tragic "Ticking," the autobiographical album "Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy," and finally "Rock of the Westies" which felt a little like a continuation of "Captain Fantastic." They were all stellar albums full of great songs and #1 hits. I was a kid then, and a huge Elton John fan... each of those albums was bought for me for Christmas or my birthday (thanks mom and dad!). But the album immediately following, 1976's "Blue Moves" was in a way, a sort of crown on the previous run of albums. It is moody, dense, and a culmination of the songwriting that came before it. It remains an underrated album (with its cover by British artist Patrick Proctor, previously here) but I think one of his best. Like the cover, the entire album is an intriguing, layered oil painting. Here are some marvelously crafted and orchestrated tracks that stand out for me.

https://www.eltonjohn.com/

"Tiny Dancer" by Elton John

Yes, 46 years after its release, the classic Elton John song "Tiny Dancer" now has an official video!

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of their songwriting partnership, Elton John and Bernie Taupin gave new filmmakers the chance to create official music videos for three iconic Elton hits. A panel of industry renowned judges selected three winning filmmakers who went on to receive support from YouTube and top production studios to bring their ideas to life.

And here is Max Weiland's winning film for "Tiny Dancer," a very moving exploration of people, and their loneliness and interactions, all behind the wheels of their cars in and around Los Angeles. And as usual when Los Angeles is a feature (see films like the noir classic "The Big Sleep," the Coen Brothers' demented "Barton Fink," or David Lynch's modern masterpiece "Mulholland Drive") the city itself becomes a character as well. Indeed, this video recalls for me the brilliant, kaleidoscopic, stunning narrative of another L.A.-centric film, "Magnolia" by Paul Thomas Anderson.

http://www.eltonjohn.com/

BEAUTY: Painting--Patrick Procktor

A painter of great renown in the 60s, friend to David Hockney, Francis Bacon, Cecil Beaton, and Derek Jarman, Patrick Procktor died in 2003 at the age of 67, virtually unknown and penniless; he painted the glorious “The Guardian Readers” in shades of blue which was used for the cover of the Elton John album, “Blue Moves.”

Above: Procktor in St. Tropez, 1968

Patrick Procktor Obituary from The Guardian

UPDATE: I have been contacted by Ian Massey, Subject Leader in Communication Arts and Design at Huddersfield University in Yorkshire, England, to tell me of his just-published book "Patrick Procktor: Art and Life" from Unicorn Press. It seems like a marvelous study of Procktor's life and work. Read about the book here and read a review from the Spectator Book Club here. His book is available from Amazon.