Elton John's new album, The Lockdown Sessions, is out today and it features the music legend collaborating with a real who’s who list of superstars including Stevie Nicks, Stevie Wonder, Dua Lipa, Eddie Vedder, the late Glen Campbell, Miley Cyrus, and Chad Smith from the Red Hot Chili Peppers among others.
Sir Elton recorded these collaborations over the past 18 months and he says the making of an album was the last thing he expected during the coronavirus lockdown:
"It started in March 2020 when I met Charlie Puth at a restaurant in Los Angeles and he said, 'Look, I got a studio if you feel like coming up while you're here and writing something.' So I did. And the next day I worked on the Surfaces track. And then Damon Albarn asked me to play on Gorillaz, Rina Sawayama asked me to do a duet and play piano on 'Chosen Family,' I did a Metallica-Miley Cyrus track. So gradually I got an album coming together. So, voila out of nothing ... it's all Charlie Puth's fault basically."
Elton also says he's never done learning:
"I learn something from each artist that I work with that I wouldn't normally have learned -- from Stevie Nicks, from Stevie Wonder, Sam Lewis to Little Nas X -- I learned something from each of them. And, if you're my age, which I'm 74 now and you can still be learning from other musicians, that's the greatest gift of all. You can never stop learning as a musician. If you shut your mind off and say I've done it all now, you know, I can do everything now. I don't need to hear anything else, for me that's the dead end. I'm more excited now about music than I've ever been."
The Lockdown Sessions will be available to fans on CD, cassette, vinyl and digitally.
Elton says his next record will be another with longtime collaborator Bernie Taupin.
Here’s a look at ‘The Lockdown Sessions’ song list.
- Elton & Dua Lipa – "Cold Heart (PNAU Remix)" – Elton’s first major pop hit in years
- Elton, Young Thug & Nicki Minaj – "Always Love You"
- Surfaces featuring Elton John – "Learn to Fly"
- Elton & Charlie Puth – "After All"
- Rina Sawayama & Elton – "Chosen Family"
- Gorillaz featuring Elton & 6LACK – "The Pink Phantom"
- Elton & Years & Years – "It's a Sin (Global Reach Mix)"
- Miley Cyrus featuring WATT, Elton, Yo-Yo Ma, Robert Trujillo & Chad Smith – "Nothing Else Matters"
- Elton & SG Lewis – "Orbit"
- Elton & Brandi Carlile – "Simple Things"
- Jimmie Allen & Elton – "Beauty in the Bones"
- Lil Nas X featuring Elton – "One of Me"
- Elton & Eddie Vedder – "E-Ticket"
- Elton & Stevie Wonder – "Finish Line"
- Elton & Stevie Nicks – "Stolen Car"
- Glen Campbell & Elton – "I’m Not Gonna Miss You"
[Source: Classic Hits Today]