Elton John's Next Album Will Rock

Elton John wants to rock out. Feeling inspired from a recent collaboration with Collective Soul, John says that he wants to include a whole slew of younger, more rock-oriented guests on his upcoming live and studio albums. John had bunkered down with Collective Soul in Atlanta (where he keeps one of his homes) to record a track called "Perfect Day" for their next album Blender, on which he plays a piano solo and sings -- and the experience was so much fun, he says, he can't wait to take it to the next level.

"I've always wanted to be in a rock band," he says. "I've always wanted to smash a guitar over someone's head. You just can't do that with a piano."

John has already lined up former Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic, former Soundgarden guitarist Kim Thayil and Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea to play on his next album, which he plans to start working on in Los Angeles in mid-September, with another session slated for February. Meanwhile, John's putting together his wish list for musicians to join him for his Oct. 20 and 21 Madison Square Garden shows, which he plans to record for a live album, due to be released this November.

Although John will be joined by a band composed of musicians from his early days and recent performances -- including Davey Johnstone, Guy Babylon, Bob Bitch, Nigel Olsson, John Jorgenson, Curt Bisquera and John Mahon -- one of the concert's chief attractions is the promise of surprise guests. Not that he could be expected to top his appearance at the Garden in 1974 -- where he was joined by John Lennon in what turned out to be the former Beatle's final concert appearance -- but because the Madison Square Garden shows will also be broadcast on TV in late November/early December, the stakes are high.

Though the set list has already been determined for the Garden shows, John says that he only has one guest lined up so far: Mary J. Blige. "Mary is probably a definite," he says. "She's the only one I know for sure."

Though the list of musicians he'd like to include is quite extensive -- just read his music critic column in Interview to learn his latest raves, such as Amanda Ghost -- John hasn't yet invited many of the likely contenders. Since Moby will be in New York at the same time, he seems a likely candidate (the two performed "Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad?" earlier this year in Los Angeles), but the logistics remain to be worked out. "We've been faxing each other back and forth, and he sends the greatest faxes with little drawings of himself," John says. "I'd love to have him, he's become a dear friend, but he might be too busy. I re-did ["Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad?"] and he hasn't even had time to remix that, and we're supposed to be putting that out."

The Backstreet Boys, should their schedule permit, would also be likely guests, since they performed with John in London's Hyde Park in July on John's current single "Friends Never Say Goodbye," their collaboration on The Road to El Dorado (a video clip of the performance is visible at John's Web site, www.eltonjohn.com). "I'd love to have them," John says, "but we're not even allowed to say that it's them on the single, which in this day and age is ridiculous. It's a shame, really, because by doing that, it's hampering them from playing with other musicians, and when you're young, you want to be able to appear with those that you're fans of, your idols."

John would also like to invite Macy Gray, of whom he's been a fan for quite a while, but worries that "she would be worn out by now," after her tour this summer with Santana. As for Collective Soul, since their tour with Creed is still being routed, they don't know if they could make it to New York in time for the Garden shows, according to frontman Ed Roland. "I'd be honored to, though," Roland says. "He's more up on music than anyone I know. He gave us Travis CDs a year ago."

JENNIFER VINEYARD
(September 2, 2000)