Elton John & Leon Russell

Elton John，1947年3月25日出生于伦敦。他四岁开始学习钢琴，曾在皇家音乐学院的比赛中获业余学士奖。随后，Elton John迷上了摇滚音乐。并在1961年成了R&B乐队的一名新成员。
1967年，Elton John加盟英国音乐公众交易公司负责音乐广告。稍后，他和抒情诗人伯尼.托平以及音乐出版商联手合作演出。
1968年，他们与飞利普公司签约，推出了第一支单曲《我深爱你已久》，但没能如愿冲上排行榜。1969年的单曲《萨玛莎女士》也不见起色。这一年Elton John的首张专辑《虚阔的天空》面世。
1970年，Elton John和美国尤尼唱片公司推出的单曲《边境之歌》，打入了排行榜第四位。同年10月，专辑《Elton John》也进入了排行榜的第四位，这张专辑的内容严肃而高雅，大多以管乐作为歌曲的前景音乐。这年，第一个Elton John翻唱乐队成立，合作伙伴新增了姆瑞和奥尔森等人。
1971年，乐队录制的特别专辑《风滚草的联结》。其歌曲以古老的西部为主题，深受歌迷的欢迎，它进入了排行榜的第五位。从此，Elton John、姆瑞和奥尔森开始展示他们狂野古怪的音乐风格。这种风格形成了70年代Elton John舞台形象的根。在一次巡回演出中他竟站在钢琴上狂舞不已！
1972年，Elton John的音带和演出在乐迷中产生了令人艳羡的反响。专辑《淌水的疯子》在排行榜中位居榜首达五个星期之久。从此，Elton John成了乐坛明星。
在接下来的四年中。Elton John一路青云很快成为世界顶级摇滚巨星。这期间，他所推出的专辑《别开枪，我只是个弹琴的》(Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player)、《再见，黄金路》(Goodbye Yellow Brick Road)和《疯狂上将和黄土牛仔》(Capitain Fantastic And the Brown Dirt Cowboy)均高居歌坛榜首数周之久。此外，进入排行榜首的单曲还在《鳄鱼石》(Crocodile Rock)、《伯尼和黑玉》(Benme And the Jets)、《费城的自由》(Philadelphia Freedom)等。Elton John的狂野的形象得到了歌迷们近似狂野的欢呼回应。每次演出的门票往往脱销。1976年，他打破了滚石乐队在纽约曼迪逊广场花园的卖座率。连续七天场场爆满，收入超过100万元。
1977年，Elton John曾宣布将告别乐坛。1978年也曾决定结束他和托平直到1983年的专辑《低于零》推出后才终止的合作关系，但结果Elton John并未退隐。1979年，他又开始了巡回演出，不过风格和个性特色都平淡了许多。
之后，Elton John继续巡回演出和录唱专辑。1983年，单曲《我猜那是他们叫它布鲁斯的原因》在排行榜名列第四。1984年的《悲伤的歌曲说出了许多》排在第五。1986年的《尼吉它》排在第七。1987年的《风中摇曵亽的烛光》排名第六。1988年的《我不想和你继续下去》排名第二。加上1983年推出的优秀摇滚作品专辑《我们站立着》(We're Still Standing)等，都堪称是Elton John职业生涯中最优秀的的代表作。
进入90年代，Elton John仍然活跃在摇滚乐的舞台上。1992年，他在生球的巡回演出倍受欢迎。其新旧作品经常被许多电台争相选播。
Elton John的舞台形象以摇滚乐的发展具有决定性的影响。随着名气的不断加大，他狂热的舞台演出由原来的卓越庄严变得有点滑稽荒谬，表演服装过于艳丽奇异却常令乐迷们倾倒。在演出中，他的打扮有时犹如来自渺茫天际的牛仔，有量则满头的金辫子配戴着官帽，就象一位香蕉共和国的独裁者。有70年代中期，Elton John被誉为摇滚乐坛的自由神。
Elton John将传统和摇滚音乐演变为摇滚奇观，他创造出的新舞台美感预示了摇滚不再是一种情感宣泄的方式，而是大众娱乐的一种新形式。
1994年，他为动画片《狮子王》(Lion King)作曲并演唱的原声唱片Can You Feel the Love Tonight销售了1000万张以上，歌曲本身还荣获了奥斯卡、金球奖、格莱美等多项大奖。
1997年10月，Elton John为悼念英国王妃戴安娜，自弹自唱改写的《风中之烛》(Candle in the Wind)传遍了全球。
1999年，Elton John又为迪斯尼的舞台音乐剧《阿依达》重新创作了21首乐曲。
Leon Russell的艺人档案
by Jason Ankeny
The ultimate rock & roll session man, Leon Russells long and storied career includes collaborations with a virtual whos who of music icons spanning from Jerry Lee Lewis to Phil Spector to the Rolling Stones. A similar eclecticism and scope also surfaced in his solo work, which couched his charmingly gravelly voice in a rustic yet rich swamp pop fusion of country, blues and gospel. Born Claude Russell Bridges on April 2, 1942, in Lawton, OK, he began studying classical piano at age three, a decade later adopting the trumpet and forming his first band. At 14, Russell lied about his age to land a gig at a Tulsa nightclub, playing behind Ronnie Hawkins & the Hawks before touring in support of Jerry Lee Lewis. Two years later, he settled in Los Angeles, studying guitar under the legendary James Burton and appearing on sessions with Dorsey Burnette and Glen Campbell. As a member of Spectors renowned studio group, Russell played on many of the finest pop singles of the 1960s, also arranging classics like Ike & Tina Turners monumental River Deep, Mountain High; other hits bearing his input include the Byrds Mr. Tambourine Man, Gary Lewis & the Playboys This Diamond Ring, and Herb Alperts A Taste of Honey.
In 1967, Russell built his own recording studio, teaming with guitarist Marc Benno to record the acclaimed Look Inside the Asylum Choir LP. While touring with Delaney & Bonnie, he scored his first songwriting hit with Joe Cockers reading of Delta Lady, and in 1970, upon founding his own Shelter Records imprint, he also organized Cockers legendary Mad Dogs and Englishmen tour. After the subsequent tour film earned Russell his first real mainstream notoriety, he issued a self-titled solo LP, and in 1971 appeared at George Harrisons Concert for Bangladesh following sessions for B.B. King, Eric Clapton, and Bob Dylan. After touring with the Rolling Stones, Russell increasingly focused on his solo career, reaching the number two spot with 1972s Carny and scoring his first pop hit with the single Tight Rope. While the success of 1973s three-LP set Leon Live further established his reputation as a top concert draw, response to the country inspired studio effort Hank Wilsons Back was considerably more lukewarm, as was the reception afforded to 1974s Stop All That Jazz. 1975s Will O the Wisp, however, restored his commercial luster, thanks in large part to the lovely single Lady Blue.
In June of 1975, Russell married singer Mary McCreary; the following year the couple collaborated on The Wedding Album, issued through his newly formed Paradise Records label. Also in 1976, the Russell-penned This Masquerade earned a Grammy Award for singer George Benson. He and McCreary reunited for 1977s Make Love to the Music, and upon completing the solo Americana, Russell teamed with Willie Nelson for 1979s Willie & Leon. He then spent the next two years touring with his bluegrass band, the New Grass Revival, issuing a live LP in 1981; although Paradise shut down later that year, the label was reactivated for 1984s Hank Wilson, Vol. II and Solid State. Russell spent the remainder of the decade largely outside of music and did not resurface until issuing the Bruce Hornsby produced Anything Can Happen in 1992. The album appeared to little fanfare, however, and another long period of relative inactivity followed prior to the 1998 release of Hank Wilson, Vol. 3: Legend in My Time. Face in the Crowd appeared a year later.