It’s been a while since we’ve had a live number one. And here’s one featuring two of Britain’s best-loved pop stars…
Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me, by George Michael (his 4th of seven #1s) & Elton John (his 3rd of ten #1s)
2 weeks, from 1st December – 15th December 1991
It starts off as George Michael doing a cover of a 1974 Elton John hit. It’s nice enough – Michael is an excellent singer, especially considering that it’s a live recording – but I’m not sure if live recordings are ever better than studio versions. They’re great at capturing the essence of an artist, and sound fine as long as you’re a singer as competent as George Michael. But unless you were there, in the crowd at Wembley Arena in March 1991, is this as enjoyable as it would have been in the studio?
What happens at the end of the first chorus, though, elevates it above most other live singles. The crowd noise rises… something’s happening… and George utters the immortal line: Ladies and gentlemen, Mr Elton John! The crowd’s reaction suggests it was a surprise, arranged for the closing night of Michael’s tour. From then on, this record becomes a moment in pop history. They had already performed the song together at Live Aid in 1985, while at Elton’s recent Glastonbury headline show he touchingly dedicated the song to his late partner in this duet.
What I will say in its favour is that, despite being almost six minutes in length, this cover doesn’t drag. The slow build of the intro and first verse, the revelation, and then the duet are all propelled along by the crowd’s reaction. There’s real drama there. Were this a studio recording then it may well have dragged (which the original does, a bit, despite it eventually reaching a pretty rousing climax, and despite having two out of the five Beach Boys on backing vocals…)
Like the artist they knocked from top spot, Michael Jackson, the 1990s would be among Elton and George’s ‘best’ periods for #1s, despite them being synonymous with earlier decades. It’s only Elton’s second chart-topper of the decade, and that’s already better than his ‘70s and ‘80s returns combined. Meanwhile, apart from his duet with Aretha Franklin, none of Michael’s ‘Faith’ era smashes made number one in the UK.
Aside from the fact that it featured two of the nation’s biggest pop stars, another reason for this record’s instant success (it entered at the top) was that all money raised went to AIDS charities. And our very next chart-topper might explain why, sadly, the disease was at the forefront of the public’s consciousness in late 1991.
The UK Number Ones Blog 
I love both these guys but, I was not fond of this. I love this song but, the two, together? I…….just can’t…. I guess I am old school. Outright remakes are one thing (George Michael singing the song on his own). The blending, live?
I know. I’m weird. I also wouldn’t like Elton helping George sing one of his songs. I didn’t like the “Drift Away” duet with Dobie Gray & Uncle Kracker.
Well, Elton John’s not short of duets, both on original songs and remakes of his hits… It’s one of the reason’s he managed to remain so popular/relevant, I guess.
I didn’t even like his re-written Goodbye Norma Jean for Princess Di. I felt it was lazy of him, not to craft a true Diana song. He and Bernie certainly had the chops to do so. It sidelined Marilyn, though I know Di’s death was sudden. They did manage to craft new lyrics but, all I could think was “they ripped off Norma” & “Di is in the shadow of a song for another woman?”
Like I expressed before, I LOVE Elton and George. And, duets, in general terms don’t bother me if the music is original (I suddenly have Dolly & Kenny in my head, now).
That being said, I do recall loving Elton singing his music with muppets on The Muppet Show.
Yeah the remade Candle in the Wind is a strange record – the biggest selling single of all time, yet nobody will ever listen to it now, plus it kind of ruined the original, too. It was symptomatic of how crazy everyone went in the wake of her death.
She was a beautiful, beloved Princess. Sadly, she understood “her place” in the aristocratic hierarchy. Some say she was murdered. I have no idea. The press can say anything they want and we are left whatever they give us. Insiders be damned.
I remember the televised event where he sat at a piano and sang the edited song. I remember thinking “WTF?”
I think there’s a rather interesting, almost unique status to this song in that Elton released the original in 1974 when he was probably a bit too over-exposed for his own good. He was remarkably prolific – two studio albums in 1973, the second one a double, and then another studio album quite early in 1974, ‘Caribou’, which this one came from. Some of the music journalists, particularly on NME, were doing the old ‘build ’em up, now knock ’em down’ thing, because there was no escaping him. (‘Another new record by Elton? Yawn.’) It got no higher than No. 16. Then some years later, everyone realised this was a much better song than they had realised at the time. So when George and Elton did it together and agreed to give all the money to charity, it was churlish to suggest that they were anything other than heroes. All credit to the guys, but I was never a really fully paid-up fan of George and I still prefer the original. And yes, what remarkable timing it was that the record that knocked it off No. 1 was…
I have to say that, music aside, ‘Caribou’ has some of the worst cover art ever seen!
I think the news about Freddie Mercury broke the weekend before this entered at number one, so I wonder how much that helped this record make such a strong start…?
George Michael was a decent vocalist, and I think he did a nice job with this rendition. And, yes, Sir Elton the John also passed the audition. Together they sounded great as well.
Rating: 3.5/5
I love Elton John’s Caribou. For me, it’s the most underrated album of his. Sir Elton doesn’t even like the album that much but I love it. “The Bitch is Back” is my favourite rocker of his, and “Grimsby” is also a great song. However, the original “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me” is my least favourite hit of his of the 70s. I’d give it a 2.5/5. For me, it’s too long and too slow and I don’t think the climax is even worth the build-up. Still, it’s way better than his horrendous cover of “Johnny B. Goode”.
Somehow, George Michael’s presence improves this song for me. He does a spectacular job with his vocals.
He did do a good job and of course Elton did. I agree with you about studio vs live… but in this case doing it live just works to it’s advantage.
I was in Atlanta last week…drove by Elton’s place…the first two floors in a high rise condo unit.
Oh yeah? Had no idea he had a house in Atlanta… Though I imagine he has quite a few dotted around the world!
Yes and one day I was down there and I went into Whole Foods…the workers told me I just missed Elton John coming in…he place is across the street.
Oh that would have been cool. There aren’t many bigger celebrity sightings to be had than Elton…
I was a bit too late…the story of my life.
Not a fan of this – as others have said, love George, love Elton, approve of the charity cash, both were generous in so many ways. It’s just so lifeless though. When this song came out for Elton I was still pissed Bennie & The Jets had been ignored in the UK, a brilliant huge hit bunged on the B side of the dreary Candle In The Wind. And then he went and released an even bigger dirge in Don’t Let The Sun! It took me almost 20 years to start to realise it’s quite a good song, I bought the early 90’s cd reissue and loved it for the rest of the year.
And then this went and ruined it all over again for me! Happily back in 74, Elton had Bitch, Lucy and the brilliant Philadelphia Freedom to help me get back on board of team-Elton 🙂