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Regimental Sgt. Zippo (2021)

Where the lyrics of Regimental Sgt. Zippo take you, and where it was really made.

Elton John's intended debut album was scrapped in favour of Empty Sky, and it stayed unreleased until 2021.

Key places

Recording at Dick James Music offices, London (2021)

Recording site Wild Bunch Studios (London) — The songs were recorded in a four-track studio at the offices of Dick James Music in London. The pin uses the city centre coordinates, not the exact building. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Album story

Overview

• Regimental Sgt. Zippo: the thirty-first studio album by British musician Elton John
• Recorded between November 1967 and May 1968
• Originally intended to be John's debut album
• Scrapped after publisher Dick James did not approve of the musical style
• Remained unreleased for more than 50 years
• Issued in mono on vinyl for Record Store Day in June 2021
• Wider release in July 2022 on stereo vinyl and stereo/mono CD

Background

• Empty Sky (1969) was released instead as John's debut album
• Bernie Taupin and John loved the Beatles and the Moody Blues, but Dick James did not believe that was the right artistic direction
• Taupin described the trippy sound as a tip of the hat to Sgt. Pepper
• Taupin said the album reflected the hits of the time, such as A Whiter Shade of Pale
• Session musicians were associates of John or his manager Steve Brown
• Caleb Quaye and Roger Pope were then members of the band Hookfoot
• Bassist Tony Murray came from the Troggs

Recording

• Recorded in a four-track studio at the offices of Dick James Music
• Caleb Quaye is credited as producer
• Frank Owen is credited as engineer, John Barrett as mixer, and Sean Magee as mastering engineer
• Six tracks on each side, including Turn to Me and Nina

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Tracklist

Sources: musicbrainz.org

Artist

Formation

• Born Reginald Kenneth Dwight in Pinner, Middlesex, on 25 March 1947.
• Won a junior scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music at age 11.
• Formed the blues band Bluesology in 1962; took the name Elton John in 1967.
• Joined DJM Records as a staff songwriter with lyricist Bernie Taupin in 1968.

Members

• Partnered with lyricist Bernie Taupin since 1967; Taupin writes lyrics and John composes the music.
• Backing band over the years included Davey Johnstone, Nigel Olsson, Dee Murray and Ray Cooper.

Career

• Debut album Empty Sky (1969); Honky Château (1972) became his first US number-one album.
• Seven consecutive US number-one albums between 1972 and 1975.
• Composed The Lion King and Aida with Tim Rice; won Academy Awards and a Tony Award.
• Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour (2018–2023) was the highest-grossing tour at the time.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Reception

At release

• Shelved in 1968, before any public release
• Dick James, whose company published John and Taupin's songs, disapproved of the record's musical style
• The project was shelved in favour of Empty Sky (1969)

Records

• Issued in mono on vinyl for Record Store Day, June 2021
• Limited to 7,000 copies in that first vinyl-only release
• Released 53 years after its recording
• Issued on compact disc on 8 July 2022, with both mono and stereo mixes of the complete album
• A stereo vinyl version was released alongside the CD

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• Taupin described the album's trippy sound as a tip of the hat to Sgt. Pepper
• Plastic Penny, whose drummer Nigel Olsson played on Empty Sky, covered Turn to Me in 1969 on their album Currency
• Caleb Quaye, who produced the record, was then a member of Hookfoot
• The album was shelved while the Empty Sky material was chosen as the debut
• It was released on Record Store Day, a shop-based event, before the wider 2022 release

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

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