Get your tape recorders primed ‘cos tomorrow sees the start of a weekend of the sort usually reserved for blockbuster movies hoping to post record openings. 6 days, yes that’s 6 whole days, packed into one Elton John Weekend on Radio 2.
Elton John Weekend on Radio 2
Trevor Nelson kicks things off on Wednesday with a special version of his Soul Show, promising cover versions of Elton’s classic hits and rare gems. Anyone who watched the BBC’s coverage of the Olympic opening and closing ceremonies may well feel like giving this a miss, but Trevor Nelson is rather more erudite on the subject of soul so this should be interesting.
On Thursday and Friday we get a couple of repeats: a recording of the Red Piano show from London’s O2 Arena, and a compilation of BBC performances down the years entitled Elton@TheBeeb. Monday features a rerun of Johnnie Walker’s very entertaining look at the making and reception of Goodbye Yellow Brick Road.
Paul Gambaccini presents an Elton John-themed America’s Greatest Hits on Saturday and on Sunday Terry Wogan welcomes Nik Kershaw and Kiki Dee for a chat and a couple of songs including Don’t go Breaking My Heart which, if you haven’t heard Kiki’s solo version, is well worth a listen. Also on Sunday, Elaine Paige looks back at Elton’s theatrical writing career, with shows including Billy Elliot and The Lion King.
Saving the best ‘til last Bank Holiday Monday welcomes Elton the DJ, presenting a two-hour show starting at 4pm. The playlist for The Elton John Show has been hand-picked and features some of his favourite artists, including The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Amy Winehouse, Little Richard, The Scissor Sisters and The Beatles. Elton says whittling down his favourites to just two hours was an almost impossible task, and that he could happily go on for a week and still not get everything in!
Elton, great music, wonderful stories…I hardly need to tell you to listen to it do I?
And, don’t think about going anywhere because later that evening you get the chance to hear a rare interview with Bernie Taupin, covering the creative impulses behind his 45-year partnership with Elton, his work as a painter, and his enthusiasms for horses, American roots music and Western movies.
For those of you who are outside the UK, all these shows should be available on
BBC Radio 2 where you can find more information about this special weekend. You may also want to buy this week’s issue of the Radio Times which features an interview with Elton.
Nik Kershaw has the honour of being the first act I saw live, when he supported Elton at Wembley Arena in ’89. I remember his backing singer being dressed in a skirt suit and swaying along at the corner of the stage. It seemed odd then, it seems odd now!