Last week I downloaded a torrent of a Spirit gig recorded in Chicago in May 1975 (the same tour that resulted in the Spirit of 76 album).
The version of Hey Joe that they performed is rather bizarre as Randy changes the lyrics to launch a continued attack on Elton John.
I searched online to see if I could uncover the source of his beef with Elton – other than the huge album sales and ticket prices mentioned in the song – and in doing so found that there is a version on YouTube.
Here it is. Meanwhile I’m none the wiser about the cause of Randy’s disdain.
Do any older Afterworders have any insight into this?
Randy California v Elton John – Captain Fantastic is Captain Bulls**t
by 13 Comments
Could it have anything to do with the fact that, around that time, Elton John was part-owner of the Los Angeles Aztecs soccer team? Randy California was born in Los Angeles. Maybe he was pissed off at an English guy moving in on his territory? Just a thought.
It’s difficult to imagine how colloss’ Elton was in the US during the mid-70s. It could be like someone now having a go at, say, Ed Sheeran.
I’d have a go at Ed Sheeran.
Tosser.
Why dat? He always seems a decent enough cove to me, in interviews and stuff. Crap musically, mind. Although I really like his cover of Frank Ocean’s ‘Swim Good’.
Whaaat? That’s a thing? ‘Swim Good’ is possibly my favourite FO song. Must investigate post-haste.
‘Swim Good’ is my motto in life.
Thanks for that Gary. It’s OK and he sings it well, but it doesn’t have the desparate sadness of Frank’s version which is what I love.
It sounds as though it was Elton’s Philadelphia Freedom that particularly irked Randy California.
This was leading up to the bicentennial & here was an Englishman praising Philadelphia & Freedom – when the USA broke away from the UK (that moan about George VI – wrong one it was George III)
However: the song was actually written for Billie Jean King’s World Team Tennis team The Philadelphia Freedoms (although Taupin did a more general song about the place)
As Moose said, Elt was mega in 1975, but EJ said in an interview in June 75
In America I’ve got ‘Philadelphia Freedom’ going up the charts again. I wish the bloody thing would piss off. I can see why people get sick and tired of me. In America I get sick and tired of hearing myself on AM radio. It’s embarrassing
I was always more interested in the prob Elton had with Bowie- surely it had something deeper than just a tiff about who nicked what re ‘Space Oddity/Rocket Man’? Anybody know?
I didn’t know they had a problem with each other.
I remember reading an interview with Bowie many years ago where the journo was wearing an Elton John t-shirt, causing Bowie to remark that Elton was “a cunt” and adding “one day I’ll tell you why”. Elton has said their falling out was due to Bowie referring to him as rock’s “token queen” (see link below). Although that seems unlikely. In every book I’ve read about Bowie practically everyone describes him as very “charming”, whereas Elton himself has admitted that he was very unpleasant to everyone during his drink and drug years.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/elton-john-says-he-fell-out-with-david-bowie-over-token-queen-comment-a6873271.html
Interesting. Thanks Gary.
Shame HPBurt’s not reading this – he’d have the dirt on what Randy was on about and why.