[This week’s guest blogger, Amy, continues her exploration of favorite cover songs.]
While The Police and Joni Mitchell may have inspired two fabulous covers, it’s difficult to think of an artist who has inspired more great covers than Elton John. The album Two Rooms, released in 1991, is devoted to Elton John covers performed by the likes of Eric Clapton, Sinead O’Connor, The Who, Kate Bush, Sting and Tina Turner (we’ll overlook that Wilson Phillips is also a featured artist).
However, the two EJ covers I love the most were not featured on that album.
The first is George Michael’s performance, actually sung as a duet with Sir Elton John, of ‘Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me.’ First performed at Live Aid, then later released as a single (in 1991), this version, recorded live in Wembley Arena in London, was a far bigger hit than Elton’s solo performance of the song.
The second came a decade later, when Ewan McGregor performed ‘Your Song’ in Baz Luhrmann’s Moulin Rouge. The unabashed sentiment of the song was a perfect vehicle to convey the character of Christian and to set the tone for the spectacularly original musical that Luhrmann had created.
[Ewan McGregor’s ‘Your Song’ was previously featured on Meet Me In Montauk… check it out here.]
All my pictures seem to fade to black and white
I’m growing tired and time stands still before me
Frozen here on the ladder of my life
Too late to save myself from falling
I took a chance and changed your way of life
But you misread my meaning when I met you
Closed the door and left me blinded by the light
Don’t let the sun go down on me
Although I search myself, it’s always someone else I see
I’d just allow a fragment of your life to wander free
But losing everything is like the sun going down on me
I can’t find, oh the right romantic line
But see me once and see the way I feel
Don’t discard me just because you think I mean you harm
But these cuts I have they need love to help them heal
Meet Me In Montauk 
A wonderful song, and moment, for sure. How cool must it have been to be in that arena when Elton walked out and started his verse? I wonder if the crowd had a heads-up that they were shooting a video and a high-profile cameo was on the way.
As for ‘Your Song’ in Moulin Rouge… definitely one of my favorite movie moments ever. Ewan McGregor can retire on that performance (he sort of has, based on his output since!).
Two more great Elton John covers (of the same song): ‘Tiny Dancer’ as performed by Tim McGraw on his Danchall Doctors album, and by Ben Folds on his Ben Folds Live album.
Not to mention the “Tiny Dancer” singalong in Almost Famous. One of my favorite musical or movie moments ever!
A good cover indeed, though I prefer the original. I also like the version done by EJ on his Live in Australia album. Then, of course, there is the version he did at Rush Limbaugh’s wedding (good lord, what was he thinking!).
I agree that it must have been a great moment to have seen Elton John walk out on stage. I somehow must have missed the Ewan McGregor when it was the SOTD, but I just watched it and must say he is wonderful! I disagree about his output since then, just try to see his recent “Ghost Writer”–a wonderful performance.