Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (song)

Infobox Single
Name = Goodbye Yellow Brick Road


Artist = Elton John
from Album = Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
B-side = "Screw You"
Released = October 15, 1973
Format = Vinyl Record (7" & 12")
Recorded = Chateau d'Hierouville
Genre = Pop/rock
Length = 3:14
Label = MCA (US/Canada) DJM Records
Writer = Elton John, Bernie Taupin
Producer = Gus Dudgeon
Last single = "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting"
(1973)
This single = "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road"
(1973)
Next single = "Step into Christmas"
(1973)
Misc = Extra tracklisting
Album = Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
Type = studio
Tracks = ;Side One
#"Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding"
#"Candle in the Wind"
#"Bennie and the Jets";Side Two
#"Goodbye Yellow Brick Road"
#"This Song Has No Title"
#"Grey Seal"
#"Jamaica Jerk-Off"
#"I've Seen That Movie Too" ;Side Three
#"Sweet Painted Lady"
#"The Ballad of Danny Bailey (1903-34)"
#"Dirty Little Girl"
#"All the Girls Love Alice" ;Side Four
#"Your Sister Can't Twist (But She Can Rock 'n' Roll)"
#"Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting"
#"Roy Rogers"
#"Social Disease"
#"Harmony"

"Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" is a ballad performed by musician Elton John. The song was written by Bernie Taupin and composed by John for his album "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road". Its musical style and production is heavily influenced by 1970s soft rock. It was widely praised by critics, and some critics have named it John's best song. [Mason, Stewart. [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=33:uyapqo7qojda "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road"] . "Allmusic". Retrieved June 11 2006.]

The song was released in 1973 as the album's second single, and entered the Top Ten in both the United Kingdom and the United States. It was one of John's biggest hits, and surpassed the previous single in sales and popularity quickly following its release.

The band Keane (with Faultline) covered the song for the "" compilation.

The song is featured in Stephen King's novel "Road Work", and was a personal favourite of late musician Elliott Smith. He once listened to the song for eighteen hours straight while doing mushrooms, and wrote the song "Waltz #1". [cite book
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year =2007
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publisher = Chronicle Books
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Critical response

"Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" received a generally positive response from music critics. Allmusic wrote that the song is "a vocal triumph" and a "pinnacle of its style". [ Mason, Stewart. [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=33:uyapqo7qojda "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road"] . "Allmusic". Retrieved June 11 2006.] Janis Schacht of Circus describes it as "delicate and beautiful". [Schacht, Janis. [http://www.superseventies.com/johnelton6.html "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road"] . "Circus Magazine". Retrieved June 11 2006.] "Rolling Stone" ranked the song #380 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, and later commented that the song "harnesse(s) the fantastical imagery of glam to a Gershwin-sweet melody".fact|date=August 2008 Ben and Jerry's later created the ice cream flavor Goodbye Yellow Brickle Road in honor of John's performance in Vermont. [http://www.usatoday.com/life/people/2008-07-15-elton-john-ice-cream_N.htm?csp=34]

Chart performance

The single entered the U.S. charts at #62, the highest debut of that week. In seven weeks it rose to the #2 spot (December 8, 1973), where it stayed for three weeks. In the UK it peaked at #6.

B-Side

The song's flip side was a song called "Screw You", though the U.S. release re-titled the song "Young Man's Blues" so as not to offend conservative record buyers.

Charts

Notes

References

* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/chart/singles.shtml "BBC: The Official UK Charts Company"] . "United Kingdom sales chart". Retrieved June 11 2006.
* [http://billboard.com "Billboard"] . Billboard "Hot 100 airplay and sales charts". Retrieved June 11 2006.