3 Surprising Elton John Collaborations That Make Us Admire Him Even More

Elton John is no stranger to collaborations. According to his official website, John has taken part in more than 175 such appearances. His most iconic collaborations include “Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me” with George Michael; “That’s What Friends Are For” with Dionne Warwick, Gladys Knight, and Stevie Wonder; “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” with Kiki Dee; and “Whatever Gets You Thru The Night” with John Lennon.

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John debuted in 1969 with Empty Sky. Since then, he’s remained curious about new music and new artists, and continues to surprise us, as you’ll hear on the collaborations below.

“Sick Love” with Red Hot Chili Peppers from ‘The Getaway’ (2016)

John and his longtime lyricist Bernie Taupin co-wrote “Sick Love” with the Red Hot Chili Peppers. The song appears on the Los Angeles band’s 11^th studio album, The Getaway, which features guitarist Josh Klinghoffer, who held the seat in John Frusciante’s temporary absence. The album—produced by Danger Mouse—is also notable for Rick Rubin’s absence. (Rubin has been behind the mixing desk for most of the band’s defining releases.) Though John doesn’t sing on the track, his piano chords add another layer to the Chili Peppers’ Band of Gypsys’ funk.

“Fairweather Friends” with Queens Of The Stone Age from ‘…Like Clockwork’ (2013)

When John called Josh Homme about a collaboration, the QOTSA singer wasn’t convinced it was really John on the phone. “It took me a minute to work out if I was being punked or not,” Homme said. “He came in and we tracked a rock song live together, which was a wonderful experience.” Whereas John could have chosen to play on one of the album’s softer tracks, he seemed to be more interested in what Homme called “strange chemistry.”

“Two Fingers Of Whiskey” with Jack White from ‘The American Epic Sessions’ (2017)

The documentary The American Epic Sessions features artists tracking songs to an early recording system from 1925. Accompanied by Jack White on guitar, John improvises a song using lyrics written by Taupin. The unedited piece captures the spontaneity often lacking on modern recordings, with the endless ability to edit and polish performances. White, of course, became famous with The White Stripes, who used bare-bones minimalism and analog recording as a reaction against overproduction. John and White both proved how they became legends without studio trickery.

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