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56 Years Ago, Elton John Released His First Charting Song That Later Became a Hit for Aretha Franklin: “We Were Gobsmacked”
Receiving little commercial attention with his 1969 debut Empty Sky, Elton John was still searching for his first career on April 24 in 1970, when he released the single “Border Song”.
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The singer’s longtime writing partner, Bernie Taupin, wrote the first two verses of the gospel-inflected track. Feeling that “Border Song was too short, Elton John “just plunked the other one in,” said the EGOT winner in 2020.
“The sentiments in that song, in fact, didn’t mean anything,” Taupin added. “The great thing about Elton’s last verse was he tried to put it all into perspective. That song is probably two totally separate songs.”
Released as the second single on his self-titled sophomore album, “Border Song” wasn’t exactly the commercial smash they had been hoping for. It peaked at No. 34 on the Canadian charts. In October 1970, it reached No. 92 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Still, this marked John’s first chart appearance in any country. Later, the album would give him his first Top 10 single in “Your Song”.
[RELATED: 3 Elton John Songs That Bernie Taupin Didn’t Write]
Elton John and Bernie Taupin “Nearly P—ed Our Pants” When Aretha Franklin Covered The Song
Later, “Queen of Soul” Aretha Franklin recorded a version of “Border Song” for her 1972 album Young, Gifted and Black.
After her death on Aug. 16, 2018, at age 76, Elton John recalled his and Taupin’s excitement when they learned that the 18-time Grammy winner had covered their song.
“Can you imagine two young writers, white boys from England…We were gobsmacked,” he said. “In fact, we nearly p—ed our pants in sheer delight at the fact the woman we loved so much then and grew to love even more afterward would actually record one of our songs.”
By this time, Franklin had already scored a string of No. 1 hits including “Respect” and “Chain of Fools”. While her rendition of “Border Song” fared better than the original on the charts, it topped out at No. 37 on the Hot 100.
In 1993, the two linked up for a show-stopping duet of “Border Song” during the TV special Aretha Franklin: Duets. During an October 2018 stop in Franklin’s hometown of Detroit, John performed the song in her honor.
“I loved her so much,” he told the crowd. “I used to call her on her birthday sometimes and wish her a happy birthday, to say thank you — not just for being Aretha, but for every piece of music she made that inspired me.”
Featured image by Tony Russell/Redferns/Getty Images
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