Elton John Tribute Albums to Include Don Henley, Queens of the Stone Age and Others
Two new Elton John tribute albums will be released on April 6. The first, Revamp, shows off interpretations of John's catalog from rock and pop artists, while Restoration includes covers by country acts.
Don Henley, Queens of the Stone Age, Willie Nelson, Coldplay, the Killers and Emmylou Harris are among the artists who have lent their talents to the projects.
“It's always a huge compliment when an artist loves your song enough to take the time and effort to rework it,” John said in a press release. “As songwriters, Bernie [Taupin] and myself are thrilled when singers we admire and respect as much as those on Revamp & Restoration choose to add their own unique twist in the process. It means that our music is still relevant and ultimately that our songs continue to reach new audiences. We're humbled and thank them all for their generosity.”
Henley teams up with new Eagle Vince Gill for "Sacrifice," while Queens of the Stone Age covers "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road," a song they performed in concert back in February and which you can watch below. (John played piano and sings on "Fairweather Friends," a cut from QOTSA's 2013 album ...Like Clockwork.) Willie Nelson contributes "Border Song," Coldplay tackle the Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy deep cut "We All Fall In Love Sometimes" and Harris sings a duet with Rosanne Cash on "This Train Don't Stop."
While there's no overlap in songs between the two records, Miley Cyrus is the only act who will appear on both, singing "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" on Revamp and "The Bitch Is Back" on Restoration.
The track listings for both albums can be found below.
John said that he worked on Revamp, while Taupin's self-described "obsession with Americana" resulted in him curating Restoration. As the lyricist sees it, the diversity of musicians involved reflects how the duo has approached songwriting over the years.
“Because of our love of all kinds of music, we’re not stuck in one genre,” noted Taupin. “From day one we borrowed from everything that’s good about American music -- whether it’s blues, country, gospel, pop, pure rock -- everything got thrown in the mix. I think that’s why our music over the years has been so varied. It would be tiring if you just got stuck in one niche your entire career, especially when it’s one as long as ours.”
Revamp and Restoration aren't the first major tribute albums dedicated to John's catalog. Two Rooms from 1991 included covers by such acts as Eric Clapton, the Who, Jon Bon Jovi and Sting.
Various Artists, 'Revamp' Track Listing
1. "Bennie and the Jets" -- Elton John, P!nk, Logic
2. "We All Fall in Love Sometimes" -- Coldplay
3. "I Guess That’s Why They Call It the Blues" -- Alessia Cara
4." Candle in the Wind" -- Ed Sheeran
5. "Tiny Dancer" -- Florence + the Machine
6. "Someone Saved My Life Tonight" -- Mumford & Sons
7. "Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word" -- Mary J. Blige
8. "Don’t Go Breaking My Heart" -- Q-Tip feat. Demi Lovato
9. Mona Lisas And Mad Hatters -- The Killers
10. "Daniel" -- Sam Smith
11. "Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me" -- Miley Cyrus
12. "Your Song" -- Lady Gaga
13. "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" -- Queens of the Stone Age
Various Artists, 'Restoration' Track Listing
1. "Rocket Man" -- Little Big Town
2. "Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters" -- Maren Morris
3. "Sacrifice" -- Don Henley and Vince Gill
4. "Take Me to the Pilot" -- Brothers Osborne
5. "My Father’s Gun" -- Miranda Lambert
6. "I Want Love" -- Chris Stapleton
7. "Honky Cat" -- Lee Ann Womack
8. "Roy Rogers" -- Kacey Musgraves
9. "Please" -- Rhonda Vincent and Dolly Parton
10. "The Bitch Is Back" -- Miley Cyrus
11. "Sad Songs (Say So Much)" -- Dierks Bentley
12. "This Train Don’t Stop" -- Rosanne Cash and Emmylou Harris
13. "Border Song "-- Willie Nelson