Sacrifice/ELTON JOHN

[Cao Xuan Thanh <m1411@mech.tottori-u.ac.jp>]

(1) "Sacrifice"  from 1989 album 'Sleeping with the past': the song chart story

+Sept. 1989 the album released, initially hits UK#6 and US#23
+Nov. 1989 the single 'sacrifice' penned by E.John&Taupin from the album initially peaks           
at UK#55 .It reached US#18 on 31 March 1990.
+June 1990 : revived release of "sleeping with the past" hits UK#1 (!!!)
+June 23 1990 : re-issued after continuous airplay, 'sacrifice' finally hits UK#1 (!!!).

(2) How did the name E.John come.
Born named Reg Dwight
When he was 14, Reg Dwight joined a local band in his home town , Pinner , called 
Bluesology. Over the next 6 years, the band turned professional and got a lot of work  
backing US artists such as Doris Troy, The Ink Spots when they toured Britain.
Dwight left the band in 1967, feeling it was going nowhere  and after a few well-known 
twists and turns set up his famous songwriting partnership with B.Taupin.
Persuaded by their new publisher, D.James, that he could do with more of a showbiz NAME, 
his thoughts turned to a mix and match of two 1966 latecomers to the Bluesology line-up : 
saxophonist ELTON Dean and singer Long JOHN Baldry. When he officially changed from Red 
Dwight to ELTON JOHN by deed poll in the mid-'70s, he added the jokey "Hercules" as a 
middle name too.

CXT