Thursday 14 January 2010

Elton John 'Passengers'

Chart Peak: 5

DailyMotion

He hasn't been on as many of these as you might think, given his consistent run of hits, and this might not be where he'd have wanted his Now history to start. But here it is anyway, and I have to admit that after years of revisionists telling me how great his "serious" Seventies records were, my contrarian streak has gravitated a little towards this bouncy light-hearted part of his career.

In truth, this song isn't pure novelty. Like the previous Culture Club track, the bouncy tune an call-and-response vocals are supposed to conceal a political message: apparently a version of the train/apartheid metaphor Madness later used to greater effect on 'Waiting For The Ghost Train'. Intentionally or otherwise, though, it's fairly well hidden, especially with the distraction of the gay-James-Bond video (though of course Elton John was married to a woman at this time). Basically, it's difficult to say much for it now, but it was cheery enough for me at the time.

Also appearing on: Now 6, 11, 12, 18, 22, 56, 61 (with 2Pac), 62
Available on: Breaking Hearts

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