21 at 33 is the fourteenth studio album by British singer/songwriter Elton John, released on 13 May 1980. It was recorded at Super Bear Studios, Nice, France, in August 1979, and Rumbo Recorders and Sunset Sound in Los Angeles, California between January to March 1980.
Two of John's "classic" bandmates, drummer Nigel Olsson and bass player Dee Murray, reunited with him for one song. His backup keyboardist James Newton-Howard returned and performed on almost every track as was the case on Rock of the Westies and Blue Moves. Other musicians included members of The Eagles and Toto as well as Peter Noone from Herman's Hermits.
The title comes from the fact that this was John's 21st album in total at the age of 33. According to the liner notes in the remastered edition of the album, the count includes all standard albums, two "Greatest Hits" compilations, two live albums, as well as the Friends soundtrack, the three-song, 12-inch EP The Thom Bell Sessions and the UK-only "rarities" collection Lady Samantha. The album sold over 900,000 copies in the United States, narrowly missing a Platinum certication.[4]
John has not played any of the material in concert since touring in 1980, with the exception of "Little Jeannie", "White Lady White Powder" and "Sartorial Eloquence". Even "Little Jeannie", which was a huge North American hit (#3 Pop and #1 Adult Contemporary in the United States, and #1 in Canada) is rarely performed, although it was included in the two One Night Only concerts in 2000.[5]
Contents[]
Track listing[edit][]
Side one[edit][]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Chasing the Crown" | Elton John, Bernie Taupin | 5:38 | |
| 2. | "Little Jeannie" | John, Gary Osborne | 5:21 | |
| 3. | "Sartorial Eloquence" | John, Tom Robinson | 4:42 | |
| 4. | "Two Rooms at the End of the World" | John, Taupin | 5:39 |
Side two[edit][]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5. | "White Lady White Powder" | John, Taupin | 4:35 | |
| 6. | "Dear God" | John, Osborne | 3:45 | |
| 7. | "Never Gonna Fall in Love Again" | John, Robinson | 4:07 | |
| 8. | "Take Me Back" | John, Osborne | 3:52 | |
| 9. | "Give Me the Love" | John, Judie Tzuke | 5:23 |
- Five more songs, excluding the B-sides, were recorded during these sessions: "Heart in the Right Place", "Carla/Etude", "Fanfare", "Chloe" and "Elton's Song". They would appear on John's next release,The Fox.
In 2003, Mercury/Universal and The Rocket Record Company reissued the album on CD, remastered by Gary Moore. The lineup contained no bonus tracks.
B-sides[edit][]
| Song | Format |
|---|---|
| "Conquer the Sun" | "Little Jeannie" 7" (US/UK) |
| "Cartier" | "Sartorial Eloquence" 7" (US/UK) |
| "White Man Danger" | "Sartorial Eloquence" 7" (US/UK) |
| "Tactics" | "Dear God" 7" (UK) |
| "Steal Away Child" | "Dear God" 7" (double) (UK) |
| "Love So Cold" | "Dear God" 7" (double) (UK) |
Personnel[edit][]
- Curt Becher: vocals
- Byron Berline: fiddle
- Richie Cannata: alto saxophone
- Lenny Castro: congas
- Bill Champlin: backing vocals
- Joe Chemay: vocals
- Victor Feldman: tambourine
- Chuck Findley: trumpet, trombone
- David Foster: string arrangements
- Clive Franks: tambourine, cowbell
- Glenn Frey: backing vocals
- Venette Gloud: backing vocals
- Max Gronenthal: backing vocals
- Larry Hall: trumpet, flugelhorn
- Don Henley: backing vocals
- Jerry Hey: trumpet, flugelhorn, brass arrangement
- Jim Horn: piccolo, alto and tenor saxophone, brass arrangement
- James Newton Howard: piano, electronic keyboards, Fender Rhodes, Yamaha CS-80
- Elton John: lead and backing vocals, piano, Yamaha electric piano, Wurlitzer electric piano, overdubbed piano
- Bruce Johnston: choir arrangement
- Jon Joyce: vocals
- Steve Lukather: electric guitar
- Reggie McBride: bass guitar
- Dee Murray: bass guitar, backing vocals
- Peter Noone: vocals
- Nigel Olsson: drums
- Gary Osborne: backing vocals
- David Paich: organ
- Bill Reichenbach Jr.: trombone
- Timothy B. Schmit: backing vocals
- Stephanie Spruill: backing vocals
- Alvin Taylor: drums
- Toni Tennille: vocals
- Carmen Twilli: backing vocals
- Larry Williams: tenor saxophone
- Steve Wrather: electric guitar
- Richie Zito: acoustic and electric guitars
Certifications[edit][]
| Region | Certification | Sales/shipments |
|---|---|---|
| Canada (Music Canada)[6] | Gold | 50,000^ |
| France (SNEP)[7] | Gold | 175,500[8] |
| United States (RIAA)[9] | Gold | 500,000^ |
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Charts[edit][]
Chart positions[edit][]
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Year-end charts[edit][]
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