While this channel has had uploads of Elton John’s appearance on the UK music television program “The Tube” in the past, this version is above all of them as not only is the quality more pleasing to listen to, but we have Elton’s complete appearance (without missing songs or cuts) available to listen to. Thanks to the combined efforts of “TSS_Killer” (for sending me a Japanese digital broadcast of three songs) and the complete video being posted on Youtube by various channels, all five songs that Elton performed are available for your listening pleasure!

“This Town,” “Sad Songs (Say So Much),” and “Nikita” are sourced from the Japanese digital broadcast which has excellent quality with a great mix. Various speeches, a bit of “Nikita,” and the first half of “Burn Down The Mission” is sourced from the original copy that was once featured on this channel. Finally, the second half of “Burn Down The Mission” and “Restless” are brand-new additions to this upload and they are sourced from the complete video that is featured on Youtube.

This short set is a great preview for the upcoming 1985/1986 world tour as the performances highlight the prowess of Elton’s new band as there is great chemistry between everybody on stage. Elton sounds very strong with his matured tenor really shining throughout his mid range and the powerful and resonant voice that has been developing for the last few years is really put on display for these performances. While he continues the punchy and aggressive/overdriven singing that defined most of his performances from 1984, Elton also puts a bit more emphasis on resonant belting in his mid range and this leads to a very strong base voice which fits a variety of vocal styles and different types of songs. Now, time to talk about these performances!

“This Town” makes its live debut on “The Tube” and it’s an extremely consistent and energetic performance as Elton sings the song better than the record version. The band also shines on this live performance as the more natural live sound brings out all of the instruments in a way that the studio version doesn’t. “Sad Songs (Say So Much)” has a slower tempo compared to versions from 1984, but this allows the song to breathe a bit more (especially with this new band playing) and Charlie Morgan’s drumming sounds especially good. Elton also sings the Breaking Hearts hit single with a ton of grit and aggression which gives the overall sound of the song more of a R&B edge. The first live version of “Nikita” is a very convincing and strong version as the new band shine in the live environment (when compared to the studio version) and Elton delivers the Ice On Fire hit single with a better vocal tone compared to the version on the record. Despite flubbing the lyrics in the second verse (which Elton laughs at on the video), this performance still ranks highly for the era. “Burn Down The Mission” is the first live performance since 1974 and Elton’s matured voice sounds amazing on the track. The more resonant voice sounds especially good in the chorus sections as the demanding high notes have a thickness and power that wasn’t heard on versions from the previous decade. Elton also gives his all during the outroduction section and the musicianship is wonderful throughout (Charlie Morgan has said that this is his favorite Elton John song to play live). Lastly, “Restless” is one of the funniest performances of the song as Elton messes around with the vocal phrasings throughout and he doesn’t have a clue on what the lyrics are (on the video, he looks at Davey Johnstone while laughing during the lyrical issues). In contrast, Elton really puts a lot of effort into his piano playing and it sounds pretty lively. While the band sound pretty tight musically, the performance has a bit of the “work-in-progress” effect as the backing vocalist’s parts aren’t as prominent as the versions on the tour proper.

ENJOY!!!

Note: At this stage, “Bennie And The Jets” was considered to be thrown off the set-list for the upcoming tour as Elton makes remarks about it before “Restless.”

Note 2: For the videos of all of the performances… see below:

[ Ссылка ] (This Town)
[ Ссылка ] (Sad Songs)
[ Ссылка ] (Nikita)
[ Ссылка ] (Burn Down The Mission)
[ Ссылка ] (Restless)

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