The pensive, shadowy ambience of some of what they made together was offset by the ebullience of вЂњTake Me To The PilotвЂќ and the romanticism of вЂњI Need You To Turn ToвЂќ вЂ“ and, of course, of the opening вЂњYour Song,вЂќ which would soon transform EltonвЂ™s entire career. And we knew then that we had to get him to produce my second album.вЂќ When Gus heard the demos of вЂњYour SongвЂќ and вЂњThe King Must Die,вЂќ he was sold. Elton later remembered: вЂњWe had heard вЂSpace Oddity,вЂ™ which for me was one of the best records of all time, and we learned that it was produced by Gus Dudgeon. It was BuckmasterвЂ™s work with Dudgeon, who produced вЂњSpace Oddity,вЂќ that prompted the orchestrator to urge him to work with John. Martin and John would, of course, work together decades later, when the producer oversaw the record-breaking remake of вЂњCandle In The Wind,вЂќ recorded after Princess DianaвЂ™s death in 1997. But Martin, understandably, also wanted to arrange it, whereupon EltonвЂ™s management decided not to pursue the idea. With Buckmaster on board, early discussions about who should produce the record turned to the great George Martin. But his decoration of such eloquent accomplishments on Elton JohnвЂ™s self-titled album as вЂњFirst Episode At Hienton,вЂќ вЂњSixty Years On,вЂќ and вЂњThe Greatest DiscoveryвЂќ stand among his best work. He had helped to create the sonic sculpture of David BowieвЂ™s вЂњSpace OddityвЂќ breakthrough of the previous summer, and now turned his hand to illustrating some of these new John-Taupin creations with dark, majestic orchestrations.Д«uckmaster went on to a long working relationship with Elton and put his stamp on albums by countless other luminaries including the Rolling Stones, Carly Simon, Harry Nilsson and many later artists, before his death in 2017. The other key ally was Paul Buckmaster, a contemporary of EltonвЂ™s and a brilliant arranger who gave the albumвЂ™s sound even greater depth and drama. Quaye was a member of Hookfoot, who had backed Elton on radio sessions and at gigs such as a 1969 show at LondonвЂ™s Royal College Of Art. It also featured other such contributors as guitarists Caleb Quaye and Clive Hicks, and trusty comrades on backing vocals, including Lesley Duncan, Roger Cook and Madeline Bell. Recorded at Trident Studios in London, it began his collaboration with producer Gus Dudgeon, but still with a co-ordination role for Steve Brown, who had overseen Empty Sky. The simple, eponymous title of Elton JohnвЂ™s new album was a fresh statement of intent. Recording sessions: a fresh statement of intent It still failed to chart, but better days were coming. The track received considerable airplay in Britain and even an endorsement from one of EltonвЂ™s pop heroines, Dusty Springfield. As Elton marked that birthday, his self-titled second album was heralded by the single release of вЂњBorder Song.вЂќ The gospel-tinged ode featuring the Barbara Moore Choir displayed both EltonвЂ™s increasing confidence and the Americana-soaked imagination of his writing partner of three years, Bernie Taupin.

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