Rock of the Westies

Rock of the Westies
Studio album by
Elton John
Released24 October 1975
RecordedJune–July 1975
StudioCaribou Ranch, Nederland, Colorado; remixed at Trident, London
Genre
Length43:39
LabelMCA (US), DJM (UK)
ProducerGus Dudgeon
Elton John chronology
Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy
(1975) 		Rock of the Westies
(1975) 		Here and There
(1976)
Singles from Rock of the Westies
  1. "Island Girl"
    Released: 29 September 1975
  2. "Grow Some Funk of Your Own" / "I Feel Like a Bullet (in the Gun of Robert Ford)"
    Released: 12 January 1976
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]
Christgau's Record GuideA−[3]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music[4]
Rolling Stone(not rated)[5]

Rock of the Westies is the tenth studio album by English musician Elton John, released on 24 October 1975.[6] The title is a pun on the phrase "West of the Rockies", the album having been recorded at Caribou Ranch in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado.[7]

Released less than five months after his previous album, Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy, Rock of the Westies repeated that album's then-unprecedented feat of entering the US Billboard 200 chart at number one, and was John's final chart-topping studio album in that country. It was also successful (albeit to a lesser extent) in the artist's home territory of the UK, where it reached No. 5 on the UK Albums Chart. Robert Christgau ranked it as No. 7 on his list of the best albums of 1975.[8]

History

Rock of the Westies contained the US Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 (No. 14 UK singles chart) single, "Island Girl", which was released prior to the album. John noted at the time in a radio interview[which?] that he had wanted to release "Dan Dare (Pilot of the Future)" as the album's first single instead of "Island Girl", because he thought it had more commercial appeal. He was over-ruled, and "Dan Dare" was never released as a single, whilst "Island Girl" became a hit.

The make-up of the Elton John Band was different on Rock of the Westies, being without his long-time drummer Nigel Olsson and bassist Dee Murray, both of whom John fired during April 1975. Added in their place were Hookfoot drummer Roger Pope, an old friend who had played on Empty Sky, Tumbleweed Connection and Madman Across the Water, and American bassist Kenny Passarelli, who had previously played with Stephen Stills and was an original member in Joe Walsh's band Barnstorm. Pope had also played in Kiki Dee's touring band. Grammy-, Emmy-, and Academy Award-nominated James Newton Howard, at the time a virtual unknown, was also brought in as keyboardist, giving him his first major publicity. Also included was another Hookfoot member, Caleb Quaye on guitar and vocals, another old friend from his early DJM session days. Like Pope, Quaye had also played on Empty Sky, Tumbleweed Connection, and John's intervening eponymous release. Retained from the previous line-up were Davey Johnstone and Ray Cooper.

A slower, less up-tempo version of "Hard Luck Story" had already been recorded by Kiki Dee (whom the song was originally written for), and released as a single one year prior to its recording for Rock of the Westies. Along with "Don't Go Breaking My Heart", it is credited to Ann Orson/Carte Blanche (An 'orse an' cart / 'carte blanche') a punning moniker John devised when composing a song (music and lyrics) on his own. The name Ann Orson is also used as the name of a backing vocalist. Labelle performed backing vocals on the opening track, "Medley: Yell Help/Wednesday Night/Ugly".

In the US, it was certified gold in October 1975 and platinum in March 1993[9] by the RIAA.

Outside the US and Canada, this was the last original studio release from John on DJM Records, before forming his own label, The Rocket Record Company.

The song "Street Kids" was featured in the 2008 video game Grand Theft Auto IV.

Track listing

All tracks are written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin, except where noted. "Ann Orson & Carte Blanche" is a pseudonym used by John and Taupin

Side one
No.TitleLength
1."Medley (Yell Help – Wednesday Night – Ugly)" (John, Davey Johnstone, Taupin)6:15
2."Dan Dare (Pilot of the Future)"3:29
3."Island Girl"3:42
4."Grow Some Funk of Your Own" (John, Johnstone, Taupin)4:47
5."I Feel Like a Bullet (in the Gun of Robert Ford)"5:27
Side two
No.TitleLength
1."Street Kids"6:25
2."Hard Luck Story" (Ann Orson & Carte Blanche)5:16
3."Feed Me"4:00
4."Billy Bones and the White Bird"4:25
Total length:43:39
  • Sides one and two were combined as tracks 1–9 on CD reissues.
Bonus tracks (1995 Mercury Records reissue)
No.TitleLength
10."Don't Go Breaking My Heart" (featuring Kiki Dee)4:30
Total length:49:00
Bonus tracks (1996 Rocket Records reissue)
No.TitleLength
10."Planes"4:31
11."Sugar on the Floor" (Kiki Dee)4:31
Total length:52:41

Personnel

Track numbers refer to CD and digital releases of the album.

Musicians

Production

  • Gus Dudgeon – producer
  • Jeff Guercio – engineer
  • Mark Guercio – assistant engineer
  • Arun Chakraverty – mastering
  • John Tobler – liner notes
  • Terry O'Neill – album cover photograph
  • David Larkham – art direction and design

Charts

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[26] Platinum 50,000^
Canada (Music Canada)[27] Platinum 100,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ)[28] Gold 7,500‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[29] Gold 100,000^
United States (RIAA)[30] Platinum 1,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ^ "Rock of the Westies – Elton John | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic.
  2. ^ Planer, Lindsay. "Rock of the Westies". AllMusic. Retrieved 11 January 2012.
  3. ^ Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: J". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved 27 February 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
  4. ^ Larkin, Colin (2011). "John, Elton". The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th concise ed.). London: Omnibus Press. p. 2,003. ISBN 978-0-85712-595-8.
  5. ^ Holden, Stephen (18 December 1975). "Rock of the Westies". Rolling Stone.
  6. ^ "BPI".
  7. ^ "10 Fun Facts About 'Rock of the Westies' and 'The Big Picture'". Elton John.
  8. ^ "Pazz & Jop 1975: Dean's List". Robert Christgau. 29 December 1975. Retrieved 11 January 2012.
  9. ^ "GOLD AND PLATINUM ALBUMS". neosoul. Retrieved 16 October 2012.
  10. ^ a b c Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  11. ^ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 4050a". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 25 March 2024.
  12. ^ "danskehitlister.dk". Archived from the original on 8 April 2016.
  13. ^ Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. ISBN 978-951-1-21053-5.
  14. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Elton John – Rock of the Westies" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 25 March 2024.
  15. ^ "Classifiche". Musica e Dischi (in Italian). Retrieved 25 March 2024. Set "Tipo" on "Album". Then, in the "Artista" field, search "Elton John".
  16. ^ Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970–2005 (in Japanese). Roppongi, Tokyo: Oricon Entertainment. 2006. ISBN 4-87131-077-9.
  17. ^ "Charts.nz – Elton John – Rock of the Westies". Hung Medien. Retrieved 25 March 2024.
  18. ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – Elton John – Rock of the Westies". Hung Medien. Retrieved 25 March 2024.
  19. ^ Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
  20. ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Elton John – Rock of the Westies". Hung Medien. Retrieved 25 March 2024.
  21. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 25 March 2024.
  22. ^ "Elton John Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 25 March 2024.
  23. ^ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 6489a". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 25 March 2024.
  24. ^ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 5175". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 25 March 2024.
  25. ^ "Top Pop Albums of 1976". Billboard. Retrieved 24 February 2012.
  26. ^ "Elton John Australian Award". 20 February 2023.
  27. ^ "Canadian album certifications – Elton John – Rock of the Westies". Music Canada.
  28. ^ "New Zealand album certifications – Elton John – Rock of the Westies". Radioscope. Retrieved 12 January 2025. Type Rock of the Westies in the "Search:" field.
  29. ^ "British album certifications – Elton John – Rock of the Westies". British Phonographic Industry.
  30. ^ "American album certifications – Elton John – Rock of the Westies". Recording Industry Association of America.

Read other articles:

Modèle:Chronologie Union européenne

Signature Entrée en vigueur Nom du traité  1948 1948 Traité de Bruxelles 1951 1952 Traité CECA 1954 1955 Accords de Paris 1957 1958 Traité de Rome(TCEE)Traité Euratom 1965 1967 Traité de fusion 1975 1976 institution officieuse 1986 1987 Acte unique européen 1992 1993 Traité de Maastricht(TUE et TCE) 1997 1999 Traité d'Amsterdam(TUE et TCE) 2001 2003 Traité de Nice(TUE et TCE) 2007 2009 Traité de Lisbonne(TUE et TFUE)         ...

 

LTV A-7 Corsair II

Ling-Temco-Vought A-7 Corsair II adalah pesawat serangan subsonik ringan kapal induk diperkenalkan untuk menggantikan Douglas A-4 Skyhawk . Desain badan pesawat A-7 didasarkan pada keberhasilan pesawat supersonik Vought F-8 Crusader . Pesawat itu adalah salah satu pesawat tempur pertama untuk fitur head-up display (HUD), sebuah sistem navigasi inersia (INS), dan mesin turbofan. Corsair II awalnya memasuki layanan dengan Angkatan Laut Amerika Serikat selama Perang Vietnam . Pesawat ini kemudi...

 

Daniel Eduard Indey

Daniel Eduard Indey Penjabat Bupati Kepulauan TanimbarMasa jabatan24 Mei 2022 – 29 Mei 2023PresidenJoko WidodoMenteriTito KarnavianGubernurMurad Ismail PendahuluPetrus FatlolonPenggantiRuben Benharvioto Moriolkosu Informasi pribadiLahir10 Desember 1968 (umur 55)Kota Jayapura, PapuaOrang tuaPaulus Mozes Indey (ayah)Barbalina Sarah Timorason (ibu)Alma materUniversitas PattimuraUniversitas Gadjah MadaSunting kotak info • L • B Daniel Eduard Indey, S.Sos, M.Si. diket...

Cyndi Lauper

Cyndi LauperLauper, 2022LahirCynthia Ann Stephanie Lauper22 Juni 1953 (umur 70)New York City, A.S.PekerjaanPenyanyipenulis laguaktrisaktivisTahun aktif1977–sekarangSuami/istriDavid Thornton ​(m. 1991)​Anak1Karier musikGenrePopdancenew wave[1]InstrumenVokalLabelPortraitEpicDaylightDowntownSireArtis terkaitBlue AngelThe HootersLionel RichieSitus webcyndilauper.comTanda tangan Cynthia Ann Stephanie Cyndi Lauper (lahir 22 Juni 1953) merupakan seor...

 

Европейская сардина

Европейская сардина Научная классификация Домен:ЭукариотыЦарство:ЖивотныеПодцарство:ЭуметазоиБез ранга:Двусторонне-симметричныеБез ранга:ВторичноротыеТип:ХордовыеПодтип:ПозвоночныеИнфратип:ЧелюстноротыеГруппа:Костные рыбыКласс:Лучепёрые рыбыПодкласс:Новопёры...

 

Петропавловка (Лискинский район)

У этого термина существуют и другие значения, см. Петропавловка. СелоПетропавловка 51°00′15″ с. ш. 39°11′55″ в. д.HGЯO Страна  Россия Субъект Федерации Воронежская область Муниципальный район Лискинский Сельское поселение Петропавловское История и география Час...

Teal independents

Independent candidates in Australia Teal independents, simply known as teals and also called community independents, are a loosely-aligned group of centrist, independent or minor party politicians in Australian politics. They have been characterised as strongly advocating for increased action to mitigate climate change by reducing carbon emissions along with improved political integrity and accountability. They also generally share socially liberal outlooks, including on issues such as LGBT r...

 

Braunwald, Glarus

Village in Glarus, SwitzerlandBraunwaldVillage Coat of armsThe former municipal area (2007)Coordinates: 46°56′N 9°00′E / 46.933°N 9.000°E / 46.933; 9.000CountrySwitzerlandCantonGlarusMunicipalityGlarus SüdArea • Total10.13 km2 (3.91 sq mi)Elevation1,256 m (4,121 ft)Population (December 2020) • Total308 • Density30/km2 (79/sq mi) Braunwald is a car-free resort village in the municipality of ...

 

The Modern Cook

Book by Charles Elmé Francatelli from 1846 The Modern Cook Title page of 21st editionAuthorCharles Elmé FrancatelliIllustrator60 engravings, artists not namedCountryEnglandSubjectProfessional cookingPublisherRichard Bentley & SonPublication date1846 (1846)Pages560 (1886 ed.) The Modern Cook was the first cookery book by the Anglo-Italian cook Charles Elmé Francatelli (1805–1876). It was first published in 1846. It was popular for half a century in the Victorian era, running thro...

العلاقات الدومينيكانية السورينامية

العلاقات الدومينيكانية السورينامية جمهورية الدومينيكان سورينام   جمهورية الدومينيكان   سورينام تعديل مصدري - تعديل   العلاقات الدومينيكانية السورينامية هي العلاقات الثنائية التي تجمع بين جمهورية الدومينيكان وسورينام.[1][2][3][4][5] مقارنة ب...

 

شركة طوكيو للطاقة الكهربائية

35°29′06″N 140°01′00″E / 35.48500°N 140.01667°E / 35.48500; 140.01667 (Anegasaki Power Station) شركة طوكيو للطاقة الكهربائيةشركة طوكيو للطاقة الكهربائيةالشعارمعلومات عامةالاختصار 東電 (باليابانية)TEPCO (بالإنجليزية) البلد اليابانالتأسيس 1 مايو، 1951النوع عامةالشكل القانوني كابوشيكي غيشا المق�...

 

Joe Biden

President of the United States since 2021 Joseph Biden and Biden redirect here. For his son, Joseph Biden III, see Beau Biden. For other uses, see Biden (disambiguation). Joe BidenOfficial portrait, 202146th President of the United StatesIncumbentAssumed office January 20, 2021Vice PresidentKamala HarrisPreceded byDonald Trump47th Vice President of the United StatesIn officeJanuary 20, 2009 – January 20, 2017PresidentBarack ObamaPreceded byDick CheneySucceeded byMike Pe...

اوسفالدو ميراندا

هذه المقالة يتيمة إذ تصل إليها مقالات أخرى قليلة جدًا. فضلًا، ساعد بإضافة وصلة إليها في مقالات متعلقة بها. (سبتمبر 2018) اوسفالدو ميراندا معلومات شخصية الميلاد 24 يونيو 1984 (40 سنة)[1]  وخان دي كويو  الطول 1.90 م (6 قدم 3 بوصة) مركز اللعب مهاجم الجنسية الأرجنتين  الم�...

 

Un grido nella notte

Un grido nella notteMeryl Streep in una scena del filmTitolo originaleA Cry in the Dark - Evil Angels Paese di produzioneAustralia Anno1988 Durata117 min Generedrammatico, thriller RegiaFred Schepisi Soggettodal romanzo di John Bryson SceneggiaturaFred Schepisi e Robert Caswell Produttore esecutivoYoram Globus, Menahem Golan Casa di produzioneCannon Films Distribuzione in italianoMedusa Distribuzione FotografiaIan Baker MontaggioJill Bilcock MusicheBruce Smeaton ScenografiaWendy Dickson, ...

 

Asbury Park, New Jersey

City in Monmouth County, New Jersey, US Asbury Park redirects here. For other uses, see Asbury Park (disambiguation). City in New JerseyAsbury Park, New JerseyCityParamount Theatre and Asbury Park Convention Hall at nightfall, June 2019Asbury Park station, 2018Asbury's famous Boardwalk, 2012The Stone Pony, 2016Tillie replica on the Wonder Bar, 2006The Empress Hotel, 2013Steinbach-Cookman Building at the heart of Downtown Asbury Park, 2016Skyline of Asbury Park from the beach, 2013 SealNicknam...

2e armée (Hongrie)

Pour les articles homonymes, voir 2e armée. Char hongrois Toldi I lors de l'invasion de l'URSS en 1941 par la deuxième armée hongroise. La 2e armée hongroise (Második Magyar Hadsereg) est l'une des trois armées de campagne de l'armée royale hongroise créées par le Royaume de Hongrie qui ont combattu pendant la Seconde Guerre mondiale. Les trois armées sont formées le 1er mars 1940. La deuxième armée est la formation hongroise la mieux équipée au début de la guerre, ...

 

ألبرت بروسا

هذه المقالة يتيمة إذ تصل إليها مقالات أخرى قليلة جدًا. فضلًا، ساعد بإضافة وصلة إليها في مقالات متعلقة بها. (أكتوبر 2018) ألبرت بروسا (بالإستونية: Albert Prosa)‏    معلومات شخصية الميلاد 1 أكتوبر 1990 (العمر 33 سنة)تارتو  الطول 1.79 م (5 قدم 10 1⁄2 بوصة) مركز اللعب مهاجم الج...

 

アンガウルの戦い

第二次世界大戦 > 太平洋戦争 > マリアナ・パラオ諸島の戦い > アンガウルの戦い アンガウルの戦い アメリカ海軍によるアンガウル島への上陸準備艦砲射撃 戦争：太平洋戦争 年月日：1944年9月17日 - 10月19日 場所：パラオ諸島 アンガウル島 結果：アメリカ合衆国の勝利 交戦勢力 大日本帝国 アメリカ合衆国 指導者・指揮官 後藤丑雄 † 井上貞衛 ...

Howard Eisley

Questa voce sugli argomenti allenatori di pallacanestro statunitensi e cestisti statunitensi è solo un abbozzo. Contribuisci a migliorarla secondo le convenzioni di Wikipedia. Segui i suggerimenti dei progetti di riferimento 1, 2. Howard EisleyHoward Eisley nel 2013Nazionalità Stati Uniti Altezza188 cm Peso80 kg Pallacanestro RuoloVice-allenatore (ex playmaker) Squadra Michigan Wolver. Termine carriera2006 - giocatore CarrieraGiovanili Southwestern High School1990-1994 ...

 

Санетти, Хавьер

Хавьер Санетти Общая информация Полное имя Хавьер Адельмар Санетти Прозвище Пупи, Сенатор, Капитан (El Capitano) Родился 10 августа 1973(1973-08-10)[1][2][…] (51 год)Док-Суд, Авельянеда, Буэнос-Айрес, Аргентина Гражданство Аргентина Италия[3] Рост 178 см Позиция защитник, полуза�...