Elton John, Chicago. And The Beach Boys

Elton John announced last week that he will be resuming his "Farewell Yellow Brick Road" tour ... in 2022!!! 

(Are we REALLY writing off all of 2021 already?!?!  God, I hope not!  We need to get a handle on this thing and regain SOME sense of a balance life again!)

In a statement released to the press, Elton said:

I’ve been enjoying my time at home with the family while the world navigates its way through the COVID pandemic. 

But, I really miss being on the road and performing for my beloved fans in my Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour. 

While the scientists are making great progress, we are making big plans for a return to touring that will allow us to ensure the health and safety of everyone. 

I will be starting my tour again in Europe and the UK in the Fall of 2021. And I will be back in North America starting in January, 2022.  This means my New Zealand dates will be postponed until 2023. 

Don’t worry about me.  I’m using my downtime to keep myself fighting fit and healthier than ever. I’m raring to go! 

As always, thank you so much for your loyal support. I look forward to seeing all you wonderful Elton John fans soon. In the meantime, please stay safe and be well. 

Thank you! 

As expected, anybody with tickets to a postponed show can honor those original tickets at an upcoming stop on the newly rescheduled dates.

Here are the new North American dates for the tour, which begin in January 2022:

Wed, Jan 19 2022 – Smoothie King Center, New Orleans
[rescheduled from Jun 24 2020]

Fri, Jan 21 2022 – Toyota Center, Houston
[rescheduled from Jun 30 2020]

Sat, Jan 22 2022 – Toyota Center, Houston
[rescheduled from Jul 01 2020]

Tue, Jan 25 2022 – American Airlines Center, Dallas
[rescheduled from Jun 26 2020]

Wed, Jan 26 2022 – American Airlines Center, Dallas
[rescheduled from Jun 27 2020]

Sat, Jan 29 2022 – Simmons Bank Arena, N. Little Rock
[rescheduled from Jul 03 2020]

Sun, Jan 30 2022 – Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City [rescheduled from Jul 05 2020]

Tue, Feb 01 2022 – T-Mobile Center, Kansas City
[rescheduled from Jul 08 2020]

Fri, Feb 04 2022 – United Center, Chicago
[rescheduled from Jun 19 2020]

Sat, Feb 05 2022 – United Center, Chicago
[rescheduled from Jun 20 2020]

Tue, Feb 08 2022 – Little Caesars Arena, Detroit
[rescheduled from May 01 2020]

Wed, Feb 09 2022 – Little Caesars Arena, Detroit
[rescheduled from May 02 2020]

Mon, Feb 14 2022 – Scotiabank Arena, Toronto
[rescheduled from Mar 28 2020]

Tue, Feb 15 2022 – Scotiabank Arena, Toronto
[rescheduled from Mar 29 2020]

Fri, Feb 18 2022 – Bell Centre, Montreal
[rescheduled from Apr 02 2020]

Sat, Feb 19 2022 – Bell Centre, Montreal
[rescheduled from Apr 03 2020]

Tue, Feb 22 2022 – Madison Square Garden, New York
[rescheduled from Apr 06 2020]

Wed, Feb 23 2022 – Madison Square Garden, New York
[rescheduled from Apr 07 2020]

Fri, Feb 25 2022 – Prudential Center, Newark
[rescheduled from Apr 15 2020]

Tue, Mar 01 2022 – Barclays Center, Brooklyn
[rescheduled from Apr 10 2020]

Wed, Mar 02 2022 – Barclays Center, Brooklyn
[rescheduled from Apr 11 2020]

Sat, Mar 05 2022 – Nassau Coliseum, Long Island
[rescheduled from Apr 17 2020]

Sun, Mar 06 2022 – Nassau Coliseum, Long Island
[rescheduled from Apr 18 2020]

Sat, Mar 19 2022 – Fargodome, Fargo
[rescheduled from Jun 13 2020]

Tue, Mar 22 2022 – Xcel Energy Center, Saint Paul
[rescheduled from Jun 15 2020]

Wed, Mar 23 2022 – Xcel Energy Center, Saint Paul
[rescheduled from Jun 16 2020]

Sat, Mar 26 2022 – Wells Fargo Arena, Des Moines
[rescheduled from Jun 11 2020]

Sun, Mar 27 2022 – Pinnacle Bank Arena, Lincoln
[rescheduled from Jun 09 2020]

Wed, Mar 30 2022 – Enterprise Center, St. Louis
[rescheduled from Jul 07 2020]

Fri, Apr 01 2022 – Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis
[rescheduled from Mar 26 2020]

Sat, Apr 02 2022 – Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee
[rescheduled from Apr 28 2020]

Tue, Apr 05 2022 – Van Andel Arena, Grand Rapids
[rescheduled from Apr 23 2020]

Fri, Apr 08 2022 – Thompson-Boling Arena, Knoxville
[rescheduled from Jun 06 2020]

Sat, Apr 09 2022 – Rupp Arena, Lexington
[rescheduled from Jun 05 2020]

Tue, Apr 12 2022 – Schottenstein Center, Columbus
[rescheduled from Apr 25 2020]

Wed, Apr 13 2022 – GIANT Center, Hershey
[rescheduled from Apr 20 2020]

Sat, Apr 16 2022 – KFC Yum! Center, Louisville
[rescheduled from Apr 26 2020]

Tue, Apr 19 2022 – Greensboro Coliseum, Greensboro
[rescheduled from May 23 2020]

Wed, Apr 20 2022 – Colonial Life Arena, Columbia
[rescheduled from May 22 2020]

Sat, Apr 23 2022 – VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena, Jacksonville [rescheduled from Jun 03 2020]

Sun, Apr 24 2022 – Amalie Arena, Tampa
[rescheduled from May 26 2020]

Wed, Apr 27 2022 – Amway Center, Orlando
[rescheduled from May 28 2020]

Thu, Apr 28 2022 – AmericanAirlines Arena, Miami
[rescheduled from May 30 2020]

 

Back in the Good Old Days, one of the best shows I ever saw was the teaming up of The Beach Boys with Chicago.  (The two bands collaborated on Chicago's VII album, which resulted in the Top Ten Single "Wishing You Were Here," still one of my favorites.)

We saw the show here in Chicago at The Chicago Stadium (which is now basically The United Center, only moved across the street!) and it was an absolutely perfect show from start to finish (other than the part where some idiot in the balcony threw a cherry bomb down to the main floor ... it blew up about three seats away from where my sister was sitting on the main floor with her brand new boyfriend at her first concert ever ... memorable, eh???)

Here are some memories from frequent FH contributor Clark Besch ... who saw the show with his brother Roger at The CSU Stadium in Fort Collins, Colorado (home of our long-time FH Buddy Wild Bill Cody ... we miss you, Bill!!!) ...

Only at the show CLARK saw, a VERY special guest showed up!!!

It was a couple months past 45 years ago that 25 year old Roger and 19 year old Clark went to see the Beach Boys and Chicago in concert ... and ELTON JOHN showed up!  

There had been rumors that a third act would be signed, but heck, at $7 a ticket, it was a great show without any more.  We never expected one of the biggest acts of the decade to walk onstage.

It was two days after Independence day and we were celebrating by going to Colorado for a big concert on Sunday, July 6, 1975, at the Colorado State Rams' new Hughes football stadium in Ft. Collins.  

 

It was a VERY hot day and I remember dad dropped us off somewhere close to the gates and came back later to pick us up. 

 

According to the articles attached, 37,000 OTHER people also showed up that day to watch two of the current heavy weights of rock 'n roll play.  We were pumped up, too.  

 

Apparently, the stadium had had, at best, 20,000 for any football game, so this was a nice cash cow event.  

 

Here's the math for that day:

 

My thoughts are that we were opposite the mountains and just to the side of the stage, which would put us halfway up this picture along the right edge of the photo.  We could SEE the performers and stage just fine.  

The concert was fabulous to my memory, despite the heat that day.  I think Roger and I were VERY pleased with our seats just in front and to the side of the stage, so that we could look down at the bands from an angle to see EVERY person onstage.  I doubt we saw anything more than the choppers, but here's what was going on according to the media story about the event. 

 

As the articles say, two helicopters brought members of both bands into the facility.  A motorhome showed up with James William Guercio, who was Chicago's producer and bass player.  Then, Al Jardine popped out of a purple Grand Prix.  A half an hour later, the choppers returned with the rest of the crew.  Then, after everything was settled, out came five limos and out popped Elton John.  He had shown up because he was to start recording at nearby Nederland's Caribou Ranch recording studio in two days.  The studio was owned by Guercio and Chicago and the Beach Boys had recorded there as well.  Elton's recordings would turn into the "Captain Fantastic" album later in the year, recorded at Caribou.  Nederland is about 10 miles west of Boulder.  It's funny to read that after looking over all the lunch items, Elton asked for a hot dog.  I am pretty sure Rog and I had one that day, too.  Sounds like what we would choose, anyway.  haha.   

 

Historically, this was the PERFECT time to see these bands.  Both bands had been recording at Caribou and although the Boys were in a lull, exactly one year later, they were again riding high with "Rock & Roll Music" going top 10.  On THIS day, the Beach Boys, of course, played most of their hits and then an intermission followed by Chicago.  Their newest was "Old Days," which was the big crowd pleaser.  After 11 songs on their own, the Beach Boys returned to join together to play a 4/4 mix of eight of the two bands' hits before the finales.  

 

You can imagine the fan ruckus when BOTH bands appeared for the closing two songs and they introduced Elton John as their special show closer!!!  The crowd went nuts, as did Rog and I.  

 

Elton and both bands jumped into a raucous version of "Jumpin' Jack Flash" with Elton on piano and singing and then doing Stevie Winwood's keyboards on the show finale' of the Spencer Davis Group's hit "I'm a Man," which was also a Chicago hit.  It was a great surprise ending to a great four hour concert.  I think both Rog and i bought T-shirts.  Somehow, despite the wear and tear on mine, I still have it.  One side showing each band.

 

 

The concert was likely recorded as there was to be a planned album release in 1975 of the live tour of the bands together.  Too bad it has never been issued, as the "Chicago / Earth, Wind & Fire LIVE" DVD became a huge seller twenty years later when released in 2005.

 

In four hours, here's what we heard as far as I can gather from the set lists online:

Beach Boys:  "I Get Around," "Surfer Girl," "Little Deuce Coupe," "Surfin USA," "Catch a Wave," "409," "The Trader," "Heroes & Villians," "Sail on Sailor," "Sloop John B," "Help me, Rhonda," and "Barbara Ann."

Chicago set:  "Anyway You Want," "Beginnings," "Does Anybody Really Know What Time it is," "Call On Me," "Ballet for a Girl in Buchannon," "Just You 'n Me," "Searchin' So Long," Mongonucleosis," "Old Days," "25 or 6 to 4."

ENCORE:

Chicago: "Dialogue parts I & II"

Chicago WITH the Beach Boys: "God Only Knows," "Wishing You Were Here," Darlin'," "Saturday in the Park," California Girls," "Fun, Fun, Fun," "Feelin' Stronger Every Day,"

Elton John with Chicago and the Beach Boys:  "Jumpin' Jack Flash," and "I'm a Man."

Photos from the paper of the concert:

 

 

And the story much of my info came from above is attached.

 

 

More items:

Joe Walsh recorded "Rocky Mountain Way" there in 1972 WHILE the studio was being constructed!  Elton had released his album, "Caribou" in 1974, which had two top hits. 

Here below, an interview with Guercio from that Beach Boys/Chicago 1975 tour.  Interesting that he complains about the Stones doing their tour at the same time, so WE got to hear their "Jumpin' Jack Flash" anyway!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OuhRpywKcKU

Here, some of the Chicago band recording at Caribou shown in the 1970's Dick Clark TV special "Chicago: Live in the Rockies" and including EXCELLENT live versions of their hits.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXB-6mvzgNk

Info about the boot LP that was never released and mention again that the "Beach-ago" tour was recorded for a live album, but never released.

http://smileysmile.net/board/index.php?PHPSESSID=7cbfa9eb81e4e3a8772f964adbbc7a27&topic=26470.msg648029#msg648029

Chicago with The Beach Boys has to be one of the greatest concert pairings I have ever seen ... an outstanding show from start to finish ... and think about ... Chicago still had YEARS of new material to release ... and The Beach Boys made a major resurgence, too.  (Actually, they were hotter than Clark remembers at the time, thanks to their #1 Album of Greatest Hits, "Endless Summer.")

The two acts would team up several more times in the years to follow.  (I wrote about taking my daughter Nicki to see them at Poplar Creek in the late '80's where we scored second row seats ... and Mike Love and Jason Scheff seemed to be performing directly to her for most of the show, with Mike kicking her a beach ball and Jason pointing to her while singing "You're The Inspiration."  Nicki was all of four years old at the time!!!  (And has been a lifetime Beach Boys fan!  In fact, SHE saw the 50th Anniversary Tour when it came through Chicago ... and I didn't!!!)  Her first bike with training wheels on it had a Beach Boys bumper sticker on the back!!!  (lol)

Anyway, Clark's mention of the T-Shirts sold at the show inspired me to dig out a photo of my own.  (I knew I had one somewhere!!!)

Here's me circa 1974 wearing my barely-exposed Beach Boys / Chicago T-Shirt ...

(Damn!  I look like I could have been part of the band!)

Anyway, back to Elton John for a minute ...

(That IS who we came to talk about today, after all!!!)

We're working on an exclusive feature right now to run later this year with one of our readers, Photographer Brad Joblin, who, at the young age of only 17, had the enviable position of being at an Elton John show with an "All Access" pass and was able to snap some shots from Elton's "Don't Shoot Me" tour, one of which was picked up by Rolling Stone Magazine and ran as nearly a full page photo later that year when they named Elton The Entertainer Of The Year.  You'll hear Brad's fascinating story ... and see not only THIS picture, but a few others that we'll be publishing for the first time ever, later this year ... so be sure to watch for that one!  (kk)