Another of the superstars from the 1970s, Elton John, scored a hit album in this year with 'Too Low For Zero', his seventeenth studio album which went platinum, aided by two top five hit singles ('I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues', and 'I'm Still Standing'). The second of those hits was accompanied by a memorably camp promo video, directed by acclaimed video director Russell Mulcahy (who went on to direct the hit film 'Highlander' three years later) and shot in Cannes in the south of France.
At this point in his career, John was still renowned for wild partying and excess, which came about as a result of his sustained success throughout the previous decade. During the shoot for 'I'm Still Standing', he encountered the band Duran Duran, at that time becoming superstars themselves, and after John had told Duran singer Simon Le Bon that he was tired after having been up since 4am that morning, they decided to have a drink - this ended up with the whole band plus Elton 'getting blasted' (as Le Bon put it) on martinis in Elton's hotel. Following the drinks session, a drunk Elton then trashed his own suite; remembering nothing the next morning and suffering from a hangover he asked his personal assistant what had happened to the now-demolished suite. 'YOU happened', replied the assistant.
The video went on to become a frequently-shown clip on MTV, enabling 'I'm Still Standing' to chart on both sides of the Atlantic in July of 1983. Furthermore, it remained a staple play on the European version of the channel for many years after it had been a hit, ensuring its ongoing popularity. Written by John, and long-serving lyricist Bernie Taupin, it is an upbeat number with a short but memorable hard rock-style lead guitar solo from Davey Johnstone.
Elton's other top five hit from this album 'I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues' reached number 5 on the UK singles chart in April 1983; a slower number more in keeping with his style at this point. The song featured harmonica from Motown superstar Stevie Wonder. A further single, 'Kiss The Bride' fared less well, still reaching number 20 on the UK chart however. That song gained a little more popularity in early 1984 when in a surprise move, John married German recording engineer Renate Blauel. His bisexuality had been common knowledge since the 1970s, however the marriage lasted only four years with rumours circulating during that period that the couple actually spent little time together.
Elton John continued to enjoy success for the remainder of the 1980s and beyond, producing hit albums on an almost annual basis with a string of hit singles, although it was not until he released 'Sacrifice' at the end of the decade that he scored a UK number one hit, his first since he topped the charts in 1976 with 'Don't Go Breaking My Heart', a duet with singer Kiki Dee. His musical output only began to slow in the 1990s, however he continued to make new studio albums and notch up further hits. By this time he was also doing a lot of music for film soundtrack albums. He remains a big draw as a live performer, and has proven to be one of Britain's most enduring figures in popular music.
2023 update: Elton John's final world tour took place after which he is to bring the curtain down on live performance.
From 1983's 'Too Low For Zero' this is 'I'm Still Standing':
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