Don't Go Breaking My Heart
| "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" | |||||||||||
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| Single by Elton John with Kiki Dee | |||||||||||
| B-side | "Snow Queen" | ||||||||||
| Released | 21 June 1976 | ||||||||||
| Genre | Pop | ||||||||||
| Length | 4:28 | ||||||||||
| Label | Rocket Records MCA Records (US/Canada) |
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| Writer(s) | Ann Orson (Elton John) Carte Blanche (Bernie Taupin) |
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| Producer | Gus Dudgeon | ||||||||||
| Elton John chronology | |||||||||||
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"Don't Go Breaking My Heart" is a duet by Elton John and Kiki Dee. It was written by Elton John with Bernie Taupin under the pseudonym "Ann Orson" and "Carte Blanche" (a pun on the expression "an horse and cart, blanche"), and intended as an affectionate pastiche of the Tamla Motown style, notably the various duets recorded by Marvin Gaye and singers such as Tammi Terrell and Kim Weston. It is not to be confused with the Burt Bacharach/Hal David song of the same title recorded in 1966 by Dionne Warwick.
Like many of Elton John's singles from the 1970s, it was never included on any of his original albums (though it was recorded during the same sessions that produced Blue Moves). However, it was included on the original version of Elton John's Greatest Hits Volume II in 1977. It has since been shifted to the "Volume 3" compilation, Greatest Hits 1976–1986. In 2002, it also appeared on Elton John's 2-disc greatest hits album, Elton John's Greatest Hits 1970-2002. A demo version of the song was recorded by John as a solo artist. This version has not been released commercially.
"Don't Go Breaking My Heart" was also John's first No. 1 single in the UK, topping the chart for six weeks in mid 1976. He would not enjoy a solo British chart-topper until "Sacrifice" in 1990. It also became his sixth No. 1 single in the US, topping the Billboard Hot 100 for four weeks.
The b-side "Snow Queen" has yet to be released on CD.[citation needed] The song was supposedly inspired by Cher, with Elton's improvising past Sonny & Cher hits "I Got You Babe", and "The Beat Goes On" as well as the solo Cher song "Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)" during the fadeout of the song.
In 1985, John and Dee performed the track to the crowd at Wembley Stadium during John's set at Live Aid (where Dee sang backup). In 1987, Elton appeared with Minnie Mouse on the NBC series Totally Minnie performing the track. He also performed it with the Spice Girls on his ITV tribute programme An Audience With Elton John.
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Music video
The song’s promotional film has been cited among the cheapest music videos ever produced[citation needed]. The circumstances behind its conception were detailed on an episode of Pop-Up Video. The video's director was found in the midst of filming a Rod Stewart television special. He was pulled aside, located an unused soundstage, hastily dressed it to give the appearance of a recording studio, set up three cameras, and had the two singers pretend to record their vocals. Shot in a single take while being told to ‘improvise’, Elton John and Kiki Dee often missed their cues and John's attempt to lead Dee in a very haphazard dance sequence caught his companion off guard. The music video with RuPaul features a black grand piano, something Elton has not used since 1987.
Cover versions
- Almost 20 years after the initial release, John re-recorded the song with drag queen music artist RuPaul for his 1993 album Duets.
- In 1977, the song was performed by the Brady kids with Kaptain Kool and the Kongs on The Brady Bunch Variety Hour.
- In 1980 the song was performed by Greg Evigan and Pink Lady on the variety show Pink Lady and Jeff.
- In 1997, California punk rock band The Mr. T Experience released a cover of the song as the B-side of their single "...And I Will Be With You." The female vocals were performed by Kim Shattuck of The Muffs.
- In 2002, alternative rock group Alien Crime Syndicate released a cover of the song on the Japanese edition of XL from Coast to Coast and featured Duff McKagan, of Velvet Revolver, Guns N' Roses, Loaded and Kim Warnick, of Fastbacks.[1]
- A cover by actress Anne Hathaway and singer-songwriter Jesse McCartney was recorded for the 2004 film Ella Enchanted and included on the soundtrack. In the film, the song is featured in the final sequence as an ensemble performance by Hathaway and fellow cast members Hugh Dancy, Minnie Driver, Jimi Mistry, Aidan McArdle, and supermodel Heidi Klum.
- In 2005 it was featured in the end credits of Walt Disney Pictures Chicken Little, the entire cast sang various parts of the song, the song was also included on the Chicken Little (soundtrack).
- A cover by British glamour model Katie Price and her now estranged husband, pop singer Peter Andre, was included on their 2006 album A Whole New World.
- Peter and Ronald Reagan sing a karaoke version of the song in an episode of the show Family Guy
Sampling
Hip hop music artist Ol' Dirty Bastard and R&B singer Macy Gray recorded a loose cover version of the song which retained the melody but featured new rap lyrics and intentional off-key singing.
Appearances and references in other media
- 1999 Wicked Women concert performed by Emma Bunton & Ronan Keating in the first appearances as an intro.
- The original recording by John and Dee is featured in the movies Summer of Sam from 1999 and A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints from 2006.
- In the finale of the 2005 Disney CGI feature film Chicken Little, the main cast sang "Don't Go Breaking My Heart".
- A Hannah Montana episode is called "Don't Go Breaking My Tooth", a pun on the song's title.
- In the Full House episode "We Got The Beat", two of Michelle's friends sing "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" in a contest and win the grand prize.
- In an episode of The Amanda Show, in a Moody's Point sketch, Misti has a party and invites a lot of people, but no one attends except the school janitor. She and the janitor sing karaoke to "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" while other parts of the episode are being shown while they sing.
- The song is featured in a season 5 episode of the TV comedy Scrubs, as part of one of JD's 'Floating Head Doctor' fantasies. "Head" and JD's girlfriend Kim perform the duet at karaoke.
- The song is featured in an episode of Family Guy, as Peter Griffin goes to a karaoke bar and performs the duet with Rich Little, who is pretending to be the ghost of Ronald Reagan through a ham radio.
- Valerie Bertinelli and Mackenzie Phillips, in their roles as Barbara and Julie Cooper dress as Elton John and Kiki Dee to sing the song in the "Happy New Year" episode of the TV sitcom One Day at a Time.
- The song is in the soundtrack of the French movie Quatre étoiles, with Isabelle Carré and José Garcia
- It is Marshall and Lily's karaoke song from the CBS show How I Met Your Mother as shown in the episode Life Among The Gorillas
- It is featured in the 2004 film Ella Enchanted.
References
- ^ "XL from Coast to Coast (Bonus Track) > Overview". Allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:kcfoxqrrldke. Retrieved Apr. 02, 2010.
| Preceded by "Kiss and Say Goodbye" by The Manhattans |
Billboard Hot 100 number one single 7 August 1976 |
Succeeded by "You Should Be Dancing" by Bee Gees |
| Preceded by "The Roussos Phenomenon EP" by Demis Roussos |
UK number one single 24 July 1976 for six weeks |
Succeeded by "Dancing Queen" by ABBA |
| Preceded by "S-S-S-Single Bed" by Fox |
Australian Kent Music Report number one single 30 August 1976 |
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| Preceded by "Summer" by War |
Billboard Easy Listening Singles number-one single September 11, 1976 |
Succeeded by "Don't Stop Believin'" by Olivia Newton-John |
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