More Improved Improvising
- Jan 31, 2024
- 2 min read
We now have a fourth example of Elton John’s remarkable ability to improv a melody to almost anything. In the first three videos I’ve posted, he did this to dialogue from the Ibsen play Peer Gynt, the text for an oven manual, and a lyric about mothers and clogged drains.
What stands out here is how early it comes in Elton John’s career. Indeed, it’s from 45 years ago, and he looks like a pup. It comes from an appearance on a show hosted by British vaudevillian Bruce Forsyth, who hands Elton a ticket for the show that has a disclaimer written on the back. And he writes a song to it. And it’s a total joy, not just for the music, but also the songwriting structure he brings to it. Without wanting to give anything away, you’ll see what I mean when you get to it. (Fun, too, is watching Forsythe’s enthusiastic reaction when he sees what a remarkable job Elton is pulling off from such a ludicrous bit of text.)
Side note: among his other credits, Bruce Forsyth starred in the Broadway musical Little Me when it played on the London West End. That was the hit musical that Sid Caesar originally starred in, playing seven roles. (And which Martin Short later revived.) That’s the sort of performer Bruce Forsyth was. He’s also someone I posted a video of here, eight years ago. He was in the bizarre, egomaniacal movie that Anthony Newley wrote, directed and starred in Can Heironymous Merkin Ever Forget Mercy Humppe and Find True Happiness? – and had the most-fun song in the film, a vaudevillian sort of number, “On the Boards,” which I posted here.
But this is about Elton John. And here’s his latest pure treat of an improvised song based on lunatic text.
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