Live from Moscow 1979 is a live album by English musician Elton John released in April 2019. It was recorded during John's May 1979 tour of the Soviet Union, when he played a series of shows in Leningrad and Moscow accompanied by percussionist Ray Cooper. The live recordings were initially broadcast by BBC Radio 1 and were long available on bootleg albums. Footage was also included in the 1979 documentary To Russia...With Elton.[1] The official release, as a limited-edition double LP, was issued for Record Store Day 2019 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the tour. The album was then re-released in 2020 on vinyl and CD, and in digital music stores.[2]
| Live from Moscow 1979 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Live album by | ||||
| Released | 13 April 2019 (limited edition LP) 24 January 2020 | |||
| Recorded | 28 May 1979 | |||
| Venue | Rossiya Concert Hall, Moscow | |||
| Length | 97:44 | |||
| Label | Universal Music | |||
| Elton John chronology | ||||
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The album includes 16 of the 27 songs from John's 28 May concert at the Rossiya Concert Hall in Moscow.[3] He describes the show as "probably one of the best concerts I've ever given in my life".[4]
Track listing
editAll songs written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin except where noted.
Disc one
- "Daniel" – 3:56
- "Skyline Pigeon" – 4:02
- "Take Me to the Pilot" – 6:50
- "Rocket Man" – 7:33
- "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" – 5:36
- "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" – 3:04
- "Candle in the Wind" – 3:34
- "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" (Norman Whitfield, Barrett Strong) – 11:50
Disc two
- "Funeral for a Friend" – 2:57
- "Tonight" – 7:41
- "Better Off Dead" – 2:58
- "Bennie and the Jets" – 12:31
- "Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word" – 3:33
- "Crazy Water" – 7:58
- Medley: "Saturday Night's Alright (For Fighting)/Pinball Wizard" (John–Taupin/Pete Townshend) – 10:11
- Medley: "Crocodile Rock/Get Back/Back in the U.S.S.R." (John–Taupin/Lennon–McCartney/Lennon–McCartney) – 3:30
Personnel
edit- Elton John – vocals, grand piano, electric piano
- Ray Cooper – percussion (disc 2, tracks 1–7)
Charts
edit| Chart (2020) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[5] | 198 |
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[6] | 79 |
| French Albums (SNEP)[7] | 166 |
| Scottish Albums (OCC)[8] | 44 |
| Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)[9] | 59 |
| US Top Album Sales (Billboard)[10] | 29 |
References
edit- ^ "Elton John and Ray Cooper formed the perfect team in Moscow". 25 June 2020.
- ^ Goldmine staff (21 January 2020). "Elton John's 1979 Moscow Performance to Be Released on 2-LP or 2-CD Set". Goldmine. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
- ^ Sexton, Paul (18 November 2019). "Elton John's Historic 1979 Show in USSR Released as 'Live from Moscow'". uDiscover. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
- ^ Sexton, Paul (24 January 2021). "'Live from Moscow': Behind Elton John's Landmark Russian Concert". uDiscover. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – Elton John with Ray Cooper – Live From Moscow 1979" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved August 20, 2024.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – Elton John with Ray Cooper – Live From Moscow 1979" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved August 20, 2024.
- ^ "Lescharts.com – Elton John with Ray Cooper – Live From Moscow 1979". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 20, 2024.
- ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 20, 2024.
- ^ "Spanishcharts.com – Elton John with Ray Cooper – Live From Moscow 1979". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 20, 2024.
- ^ "Elton John Chart History (Top Album Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved August 20, 2024.