Songs from the West Coast

{{EngvarB|date=September 2013}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2020}} {{more citations needed|date=January 2012}} {{Infobox album | name = Songs from the West Coast | type = studio | artist = Elton John | cover = Songs from the west coast.JPG | border = yes | alt = | released = 1 October 2001 | recorded = 18 September 2000 – 30 April 2001 | studio = {{hlist|Townhouse (London, England)|Cello, Sony Music, Johnny Yuma, Wonderland, Ocean Way (Los Angeles, California)}} | genre = Pop rock | length = 54:06 | label = {{hlist|Rocket|Mercury}} | producer = Patrick Leonard | prev_title = Elton John One Night Only – The Greatest Hits | prev_year = 2000 | next_title = Greatest Hits 1970–2002 | next_year = 2002 | misc = {{Singles | name = Songs from the West Coast | type = studio | single1 = I Want Love | single1date = 24 September 2001 | single2 = This Train Don't Stop There Anymore | single2date = 2002 | single3 = Original Sin | single3date = 1 April 2002 }} }}

'''''Songs from the West Coast''''' is the twenty-sixth studio album by British musician Elton John, released worldwide on 1 October 2001.

==Background== For this album, Elton John once again collaborated with long-time lyricist Bernie Taupin. Patrick Leonard produced the album and played keyboards on several songs, as was the case for ''The Road to El Dorado'' soundtrack, released the year before.

Drummer Nigel Olsson returned to the Elton John Band full-time and Tata Vega makes an early appearance as a backup vocalist, joining the band later. Stevie Wonder, who previously worked with John on the songs "I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues" and "That's What Friends Are For", played harmonica and clavinet on "Dark Diamond". Guy Babylon, Bob Birch and John Mahon, three of John's band members at the time, do not appear on this album.

It was the first non-soundtrack studio album from John to be released after PolyGram and Universal Music Group merged, consolidating distribution rights to his entire catalogue.

Rufus Wainwright sings backing vocals on the track "American Triangle", which is about Matthew Shepard, a gay college student who was murdered in 1998.<ref name=Conner2018>{{cite news |last1=Conner |first1=Elysia |title=Art Through Tragedy |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/100737329/casper-star-tribune/ |access-date=30 April 2022 |work=Casper Star-Tribune |date=14 October 2018 |pages=A1|via=Newspapers.com}} Continued on [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/100737519/casper-star-tribune/ page A5].</ref> The album was dedicated to Shepard and Oliver Johnstone, band member Davey Johnstone's late son.

John has said that the inspiration for many of the songs on this album came from when he listened to ''Heartbreaker'' by Ryan Adams.

In an interview with Jon Wiederhorn in 2001, John revealed that the album was recorded using analogue tape, as he believes "the voice and instruments sound warmer".

In 2002, the album was repackaged as a special edition containing a bonus disc with remixes, B-sides and non-album singles from the time of its release.

==Singles== "I Want Love" was the first single to be released from the album, later going on to be nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance at the 44th Annual Grammy Awards. It reached No. 9 in the UK Singles Chart, No. 10 on the US ''Billboard'' Bubbling Under chart and No. 6 on the Adult Contemporary chart. It reached No. 9 in Canada. "This Train Don't Stop There Anymore" and "Original Sin" also became hit singles. "Original Sin" also received a Grammy nomination for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance at the 45th Annual Grammy Awards. None of the songs from this album hit the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 in the United States, which froze John's record of 31 years with at least one song in the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 (30 with at least one in the top 40).

===Music videos=== The music video for the song "I Want Love" was directed by Sam Taylor-Wood and features actor Robert Downey Jr. lip-synching to the song.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mtv.com/bands/j/john_elton/news_feature_101201/ |title=Elton John: California Love |last=Rankin |first=Rebecca |date=2007 |website=mtv.com |access-date=22 January 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080726214913/http://www.mtv.com/bands/j/john_elton/news_feature_101201/ |archive-date=26 July 2008 }}</ref> He is the only person to appear in the video. The entire video is one long shot where the camera follows Downey from room to room of a large empty house (Greystone Mansion).

The music video for the song "This Train Don't Stop There Anymore" features Justin Timberlake portraying a young John.

The music video for the song "Original Sin" features Elizabeth Taylor and Mandy Moore. It also features John playing the father of Moore's character and the husband of Taylor's character. Moore was the centre of the video, who plays a huge Elton John fan from the 1970s who is transported by a dream (à la ''The Wizard of Oz'') to one of his concerts, where she socialises with various celebrities of the period (Bette Midler, Sonny & Cher, Barbra Streisand, etc.) played by look-alikes. Then at the end she wakes up and John's character asks, "Who is this Elton John, anyway?" It also has more of an upbeat dance mix to the music.

==Album cover== Photographed by Sam Taylor-Wood, the restaurant shown on the album's cover is Rae's Restaurant, which is frequently used as a location for many Los Angeles-based film shoots, including 1993's ''True Romance'' and 2005's ''Lords of Dogtown''. John's partner David Furnish and his Director of Operations Bob Halley appear on the album cover: Furnish as a cowboy at the bar and Halley as the man getting handcuffed.

==Critical reception== {{Album ratings |rev1 = ''The Advocate'' |rev1score = favourable<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pmQEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA60|title=The Advocate|date=4 December 2001|publisher=Here}}</ref> |rev2 = AllMusic |rev2score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref name="AMR">{{cite web |url={{AllMusic|class=album|id=r552794|tab=review|pure_url=yes}} |title=Review: ''Songs from the West Coast'' by Elton John |first=Stephen Thomas |last=Erlewine |author-link=Stephen Thomas Erlewine |website=AllMusic |location=United States |access-date=9 July 2011}}</ref> | rev3 = ''The Encyclopedia of Popular Music'' | rev3score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref>{{cite book|last=Larkin|first=Colin|chapter=John, Elton|title=The Encyclopedia of Popular Music|title-link=Encyclopedia of Popular Music|publisher=Omnibus Press|location=London|edition=5th concise|year=2011|isbn=978-0-85712-595-8|page=2,003}}</ref> |rev4 = ''Entertainment Weekly'' |rev4score = A−<ref name="EW">{{cite magazine |url=https://ew.com/article/2001/10/01/songs-west-coast/ |title=Review: ''Songs from the West Coast'' by Elton John |first=Ken |last=Tucker |author-link=Ken Tucker |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |issn=1049-0434 |date=1 October 2001 |access-date=22 May 2022}}</ref> |rev5 = ''The Guardian'' |rev5score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2001/sep/28/shopping.artsfeatures2|title=Pop CD releases|date=28 September 2001|newspaper=The Guardian|access-date=22 May 2022}}</ref> |rev6 = Jam! |rev6score = favourable<ref name="Jam!">{{cite web |url=http://jam.canoe.com/Music/Artists/J/John_Elton/AlbumReviews/2001/09/30/771167.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160310102339/http://jam.canoe.com/Music/Artists/J/John_Elton/AlbumReviews/2001/09/30/771167.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=10 March 2016 |title=Album Review: ''Songs from the West Coast'' by Elton John |first=Jane |last=Stevenson |date=30 September 2001 |access-date=24 September 2011 |work=Jam! Music}}</ref> |rev7 = ''Los Angeles Times'' |rev7score = positive<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2001-oct-28-ca-62494-story.html |author=Hilburn, Robert |author-link=Robert Hilburn |newspaper=Los Angeles Times|title=Strong Selections From Worthy Voices |date=28 October 2001 |access-date=22 May 2022}}</ref> |rev8 = ''People'' |rev8score = favourable<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://people.com/archive/picks-and-pans-review-songs-from-the-west-coast-vol-56-no-16/|title=Picks and Pans Review: Songs from the West Coast|date=October 15, 2001|website=people.com|access-date=2 January 2022}}</ref> |rev9 = ''Rolling Stone'' |rev9score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref name="RS">{{cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/songs-from-the-west-coast-20010917 |title=Review: ''Songs from the West Coast'' by Elton John |first=Barry |last=Walters |date=17 September 2001 |magazine=Rolling Stone |access-date=14 September 2017 |archive-date=17 September 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170917051129/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/songs-from-the-west-coast-20010917 |url-status=dead }}</ref> |rev10 = ''BBC'' |rev10score = favourable<ref name="BBC">{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/29nv/|title=BBC Review|first=David|last=Quantick|date=2010|work=BBC|access-date=22 May 2022}}</ref> }} For the most part, ''Songs from the West Coast'' was warmly received by music critics. AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine was glad that John made a record that sounds like his classic albums from the early 1970s, even though he still included some adult contemporary material. Erlewine went on to say that the record does not have all the "warmth" of his classic albums, but that it is still the best album he has made in years.<ref name="AMR" /> Ken Tucker of ''Entertainment Weekly'' stated that the album effectively sounds like John's early recordings. He felt that Taupin's lyrics, such as "American Triangle", devalue the song, but at other times make John "liberated".<ref name="EW" /> Jane Stevenson, writing for Jam! CANOE, felt glad that John returned to his roots, even if he does not quite make it there.<ref name="Jam!" /> Barry Walters of ''Rolling Stone'' wrote that back-to-the-roots albums by artists rarely work, but John was able to make it work on ''Songs from the West Coast'' even if some songs, such as "American Triangle" and "The Emperor's New Clothes", miss the mark. Others, like "I Want Love", effectively manage to sound like his earlier work.<ref name="RS" />

==Track listing== All songs written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin.

{{Track listing | headline = ''Songs from the West Coast'' track listing | title1 = The Emperor's New Clothes | length1 = 4:28 | title2 = Dark Diamond | length2 = 4:26 | title3 = Look Ma, No Hands | length3 = 4:22 | title4 = American Triangle | length4 = 4:49 | title5 = Original Sin | length5 = 4:49 | title6 = Birds | length6 = 3:51 | title7 = I Want Love | length7 = 4:35 | title8 = The Wasteland | length8 = 4:21 | title9 = Ballad of the Boy in the Red Shoes | length9 = 4:52 | title10 = Love Her Like Me | length10 = 3:58 | title11 = Mansfield | length11 = 4:56 | title12 = This Train Don't Stop There Anymore | length12 = 4:39 }}

{{Track listing | headline = 2002 reissue bonus disc track listing | title1 = Your Song | note1 = with Alessandro Safina | length1 = 4:21 | title2 = Teardrops | note2 = with Lulu | length2 = 4:45 | title3 = The North Star | length3 = 5:29 | title4 = Original Sin | note4 = Junior's Earth mix | length4 = 3:52 | title5 = Your Song | note5 = with Alessandro Safina; Almighty mix | length5 = 4:33 | title6 = I Want Love | note6 = video | length6 = | title7 = This Train Don't Stop There Anymore | note7 = video | length7 = | title8 = Your Song | note8 = video | length8 = }}

== Personnel == === Musicians === * Elton John – lead vocals, acoustic piano, harmonium (6) * Patrick Leonard – Hammond B3 organ (2, 4), organ (3), keyboards (4, 5, 11), Mellotron (10) * Stevie Wonder – clavinet (2), harmonica (2) * Billy Preston – Hammond B3 organ (7, 8, 10) * Davey Johnstone – guitars (1, 2, 8), backing vocals (1–3, 7, 9–12), electric guitar (3, 7), acoustic guitar (9, 11), mandolin (9) * David Channing – acoustic guitar (3), dobro (6) * Rusty Anderson – electric guitar (4, 11), guitars (5, 6, 10), bouzouki (11) * Bruce Gaitsch – acoustic guitar (4, 7) * Paul Bushnell – bass (1–12), backing vocals (1–3, 7, 9–12) * Nigel Olsson – drums (1, 3, 7–9), backing vocals (1–3, 7, 9–12) * Matt Chamberlain – drums (2, 4–6, 10–12), percussion (6) * Jay Bellerose – percussion (1, 3, 5, 7, 9) * Paul Buckmaster – horn arrangements and conductor (1), string arrangements and conductor (5, 9, 11, 12) * Rufus Wainwright – harmony vocals (4) * Kudisan Kai – backing vocals (7, 8, 12) * Tata Vega – backing vocals (8) * Gary Barlow – backing vocals (12)

=== Production === * Patrick Leonard – producer * Bill Bottrell – mixing * Alan Sanderson – mix assistant * Joe Chiccarelli – recording, vocal recording, horn and string recording * Greg Penny – producer ("Teardrops" with Lulu) * David Channing – recording, vocal recording (Rufus Wainwright, 4) * Brian Scheuble – recording * Ralph Sutton – recording (Stevie Wonder, 2) * Jennifer Hilliard – recording assistant * Katrina Leigh – recording assistant, production coordinator * Jonathan Merritt – recording assistant * Todd Shoemaker – recording assistant * Alan Sanderson – horn and string recording assistant * Andy Green – vocal recording assistant * Tom Stanley – vocal recording assistant * Steve Jones – recording assistant (Stevie Wonder, 2) * Darrell Thorp – recording assistant (Rufus Wainwright, 4) * Stewart Whitmore – mastering * Adrian Collee – production coordinator * Suzanne Ybarra – production coordinator * Peacock – design * Sam Taylor-Wood – photography * Mixed at Cello Studios (Hollywood, California) * Mastered at Marcussen Mastering (Hollywood, California)

==Accolades==

{{Awards table}} |+Grammy Award nominations for ''Songs from the West Coast'' | style="text-align:center;" |2002<br /><ref name="02grammynominees">{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2002-jan-05-et-grammlist5-story.html|title= THE GRAMMY NOMINATIONS List of Nominees|work=Los Angeles Times|date=5 January 2002|access-date=24 September 2011}}</ref> ||"I Want Love"|| Best Pop Vocal Album || {{nom}} |-

| style="text-align:center;" rowspan="2" |2003<br /><ref name="03grammynominees">{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2003-jan-08-et-grammylist8-story.html|title= The Grammy Nominations The complete list of nominees|work=Los Angeles Times|date=8 January 2003|access-date=24 September 2011}}</ref> || "Original Sin"|| Best Pop Vocal Performance – Male|| {{nom}} |- {{End}}

==Charts== {{col-begin}} {{col-2}}

===Weekly charts=== {| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" |+Weekly chart performance for ''Songs from the West Coast'' ! scope="col"| Chart (2001–2002) ! scope="col"| Peak<br />position |- {{Album chart|Australia|7|artist=Elton John|album=Songs from the West Coast|rowheader=true|accessdate=20 July 2024}} |- {{Album chart|Austria|15|artist=Elton John|album=Songs from the West Coast|rowheader=true|accessdate=20 July 2024}} |- {{Album chart|BillboardCanada|9|artist=Elton John|rowheader=true|accessdate=20 July 2024}} |- {{Album chart|Denmark|10|artist=Elton John|album=Songs from the West Coast|rowheader=true|accessdate=20 July 2024}} |- {{Album chart|Netherlands|13|artist=Elton John|album=Songs from the West Coast|rowheader=true|accessdate=20 July 2024}} |- {{Album chart|Finland|22|artist=Elton John|album=Songs from the West Coast|rowheader=true|accessdate=20 July 2024}} |- {{Album chart|France|19|artist=Elton John|album=Songs from the West Coast|rowheader=true|accessdate=20 July 2024}} |- {{Album chart|Germany|14|id=3827|artist=Elton John|album=Songs from the West Coast|rowheader=true|accessdate=20 July 2024}} |- {{Album chart|Hungary|33|artist=Elton John|album=Songs from the West Coast|year=2001|week=44|rowheader=true|access-date=20 July 2024}} |- {{Album chart|Ireland2|38|artist=Elton John|rowheader=true|accessdate=20 July 2024}} |- {{Album chart|Italy|3|artist=Elton John|album=Songs from the West Coast|rowheader=true|accessdate=20 July 2024}} |- ! scope="row"|Japanese Albums (Oricon)<ref name="Jachart">{{cite web| url=http://www.oricon.co.jp/music/release/d/456685/1/|title=エルトン・ジョン-リリース-ORICON STYLE-ミュージック| trans-title= Highest position and charting weeks of ''Songs from the West Coast'' by Elton John| language=ja| publisher=Oricon| access-date=21 September 2011}}</ref> | align="center"| 68 |- {{Album chart|New Zealand|24|artist=Elton John|album=Songs from the West Coast|rowheader=true|accessdate=20 July 2024}} |- {{Album chart|Norway|2|artist=Elton John|album=Songs from the West Coast|rowheader=true|accessdate=20 July 2024}} |- !scope="row"|Polish Albums (OLiS)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://olis.onyx.pl/listy/index.asp?idlisty=54&lang=en|title=OLiS: sales for the period 15.10.2001 – 21.10.2001|publisher=OLiS}}</ref> | align="center"| 18 |- {{Album chart|Scotland|2|date=20011007|rowheader=true|accessdate=20 July 2024}} |- !scope="row"|Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)<ref>{{cite book |last=Salaverri|first=Fernando|title=Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002|edition=1st |date=September 2005|publisher=Fundación Autor-SGAE|location=Spain|isbn=84-8048-639-2}}</ref> | align="center"| 21 |- {{Album chart|Sweden|8|artist=Elton John|album=Songs from the West Coast|rowheader=true|accessdate=20 July 2024}} |- {{Album chart|Switzerland|7|artist=Elton John|album=Songs from the West Coast|rowheader=true|accessdate=20 July 2024}} |- {{Album chart|UK2|2|date=20011007|refname=UK albums|rowheader=true|accessdate=20 July 2024}} |- {{Album chart|Billboard200|15|artist=Elton John|refname=Billboard 200|rowheader=true|accessdate=20 July 2024}} |} {{col-2}}

===Year-end charts=== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" style="text-align:center;" |+Year-end chart performance for ''Songs from the West Coast'' !scope="col"|Chart (2001) !scope="col"|Position |- !scope="row"| Canadian Albums (Nielsen SoundScan)<ref>{{cite web|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20031106085719/http://www.jamshowbiz.com/JamMusicCharts/200-2_2001.html|archivedate=6 November 2003|url=http://www.jamshowbiz.com/JamMusicCharts/200-2_2001.html|title=Top 200 Albums of 2001 (based on sales)|website=Jam!|accessdate=26 March 2022}}</ref> |174 |- !scope="row"|UK Albums (OCC)<ref name="UKYearend">{{cite web|url=http://www.ukchartsplus.co.uk/ChartsPlusYE2001.pdf|title=The Official UK Albums Chart – Year-End – 2001|access-date=13 September 2011}}</ref> |34 |} {{col-end}}

==Certifications and sales== {{Certification Table Top|caption=Certifications and sales for ''Songs from the West Coast''}} {{Certification Table Entry|region=Australia|title=Songs from the West Coast|artist=Elton John|type=album|award=Gold|certyear=2001|relyear=2001}} {{Certification Table Entry|region=Canada|title=Songs from the West Coast|artist=Elton John|type=album|award=Gold|certyear=2001|relyear=2001}} {{Certification Table Entry|region=Denmark|title=Songs from the West Coast|artist=Elton John|type=album|award=Platinum|certyear=2007|relyear=2001|certref=<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ifpi.dk/?q=content/forårets-guld-og-platincertificeringer |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111008132334/http://ifpi.dk/?q=content/for%C3%A5rets-guld-og-platincertificeringer |archive-date=8 October 2011 |title=Forårets guld- og platincertificeringer |language=da |access-date=12 July 2022 |publisher=IFPI Danmark |url-status=dead }}</ref>}} {{Certification Table Entry|region=Italy|title=Songs from the West Coast|artist=Elton John|type=album|award=Platinum|relyear=2001}} {{Certification Table Entry|region=Norway|title=Songs from the West Coast|artist=Elton John|type=album|award=Gold|certyear=2001|relyear=2001}} {{Certification Table Entry|region=Sweden|title=Songs from the West Coast|artist=Elton John|type=album|award=Gold|certyear=2001|relyear=2001}} {{Certification Table Entry|region=Switzerland|title=Songs from the West Coast|artist=Elton John|type=album|award=Gold|certyear=2001|relyear=2001}} {{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|title=Songs from the West Coast|artist=Elton John|type=album|award=Platinum|number=2|certyear=2002|relyear=2001|id=6114-2982-2}} {{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|title=Songs from the West Coast|artist=Elton John|type=album|award=Gold|salesamount=500,000|salesref=<ref name="billboard04">{{cite web|url=http://www.billboard.com/news/elton-john-strolls-down-peachtree-road-1000510806.story|title=Elton John Strolls Down 'Peachtree Road'|work=billboard.com|publisher=Billboard|access-date=13 September 2011}}</ref>|certyear=2001|relyear=2001}} {{Certification Table Summary}} {{certification Table Entry|title=Songs from the West Coast|artist=Elton John|relyear=2001|type=album|region=Europe|certyear=2001|award=Platinum}} {{Certification Table Bottom}}

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== *{{Discogs master|type=album|126938|name=Songs from the West Coast}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Songs From The West Coast}} Category:Elton John albums Category:2001 albums Category:Albums arranged by Paul Buckmaster Category:Albums produced by Patrick Leonard Category:The Rocket Record Company albums Category:Albums recorded at Townhouse Studios