Understanding Bennie And The Jets
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 4 เม.ย. 2019
- Say, Candy and Ronnie, have you seen them yet? Elton John's Bennie and the Jets is a rather surreal experience, capturing the experience of seeing a fictional band live within the confines of a studio recording by another, very real band, but what makes it feel so... spaced out? What is Sir Elton doing to make the song work? How is he creating those solid walls of sound, and what exactly are electric boots?
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Also, thanks to Jareth Arnold for proofreading the script to make sure this all makes sense hopefully!
I like to watch this and pretend I know what he’s talking about.
keep listening and learning
Same
I just like learning about why I like the songs I like 🤣
12tone uses they/them
Me too, me too. I'm starting to get it though, bit man, music is heavy going. I've only recently got into it properly, starting to play guitar a few months ago, and I've been watching everything I can find and playing almost every day and I'm only just starting to figure stuff out.
Not to forget: there is some fake audience clapping in the background clapping on all four quarter notes and not on 2 and 4 like most musicians would prefer. This also adds to the live-performance feel. I mean think about it, false clapping on purpose
Fake or simulated? The whole point was recreation.
It's like the deliberate use of a laugh track on a sitcom. Of course it is "on purpose."
@@chironapolonio thats my point
Given the strong quarter note pulse, clapping on all four beats may be the correct choice here.
The overdubbed crowd effects used to bug me many years ago (like, in the 1970s), but I've since grown to appreciate it as an artistic touch... After all the whole point is, "have you seen them yet?" ... i.e. the excitement of seeing a band play live.
This is my absolute favorite Elton John song. The theatricality, the imagery... the way he holds out the s in jetsssss. The 2017 music video really brings home the circus show theme
The way he says ‘magazine’ in the studio recording is just 👌🏿
MA-GA-ZAI-IIIIIIIIIINE-OOO-LOOOOOOO
Lean Mean Green Bean Machine what’s up brother
Adam Palomino 2 * bro bro bro bro bro bro bro bro bro bro bro bro bro bro bro bro bro bro bro bro bro bro bro bro bro bro bro bro bro bro bro bro bro bro bro bro bro bro bro bro bro bro bro bro bro
@@leanmeangreenbeanmachine3347 nice
@@barnie07 swice
I once played baseball (trying to appease my dad who was far more into sports than I -- it lasted one season) and my team name was the Jets. After games and practices, this song was heavily on my mind. Turned out I liked Elton John more than baseball. Go figure.
Thank you for explaining this song,. It's always been puzzling to me why he went in such unusual directions for 70s rock music, but this video helps clear up much of my confusion.
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road is my favourite album ever! Gr8 vid
You know is killin me tho, is the fact that I havent seen anybody on here just talkin bout how DOPE it is that this dude is not just brilliantly deconstructing (in an academic way of course) an all TIME favorite of mine, BUTT , whats the deal with nobody mentioning how crazy it is that dude is animating his dialog in direct syncopation of his voice cadence !! That all by itself makes the video on point.
My longest running misheard lyric was "Sitting on a park bench, Nine little girls with bad intent". I spent twenty years of my life wondering what those girls were up to.
Bacopa68 Namely?
Aqualung. It’s “eyeing” isn’t it?
Slow handed Walter. The fire engine guy.
😂😂😂
Holy cow, I never really thought about how much was going on in this song. I have such a greater appreciation for it after seeing this haha
I always feel like I become a better songwriter after watching your videos even though half of the information (usually) goes over my head.
One of my absolute favorite pieces of music - Elton often structured choruses like a bunch of little thoughts that are 2 or 3 bar ideas (probably to help Bernies lyrics which I sense were regularly not written with music in mind still seem sensible, somewhat conversational, and not awkwardly forced over four bar phrases)... all the while cumulating these vignettes to something exciting with a lot of tension and release, then coming back down again.... its the Elton trick of chorus writing... Just look at 'Philidelphia Freedom'. same thing happening... I think thats the coolest, oddest chorus ever conceived in a #1 hit... He finds clever ways to knock you on your head that the verse is coming back, really makes a meal of it... 'Someone Saved My Life Tonight' is a similar but not exact example, but you definitely get the ending with something outside the key to close the chorus off, 'Tiny Dancer' too, always a major 2nd away from the chord prior... (Like your C to embellished Bb example here)... I call it his 'palette cleanser', a breath before we go back to ground zero... Fabulous video, thank you for echoing my thoughts and teaching me some things.
One thing that occurred to me while watching: you mention that the marching pulse and theme of the song reminded you of circus music. When I think of circus music I think of 3/4 time signature. The way the verse and chorus come in three repetition reinforces that circus theme.
Marches are not exactly unheard of as circus music though... Entry of the Gladiators, anyone?
the live sound is from Johns previous concerts and Jimi Hendrix live at the Isle Wight with reverb added
My favourite by Elton.The second is Honky Cat
Yes, I love jazzy sounds (for me the best Elton’s album is Honky Châteu).
Mixolydian is actually super common in rock music tho, especially early rock music based in the blues. This was often the case because untrained guitarists would only learn their major and minor chords and not diminished. Elton seems to know much more about “how to music” tho, so I’m assuming he knew this from playing rock a lot, and wrote it in for that reason to stay on theme.
AC/DC's career is built almost entirely on mixolydian.
Kristian Wichmann yea, its wild to me. But, its something that has come up all the way from folk music. The whole “untrained musician/composer” thing can create sounds that would have never been stumbled upon by the academy.
He was classically trained at the prestigious Royal Academy of Music in London. This informs his music.
Rick Beato made a video explaining all those modes.
I'm over the moon that I can follow your videos now after a year and a quarter of a music degree.... going to binge the rest now, thank you so much for doing these!
I KNEW IT WAS BOOTs! 😂
I knew that
I’ve always wondered if songwriters actually think about all this theory in their songwriting process
I'm pretty sure they know about it. When some people say “oh, well songwriters don't know theory”, they seem to mean that they think that music is made by people just hitting random notes until it sounds good, which seems unlikely. I feel like they definitely understand some of these concepts, like the fact that the V chord often goes to the I chord but it can be an interesting surprise if it doesn't, even if they hadn't been formally taught it.
I think Elton John was formally trained anyway, so this doesn't specifically apply to him.
When writing music I'm not always actively thinking about the theory but I'm definitely aware of it. It can be a useful tool to work things out but it's not so present in the initial stages. I don't sit down and say "I'm going to write a song with three verses in G major for these instruments", but once I've got some ideas it becomes something I'm thinking about. In general knowledge of theory provides me with a lot of tricks I can use but I'm not necessarily thinking about the theory, even when I know why they work.
That said everyone is different. Many great songwriters have had no formal musical training and still know all the tricks, even if they've never learnt the theory behind it all.
Elton was a classically trained pianist at the London Royal Music Academy so he is aware of exactly what he is composing.
The beginning of the song always reminds me of a heartbeat
The intro to the video was enough for a like
When he played that scale that Elton John took a note from it reminded me of arcade fire's song everything now.
Now I want to hear him take apart that song...
I think the Bb/C (discussed at 10:45) is actually a shell of a D7alt cord resolving to the Gmaj7. The Bb/C has the b7(C),#5(A#),1(D),#9(E#) of a D7alt. Great overall analysis!
Born in 1962, there were always songs I really liked. But, it wasn't until the release of Benny and the Jets that a song TRULY 'SPOKE' to me.
It wasn't until years later that I learned the song wasn't actually "Live" but I was hooked none the less. From that point on, I knew what I wanted to do for the rest of my life!
This analysis was brilliant, fun, and extremely clever! Thanks!!!!!!
One thing I always found super interesting about the song was his enunciation and the way elton john emphasizes BBBBBennie and the Jetsssssssssssssss. My dad worked in the TV industry for a while, and I remember him talking about how B, P and S always sound bad on microphones, and thats why singers have the little screens in front of the microphones. So the fact that elton emphasizes the most difficult sounds to put through audio processing just proves his mastery, and the mastery of the fictional band. Plus it sounds cool ;]
How ingenious is Elton! And how smart you are for being able to dissect this! Brilliant!
Don't forget Bernie Taupin....he is the writer who has worked with Sir Elton since the beginning
This breakdown and illustration is GENIUS. THANK YOU.
I found this just in time! I'm working on this song on piano and it's made me love and appreciate it more than ever. Your description, however, took the appreciation over the edge.
I finally played the song along with this commentary and it was mind-blowing to hear the theory and the music together.
Love this song, so glad to see your take on it
This is my new favorite channel! This is perfect for a music theory nerd while making it fun!
Would love to see you do Miami 2017 someday.
i'd never thought of this tune as interesting musically before. It has been a curious and interesting tune that I nearly completely tuned out. Bernie Taupin has some beautiful colours in his compositions. Thanks for bringing the variables into focus 12Tone. Clarifying deceptive cadences is appreciated. I am grateful to you and the patrons at patreon that support you.
I love music so damn much! Your analysis is dead on! Fun explanation style too, I dig it!
Thank you for the series, thank you sponsors. I’m learning so much about why my ukulele strumming sounds so cool sometimes. You make me an even happier music fan. As for Benny, I remember thinking, “Wow, this is how Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band should rock!”
I've been wanting to learn more about the ins and outs of composing, since I stopped music lessons before I really learned how to turn all the descriptive knowledge I absorbed into something new. I've watched two videos on this channel so far, and already I have a page of notes about the different chords and how I can use them to create my own pieces. This is a great medium for exploring this, because you can both show what's happening on the staff, and hear the sound of it simultaneously. And when you use songs I already know and love, I can hear and understand it much easier because it's already familiar to my ear. I'm really enjoying your channel so far, thank you for making these videos.
Great stuff, enjoyed watching this
Also, I love your channel! Thanks for your awesome video
As a pretty big fan of Elton’s work, I love this video a lot. This is actually really interesting
This channel deserves at least a million subs!
I kinda love that we are disecting an Elton John song and only looking at the parts he wrote himself.
Curse you releasing this the instant I went to work! I listened to it in the car, and it's fascinating the lengths that Elton John went to keep this song from resolving cleanly. I would have posted this then, but I didn't have time, and "first" is so passé
I've listened to and loved this song since '74. I know, realistically, I've heard this song over 1000 times. I don't think I've really heard it until now. Thank you!
One of my favorite songs too. Thanks son.
Nice analysis!
I feel like the decisions Elton made with this one were informed by the lyrics. When Elton writes with Bernie, the lyrics always come first (barring a few exceptions like "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" and "Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word"). The lyrical structure is unusual on this one, so I would speculate that Elton had to be just as unorthodox with his musical contribution to the song.
Incidentally, Elton didn't like the song at first. He didn't want it on the album, and certainly didn't want it put out as a single even after it did make it on the album. He only agreed to release it as a single in the US and Canada because it went to #1 in the R&B charts in Detroit. Subsequently, it became his second #1 single on the Billboard Hot 100.
This song has a big impact in my life. The nurses sung it for my mon in the hospital when I was born.
Ty love this
Soo good. Thanks.
just subbed this was amazing!
Something I only noticed about this song actually playing it live, is that no one gets the groove right. The piano, bass and drums in the intro and subsequent reprisals of the G to F are so far behind the beat they're almost dragging, and it's totally antithetical to the way most people play the song that I've heard bc it snaps back to the middle of the beat for the verses. It's a huge part of the feel of the whole track and its the missing ingredient when I hear covers of it.
Elton, Nigel Olsson and Dee Murray are probably the most overlooked rhythm section of the 70s and this whole album proves it.
This is brilliant!
''One of my mom's favorite songs''. GREAT!!!
People mishear that?
What do people hear instead of “she’s got electric boots”?
Apparently they hear "boobs" not "boots". I don't understand. Even before this video I always heard "boots".
@@sorryperson92 There's lots of reasons people mishear lyrics. Hearing quality, stereo quality, speaker quality, media quality, even language proficiency.
Yeah. That clears it up for me
I’ve been checking out your videos a lot, you gotta do Band on the run man!
So nice
The whole album has a lot of 7ths throughout it. It's a really nice way to sonically tie the album together.
I was just getting into this song! And bam this video is in my feed
Uh, ok. Thanks for making me realize I don’t know anything about music. Putting my keyboard on Craigslist now...
This one went deep. Love it ! :)
It's crazy to me how the greats made epic songs while being drunk and high for the majority of the time
I feel like Elton put a lot more thought into the musical complexity of this song which is why this will 100% be my favorite song ever
I find this really fascinating but it goes way over my head. I never realised that there was so much to take into consideration when writing a melody.
I heard it from Gus dudgeon that the crowd sounds are from a Hendrix concert in the Isle of Wight.
Pianist and guitarist that have made legendary rifts/beats and base tones of songs are just all musical geniuses either on purpose or by the ear and sometimes by both
Good analysis good work
Yay! I love this song too
This song is so rich. Elton vids forever please, but at least Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me
Many times, in concert, it would be dark....... and he would play that as his first song, or on coming back for an encore, and everyone is in the dark..... and suddenly everyone hear's that iconic one piano cord..... and 100,000 people start cheering because they know exactly what that one cord means. But in concert he turns the song into a half hour journey through the outer space of genius piano playing and world's of enlightenment. It's too bad you guy making this video today, don't have anything like that.
0:20 today is actually my mom’s birthday.
The Invisible Armadillo of Death give her my wishes x
Elton John is a bad ass Musical Genius💯
This is my favourite Elton John song!
Could you analyze Everlong by Foo Fighters?
It's on his poll list at patreon, there's definitely a demand.
Fantastic breakdown.
Also, in your opinion, could the Bb triad over C bass also be viewed as a C11 and therefore a secondary dominant in the key of G?
It certainly could, but I'm not sure viewing it as a secondary dominant helps much: After all, if it is one, it doesn't really resolve.
@@12tone Ah yes, good point. Thanks for the reply.
Just found out this channel. What an amazing content (I don't understand much about music but love how it works.) It would be amazing to see a video of Instrospection by Estas Tonne
How did I miss this!?!
tiny dancer and bennie and the jets are such amazing songs
Elton never thought this was hit and tried to stop the record company from releasing it as a single.
I heard that the live audience was actually taken from a Jimi Hendrix concert, idk if it's true or not, but that's what I once heard.
As far as I know, it's both: They combined Elton John concerts with a Jimi Hendrix recording to get the full crowd sounds they were looking for.
@@12tone Yes. There's an interview in an old documentary, with his producer, the late Gus Dudgeon, saying exactly what you said. I believe the Hendrix part of the mix was from his Isle of Wight gig.
The Bb/C at the end of the chorus is also called a “sus” in a jazz idiom, and the Bb and F both resolve really well into the B and F# of the GM7.
Whoa, what did I just watch? I may have to come back another day.
I believe the crowd noise is actually from an Isle of Mann concert by Jimmy Hendrix, added in the mix after recording. Adds a whole lot to the song!
Your videos are great. I would like to suggest Understanding Bohemian Rhapsody.
At the end of the song Elton John replaces the Gmaj7 and Fmaj7 chords with Gmaj13 and Fmaj13 chords (the 5th of the chord is replaced with the 6th or 13th of the chord, you could also call these chords Bsus4/G Asus4/F or Esus2/G Dsus2/F, those are quartal chords like McCoy Tyner plays them a lot).
Well done. I was hoping you'd talk more about the rhythm, which is the other most interesting thing about this piece.
I don't really understand music theory AT ALL and I still really don't but I stayed for the whole video.And you were explaining a Sir Elton John song.
Thanks
There’s some Hendrix audience noise in the track as well.
So this recording is a virtual performance of a fictional band created by an real band - but the lyrics are from some fan's point of view. Brilliant!
god this song gets stuck in my head so badly
This is Elton and Bernie's best work in my opinion...and that is saying something. The selective sparseness coupled with the tight production is really ahead of its time. The next pop-chart song I know of to follow such a production philosophy wouldn't come until 1980 (7 years later!) with Funkytown by Lipps Inc.. Then this philosophy of extremely tight production with lots of "empty space" would really take off with bands such as INXS, The Talking Heads, and Fine Young Cannibals. I will say that Steely Dan came somewhat close contemporaneously...but they never quite matched the raw and perfect use of empty space. Silence really can speak louder than words, and when applied correctly, can make every note of a song perfectly memorable.
Always LOVED it and yes, my mom always laughed about how at the time they thought it was "She's got electric boobs" and "I HEARD it in a magazine." Classic.
chironapolonio I hear the same
The upper structure chord reminds of the jazz 'Sus chord' on the Dominant. Take the bass, go down a whole step and build a major 7 on that lower note, and keep the original root in the bass
E.g. C Bb D F A
It's only missing the A, but that could just be because they didn't like the 13 color
Hey, what about analysing the piano intro from firth of fifth by the Genesis? Please, this would be mesmerizing to me!
Genesis does that Am to G/A thing a LOT, its definitely their peak harmonic cliche, I love it. Its all over the 'Trick Of The Tail' record. It feels so medieval and dark and cool...
personally i would say that the chorus modulates to C lydian with the C, D, Emi, D, C move, and the Bb is borrowed from minor, but as a major chord it doesn't sound quite so dark, and the following Gmaj7 to Fmaj7 is a use of the theme established at the beginning to modulate back to G, as the Gmaj7 is present in both C lydian and G major, and the Fmaj7 is in the more common C major key, but has already been established as modal interchange in some sort of G key, so it works as a good segue back into a G major verse again
The Mixolydian VII seems to be a really common modal interchange when trying to avoid the diminished triad in major keys. I think it's because it's less of a movement, so it's the least jarring option.
Please. What piano vst is this?! Perfect tone.
Can you make a video explaining all music ever? Thanks!
5:30 Deceptive resolution represented via the elusive Lokiphant! 🤣
11:20 just like sgt pepper's.it's such a cool idea
I wish I had your talent
HAPPY NOT BIRTHDAY MAMA 12TONE!
Thanks!