14. Passengers (Elton John - Live In London: 12/14/1985)

While thinking about uploads, I realized that this classic show from 1985 hasn’t been on my channel for a number of years! When it originally was uploaded, it had an inferior mix and the clarity wasn’t great. After recently stumbling upon an upgraded version, I decided to re-listen to the show multiple times and get it onto my TH-cam channel! I’d like to dedicate this upload to “apx24” since this user has said that it’s their favorite Elton John show to listen to! Despite having great audio quality, this recording isn’t quite 100% complete as due to the broadcast being done in two one-hour programs, “Kiss The Bride” and “Football Crazy” were not caught on the recording.
On this fourth Wembley Arena show, the band sound tighter when compared to the first night’s performances. The musicianship is more focused and this a great show if you want to focus on Charlie Morgan’s drumming. His fills and creative takes on the classic material are fantastic to listen to and it’s no wonder why he is highly regarded among Elton John fans. The rest of the band compliment things as the high audio quality shows off their prowess in their respective roles. Elton is also in great form vocally - with a change in vocal approach compared to earlier shows. On some songs, he really pushes his voice for added distortion (especially on the non-ballad songs) while on others, he holds back on the more forceful singing and sounds closer to earlier years during the “prime live” era. Now… time to talk about the performances at this show!
“Tonight” is sung conservatively, has a slight lyrical stumble, and has a bit of a coarse vocal tone (although it’s not as pronounced as other versions from this tour) throughout. To Elton’s credit, his tone does clear up a bit as the song progresses. “One Horse Town” has Elton singing the Blue Moves deep cut with an overdriven effect, but it sounds powerful and it ranks among the best live versions of the song. “Better Off Dead” has Elton delivering the song with a powerful edge (although he doesn’t overdrive his voice as much as other versions) and Charlie’s drumming sounds fantastic throughout. “Rocket Man” is sung well and has nice moments with the phrasing, but other performances from the tour have better improvisation sections. “Honky Cat” is a solid version with Elton singing it straightforward with powerful belts. “Burn Down The Mission” features Charlie’s exquisite drumming and Elton showing off his overdriven vocal style in spades. “Someone Saved My Life Tonight” is one of the classic performances from the tour leg as the entire band sound amazing and Elton sings the song with passion. He alternates between a softer voice, the distorted voice, and even gives a bit more raw power to the outroduction vocals. “The Bitch Is Back” contains powerful overdrive and clean belts from Elton. Fred Mandel’s guitar solo also sounds quite fierce at this show. “Song For You” contains great vocal dynamics from Elton which sound lovely. “Blue Eyes” is a stronger performance compared with the first night’s version as Elton’s vocal delivery is more focused. “I Guess That’s Why They Call It The Blues” is a powerful performance with some elements of the European Express style blending into it. Concluding this section, “Restless” is a spirited version with Elton really pushing his voice for effect and the musicianship is splendid throughout.
“Passengers” is one of the definitive live versions (along with the last Belfast’s version) as Elton sings the correct lyrics and delivers a punchy vocal with the band complimenting his energy. “Bennie And The Jets” is one of the better versions from the tour leg as Elton gives a bit more to the vocal delivery and he sounds pretty lively with his vocal phrasing. “Sad Songs (Say So Much)” is one of the elite versions from the era as Elton eases off the gas and sings the Breaking Hearts hit single with more of a natural tone. He also adds nice embellishments in spots which reflects his enjoyment on stage. “Shoot Down The Moon” sounds fantastic with Elton displaying great soft tone and he doesn’t cut off notes as much as other versions. “This Town” highlights the prowess of the band and Elton nails the vocals with power. “Nikita” is an elite version with Elton sounding excellent and the musicianship being some of the best on the song. “I’m Still Standing” contains great energy and Elton adding embellishments throughout (although some of them don’t have the cleanest delivery). “Your Song” features Elton’s soft tone which sounds similar to his early 80s self and he also flubs a line in the last verse. “Wrap Her Up” is the definitive live version as Elton nails the vocals with confidence and the performance is highly energetic. “Candle In The Wind” is a surprising version as Elton uses a softer tone and sounds close to his 1979 self in spots. Lastly, “Can I Get A Witness” is an energetic and overdriven end to the show with the entire band sounding extremely lively!
ENJOY!!!

[@rafaa151]

Why Elton didn't sing this more times? This seems great.

[@ncf1]

I wished Elton pushed it a bit more on the studio recording, gave it a bit more of an edge.

[@GregsynthWizard]

The live versions blow the studio one out of the water in terms of energy!

[@oliverfresh5742]

Yeah I’m sorry but the studio version is way better than the live version

[@ncf1]

@@oliverfresh5742 listening back, I think you're right, the studio version is superior, I think I just enjoyed hearing Elton thrash out the vocal a bit here :)

[@oliverfresh5742]

@@ncf1 yeah this live version is quite interesting but like you said the studio version is much more superior