Honky Château is the fifth studio album by English musician Elton John. It was released in 1972, and was titled after the 18th century French chateau where it was recorded, Château d'Hérouville. The album reached number one in the US, the first of seven consecutive US number one albums for Elton John. In 2012, the album was ranked number 359 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. It was certified gold in July 1972 and platinum in October 1995 by the RIAA
Considerably lighter than Madman Across the Water, Honky Chateau is a rollicking collection of ballads, rockers, blues, country-rock, and soul songs. On paper, it reads like an eclectic mess, but it plays as the most focused and accomplished set of songs Elton John and Bernie Taupin ever wrote. The skittering boogie of "Honky Cat" and the light psychedelic pop of "Rocket Man" helped send Honky Chateau to the top of the charts, but what is truly impressive about the album is the depth of its material
Elton John - Honky Chateau (1972). Songs in album Elton John - Honky Chateau (1972).
You won’t find the expression Honky Château in any dictionary or book of Anglo-Franco phrases. The approach proved very successful; Honky Château spent 14 months on the Billboard Top 200 album chart and became Elton’s first number one album in the US (it reached in the UK – his next album would become his first chart-topper in Britain – and spent 23 weeks on the UK Album Chart). Honky Château began a run of seven consecutive number one albums for Elton in the US and the LP was in included in Rolling Stone magazine’s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time in 2012.
Elton John set out to shock a few people with Honky Château. But the album turned gold in America even during that French sojourn, and went double platinum in the 90s. Elton had devoted a great deal of time to breaking America, and Honky Château would raise his game to new levels. He and the band loved the pastoral atmosphere of the château so much, it became their creative bolthole for three albums in a row. Recording sessions: It will shock a few people. The dawn of 1972 had Elton making ever greater inroads into the American album rock market and the holy ground of FM radio.
Elton John's 'Honky Chateau' was issued on May 19, 1972. Elton John was well on his way to becoming a star when he released his fifth album, Honky Chateau, in May 1972. But nobody had an idea just how big of a star he'd become following the record's supernova climb up the charts. Several changes in John's approach to record-making probably had something to do with this
Released May 19, 1972. Honky Château Tracklist.
1 | Honky CatArranged By [Brass] – Gus DudgeonBanjo – Davey*Bass – Dee*Drums – Nigel*Electric Piano, Piano – Elton*Saxophone – Alain Hatot, Jean-Louis ChautempsTrombone – Jacques BolognesiTrumpet – Ivan Julien* |
5:13 |
2 | MellowBass – Dee*Drums, Tambourine – Nigel*Guitar – Davey*Piano, Organ – Elton*Violin [Electric] – Jean-Luc Ponty |
5:30 |
3 | I Think I'm Going To Kill MyselfBass, Backing Vocals – Dee*Drums, Backing Vocals – Nigel*Guitar, Backing Vocals – Davey*Other [Tap Dance] – "Legs" Larry SmithPiano – Elton* |
3:33 |
4 | Susie (Dramas)Brass – Dee*Drums, Tambourine – Nigel*Guitar – Davey*Piano – Elton* |
3:23 |
5 | Rocket Man (I Think It's Going To Be A Long Long Time)Bass, Backing Vocals – Dee*Drums, Backing Vocals – Nigel*Guitar, Backing Vocals – Davey*Piano – Elton*Synthesizer [A.r.p.] – David Henschel* |
4:41 |
6 | SalvationBacking Vocals [Additional] – Larry Steel*, Liza Strike, Madeline Bell, Tony HazzardBass, Backing Vocals – Dee*Drums, Backing Vocals – Nigel*Guitar, Backing Vocals – Davey*Piano – Elton* |
3:59 |
7 | SlaveBass – Dee*Congas, Drums – Nigel*Guitar, Banjo – Davey* |
4:21 |
8 | AmyBass, Backing Vocals – Dee*Congas – Ray CooperDrums, Backing Vocals – Nigel*Guitar, Backing Vocals – Davey*Piano – Elton*Violin [Electric] – Jean-Luc Ponty |
4:04 |
9 | Mona Lisas And Mad HattersBass – Dee*Guitar, Mandolin – Davey*Piano – Elton* |
4:59 |
10 | HerculesBacking Vocals [Additional] – Tony HazzardBass, Backing Vocals – Dee*Drums, Backing Vocals – Nigel*Guitar, Backing Vocals – Davey*Piano – Elton*Synthesizer [A.r.p.] – David Henschel*Whistling [Rhino], Backing Vocals [Additional] – Gus Dudgeon |
5:21 |
Category | Artist | Title (Format) | Label | Category | Country | Year |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
DJLPH 423, DJLPH.423 | Elton John | Honky Château (LP, Album, Gat) | DJM Records , DJM Records | DJLPH 423, DJLPH.423 | UK | 1972 |
FL-2238 | Elton John | Honky Château (LP, Album, Unofficial) | First Record | FL-2238 | Taiwan | Unknown |
DJF 1156 | Elton John | Honky Château (LP, Album, RE) | MusicA, DJM Records | DJF 1156 | Italy | 1985 |
DJLPH 423, DJLPH.423 | Elton John | Honky Château (LP, Album, Gat) | DJM Records , DJM Records | DJLPH 423, DJLPH.423 | UK | 1972 |
528 162-2 | Elton John | Honky Château (CD, Album, RE, RM) | This Record Co. Ltd., Mercury Records Ltd. (London) | 528 162-2 | Europe | Unknown |
A1 | Honky CatArranged By [Brass Arrangement] – Gus DudgeonBanjo – Davey*Bass – Dee*Drums – Nigel*Electric Piano, Piano [Acoustic] – Elton*Saxophone – Alain Hatot, Jean-Louis ChautempsTrombone – Jacques BolognesiTrumpet – Ivan Jullien |
A2 | MellowBass – Dee*Drums, Tambourine – Nigel*Guitar – Davey*Piano, Organ – Elton*Violin [Electric] – Jean-Luc Ponty |
A3 | I Think I'm Going To Kill MyselfBass, Backing Vocals – Dee*Drums, Backing Vocals – Nigel*Guitar, Backing Vocals – Davey*Piano – Elton*Tap Dance – "Legs" Larry Smith |
A4 | Susie (Dramas)Bass – Dee*Drums, Tambourine – Nigel*Guitar – Davey*Piano – Elton* |
A5 | Rocket Man (I Think It's Going To Be A Long, Long Time)Bass, Backing Vocals – Dee*Drums, Backing Vocals – Nigel*Guitar, Backing Vocals – Davey*Piano – Elton*Synthesizer [A.r.p.] – David Henschel* |
B1 | SalvationBacking Vocals [Additional] – Larry Steel*, Liza Strike, Madeline Bell, Tony HazzardBass, Backing Vocals – Dee*Drums, Backing Vocals – Nigel*Guitar, Backing Vocals – Davey*Piano – Elton* |
B2 | SlaveBass – Dee*Congas, Drums – Nigel*Guitar, Banjo – Davey* |
B3 | AmyBass, Backing Vocals – Dee*Congas – Ray CooperDrums, Backing Vocals – Nigel*Guitar, Backing Vocals – Davey*Piano – Elton*Violin [Electric] – Jean-Luc Ponty |
B4 | Mona Lisas And Mad HattersBass – Dee*Mandolin, Guitar – Davey*Piano – Elton* |
B5 | HerculesBacking Vocals [Additional] – Gus Dudgeon, Tony HazzardBass, Backing Vocals – Dee*Drums, Backing Vocals – Nigel*Guitar, Backing Vocals – Davey*Piano – Elton*Synthesizer [A.r.p.] – David Henschel*Whistling [Rhino Whistle] – Gus Dudgeon |
Category | Artist | Title (Format) | Label | Category | Country | Year |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
DJLPH 423, DJLPH.423 | Elton John | Honky Château (LP, Album, Gat) | DJM Records , DJM Records | DJLPH 423, DJLPH.423 | UK | 1972 |
FL-2238 | Elton John | Honky Château (LP, Album, Unofficial) | First Record | FL-2238 | Taiwan | Unknown |
DJF 1156 | Elton John | Honky Château (LP, Album, RE) | MusicA, DJM Records | DJF 1156 | Italy | 1985 |
DJLPH 423, DJLPH.423 | Elton John | Honky Château (LP, Album, Gat) | DJM Records , DJM Records | DJLPH 423, DJLPH.423 | UK | 1972 |
528 162-2 | Elton John | Honky Château (CD, Album, RE, RM) | This Record Co. Ltd., Mercury Records Ltd. (London) | 528 162-2 | Europe | Unknown |
A1 | Honky Cat | 5:12 |
A2 | Mellow | 5:30 |
A3 | I Think I'm Going To Kill Myself | 3:32 |
A4 | Susie (Dramas) | 3:24 |
A5 | Rocket Man (I Think It's Going To Be A Long, Long Time) | 4:40 |
B1 | Salvation | 3:26 |
B2 | Slave | 4:20 |
B3 | Amy | 4:02 |
B4 | Mona Lisas And Mad Hatters | 5:00 |
B5 | Hercules | 5:20 |
Category | Artist | Title (Format) | Label | Category | Country | Year |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
DJLPH 423, DJLPH.423 | Elton John | Honky Château (LP, Album, Gat) | DJM Records , DJM Records | DJLPH 423, DJLPH.423 | UK | 1972 |
FL-2238 | Elton John | Honky Château (LP, Album, Unofficial) | First Record | FL-2238 | Taiwan | Unknown |
DJF 1156 | Elton John | Honky Château (LP, Album, RE) | MusicA, DJM Records | DJF 1156 | Italy | 1985 |
DJLPH 423, DJLPH.423 | Elton John | Honky Château (LP, Album, Gat) | DJM Records , DJM Records | DJLPH 423, DJLPH.423 | UK | 1972 |
528 162-2 | Elton John | Honky Château (CD, Album, RE, RM) | This Record Co. Ltd., Mercury Records Ltd. (London) | 528 162-2 | Europe | Unknown |