While Elton John is currently taking his farewell tour, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, around the world, the rock legend is set to be in the public eye like never before this summer. The film Rocketman is set to open on in the US on May 31, with the Dexter Fletcher-directed film premiering at Cannes a couple weeks earlier. Following the success of the Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody, which went on to win four Academy Awards and grossing nearly a billion dollars globally, the bar is set pretty high for what Rocket Man could be if all things go right. And a big part of that hinges on the music.
On May 24, Interscope Records will release Rocketman: Music From The Motion Picture, which features a host of Elton John/Bernie Taupin classics performed by the film’s star, Taron Egerton, and arranged by Giles Martin. The collection promises one new song, “(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again,” which will be performed by both John and Egerton, while Egerton tackles beloved numbers like “Tiny Dancer,” “Your Song,” and “Bennie And The Jets” on his own. For a first sampling from the set, Egerton shows off his pretty incredible Elton John take on the film’s title track, “Rocket Man,” in the video above.
Speaking about the project, John said in a statement:
“It was so important that the music I composed and recorded had to be sung by Taron. I wanted his interpretation of me, through Bernie’s lyrics & my music – not just acting. I left Taron in the hands of Giles Martin, who I trusted implicitly because he’s brilliant. I didn’t want to be in Taron’s shadows, watching over the process, I trusted them to do what they needed to do, artistically, and listening back I’ve been astonished with the results. Getting the music right was the most important thing, as the songs in the film are integral to the story.”
The faithfulness of Egerton’s cover bodes well for the project, while clips from the film shown in the video show Egerton capturing John’s singular energy as well. Check out the video for “Rocket Man” above and view the soundtrack’s tracklist below.
1. “The Bitch Is Back (Introduction)”
2. “I Want Love”
3. “Saturday Night’s Alright (For Fighting)”
4. “Thank You For All Your Loving”
5. “Border Song”
6. “Rock & Roll Madonna – Interlude”
7. “Your Song”
8. “Amoreena”
9. “Crocodile Rock”
10. “Tiny Dancer”
11. “Take Me To The Pilot”
12. “Hercules”
13. “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart – interlude”
14. “Honky Cat”
15. “Pinball Wizard – Interlude”
16. “Rocket Man”
17. “Bennie And The Jets”
18. “Don’t Let The Sun Go Down – Interlude”
19. “Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word”
20. “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road”
21. “I’m Still Standing”
22. “(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again”
