Island Records/Universal Music Group NashvilleThe star-studded Elton John tribute albums Revamp and Restoration arrive Friday. The first collection features covers by various rock, pop and R&B artists, while the second showcases some of country’s biggest names putting their spin on the iconic musician’s work with lyricist Bernie Taupin.
Revamp kicks off with a new version of the 1974 chart-topper “Bennie and the Jets” featuring Pink, rapper Logic and a sample of Elton himself. Among the many other stars on the album are Lady Gaga, Coldplay, Miley Cyrus, Mary J. Blige, Ed Sheeran, The Killers, Sam Smith, Queens of the Stone Age, Florence and the Machine, and Mumford & Sons.
Restoration includes a cover of the 1989 hit “Sacrifice” featuring The Eagles‘ Don Henley duetting with one of his current Eagles band mates, veteran country star Vince Gill. Other well-known country artists who contributed to the record include Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris, Rosanne Cash, Lee Ann Womack, Little Big Town, Miranda Lambert, and Chris Stapleton. Cyrus also is featured on Restoration.
Elton says he finds it flattering whenever any artist covers the songs he composed.
“[I]t always makes me happy because it’s a compliment. If someone likes your song and records it, it’s a compliment to you,” the pop-rock legend maintains. “And seeing as we started off as songwriters, not really good ones, for other people, it means a great deal when other people choose to sing one of our songs, and interpret in their own particular way.”
Elton adds that when he hears from his publisher that one of his songs has been recorded or sampled by another artist, he’s thrilled, because it means that his music “is still relevant.”
Here’s the Revamp track list:
“Bennie and the Jets” — Elton John, Pink, Logic
“We All Fall in Love Sometimes” — Coldplay
“I Guess That’s Why They Call It the Blues” — Alessia Cara
“Candle in the Wind” — Ed Sheeran
“Tiny Dancer” — Florence + the Machine
“Someone Saved My Life Tonight” — Mumford & Sons
“Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word” — Mary J. Blige
“Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” — Q Tip feat. Demi Lovato
“Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters” — The Killers
“Daniel” — Sam Smith
“Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me” — Miley Cyrus
“Your Song” — Lady Gaga
“Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” — Queens of the Stone Age
And here’s the Restoration track list:
“Rocket Man” — Little Big Town
“Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters” — Maren Morris
“Sacrifice” — Don Henley and Vince Gill
“Take Me to the Pilot” — Brothers Osborne
“My Father’s Gun” — Miranda Lambert
“I Want Love” — Chris Stapleton
“Honky Cat” — Lee Ann Womack
“Roy Rogers” — Kacey Musgraves
“Please” — Rhonda Vincent and Dolly Parton
“The Bitch Is Back” — Miley Cyrus
“Sad Songs (Say So Much)” — Dierks Bentley
“This Train Don’t Stop” — Rosanne Cash and Emmylou Harris
“Border Song” — Willie Nelson
Copyright © 2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.