1975 release by Elton John is our featured album of the day.
Elton John – “Rock of the Westies” 1975 MCA Records – By the release of “Rock Of The Westies” in 1975, the bloom was beginning to fall off of the Elton John flower. While “Westies” was indeed a very good album that debuted at the pole position of the charts, its release signaled the beginning of a long decline in the quality of the music and the relevance of the star. Up to this point, Elton was a white-hot commodity that seemingly could do no wrong. The costumes were at their most outlandish and everything he recorded literally turned to gold and platinum.
Released in October 1975, Rock of the Westies came hot on the heels of Elton John’s smash success Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy. But where Captain Fantastic was introspective and autobiographical, Rock of the Westies was loud, loose, and ready to rock—marking a shift in sound and band dynamics.
A New Band, A New Sound
By 1975, Elton’s classic backing band was evolving. Longtime members like drummer Nigel Olsson and bassist Dee Murray were replaced with fresh faces, bringing new energy—and a harder edge—to the music. The revamped lineup included:
- Caleb Quaye – Guitar (a session veteran and former Elton sideman)
- Kenny Passarelli – Bass (from Joe Walsh’s band Barnstorm)
- Roger Pope – Drums
- James Newton Howard – Keyboards, synths
- Ray Cooper – Percussion
- Davey Johnstone – Guitar (the only major holdover from the previous band)
This lineup gave the album a more aggressive, rhythm-heavy sound, closer to American rock and soul than British pop.
Recorded at Caribou Ranch
Rock of the Westies was recorded at the famed Caribou Ranch in Colorado, a favorite of Elton’s at the time. The remote setting allowed the band to work intensely and uninterrupted, often jamming and writing on the fly. Elton and lyricist Bernie Taupin wrote much of the material quickly, with some songs taking shape right in the studio.
The album was produced by Gus Dudgeon, Elton’s longtime collaborator, who captured the live energy of the new band with fewer overdubs and more raw takes than on earlier albums.
Writing Themes and Style
Lyrically, Rock of the Westies is less reflective than its predecessor. Bernie Taupin shifted toward grittier, character-driven lyrics—streetwise, sometimes surreal, often playful. Tracks like:
- “Street Kids” showcase a tougher urban vibe.
- “Island Girl” (the album’s No. 1 hit) features controversial lyrics wrapped in a catchy Caribbean-infused groove.
- “Grow Some Funk of Your Own” and “Hard Luck Story” lean into bluesy rock and tongue-in-cheek storytelling.
There’s also a touch of soul and R&B influence in songs like “Dan Dare (Pilot of the Future)” and “Billy Bones and the White Bird”.
Reception and Legacy
As mentioned, Rock of the Westies debuted at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200 This made Elton the first artist to have debuted two consecutive albums at the top of the charts. Though it’s sometimes overshadowed by his earlier classics, the album represents an important turning point—a bolder, rawer Elton experimenting with style and sound.
It remains a favorite among fans who appreciate its swagger, sonic punch, and the snapshot it provides of a transitional moment in Elton John’s legendary career.
“Westies” includes a clutch of great Elton songs, including its sole hit, the number one single “Island Girl,” “Dan Dare,” “Hard Luck Story” and especially the lead-off “Medley: Yell Help/Wednesday Night/Ugly” that features LaBelle on background vocals. Elton’s follow-up album, “Blue Moves,” was a double-length downer that didn’t live up to Elton’s larger-than-life persona, and although it did include the huge hit single “Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word,” the double album failed to reach the top of the charts and only spawned the one hit single. Fear not for Elton, he weathered the dry patch that lasted almost ten years, and to be fair, did include a few hits, cleaned up his hard-partying act and recovered nicely by writing songs for Disney films, most notably “The Lion King.”
Here is a live version of “Island Girl” from Earl’s Court in London during the 1976 “Louder then Concorde” tour.
More tunes from Song of the Day.
