Elton John, host of Rocket Hour on Apple Music’s Beats 1, sat down with actor Taron Egerton and musical director Giles Martin for a roundtable on the film ‘Rocketman’.
The trio told Zane Lowe on the network about the biopic’s beginnings, and bringing Elton’s early experiences to life. In the revealing interview, Elton talks about getting to know Taron over a curry, how there’s still “too much homophobia” in society, working with Bernie and why ‘Candle in the Wind’ didn’t make it into the film as people are “ fed up” with it.
On getting to know Elton over a curry…
Taron: I think the first time I felt like we really sort of started to get to know each other was you had me over for dinner. Do you remember that? We had a takeaway curry. I think one of the things that is very striking about Elton when you meet him on a personal level, he’s disarmingly honest and candid about things. You’ve been amazing in making me feel like I can do this thing that we’ve been and done.
On recording Elton’s songs…
Taron: It felt like a whole other level of being a part of his legacy, I suppose. The film is one thing, but to provide vocals for an original Elton John, Bernie Taupin song, it’s an amazing, amazing thing…I sang as me and in the film there are moments where I try to evoke a sense of him. The one that springs to mind is ‘I’m Still Standing’ where I really sort of tried to create his sound as much as I can or his inflection. And that was largely because I’ve done it before as me. But in the movie it’s a heightened world. It’s a fantasy world. And also, unlike a lot of biopics, we’re seeing a kind of warts and all behind the scenes version of Elton’s life. So, there isn’t the research material in terms of YouTube interviews to fill in the gaps. So I fill in the gaps.
On performing…
Elton: I could be who I wasn’t allowed to be on stage. I could wear what I wanted, I could do what I wanted, but then you come off stage and you’ll take the costume off and you’re stuck with the same person basically. And so I think you’d ask any performer their background and their upbringing shapes the way they are. And a lot of performers, it’s showing off, it’s just to get attention basically…It’s a coping mechanism. I’m glad that I became a performer because I love performing more than anything. But initially, as in this movie, it shows the dangers of being caught up in a persona and the personality that you invent…and then losing sight of who you aren’t, and you don’t know who you are anymore. And then you end up in rehab and then you have to start your life basically all over again.
On the song ‘Rocketman’…
Elton: I just think the words in that song that get to me is, “Just my job five days a week.” It’s just like this ordinary guy’s stuck up here and he’s regretting the fact that he doesn’t really want to be up here. He wants to be home. And that, like me on stage was like, “I love it up here, but I wish I could be home, but I don’t know how to be home,” I don’t know. I didn’t have that ability to have a home life until the end of the movie when I go to the treatment center and then come out the other side. And luckily enough become a new person. So I think it was just everything isn’t as glamorous as it seems.
On working with Bernie…
Elton: We never fell out because…well, we both loved each other so much. And I had to let him go and write with other people because otherwise, I would have lost him. I couldn’t say, I’m Elton you can’t write with anybody else…I was a little bit jealous when he had hits. I thought, “Oh, he’s having hits with other people.” And then I had ‘Blue Eyes’ with Gary Osborne and ‘Part-Time Love’, and so I had hits with other people but it wasn’t the same…and when the relationship came together back together for the ‘Two Low For Zero album and on a full-time basis, even though there was still a lot of craziness ahead of us, it was a re-affirment, we belong together.
On why ‘Candle In The Wind’ isn’t in the film…
Taron: It’s hard to divorce it from what it means after the 90s…
Elton: I’m glad it’s not in there, actually…[Why?] Because I think people are fed up with it as far as… I mean I do listen, I do it in the show. I think the songs that have been chosen for the film are probably better suited to them. I’m very happy with the song selection.
On homophobia…
Elton: There’s still too much homophobia. I mean, I was lucky enough to come out in the 70s. It didn’t do me any harm. I just, I assumed everybody knew anyway. What I’ll say about this film is it is something that I am so proud of. I wouldn’t change a thing in it. When I thought about doing a movie is exactly how I wanted it to be. You don’t often say it, get that in life. You have an idea and for something to come out exactly how you wanted it to be.
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