Elton John’s Here And There remains a pivotal live document, capturing the artist at a commercial and creative peak across London and New York in 1974.
by Paul Cashmere
The 1976 live album Here And There from Elton John stands as a concise but historically significant snapshot of two major performances recorded in London and New York during 1974. Drawn from shows at the Royal Festival Hall in May and Madison Square Garden on 28 November, the release arrived at a time when John’s global profile was surging, translating his studio dominance into a formidable live reputation.
The significance of Here And There lies in its timing and structure. Issued as John’s fourteenth official album, it arrived amid a prolific run that included landmark releases like Goodbye Yellow Brick Road and Caribou. The album’s “Here” and “There” format split the record geographically and stylistically, presenting a curated contrast between a more intimate London performance and a high-energy New York arena show. For fans and industry observers, it documented how John’s catalogue translated across different performance environments at the height of his 1970s ascendancy.
The original release featured nine tracks, combining material written primarily with longtime collaborator Bernie Taupin. The London recordings leaned into earlier compositions such as “Skyline Pigeon” and “Border Song”, while the New York set highlighted the theatrical sweep of “Funeral For A Friend/Love Lies Bleeding” and the then-recent hits “Bennie And The Jets” and “Rocket Man (I Think It’s Going To Be A Long, Long Time)”. The sequencing reflected a deliberate editorial approach by producer Gus Dudgeon, who also engineered and compiled the recordings to maintain continuity between two distinct concerts.
From a technical standpoint, the album captures John’s core touring band in peak form. Guitarist Davey Johnstone, bassist Dee Murray and drummer Nigel Olsson deliver a tight, responsive foundation, while percussionist Ray Cooper adds textural detail across multiple tracks. The inclusion of Lesley Duncan on “Love Song” provided a rare vocal duet moment within John’s live repertoire of the period. Dudgeon’s production emphasised clarity and immediacy, avoiding excessive overdubs and preserving the dynamics of the performances.
The album’s legacy expanded significantly with the 1995 CD reissue, which reframed Here And There as a more comprehensive archival release. The expanded edition added a second disc and, crucially, included the final live appearance of John Lennon. Lennon joined John on stage at Madison Square Garden for performances of “Whatever Gets You Thru The Night” and two The Beatles songs, “Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds” and “I Saw Her Standing There”. This collaboration, prompted by a chart-topping single and a personal wager between the two artists, has since become one of the most documented moments in 1970s rock history.
Within Elton John’s catalogue, Here And There occupies a transitional role. It bridges the early songwriter-driven material of albums like Elton John and Tumbleweed Connection with the more expansive, stadium-oriented work that followed. The performances illustrate how songs originally conceived for the studio evolved in scale and arrangement when presented to large audiences. Tracks such as “Take Me To The Pilot” and “Honky Cat” are extended and reinterpreted, underscoring the adaptability of John and Taupin’s songwriting.
Commercially, the album performed strongly across key markets, reaching No. 4 on the US Billboard 200 and No. 6 in the UK, with a Top 20 position in Australia. Certifications in multiple territories, including Platinum status in the United States, reflected sustained demand for live recordings during the era, particularly from artists capable of delivering arena-scale performances.
From an industry perspective, Here And There arrived during a period when live albums were becoming a strategic component of an artist’s release cycle. For major acts, these records served both as revenue drivers and as documentation of touring prowess. In John’s case, the album reinforced his standing as a live performer capable of matching, and often exceeding, his studio output.
There is limited critical division surrounding the album, although some observers have noted that the original 1976 release was relatively brief compared to other live albums of the decade. The expanded reissue addressed this by offering a broader representation of the concerts, suggesting that the initial release may have been constrained by the format limitations of vinyl at the time. The later edition has since become the more widely referenced version among collectors and historians.
Looking forward, Here And There continues to function as both a historical document and a benchmark for live performance in the 1970s. It captures Elton John at a moment when his catalogue, band and audience reach were all aligned at scale. For contemporary listeners, the album offers insight into how one of popular music’s most enduring artists translated studio craftsmanship into a compelling live experience, a standard that continues to influence touring acts decades later.
Track Listing
Original LP And CD
Side One – “Here”
“Skyline Pigeon” – 4:34
“Border Song” – 3:18
“Honky Cat” – 7:15
“Love Song” (with Lesley Duncan) (Duncan) – 5:25
“Crocodile Rock” – 4:15
Side Two – “There”
“Funeral For A Friend/Love Lies Bleeding” – 11:11
“Rocket Man (I Think It’s Going To Be A Long, Long Time)” – 5:12
“Bennie And The Jets” – 6:09
“Take Me To The Pilot” – 5:48
1995 Mercury And 1996 Rocket Reissue
Disc One – “Here”
“Skyline Pigeon” – 5:41
“Border Song” – 3:27
“Take Me To The Pilot” – 4:33
“Country Comfort” – 6:44
“Love Song” (with Lesley Duncan) (Duncan) – 5:03
“Bad Side Of The Moon” – 7:54
“Burn Down The Mission” – 8:25
“Honky Cat” – 7:04
“Crocodile Rock” – 4:08
“Candle In The Wind” – 3:57
“Your Song” – 3:56
“Saturday Night’s Alright For Fighting” – 7:09
Disc Two – “There”
“Funeral For A Friend/Love Lies Bleeding” – 11:53
“Rocket Man (I Think It’s Going To Be A Long, Long Time)” – 5:03
“Take Me To The Pilot” – 6:00
“Bennie And The Jets” – 5:59
“Grey Seal” – 5:27
“Daniel” – 4:06
“You’re So Static” – 4:32
“Whatever Gets You Thru The Night” (with John Lennon) (Lennon) – 4:40
“Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds” (with John Lennon) (Lennon, Paul McCartney) – 6:15
“I Saw Her Standing There” (with John Lennon) (Lennon, McCartney) – 3:17
“Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me” – 5:57
“Your Song” – 3:58
“The Bitch Is Back” – 4:23
Stay updated with your free Noise11.com daily music news email alert. Subscribe to Noise11 Music News here
Be the first to see NOISE11.com’s newest interviews and special features on YouTube. See things first—Subscribe to Noise11 on YouTube
Follow Noise11.com on social media:
Bluesky
Facebook – Comment on the news of the day
