Bernie Taupin « NEWMUSICUNITED.COM

“Levon” is a song written and recorded by Sir Elton John with lyrics written by Bernie Taupin. It is from John’s fourth album Madman Across the Water and was recorded on February 27, 1971. The song reached #24 on the Billboard Hot 100. Bernie Taupin, who wrote the lyrics for “Levon”, was inspired by The Band’s co-founder, drummer, and singer Levon Helm to name the title character after him. The Band was apparently Elton John’s and Bernie Taupin’s favourite group in those days. The “Alvin Tostig” mentioned in the song (Levon’s father) is, according to Taupin, merely fictional. Elton John and his civil partner, David Furnish, named their son “Zachary Jackson Levon Furnish-John”. He was born on Christmas Day 2010.

“Tiny Dancer” is a 1971 song by Elton John with lyrics by Bernie Taupin. It appears on John’s fourth album, Madman Across the Water, and was released as a single in 1972. It was certified Gold on May 19, 2005, and Platinum on August 19, 2011, by the RIAA. The song was written by Taupin to capture the spirit of California in 1970 encapsulated by the women he met. It has become known that the song is about Taupin’s first wife. The song was dedicated to her on the album Madman Across the Water. The cast of Almost Famous (2000) sing along to the song while riding in the tour bus, and it is also featured as instrumental incidental music in a phonic reference to Penny Lane as Russell realises Penny has set him up to do the right thing by William. Canadian DJ Deadmau5 made a remix of the song.