Rocktrospectiva: The Refreshing "Made In England" Turns 30

Released on 17 March 1995 "Made In England" was the 24th., studio album by Elton John, produced by John and Greg Penny, his first album since Leather Jackets without producer Chris Thomas. The album was dedicated to John's boyfriend and future husband David Furnish. It was also dedicated to the memory of Denis Gauthier and Peter Williams. The album spawned four singles "Believe", "Made In England", "Blessed" & "Please".

 

The album was largely recorded a year earlier, in the early months of 1994, just before the release of Elton’s new songs with Sir Tim Rice on the soundtrack of The Lion King. As Made In England emerged, the flamboyant frontman’s own circle of life had him turning 48 years old. "Believe," the album’s Grammy-nominated lead single. 

 

Co-producer Penny had made his name as kd lang's producer, and worked with Elton when he oversaw the pair’s version of Womack & Womack’s “Teardrops,” from John’s 1993 Duets album. Made In England also saw the redoubtable Paul Buckmaster return to the fold as arranger for the first time since the A Single Man album of 1978. On an album of entirely single-word titles, apart from "Made In England" itself, the Grammy-winning arranger added his sure touch to four songs, including the introductory hit and perhaps the album’s greatest hidden gem, "Belfast." The atmospheric song, with a Taupin lyric reflecting the Northern Irish "Troubles", featured Buckmaster conducting his own splendid orchestral arrangement. Teddy Borowiecki’s accordion, Paul Brennan’s pipes and flute, and Dermont Crehan’s violin all added sonic texture.

 

The track "Man" sported British singer-songwriter Paul Carrack on keyboards, while other album highlights included the catchy "Please" and the reflective "House," In a work whose passion and purpose may well have been inspired by John and Taupin's parallel commitment to AIDS projects, he wrote, 2the highlight is "House," an expression of loss and need that ranks with such classic works as "Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me" for instance.

 

The superior string and horn arrangement on "Latitude" was by George Martin, the owner of AIR Studios in London, where Made In England was recorded. 

 

"Made In England" is a startlingly fine album, it sounds, in other words, as if Taupin had a lot to get off his chest this time around, but his mouthpiece, as usual, was more interested in the sound of the words than in their meaning. Which, given the predictability of the message, seems to have been just as well. 

 

Made In England Track List: 

 

1. Believe

2. Made In England

3. House

4. Cold

5. Pain

6. Belfast

7. Latitude

8. Please

9. Man

10. Lies

11. Blessed