Too Low for Zero

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Too Low for Zero
File:Too low for zero.JPG
Studio album by Elton John
Released 30 May 1983
Recorded September 1982 – January 1983 at Montserrat
Genre Rock, pop rock, new wave
Length 44:06
Label Geffen (US)
Rocket (UK)
Producer Chris Thomas
Elton John chronology
Jump Up!
(1982)Jump Up!1982		 Too Low for Zero
(1983)		 Breaking Hearts
(1984)Breaking Hearts1984
Singles from Too Low for Zero
  1. "I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues"
    Released: April 1983
  2. "I'm Still Standing"
    Released: 3 July 1983
  3. "Kiss the Bride"
    Released: 1983
  4. "Cold as Christmas (In the Middle of the Year)"/"Crystal"
    Released: 1983
  5. "Too Low for Zero"
    Released: 1984
Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
Allmusic 4.5/5 stars[1]
Rolling Stone 3/5 stars[2]

Too Low for Zero, released in 1983, was the seventeenth official album release for Elton John. It was his most critically acclaimed album of the 1980s, earning Platinum certification by the RIAA. It produced several huge international singles, each accompanied by successful MTV music videos, and it spent over a year on the Billboard album chart.

Background

For the first time since Blue Moves in 1976, all lyrics were written by Bernie Taupin. At the insistence of Taupin, John decided to go back to basics and returned to working with Taupin full-time.[citation needed] John also reunited with the core of his backing band of the early '70s: Dee Murray, Nigel Olsson and Davey Johnstone as well as Ray Cooper, Kiki Dee and Skaila Kanga (who played harp on John's self-titled album and Tumbleweed Connection).

Production

The album was produced by Chris Thomas and recorded at AIR Studios in Montserrat (the same studio for Jump Up!) and Sunset Sound Recorders in Hollywood.

For the first time since A Single Man, John played synthesizers in addition to piano, since James Newton-Howard left the band. John felt that synths allowed him to write better fast rock songs, having not been entirely happy with such compositions performed on piano.[citation needed]

The album was written and recorded in approximately two weeks, with overdubs completed in a week.[citation needed]

Releases

The original LP issue of the album featured a die-cut cover with a special inner sleeve. The four shapes shown on the cover were cut out, with the colours (shown as ink smears on the inner sleeve) showing through the holes. No CD release has duplicated these die-cuts.

All B-sides released on US singles from this time originate from his 1978 album A Single Man and the 21 at 33 sessions from 1980.[citation needed] They were also previously released on European singles.[citation needed] In the US, Too Low for Zero was certified gold in January 1984 and platinum in October 1995 by the RIAA.[citation needed]

Track listing

All music composed by Elton John, except where noted; all lyrics written by Bernie Taupin.

Side one

  1. "Cold as Christmas (In the Middle of the Year)" – 4:19
  2. "I'm Still Standing" – 3:02
  3. "Too Low for Zero" – 5:46
  4. "Religion" – 4:05
  5. "I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues" (Music: John, Davey Johnstone) – 4:41

Side two

  1. "Crystal" – 5:05
  2. "Kiss the Bride" – 4:22
  3. "Whipping Boy" – 3:43
  4. "Saint" – 5:17
  5. "One More Arrow" – 3:34

Bonus tracks (1998 Mercury reissue)

  1. "Earn While You Learn" (Lord Choc Ice (John)) – 6:46
    • B-side of "I'm Still Standing" recorded in 1978 and withdrawn as a 12" picture disc-single.
  2. "Dreamboat" – 7:34
    • B-side also recorded in 1978. Music by Elton John and Tim Renwick. Lyrics by Gary Osborne though not credited.
  3. "The Retreat" – 4:46 (John, Taupin)
    • UK B-side from 1982 recorded during the sessions for The Fox.
Song Format
"Choc Ice Goes Mental" "I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues" 7" (UK)/"Kiss the Bride" 7" (US)
"The Retreat" "I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues" 7" (US)
"Love So Cold" "I'm Still Standing" 7" (US)
"Earn While You Learn" "I'm Still Standing" 7"/12" (UK)
"Dreamboat" "Kiss the Bride" 7" (Edited version)/12" (Full version) (UK)
"I'm Still Standing" (extended version) "I'm Still Standing" 12" (UK)
"Je Veux De La Tendresse" (French version of "Nobody Wins") "Cold as Christmas"/"Crystal" 12" (UK)
"Lonely Boy" "Too Low for Zero" 7" (Europe)

Though Chris Thomas was the album's original producer, Gus Dudgeon supervised the remastering for the 1998 Geffen re-release.

Personnel

On bonus tracks

  • Produced by Elton John and Clive Franks
  • Elton John – piano, keyboards, vocals on all tracks
  • Tim Renwick – guitars on "Earn While You Learn" and "Dreamboat"
  • Steve Holly – drums on "Earn While You Learn" and "Dreamboat"
  • Clive Franks – bass guitar on "Earn While You Learn" and "Dreamboat"
  • Ray Cooper – tambourine on "Earn While You Learn" and "Dreamboat", triangle on "Earn While You Learn"
  • Paul Buckmaster – orchestra arrangement on "Dreamboat"
  • Steve Lukather – guitar on "The Retreat"
  • Reggie McBride – bass guitar on "The Retreat"
  • Alvin Taylor – drums on "The Retreat"
  • David Paich – organ on "The Retreat"
  • James Newton-Howard – synthesizers on "The Retreat"

Credits

Certifications

Region Certification Sales/shipments
Australia (ARIA)[3] 6× Platinum 420,000
Canada (Music Canada)[4] Platinum 100,000
France (SNEP)[5] Gold 318,600[6]
Germany (BVMI)[7] Gold 250,000
United Kingdom (BPI)[8] Platinum 300,000
United States (RIAA)[9] Platinum 1,000,000

^shipments figures based on certification alone
xunspecified figures based on certification alone

Charts

References

  1. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ Rolling Stone Review at the Wayback Machine (archived November 4, 2007)
  3. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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  8. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. Enter Too Low for Zero in the field Keywords. Select Title in the field Search by. Select album in the field By Format. Select Platinum in the field By Award. Click Search
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 2011-10-29
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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  25. ↑ 25.0 25.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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