Maps of Music

Breaking Hearts (1984)

Where the lyrics of Breaking Hearts take you, and where it was really made.

Breaking Hearts was the last Elton John album to feature all core members of the classic band playing their instruments, and it was the first in years to have no string or horn section on any track.

Key places

Recorded at AIR Studios, Montserrat (1984)

Recording site AIR Studios Montserrat — The album was recorded at AIR Studios on Montserrat, the studio listed as the place of recording for this album. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Album story

Overview

• Breaking Hearts is the eighteenth studio album by British musician Elton John
• Released 18 June 1984 through John's Rocket label in the UK
• Released in the US through Geffen Records
• Produced by Chris Thomas, who also produced the preceding Too Low for Zero (1983)
• Features the classic Elton John Band lineup: Davey Johnstone on guitar, Dee Murray on bass, Nigel Olsson on drums
• Commercially successful on release, peaking at number two in the UK and number 20 in the US

Background

• Lead single "Sad Songs (Say So Much)" reached number five in the US and number seven in the UK
• Four further singles followed, including "Passengers", which reached number five in the UK
• "Who Wears These Shoes?" and "In Neon" both reached the top 40 in the US
• Last album to feature all core members of the classic Elton John Band lineup playing their instruments
• Dee Murray played bass on the album and was the last bassist on an Elton John studio album; he died of skin cancer in 1992
• Nigel Olsson's drumming did not return to an Elton John studio album until 2001's Songs from the West Coast
• First album since Victim of Love with no string or horn section on any track
• Ray Cooper did not contribute to any track, one of only two classic-band albums without him
• Shortly after the tour, the band line-up changed and Gus Dudgeon, John's former producer, produced the next two albums

Recording

• Recorded at AIR Studios on Montserrat
• Chris Thomas produced; Renate Blauel is credited for recording
• Andrew Thompson played saxophone on track 5
• John played synthesizers and pianos on most tracks and a Hammond organ on track 5

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Tracklist

Sources: musicbrainz.org

Artist

Formation

• Born Reginald Kenneth Dwight in Pinner, Middlesex, on 25 March 1947.
• Won a junior scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music at age 11.
• Formed the blues band Bluesology in 1962; took the name Elton John in 1967.
• Joined DJM Records as a staff songwriter with lyricist Bernie Taupin in 1968.

Members

• Partnered with lyricist Bernie Taupin since 1967; Taupin writes lyrics and John composes the music.
• Backing band over the years included Davey Johnstone, Nigel Olsson, Dee Murray and Ray Cooper.

Career

• Debut album Empty Sky (1969); Honky Château (1972) became his first US number-one album.
• Seven consecutive US number-one albums between 1972 and 1975.
• Composed The Lion King and Aida with Tim Rice; won Academy Awards and a Tony Award.
• Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour (2018–2023) was the highest-grossing tour at the time.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Reception

At release

• Initial reviews were negative overall
• Record Mirror: Robin Smith rated the album one star out of five, lamenting that a man of Reg's character could turn his hands to such a boring record
• Smith said the majority of the songs were over-familiar cowboy songs from lyricist Bernie Taupin
• Smith said John did his best with the material but the other musicians sounded very disinterested

Records

• UK: peaked at number two on release
• US: peaked at number 20 on the Billboard chart
• US: certified gold by the RIAA in September 1984
• US: certified platinum by the RIAA in August 1998
• "Sad Songs (Say So Much)" peaked at number seven in the UK and number five in the US
• The title track and "Passengers" were singled out among the album's stronger tracks
• The album continued the commercial success of its predecessor Too Low for Zero

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• Breaking Hearts was the first album since Victim of Love to have no string or horn section on any track.
• It was also the last recorded album in which John played both piano and keyboards in the studio by himself.
• Ray Cooper contributed to none of the tracks, one of only two albums with the classic band to lack him.
• Shortly after the tour, the band line-up changed and Gus Dudgeon produced the next two albums.
• "Sad Songs (Say So Much)" has remained in John's live setlist; he performed it on the Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

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