Maps of Music

The Fox (1981)

Where the lyrics of The Fox take you, and where it was really made.

Geffen rejected six songs from the first version, so John re-recorded new material with a new producer and dismissed the original one.

Key places

Skeleton tracks recorded in Nice (1981)

Recording site Super Bear Studios — The skeleton versions of the three songs written in Grasse in 1979 were recorded here with Clive Franks before the album was reworked. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

London Symphony Orchestra session (1981)

Recording site Abbey Road Studios — Recording continued here, where the London Symphony Orchestra recorded its part for Carla/Etude on New Year's Eve of 1979. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: Jubilee line to St John's Wood station, then about a 5-minute walk.

Work in early 1980 (1981)

Recording site Sunset Sound — Work on the album continued here in early 1980, and the studio was also used for the replacement tracks recorded with Chris Thomas. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Backing vocals for three tracks (1981)

Recording site Village Recorders — This studio was used to record the backing vocals for three of the album's tracks, the final recording step named in the sources. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Album story

Overview

• The Fox: fifteenth studio album by British musician Elton John
• Released 20 May 1981 through Geffen Records in the US and The Rocket Record Company elsewhere
• John's first release on Geffen Records
• First album produced by Chris Thomas, who went on to produce many of John's later albums
• Several tracks came from the sessions for 21 at 33 (1980)

Background

• After Blue Moves (1976), John and Bernie Taupin paused their writing partnership and worked with other lyricists
• John left MCA Records after 21 at 33 and signed with Geffen
• John hoped to work with John Lennon, also signed to Geffen, but Lennon was shot and killed on 8 December 1980

Recording

• Clive Franks was first chosen to produce the album
• Geffen rejected six songs, so John agreed to record new material on the condition that he could work with Chris Thomas
• Franks was dismissed, and his Frank N. Stein production company was dissolved
• Skeleton versions of three Grasse songs were recorded at Superbear Studios in Nice
• Recording continued at Abbey Road Studios in London
• Sessions were marred by a period of depression for John
• The tribute song Empty Garden (Hey Hey Johnny) was written the day after Lennon's death

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

• Billboard picked The Fox as its spotlight album for the issue dated 30 May 1981, calling it one of John's more consistently satisfying LPs in recent times
• Billboard named Nobody Wins, Chloe, Breaking Down Barriers, and The Fox as highlights
• Record Mirror: Robin Smith praised the album for showing John still has his finger on the pulse, and called Breaking Down Barriers fleet footed and cunning
• The Rolling Stone: Stephen Holden found the many writing partners took John's material in several complementary directions, but criticized Taupin's lyrics on some tracks
• Holden called Breaking Down Barriers the John-Osborne duo's most spirited achievement to date
• Smash Hits: Robin Katz criticized Osborne's lyrics for all-too-obvious themes and Taupin's for wordy philosophies

Reappraisal

• AllMusic: Lindsay Planer was apprehensive, saying the dithering musical styles led to an uneven and at times somewhat dated sound
• PopMatters (2021, 40th anniversary): John Wilhelm called the album a lost gem in John's catalogue
• The Quietus (2020): Scissor Sisters vocalist Jake Shears named The Fox among his thirteen favourite albums

Records

• US: reached number 21 on the Billboard 200 and spent nineteen weeks on the chart without Gold certification
• UK: reached number 12 and spent twelve weeks on the chart
• Australia: peaked at number 4 and sold over 600,000 copies
• Nobody Wins peaked at number 21 in the US; in the UK it stalled at number 42
• Chloe reached number 34 as the second US single

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• The name Chloe was a nickname for a recent partner of John's at the time, whose real name was Charles.
• Among the songs cut from the first version was The Man Who Never Died, an instrumental tribute to Lennon that later became the B-side to Nikita (1985).
• Nobody Wins uses the melody of J'Veux d'la Tendresse by Janic Prévost, which John heard in France in the summer of 1980.
• Osborne named Nobody Wins as his favorite of his collaborations with John.
• The video for Elton's Song was removed from the British release of Visions after outcry from the headmaster of the school where it was filmed.
• The single Nobody Wins failed to reach the UK top 40 partly because John refused to appear on Top of the Pops unless the single had already cracked the top 40, according to Osborne.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

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