SATURDAY SPECIAL: Elton John: Saturday Night’s All Right

In his forty-year-career in show business Sir Elton John has amassed more accolades, awards - Grammys, Emmys, Tonys and Golden Globes among them - and accomplishments than nearly anyone else around. His sheer, awe-inspiring, rock-star-to-the-nth audacious awesomeness is just part and parcel of the whole fabulous package that John's larger-than-life persona, on and off the stage, can command - and does, then and now. While Elton John Night this week on AMERICAN IDOL may have ran hot-and-cold, a look back at even Sir Elton's most recent successes, such as last year's Leon Russell collaboration THE UNION - who guests with John on SNL as a special musical guest tonight - and his enchanting Broadway hits THE LION KING, Billy Elliot and AIDA - the former two recipients of Best Musical and the latter Best Score, respectively - show he is not stopping anytime soon (ANIMAL FARM: The Musical, based on the novel by George Orwell, is coming to a West End stage later this year!). Which brings us to tonight - SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE - and what we can hope to expect from the self-confessed king of tantrums and tiaras, live and in person in his sketch comedy debut.

Speechless

Elton John is one of those rare stars that simply needs no introduction. While his public persona is outrageous and he seems to delight in courting controversy - and what legendary rock icon doesn't? - he has the musicianship and songwriting ability to back up the braggadocio and ego. Most of the time, at least. His fifty-plus solo albums and film soundtracks - ranging from THE MUSE to THE LION KING to THE ROAD TO EL DORADO and beyond - as well as his strong stage scores - even LESTAT had a few superb songs, such as "I Want More" and "Welcome To The New World" - furthermore reveal his inclination for the theatricality of the stage. As if forty years of touring the world, still able to give a show to best the very best isn't enough proof in the pudding! Yet, what will be the special surprise in store tonight? What can Sir Elton do to top even himself? We shall soon see. And, anyway, enough of introductions. After all, he did write the Saturday Night anthem of all time - "Saturday Night's All Right For Fighting". Round One!

In his most exquisite collaboration since the unforgettable "Stan" with Eminem nearly ten years before, here is Elton John and Lady Gaga in a performance that only they could give - at the 2009 Grammy Awards. Just how cool and post modern is that piano? And the ironic twist on his iconic glasses? Pop culture collaboration magic is all over everything here. One can only hope Gaga's new BORN THIS WAY album will have a "Speechless" bonus track featuring Elton John in a studio version since the song is so him and it is an obvious Gaga- homage - or, should that be: Gaga-mage?

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Speaking of that Eminem and Elton duet from the 2001 Grammy Awards…

If just one Elton John/Eminem mash-up just isn't enough for you, check out this lesser-known featured performance by Sir Elton on Eminem's "Mockingbird", here accompanying the dizzyingly and dazzlingly deft rapper live on keys in a remixed version of the song, a riff on "Tiny Dancer".

Closing out the collaboration-centric contingent of this Saturday Special, here is Elton John's most recent featured performance, on perhaps the finest rap album of the twenty-first century, Kanye West's MY BEAUTIFUL DARK TWISTED FANTASY - the simply electric "All of the Lights", which also features Fergie, Alicia Keys, Kid Cudi and many more. Only Elton can truly stop the show, though - and he certainly does! What a moment; sonic chills.

For Broadway babies, the most memorable Elton John moment from the last few years is probably his performance of the Billy Elliot eleven o'clock number "Electricity" on the 2009 Tony Awards opening number sequence. He later quipped that perhaps he shouldn't have skipped rehearsal - see why, with a slight sound gaffe at the get-go, ending on a high note.

Next we have Elton introducing the Billy Elliot performance segment, featuring the original Broadway cast enacting "Solidarity" and the Act One Finale of the musical, later on in the same Tony Awards telecast. Let's hope he attends rehearsal for SNL if this is any indication of his teleprompter skills! Not even he who wears the crown - or tiara - is without fault, we are safe to suppose.

Now, check out this elegant and quite moving music video for the Elton John version of "Electricity" available as a bonus track on the cast album, evocatively directed by Stephen Daldry, director of the musical and the proposed director of Elton's forthcoming ANIMAL FARM stage musical adaptation - and an artist in film, as well, as THE HOURS proves (as does the original Billy Elliot film, which he also directed).

While SNL may be the first time Sir Elton has hosted a sketch show, he has made more than his fair share of appearances on variety shows over the years, and here we have one of his most well-known and well-loved. Taken from THE MUPPET SHOW in 1978, here is Elton singing "Rocket Man" with the titular puppets on back-up. Seriously groovy.

He made a return to THE MUPPET SHOW a little while later, with a completely over-the-top performance of "Crocodile Rock" with the lovable creations of master puppeteer Jim Henson surrounding him. And, that outfit; two words: lordy mama!

Now check out Elton in this delightful sketch from the opening of same episode of THE MUPPET SHOW when he was the featured guest, skip to around the 7 minute mark for the bit featuring Kermit and Elton's purple and green sequined tuxedo jacket - plus a demonstration and performance of "Benny & The Jets"! I'm not sure those lyrics would pass the censors these days - particularly not on a family show!

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Lastly, bringing us all the way up to the very present, here is one of the strongest tracks from the simply sensational THE UNION, the 2010 collaboration between Elton John and Leon Russell - the blistering ballad "I Should Have Sent Roses".

He's clearly still got it, if that song and the subsequent album is any indication - be sure to pick it up - so, let's hope he shows us all he's got tonight on SNL!

Here's the SNL promo with Kristin Wiig. Elton, a diva? Never!

Here's the promo with Jason Sudeikis. "You got the b*tch part right," indeed!

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