Jump Up! is the sixteenth studio album by British musician Elton John. It was released in 1982 by The Rocket Record Company except in the US and Canada, where it was released by Geffen Records. In the United States, the album was certified gold by the RIAA in November 1982.
Background The album includes "Empty Garden (Hey Hey Johnny)", a tribute to John Lennon (who had also signed to Geffen for the release of Double Fantasy, which is now owned by EMI). This is one of the first few LPs that showcases Elton John singing in a deeper voice, as can be heard in songs such as "Blue Eyes", "Princess", "Ball and Chain" and "Spiteful Child". "Legal Boys" was written by John and Tim Rice, who later wrote lyrics for The Lion King and The Road to El Dorado. This is the last studio album in which James Newton Howard played keyboards (although he would play keyboards with John again on the soundtrack of Gnomeo & Juliet almost 30 years later).
The album's inner sleeve artwork shows John's lifelong friend Vance Buck and Gary Osborne's then 5-year-old son Luke. It was recorded and mixed digitally at AIR Studios in Montserrat, and Pathé Marconi Studios in France.
In a 2010 Sirius radio special, John's lyricist, Bernie Taupin, talking about Jump Up!, said it was "one of our worst albums". He added, "It's a terrible, awful, disposable album, but it had 'Empty Garden' on it, so it's worth it for that one song."
John played several songs from the album on the Jump Up! Tour, including "Ball and Chain," "Dear John, "Where Have All the Good Times Gone," "Empty Garden" and "Blue Eyes." He added "Blue Eyes" to the tour set lists for the 1984 Breaking Hearts and European Express tours, and played "Blue Eyes" and "Empty Garden" during his 1999 solo piano tour sets.
Track listing
Outtakes Two B-sides from the album include "Take Me Down to the Ocean" (issued as the B-side of "Empty Garden") and "Hey Papa Legba" (the B-side of "Blue Eyes"). Other outtakes from Jump Up! include "At This Time in My Life", "Desperation Train", "I'm Not Very Well", "Jerry's Law", "Moral Majority", "Waking Up in Europe" and "The Ace of Hearts and the Jack of Spades". They all have yet to see circulation, either on bootlegs or officially.Rocket Man: Elton John From A-Z ()
However, "Desperation Train" was later recorded and released by John's lyricist Bernie Taupin on his 1987 album, Tribe, with a new melody written by Martin Page.
Personnel
Musicians Elton John – lead vocals, backing vocals, acoustic piano, electric grand piano, harpsichord on "Empty Garden" James Newton Howard – Fender Rhodes, synthesizers, brass and string arrangements, conductor Richie Zito – guitars Pete Townshend – acoustic guitar on "Ball and Chain" Dee Murray – bass, backing vocals Jeff Porcaro – drums, percussion Steve Holley – tambourine on "Ball and Chain", synth drum on "I Am Your Robot" Martyn Ford (billed in the credits as "Mountain Fjord") – brass and orchestra Gavyn Wright – concertmaster Gary Osborne – backing vocals
Production Chris Thomas – producer Bill Price – recording Nigel Barker – recording assistant Mike Stavrou – recording assistant Greg Fulginiti – mastering at Artisan Sound Recorders (Hollywood, California, USA) David Costa – design David Nutter – outer sleeve photography, inner sleeve photography Martyn Goddard – inner sleeve photography John Reid – management
Charts
Weekly charts +Weekly chart performance for Jump Up! Chart (1982) Peakposition Australian Albums (Kent Music Report) 3
Year-end charts +Year-end chart performance for Jump Up! Chart (1982) Position Australian Albums (Kent Music Report) 25 New Zealand Albums (RMNZ) 17US Billboard 200 61
Certifications
References
External links