Too Low For Zero:Elton John

Too Low for Zero is the seventeenth studio album by British singer/songwriter Elton John, released in 1983.



Contents
[hide]  *1 Production  ==Production[ edit] == For the first time since Blue Moves in 1976, all lyrics were written by Bernie Taupin, who has continued in this role to the present day. At the insistence of Taupin, John decided to go back to basics and returned to working with Taupin full-time. 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 andTumbleweed Connection) – two other musicians were intended to join the line-up, but dropped out.
 * 2 Releases
 * 3 Track listing
 * 3.1 Side one
 * 3.2 Side two
 * 3.3 Bonus tracks (1998 Mercury reissue)
 * 4 Personnel
 * 4.1 On bonus tracks
 * 5 Credits
 * 6 Certifications
 * 7 Charts
 * 7.1 Chart positions
 * 7.2 Year-end charts
 * 7.3 Decade-end charts
 * 8 References

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

For the first time since A Single Man, John played synthesisers 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.

The album was written and recorded in approximately two weeks, with overdubs completed in a week. ==Releases[ edit] == 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 to date 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. They were also previously released on European singles. In the US, it was certified gold in January 1984 and platinum in October 1995 by the RIAA. ==Track listing<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] == <p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">All music composed by Elton John, except where noted; all lyrics written by Bernie Taupin. ===Side one<span class="mw-editsection" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] === ===Side two<span class="mw-editsection" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] === ===Bonus tracks (1998 Mercury reissue)<span class="mw-editsection" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] === <p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">Though Chris Thomas was the album's original producer, Gus Dudgeon supervised the remastering for the 1998 Geffen re-release. ==Personnel<span class="mw-editsection" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-family:sans-serif;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] == ===On bonus tracks<span class="mw-editsection" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] === ==Credits<span class="mw-editsection" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-family:sans-serif;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] == ==Certifications<span class="mw-editsection" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-family:sans-serif;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] == ==Charts<span class="mw-editsection" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-family:sans-serif;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] ==
 * 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
 * 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
 * 1) "Earn While You Learn" (Lord Choc Ice (John)) – 6:46
 * 2) *B-side of "I'm Still Standing" recorded in 1978 and withdrawn as a 12" picture disc-single.
 * 3) "Dreamboat" – 7:34
 * 4) *B-side also recorded in 1978. Music by Elton John and Tim Renwick. Lyrics by Gary Osborne though not credited.
 * 5) "The Retreat" – 4:46 (John, Taupin)
 * 6) *UK B-side from 1982 recorded during the sessions for The Fox.
 * Elton John – keyboards, lead vocals
 * Davey Johnstone – guitars, vocals
 * Dee Murray – bass guitar, vocals
 * Nigel Olsson – drums, vocals
 * Ray Cooper – percussion on "Cold as Christmas (In the Middle of the Year)"
 * Skaila Kanga – harp on "Cold as Christmas (In the Middle of the Year)"
 * Kiki Dee – vocals on "Cold as Christmas (In the Middle of the Year)"
 * Stevie Wonder – harmonica on "I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues"
 * James Newton-Howard – string arrangements on "One More Arrow"
 * 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"
 * Produced by Chris Thomas
 * Recorded by Bill Price
 * Mastered by Chris Thomas (UK) and Greg Fulginiti (US)