Rock Of The Westies:Elton John

Rock of the Westies is the tenth studio album by British singer-songwriter Elton John, released on 24 October 1975. Its title is a comedic play on words (aSpoonerism) devised by John. He turned the phrase "West of the Rockies" into Rock of the Westies. ("Westie" is also a nickname for the West Highland White Terrier).

Like Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy, Rock of the Westies also debuted on the US Billboard 200 chart at No. 1, the only two albums at that time to have done so. It was less successful in the artist's home territory of the UK, where it reached No. 5 on the UK Albums Chart. Robert Christgau listed it as No. 7 on his list of the best albums of 1975.[4]



Contents
[hide]  *1 History  ==History[ edit] == Rock of the Westies contained the US No. 1 (#14 UK) single, "Island Girl", which was released prior to the album. John noted at the time in a radio interview[which?]  that he had wanted to release "Dan Dare (Pilot of the Future)" as the album's first single instead of "Island Girl", because he thought it had more commercial potential. He was however, over-ruled, and "Dan Dare" was never released as a single, whilst "Island Girl" became a hit.
 * 2 Track listing
 * 2.1 LP and CD
 * 2.1.1 Side one
 * 2.1.2 Side two
 * 2.2 Cassette
 * 2.2.1 Side one
 * 2.2.2 Side two
 * 2.3 Additional tracks
 * 2.3.1 Bonus track (1995 Mercury reissue)
 * 2.3.2 Bonus track (1996 Rocket reissue)
 * 2.4 B-sides
 * 3 Personnel
 * 4 Production
 * 5 Certifications
 * 6 Charts
 * 6.1 Chart positions
 * 6.2 Year-end charts
 * 6.3 Chart procession and succession
 * 7 References

The make-up of John's band was different on Rock of the Westies, being without his long-time drummer Nigel Olsson and bassist Dee Murray, both of whom John fired during April 1975. Added in their place were drummer Roger Pope, an old friend of John's who had played on Empty Sky, Tumbleweed Connectionand Madman Across the Water, and American bassist Kenny Passarelli, who had previously played with Stephen Stills and was an original member in Joe Walsh's band Barnstorm. Pope had also played in Kiki Dee's touring band. James Newton-Howard, a keyboardist, was also brought in. Also included was Caleb Quaye, another old friend of John's from his early DJM session days. Like Pope, Quaye had also played on Empty Sky & Tumbleweed Connection & also John's intervening eponymous release. Retained from the previous line-up were Davey Johnstone and Ray Cooper.

The song "Hard Luck Story" had already been recorded by Kiki Dee, and released as a single one year prior to its recording for Rock of the Westies. Along with "Don't Go Breaking My Heart", it is credited to Ann Orson/Carte Blanche (An horse and cart, Blanche) a moniker John devised when composing a song (music and lyrics) on his own. The name Ann Orson is also used as the name of a backing vocalist.Labelle performed backing vocals on the opening track, "Medley: Yell Help/Wednesday Night/Ugly".

In the US, it was certified gold in October 1975 and platinum in March 1993[5]  by the RIAA.

Outside the US and Canada, this was the last original studio release from John on DJM Records, before his own label, The Rocket Record Company.

The song "Street Kids" was featured in the 2008 video game Grand Theft Auto IV. ==Track listing<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);">] == <p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">All songs written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin, except where noted. ===LP and CD<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 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);">] ==== ===Cassette<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 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);">] ==== ===Additional 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);">] === ====Bonus track (1995 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);">] ==== ====Bonus track (1996 Rocket 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);">] ==== ===B-sides<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);">] === ==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);">] == ==Production<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);">] == ===Chart procession and succession<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);">] ===
 * 1) "Medley (Yell Help/Wednesday Night/Ugly)" – 6:13
 * 2) "Dan Dare (Pilot of the Future)" – 3:30
 * 3) "Island Girl" – 3:42
 * 4) "Grow Some Funk of Your Own" (John, Davey Johnstone, Taupin) – 4:43
 * 5) "I Feel Like a Bullet (In the Gun of Robert Ford)" – 5:28
 * 1) "Street Kids" – 6:23
 * 2) "Hard Luck Story" (Ann Orson/Carte Blanche) – 5:10
 * 3) "Feed Me" – 4:00
 * 4) "Billy Bones and the White Bird" – 4:24
 * 1) "Medley (Yell Help/Wednesday Night/Ugly)" – 6:13
 * 2) "Dan Dare (Pilot of the Future)" – 3:30
 * 3) "Island Girl" – 3:42
 * 4) "Feed Me" – 4:00
 * 5) "Billy Bones and the White Bird" – 4:24
 * 1) "Street Kids" – 6:23
 * 2) "Hard Luck Story" (Ann Orson/Carte Blanche) – 5:10
 * 3) "Grow Some Funk of Your Own" (John, Johnstone, Taupin) – 4:43
 * 4) "I Feel Like a Bullet (In the Gun of Robert Ford)" – 5:28
 * 1) "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" (with Kiki Dee) (Ann Orson/Carte Blanche) – 4:28
 * 1) "Planes" – 4:31
 * 2) "Sugar on the Floor" (Kiki Dee) – 4:31
 * Elton John – piano, vocals
 * Ray Cooper – castanets, conga, maracas, marimba, tambourine, kettle drums, vibraphone, shaker, cowbell, jawbone, bell tree, wind chimes
 * Kiki Dee – backing vocals
 * Clive Franks – percussion, backing vocals
 * Davey Johnstone – acoustic guitar, banjo, mandolin, electric guitar, rhythm guitar, backing vocals, slide guitar, voice bag
 * Labelle – backing vocals
 * James Newton-Howard – synthesiser, harpsichord, electric piano, clavinet, mellotron, elka
 * Kenny Passarelli – bass guitar, backing vocals
 * Ann Orson – backing vocals
 * Roger Pope – drums
 * Caleb Quaye – acoustic guitar, electric guitar, rhythm guitar, backing vocals
 * Producer: Gus Dudgeon
 * Engineer: Jeff Guercio
 * Liner notes: John Tobler