Are You Ready For Love
Elton John
(Southern Fried Records)
Reported Saturday, September 13 2003
Courtesy of Jonty_Adderley @ www.skrufff.com
August 1977: Fourteen years after launching his music career earning £4 and10 shillings a week (£4.50/ US$7), Elton John's career appears to be at a peak, as he out-grosses the Stones with seven consecutive nights at New York's legendary Madison Square Gardens. And three months later he announces his retirement from playing live (after collapsing on stage twice from 'exhaustion'), apparently entering the downward phase of what's already been an illustrious and highly credible career.
That 25 years on Elton John is both one of the world's biggest superstars as well as one of the cheesiest, is as unlikely as the narrative accompanying Are You Ready For Love, his upcoming single that looks set to be another worldwide pop hit. Co-produced in 1977 with Philadelphia legend Thom Bell, the string laden R&B ballad languished in semi- obscurity until earlier this year, until the unlikely figure of Fatboy Slim discovered it earlier this year. His catalyst was the renowned train-spotting DJ Ashley Beedle (of X Press 2 fame), who re-edited (extended) the original and began championing it, prompting Fatboy Slim to sign it to his Southern Fried Records.
And it's Beedle's 7 minute re-edit which really does the business, being enhanced by a couple of extra verses worth of percussion led dubs that break the tune down to show its classic 70s Studio 54 style discoteque constituent parts.
Radio friendly, populist and infectiously sing-along-able, Are You Ready is out on Southern Fried Records on September 1 and is both timeless and timely again. If only Elton's new stuff could strike so many chords.
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