Gordon Lightfoot Book, Music and More!

Sir Elton John was not yet a star—or a knight—when he played a week-long stint in 1970 at the Troubadour club in West Hollywood. Sitting in the audience one night, with his long silver hair and glasses, was Leon Russell, an American singer-pianist whose star was already rising, having written major hits for Joe Cocker and The Carpenters. John later met Russell and they toured together, a great thrill for the English musician, who regarded his American counterpart as a musical idol. As fate would have it, the Rocket Man’s career soared, while Russell’s crash landed. Now Elton is injecting some jet fuel into his hero’s career, by collaborating with him on The Union. John hopes the recording, w...

In the world of Top 40 radio, Rosalie Trombley was a trailblazer – one of the few women to hold a broadcast executive position in an industry that was essentially a boys-only club. Blessed with an innate sense of music, she could pick out a good song from a pile of duds and help to make it a hit, earning her the nickname “the girl with the golden ear.” Ms. Trombley made her mark as music director at Windsor, Ont.’s powerful CKLW, known as “the Big 8,” whose 50,000-watt signal could be heard widely in the United States as well as across southwestern Ontario. Her influence in choosing what music to play was equally far-reaching: when she put a song into rotation, other stations followed suit. ...

In this age of instant gratification, of rushed recordings and downloaded singles, it’s unusual to come across a thoughtful, unhurried concept album. But, then, England’s Kate Bush is that rare songbird, a gifted artist who rejects market trends to follow her muse. Bush’s latest is a quiet masterpiece, offering seven tracks of gorgeous, wintry piano-pop. The drifting “Snowflake” features the choirboy vocals of her 12-year-old son, Bertie, while the moody “Snowed in at Wheeler Street” includes a chilling duet with Elton John.

Elton’s on a creative roll. After the success of his last album, the T-Bone Burnett-produced The Union, on which Elton collaborated with his hero Leon Russell, the Rocket Man has another winner. Also produced by T-Bone, The Diving Board finds Elton diving back into a stripped-down roots sound. “It’s got everything I love about American music,” he says, “gospel, soul country. It’s the most piano-orientated record I’ve ever made (and) the most adult record I can make at my age.” Now 66, Elton has rarely been so inspired, as he deals with themes of aging, mortality and memory. “Home Again” is a backward-glancing ballad full of yearning, while “Take This Dirty Water” is a rocking gospel about ro...

It was the biggest blockbuster in a career that has produced many. Recorded in 1973 at “the height of our powers,” as Elton puts it today, in his favorite honky chateau when he was just 26, the album topped worldwide charts and sold over 15 million copies. Now remastered and available in deluxe two-disc and super deluxe five-disc sets, it showcases Elton’s wide musical range and features a “revisited” collection of covers by contemporary artists and his own live performance that year at London’s Hammersmith Odeon. Hearing the Rocket Man’s original versions of classics alongside interpretations by young stars like Hunter Hayes and Emeli Sandé reveals the depth of those great songs. Ed Sheeran...