Elton John‘s album “Don’t Shoot Me I’m Only The Piano Player“ was released in January 1973, certified RIAA gold on 2/12/73, and became the second of seven #1 albums in a row. Containing the #1 singles “Crocodile Rock” and “Daniel“, here you see it honored with an Authentic, First Presentation, First-State, RIAA white matte…
Over the years many awards have had their backing paper replaced (for a variety of legitimate reasons). This beautiful example has not…
Here’s some background (from Wikipedia)…
On the advice of music publisher Steve Brown, John and Taupin began writing more complex songs for John to record for DJM. The first was the single “I’ve Been Loving You” (1968), produced by Caleb Quaye, Bluesology’s former guitarist. In 1969, with Quaye, drummer Roger Pope, and bassist Tony Murray, John recorded another single, “Lady Samantha“, and an album, Empty Sky. For their follow-up album, Elton John, John and Taupin enlisted Gus Dudgeon as producer and Paul Buckmaster as musical arranger. Elton John was released in April 1970 on DJM Records/Pye Records in the UK and Uni Records in the US, and established the formula for subsequent albums: gospel-chorded rockers and poignant ballads. The album’s first single, “Border Song“, peaked at 92 on the Billboard Hot 100. The second, “Your Song“, reached number seven in the UK Singles Chart and number eight in the US, becoming John’s first hit single as a singer.[43] The album soon became his first hit album, reaching number four on the US Billboard 200 and number five on the UK Albums Chart.[43][44]
Backed by former Spencer Davis Group drummer Nigel Olsson and bassist Dee Murray, John’s first American concert took place at the Troubadour in Los Angeles on 25 August 1970, and was a success.[45] The concept album Tumbleweed Connection was released in October 1970 and reached number two in the UK and number five in the US.[43] The live album 17-11-70 (titled 11–17–70 in the US) was recorded at a live show aired from A&R Studios on WABC-FM in New York City. Sales of the live album took a blow in the US when an east-coast bootlegger released the performance several weeks before the official album, including all 60 minutes of the aircast, not just the 40 minutes selected by Dick James Music.[46]Elton John at the Musikhalle Hamburg, in March 1972
John and Taupin then wrote the soundtrack to the 1971 film Friends and then the album Madman Across the Water, which reached number eight in the US and included the hit songs “Levon” and the album’s opening track, “Tiny Dancer“. In 1972, Davey Johnstone joined the Elton John Band on guitar and backing vocals. Released in 1972, Honky Château became John’s first US number one album, spending five weeks at the top of the Billboard 200, and began a streak of seven consecutive US number-one albums.[47] The album reached number two in the UK, and spawned the hit singles “Rocket Man” and “Honky Cat“.[48]
Elton John’s album Don’t Shoot Me I’m Only the Piano Player came out at the start of 1973 and reached number one in the UK, the US and Australia, among other countries.[43] The album produced the hits “Crocodile Rock“, his first US Billboard Hot 100 number one, and “Daniel“, which reached number two in the US and number four in the UK.[43][49] The album and “Crocodile Rock” were respectively the first album and single on the consolidated MCA Records label in the US, replacing MCA’s other labels, including Uni.[50]
