Tiny Dancer

"Tiny Dancer"
Single by Elton John
from the album Madman Across the Water
B-side "Razor Face"
Released 7 February 1972
Format Vinyl record (7")
Recorded 9 August 1971; Trident Studios
(London, England)
Genre
Length 6:12
Label Uni (US)
DJM (UK)
Writer(s)
Producer(s) Gus Dudgeon
Elton John singles chronology
"Levon"
(1971)
"Tiny Dancer"
(1972)
"Rocket Man"
(1972)
Music sample
"Tiny Dancer"
"Tiny Dancer"
Single by Ben Folds
from the album Ben Folds Live
Released 2002
Length 3:16 (single version)
5:23 (album version)
Label Epic
Ben Folds singles chronology
"Still Fighting It"
(2002)
"Tiny Dancer"
(2002)
"Bizarre Christmas Incident"
(2002)
"Tiny Dancer"
Single by Tim McGraw
from the album Tim McGraw and the Dancehall Doctors
Released December 30, 2002
Format CD single
Genre Country
Length 5:09
Label Curb
Producer(s)
Tim McGraw singles chronology
"Red Rag Top"
(2002)
"Tiny Dancer"
(2002)
"She's My Kind of Rain"
(2002)

"Tiny Dancer" is a 1971 song by Elton John with lyrics by Bernie Taupin. It appears on John's fourth album, Madman Across the Water, and was released as a single in 1972. In the U.S. it was certified Gold on 19 May 2005, and Platinum on 19 August 2011 by the Recording Industry Association of America.[1]

Background and writing

The words of the song were written by Bernie Taupin to capture the spirit of California in 1970 encapsulated by the many beautiful women he met there. The song was dedicated to Maxine Feibelman, Taupin's first wife on the album Madman Across the Water.[2][3]

History

The song features a piano-based melody during verses and an arrangement that at the start features pedal steel guitar and light percussion but, transitioning subtly halfway through one of the choruses, by the end is driven by Paul Buckmaster's dynamic strings, along with a barely heard backing choir.

Due to the song lacking a strong hook, "Tiny Dancer" was initially a non-starter as a single in the US, reaching only #41 on the U.S. pop chart, and was not even released as a single in the UK. The song fared better in Canada, where John had much of his early commercial breakthrough success, peaking at #19. It was also a hit in Australia, peaking at #13. Eventually, the song slowly became one of John's most popular songs even in the territories that initially failed to embrace it, and the full-length version is now a fixture on North American, UK and Australian adult contemporary and rock radio stations.

It was ranked No. 397 on the 2010 List of Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.[4]

Charts

Chart (1972) Peak
position
Australia 13
Canadian RPM [5] 19
Canadian Adult Contemporary [6] 20
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 41
U.S. Cash Box Top 100 29

Other versions

In popular culture

References

  1. Dan, "Under Cover: Tiny Dancer - As Heard On", 20 April 2012, "", 24 July 2012
  2. "Bernie Taupin :: Discography". berniejtaupin.com.
  3. "Tiny Dancer by Elton John", 24 July 2012.
  4. "500 Greatest Songs of All Time". 4 July 2011. Archived from the original on 7 April 2011. Retrieved 7 February 2013.
  5. "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". collectionscanada.gc.ca.
  6. http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?&file_num=nlc008388.7687&type=1&interval=20&PHPSESSID=4njnvrh1jgqpq28ugofunq7347
  7. "Lani Hall's Tiny Dancer cover of Elton John's Tiny Dancer", "", 24 July 2012
  8. "Red Hot Cilli Peppers - Tiny Dancer", 11 April 2008" on YouTube, 24 July 2012
  9. "Dave Grohl - Tiny Dancer", "", 24 July 2012
  10. "Elton heads galaxy of stars backing Lily-Mae's cancer fight", November 2012
  11. "Tiny Dancer - A Song for Lily-Mae", November 2012
  12. The Old Grey Whistle Test (DVD). Warner Home Video. 2003.
  13. "Budweiser Elton John Tiny Dancer Peter Stormare Super Bowl XLV Commercial Ad 2011" on YouTube, 6 February 2011, 24 July 2012
  14. "Lip Sync Battle with Joseph Gordon Levitt, Stephen Merchant and Jimmy Fallon" on YouTube, 24 September 2013

External links

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