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Passengers (Elton John song)
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Wikipedia article
{{Infobox song
| name = Passengers
| cover = EJpassengers.jpg
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = Elton John
| album = Breaking Hearts
| B-side = Lonely Boy
| released =
| recorded = December 1983
| studio =
| venue =
| genre = *Rock
*folk rock
worldbeat
| length = * (7-inch single)
*5:42 (12-inch single)
| label = Rocket (UK)
| writer = *Elton John
*Bernie Taupin
*Davey Johnstone
*Phineas Mkhize
| producer = Chris Thomas
| prev_title = Sad Songs (Say So Much)
| prev_year = 1984
| next_title = Who Wears These Shoes
| next_year = 1984
| misc =
}}
'Passengers' is a song by English musician Elton John that appears on his 1984 album 'Breaking Hearts,' released as the second single of the album. The song reached number five on the UK chart, and reached the top ten in Australia, but was not released as a single in the US.
Background
It was composed by John, Bernie Taupin and Davey Johnstone. The music for the song was largely based on a South African folk tune called 'Isonto Lezayone', which was recorded in 1963 by Phineas Mkhize. The whistle riff and chorus melody are borrowed from this piece, and Mkhize is given a songwriting credit for the song on this basis. It has been suggested that Taupin's lyric has an anti-apartheid message behind it.
Live performances
John performed the song live during his 1985 tour of the UK, with a slightly re-arranged version of the track, making use of the brass section he used for the tour. The song has seemingly been discarded by John, having not been played live since then, as of 2019.
Later releases
The song was included on his 1990 UK release 'The Very Best of Elton John', but has not been included on any compilation since.
Music video
The music video, directed by Simon Milne, was filmed in St. Tropez, France. The video featured a cameo appearance by Bernie Taupin. As was the case for many of the songs in this time period, John appears without his trademark glasses, and does not play piano.
Personnel
* Elton John vocals, synthesizers, harmonium
* Davey Johnstone acoustic guitar, backing vocals
* Dee Murray bass, backing vocals
* Nigel Olsson drums, backing vocals
References
Category:Elton John songs
Category:1984 songs
Category:1984 singles
Category:Songs with music by Elton John
Category:Songs with lyrics by Bernie Taupin
Category:Song recordings produced by Chris Thomas (record producer)
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