Stuart Epps - Inside Elton John’s Golden Years – Studio Secrets, Tantrums & Rock History
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Producer and engineer Stuart Epps witnessed Elton John’s transformation from jobbing musician Reg Dwight into one of the biggest stars in the world.
Stuart began working at Dick James Music as a teenager in 1967. It was there that he met Reg Dwight and Bernie Taupin, heard unreleased Beatles albums, cut demonstration records and absorbed everything he could about songwriting, recording and the rapidly changing music business.
He recalls Elton’s early development as a songwriter, the making of Empty Sky and the arrival of producer Gus Dudgeon and arranger Paul Buckmaster for the landmark Elton John album.
Stuart was present as Elton assembled his original three-piece band and developed the explosive stage presence that astonished audiences at the Troubadour in Los Angeles. He also explains Elton’s relentless drive, extraordinary speed as a songwriter and sometimes volcanic temper.
As part of the Rocket Records story, Stuart worked with Kiki Dee and accompanied her on Elton’s 1974 American tour. He gives a remarkable first-hand account of John Lennon joining the tour, Lennon’s nervousness before appearing at Madison Square Garden and the overwhelming response when he stepped onto the stage.
Stuart also remembers the recording of “Song for Guy”, when the tape ran out on Elton’s final chord, and reflects on the childhood forces that drove artists including Elton John and Chris Rea.
The interview concludes with Stuart’s approach to developing new performers, what a producer should contribute and how artists can work with him through Epps Records.
CHAPTERS
00:00 Introduction
01:26 Welcome
02:06 Childhood and his earliest musical influences
04:00 Growing up during a period of social change
06:00 Discovering recording and production
07:40 Joining Dick James Music as a teenager
08:12 Meeting Reg Dwight and Bernie Taupin
10:00 Learning the business from the bottom
12:00 Acetates, unreleased Beatles albums and studio culture
14:00 How albums and recording technology changed music
18:15 Reg Dwight: session musician and songwriter
19:46 Empty Sky and the birth of Elton John as an artist
20:44 Gus Dudgeon, Paul Buckmaster and “Your Song”
22:43 Elton John’s appetite for discovering music
24:32 Why Elton became the singer of his own songs
26:16 Forming the original Elton John three-piece band
27:18 The Troubadour breakthrough
29:32 Rocket Records—and being offered Queen
30:36 Recognising star quality in new artists
32:41 Touring America as Elton’s personal assistant
34:26 Elton’s volcanic temper
35:26 Why a producer also has to be a psychologist
37:31 How Elton and Bernie Taupin wrote songs
39:20 Recording in a residential studio
41:48 John Reid, Rocket Records and developing Kiki Dee
43:26 The 1974 American tour and John Lennon
44:09 Lennon joins Elton’s plane
45:20 John Lennon’s nerves at Madison Square Garden
46:00 The audience erupts into “white noise”
47:18 Elton’s relentless pursuit of perfection
48:37 Nearly running out of tape during “Song for Guy”
51:21 How Elton’s childhood fuelled his ambition
52:31 Chris Rea and the need to prove yourself
53:42 What Stuart looks for in a new artist
55:27 Why artists cannot do everything themselves
57:59 What a producer should bring to a recording
59:29 Helping performers discover their own identity
62:15 Producing and mixing remotely
63:05 Developing artists through Epps Records
64:08 Closing thoughts
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Watch the interview:
https://youtu.be/V8B6EVD_ncA
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