Rock and Roll Madonna

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"Rock and Roll Madonna"
Single by Elton John
B-side	"Grey Seal"
Released	19 June 1970
Recorded	Trident Studios, 20 March 1970[1]
Genre	Rock and roll
Length	4:17
Label	Philips, DJM, Congress, Hansa
Songwriter(s)	Elton John, Bernie Taupin
Producer(s)	Steve Brown
Elton John singles chronology
"Border Song" (1970) "Rock and Roll Madonna" (1970) "From Denver to L.A." (1970)

"Rock and Roll Madonna" is a song by Elton John with lyrics written by Bernie Taupin. The song was released as a single in Britain in 1970, where it never charted.^[2] It appeared on several bootlegs and rarities compilations, such as 1992's Rare Masters, before it appeared on 1995 remaster of his self-titled album. The song structure is, as the title says, a rock and roll song. Live-effects have been added, with an audience cheering throughout most of the song, a technique that would be used similarly three years later on "Bennie and the Jets". The b-side, "Grey Seal", was re-recorded in 1973 for inclusion on John's seventh album Goodbye Yellow Brick Road.^[3]

The song was remade in an "interlude" version for the 2019 film Rocketman with star Taron Egerton performing the vocal.^[4]

Format and track list[]

• 1970 UK 7" single

1. . "Rock and Roll Madonna" - 4:17
2. . "Grey Seal (Original Version)" - 3:38

Credits and personnel[]

Credits adapted from eltonography.com ^[5]

• Elton John - music, piano, vocals
• Bernie Taupin - lyrics
• Gus Dudgeon - production
• Caleb Quaye - guitar
• Roger Pope - drums
• Roger Glover - bass

Rocketman (2019) film[]

The 2019 biopic, Rocketman, featured 22 of Elton John's songs including hits, like "Your Song" and uncharted songs, like "Rock and Roll Madonna". In the film, "Rock and Roll Madonna" is featured as an interlude version with the vocals performed by actor Taron Egerton.^[6]

Versions[]

All album information gathered from eltonography.com^[7] and eltonjohn.com^[8]

• 1970 "Rock and Roll Madonna" 7-inch single
  • Released 19 June 1970
  • Track list:
    1. "Rock and Roll Madonna
    2. "Grey Seal" (B-side)
• The original German release of "Elton John" from 1970 (Hansa 80807) opens with the song "Rock and Roll Madonna", and the song "I Need You to Turn To" does not appear on the LP. The rest of the tracks and the running order remain the same as the worldwide release.
• 1992 "Rare Masters" compilation album
  • Released 20 October 1992
  • Track list:
  • Disc one
    1. "I’ve Been Loving You"
    2. "Here’s to the Next Time"
    3. "Lady Samantha"
    4. "All Across The Havens"
    5. "It’s Me That You Need"
    6. "Just Like Strange Rain"
    7. "Bad Side of the Moon"
    8. "Rock And Roll Madonna"
    9. "Grey Seal (Original Version)"
    10. "Friends"
    11. "Michelle's Song"
    12. "Seasons"
    13. "Variation on Michelle's Song (A Day in the Country)"
    14. "Can I Put You On"
    15. "Honey Roll"
    16. "Variation on Friends"
    17. "I Meant To Do My Work Today (A Day in the Country)"
    18. "Four Moods"
    19. "Seasons Reprise"
  • Disc two
    1. "Madman Across the Water (Original Version)"
    2. "Into the Old Man's Shoes"
    3. "Rock Me When He's Gone"
    4. "Slave (Alternate Fast Version)"
    5. "Skyline Pigeon (Piano Version)"
    6. "Jack Rabbit"
    7. "Whenever You're Ready (We'll Go Steady Again)"
    8. "Let Me Be Your Car"
    9. "Screw You (Young Man's Blues)"
    10. "Step into Christmas"
    11. "Ho! Ho! Ho! (Who'd Be a Turkey at Christmas)"
    12. "Sick City"
    13. "Cold Highway"
    14. "One Day at a Time"
    15. "I Saw Her Standing There (Live with John Lennon)"
    16. "House of Cards"
    17. "Planes"
    18. "Sugar on the Floor"
• 1995 "Elton John" remastered album
  • Released 10 April 1970
  • Track list:
    1. "Your Song"
    2. "I Need You To Turn To"
    3. "Take Me to the Pilot"
    4. "No Shoestrings on Louise"
    5. "First Episode at Heinton"
    6. "Sixty Years On"
    7. "Border Song"
    8. "The Greatest Discovery"
    9. "The Cage"
    10. "The King Must Die"
    11. "Bad Side of the Moon"
    12. "Grey Seal"
    13. "Rock and Roll Madonna"
• 2008 "Elton John" Deluxe Edition album
  • Released in 2008
  • Track List:
  • Disc one
    1. "Your Song"
    2. "I Need You To Turn To"
    3. "Take Me to the Pilot"
    4. "No Shoestrings on Louise"
    5. "First Episode at Heinton"
    6. "Sixty Years On"
    7. "Border Song"
    8. "The Greatest Discovery"
    9. "The Cage"
    10. "The King Must Die"
  • Disc two
    1. "Your Song (Demo Version)"
    2. "I Need You To Turn To (Piano Demo)"
    3. "Take Me to the Pilot (Piano Demo)"
    4. "No Shoe Strings on Louise (Piano Demo)"
    5. "Sixty Years On (Piano Demo)"
    6. "The Greatest Discovery (Piano Demo)"
    7. "The Cage (Demo Version)"
    8. "The King Must Die (Piano Demo)"
    9. "Rock And Roll Madonna (Piano Demo)"
    10. "Thank You Mama (Piano Demo)"
    11. "All The Way Down To El Paso (Piano Demo)"
    12. "I’m Going Home (Piano Demo)"
    13. "Grey Seal (Piano Demo)"
    14. "Rock And Roll Madonna (Incomplete Band Demo)"
    15. "Bad Side of the Moon"
    16. "Grey Seal (1970 Version)"
    17. "Rock And Roll Madonna"
    18. "Border Song (BBC Session)" [with Hookfoot]
    19. "Your Song (BBC Session)"
    20. "Take Me to the Pilot (BBC Session)"

"Rock and Roll Madonna" makes its debut appearance on a full-length album on the compilation album called Rare Masters in 1992,^[9] the song was added to the 1995 remastered version of the Elton John album, and again it was added to the 2008 Deluxe Edition of the same Elton John album along with two previously unreleased demo versions of the song.

References[]