Duets is the twenty-fourth studio album by British singer/songwriter Elton John, released in 1993. Duets was released on a single CD, a single Cassette and also as a double vinyl LP in the UK, with a slightly different running order. It was initially a Christmas project of Elton John's, but that soon grew into an album of its own. The live version of "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" with George Michael, track number 15 on the album, had already become a UK/US No. 1 hit in 1991. Three singles were released from the album in Britain: "True Love" (with Kiki Dee, reached #2), "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" (with drag queen RuPaul, reached #7) and "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing" (with Marcella Detroit, reached #24). The album debuted at No. 7 in the UK. This is the only album released between 1983 and 2010 without John's Guitar player, Davey Johnstone. In the US, it was certified gold and platinum in January 1994 by the RIAA.
Contents[]
[hide] *1 Track listing (UK LP)
Track listing (UK LP)[edit][]
Side 1[edit][]
- "Teardrops" (with k.d. lang) (Zeriiya Zekkariyas) – 4:55
- Produced by Greg Penny
- "When I Think About Love (I Think About You)" (with P.M. Dawn) (Attrell Cordes) – 4:34
- Produced by P.M. Dawn
- "The Power" (with Little Richard) (Elton John, Bernie Taupin) – 6:25
- Produced by Greg Penny and Elton John
- "Shakey Ground" (with Don Henley) (Jeffrey Bowen, Al Boyd, Eddie Hazel) – 3:51
- Produced by Don Henley
Side 2[edit][]
- "True Love" (with Kiki Dee) (Cole Porter) – 3:34
- Produced by Narada Michael Walden for Perfection Light Productions
- "If You Were Me" (with Chris Rea) (Chris Rea) – 4:26
- Produced by Chris Rea
- "A Woman's Needs" (with Tammy Wynette) (John, Taupin) – 5:18
- Produced by Barry Beckett
- "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" (with George Michael, live) (John, Taupin) – 5:46
- Produced by George Michael
Side 3[edit][]
- "Old Friend" (with Nik Kershaw) (Nik Kershaw) – 4:15
- Produced by Nik Kershaw
- "Go on and On" (with Gladys Knight) (Stevie Wonder) – 5:50
- Produced by Stevie Wonder
- "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" (with RuPaul) (Carte Blanche, Ann Orson) – 5:00
- Produced by Giorgio Moroder
- "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing" (with Marcella Detroit) (Nickolas Ashford, Valerie Simpson) – 3:36
- Produced by Chris Thomas
Side 4[edit][]
- "I'm Your Puppet" (with Paul Young) (Spooner Oldham, Dan Penn) – 3:36
- Produced by Steve Lindsey
- "Love Letters" (with Bonnie Raitt) (Edward Heyman, Victor Young) – 4:01
- Produced by Don Was
- "Born to Lose" (with Leonard Cohen) (Frankie Brown, Ted Daffan) – 4:33
- Produced by Steve Lindsey
- "Duets for One" (John, Chris Difford) – 4:52
- Produced by Elton John, Stuart Epps and Greg Penny
Track listing (CD)[edit][]
- "Teardrops" – 4:55
- "When I Think About Love (I Think About You)" – 4:34
- "The Power" – 6:25
- "Shakey Ground" – 3:51
- "True Love" – 3:34
- "If You Were Me" – 4:26
- "A Woman's Needs" – 5:18
- "Old Friend" – 4:15
- "Go On and On" – 5:50
- "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" – 5:00
- "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing" – 3:36
- "I'm Your Puppet" – 3:36
- "Love Letters" – 4:01
- "Born to Lose" – 4:33
- "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" – 5:46
- "Duets for One" – 4:52
B-sides[edit][]
| Song | Format |
|---|---|
| "The Show Must Go On" (live) | True Love 7"/CD (UK) |
| "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" (Remix) | Don't Go Breaking My Heart 12"/CD (US) |
| "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" (Don't Go Dubbing My Heart) | Don't Go Breaking My Heart 12" (US) |
| "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" (MK Mix) | Don't Go Breaking My Heart 12"/CD (US) |
| "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" (Serious Rope 12" Mix) | Don't Go Breaking My Heart 12"/CD (US/UK) |
| "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" (Roger's Dub) | Don't Go Breaking My Heart 12"/CD (US) |
| "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" (Serious Rope Instrumental) | Don't Go Breaking My Heart 12" (US/UK), CD (UK) |
| "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" (Serious Rope Dirty Dub) | Don't Go Breaking My Heart 12" (US/UK), CD (UK) |
| "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" (Roger's Runaway U Betta Work Bitch Mix) | Don't Go Breaking My Heart 12" (US) |
| "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" (Moroder 12" Mix) | Don't Go Breaking My Heart 12"/CD (UK) |
| "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" (Sanchez Club Mix Edit) | Don't Go Breaking My Heart 12" (UK) |
| "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" (Sanchez Radio Mix Edit) | Don't Go Breaking My Heart 12" (UK) |
| "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" (Sanchez Club Instrumental) | Don't Go Breaking My Heart 12" (UK) |
| "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" (Sanchez's Man's Rubba Dub Mix) | Don't Go Breaking My Heart 12" (UK) |
| "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" (Moroder 7" Mix) | Don't Go Breaking My Heart CD (UK) |
| "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" (Serious Rope 7" Mix) | Don't Go Breaking My Heart CD (UK) |
| "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing" (Kenny Dope Extended Mix) | Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing CD (UK) |
| "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing" (Troopa Mood Mix) | Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing CD (UK) |
Personnel[edit][]
- Stephanie Andrews – production co-ordination
- Van Arden – assistant engineer, mixing
- Brian Aris – photography
- Guy Babylon – keyboards
- Dominick Barbera – assistant engineer, mixing assistant
- Eddie Bayers – drums
- Barry Beckett – producer
- Chris Bellman – mastering
- Louis Biancaniello – synthesiser, arranger, keyboards, programming, associate producer
- Curt Bisquera – drums
- Martin Bliss – guitar
- Dan Bosworth – assistant engineer
- Brad Branson – photography
- Kimberly Brewer – backing vocals
- Johnny Britt – backing vocals
- Ray Brown – bass
- Steve Brown – executive producer
- Kelli Bruce – backing vocals
- Robbie Buchanan – keyboards, programming
- Kathy Burdick – backing vocals
- Chris Cameron – keyboards
- Linda Campbell McCrary – backing vocals
- David Campbell – arranger, conductor, horn arrangements, string arrangements
- Jim Champagne – engineer, assistant engineer
- Ed Cherney – engineer, mixing
- Todd Childress – assistant engineer, mixing assistant
- Bill Churchfield – horn
- David Clayton – keyboards
- Leonard Cohen – vocals
- Marcella Detroit – vocals
- Danny Jacob – guitar
- Elton John – piano, keyboards, Roland piano, vocals
- Nik Kershaw – all instruments on "Old Friend"
- Brian Reeves – engineer, mixing
- Bill Reichenbach Jr. – trombone
- Marc Reyburn – engineer
- Michael Rhodes – bass
- Claytoven Richardson – backing vocals
- Thomas Rickert – assistant engineer
- John "J.R." Robinson – drums
- Rail Jon Rogut – assistant engineer
- RuPaul – vocals
- Corrado Rustici – mandolin
- Chuck Sabo – drums
- Randee Saint Nicholas – photography
- Albert Sanchez – photography
- Brian Scheuble – assistant engineer
- Thomas Schobel – programming
- Cynthia Shiloh – production co-ordination
- Beverley Skeete – backing vocals
- Greg Smith – horn
- Phil Spalding – bass
- Matt Still – engineer, assistant engineer, mixing assistant
- Neil Stubenhaus – bass
- Tony Taibi – production co-ordination
- Mark Taylor – keyboards
- Michael Thodes – bass
- Chris Thomas – producer
- Mike Thompson – guitar
- Lee Thornburg – trombone, trumpet, horn, horn arrangements
- Allan Titmuss – photography
- Matthew Vaughan – programming
- Gabe Veltri – engineer
- Kevin Walden – production co-ordination
- Narada Michael Walden – arranger, producer, vocal arrangement
- Ben Wallach – assistant engineer
- Don Was – producer
- Fred Washington – bass
- Freddie "Ready Freddie" Washington – bass
- Marietta Waters – backing vocals
- Albert Watson – photography
- Greg Wells – organ
- Precious Wilson – backing vocals
- Frank Wolf – engineer
- Stevie Wonder – arranger, programming, backing vocals, all instruments on "On and On" synclavier programming on "don't go breaking my heart"
- Tammy Wynette – vocals
- Paul Young – vocals
- Firooz Zahedi – photography