1984 Elton John – Who Wears These Shoes
Elton John released his eighteenth album, Breaking Hearts, in 1984. Elton and Bernie Taupin wrote all the songs save for Passengers, which also gave writing credit to guitarist Davey Johnstone. Phineas Mkhize wrote the song Isonto Lezayone in 1961 and he also received some writing credit, since his song originated the whistle and chorus used in Elton’s cover.
The album was also the last time the classic Elton John Band worked together on an album and the last time Elton played keyboards without support from another keyboard player. Even more surprising, it was Elton’s first album to feature neither horns nor strings on any of the tracks.
The big hit single from the album was Sad Songs Say So Much. The record reached #2 on the US Hot 100 and #7 on the UK chart in 1984. It was to be the only single from the album to even reach the top forty in both countries!
Passengers reached #5 on the UK chart but failed to chart at all in the US.
Who Wears These Shoes? was the next single, and the results swapped: it reached #11 in the US, but stalled at #50 in the UK.
While Elton performed the song on the initial Breaking Hearts tour, after that, for a few years he stopped playing any of the singles live except Passengers.
In Neon also reached #11 in the US and failed to chart in the UK, while Breaking Hearts (Ain’t What It Used to Be) missed the Hot 100 and only got up to #59 in the UK.
After one more failed single, Elton recorded That’s What Friends Are For with Dionne Warwick, Gladys Knight, and Stevie Wonder and returned to the #1 spot on the Hot 100 again.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elton_John
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elton_John_singles_discography#1980s
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breaking_Hearts
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