RESTORATION: REIMAGINING THE SONGS OF ELTON JOHN AND BERNIE TAUPIN IS AVAILABLE NOW.

Restoration: Reimagining the Songs of Elton John and Bernie Taupin was been released, and it features interpretations of some of Elton’s biggest hits by country artists. The collection features Little Big Town (“Rocket Man”), Chris Stapleton (“I Want Love”), Dierks Bentley (“Sad Songs (Say So Much)”), Kacey Musgraves (“Roy Rogers”), Brothers Osborne (“Take Me to the Pilot”), Vince Gill and Don Henley (“Sacrifice”), Lee Ann Womack (“Honkycat”) and many more. A pop compilaton, Revamp, was also released, including such artists as Lady Gaga, Ed Sheeran, Pink, Sam Smith, Demi Lovato and Coldplay.

Composer/Songwriter Bernie Taupin, who also created the album cover art, felt like a “kid in a candy store” working on the country version. “This has just been a joy because it’s like I’m a kid in a candy store, because I get to work and be around people that are not only friends but people that I respect tremendously,” says Bernie. “And then new artists are thrown into the mix, the best of the new artists I might add. I mean we’ve got so much talent on this album it’s frightening.”

In celebration of Elton John and his 50 years of making music, CBS will air a tribute special, Elton John: I’m Still Standing – A Grammy Salute on Tuesday (April 10th) at 9pm ET. Several artists, including Little Big Town, Maren Morris and Miranda Lambert will sing classic Elton John songs during the show. John Legend, Miley Cyrus, Kesha and many others are also performing.

Bernie Taupin (Restoration talent) OC: …it’s frightening. :20
“This has just been a joy because it’s like I’m a kid in a candy store because I get to work and be around people that are not only friends but people that I respect tremendously. And then new artists are thrown into the mix, the best of the new artists I might add. I mean we’ve got so much talent on this album it’s frightening.”

Bernie Taupin (story behind Rocket Man) OC: …the story. :55
“The term ‘Rocket Man’ comes from Ray Bradbury’s book The Illustrated Man, which is a book of short stories, all basically science fiction stories, obviously. And there was a story which was called – I believe it was called The Rocket Man. I can’t remember the exact idea of the story as he wrote it, but my idea was that I thought that there might become a time in the not-too-distant future when being an astronaut would be almost akin to being like a taxi driver or a plumber or something. You just go to work in the morning and you come back at night as space travel becomes more a thing of the present, as opposed to the future. And that was really my idea so publishing appropriation aside, that’s really the story.”