Madman Across the Water

Madman Across the Water
Studio album by
Elton John
Released5 November 1971 (1971-11-05)[1]
Recorded27 February; 9, 11, 14 August 1971[1]
StudioTrident, London
GenreProgressive rock
Length45:17
Label
ProducerGus Dudgeon
Elton John chronology
17-11-70
(1971) 		Madman Across the Water
(1971) 		Honky Château
(1972)
Singles from Madman Across the Water
  1. "Levon"
    Released: 29 November 1971[2]
  2. "Tiny Dancer"
    Released: 7 February 1972[3]

Madman Across the Water is the fourth studio album by English musician Elton John, released on 5 November 1971 by DJM and Uni Records. The album was his third album to be released in 1971, at which point John had been rising to prominence as a popular music artist. John's first progressive rock album,[4][5] Madman Across the Water contains nine tracks, each composed and performed by John and with lyrics written by songwriting partner Bernie Taupin. Yes keyboardist Rick Wakeman plays Hammond organ on two songs.

There were two singles released from Madman Across the Water, "Levon" and "Tiny Dancer". The album was certified gold in February 1972, followed by platinum in March 1993, and 2× platinum in August 1998 by the RIAA.[6] The album was included in Robert Dimery's 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.[7] On 10 June 2022, the album was reissued as a deluxe edition for its 50th anniversary, featuring 18 unreleased tracks including demos, outtakes and alternate takes, as well as a 40-page book detailing the album's creation with notes from John and Taupin.[8][9]

  1. ^ a b Madman Across The Water Retrieved 19 December 2017
  2. ^ "Behind The Song: Elton John, "Levon" – American Songwriter". americansongwriter.com. 16 September 2020. Retrieved 26 November 2020.
  3. ^ "What is the Meaning Behind the Song "Tiny Dancer" by Elton John? – American Songwriter". americansongwriter.com. 4 October 2019. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference AM was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Weisbard, Eric (2014). Top 40 Democracy: The Rival Mainstreams of American Music. University of Chicago Press. p. 169. ISBN 9780226194370.
  6. ^ "Gold & Platinum". Recording Industry Association of America.
  7. ^ Dimery, Robert, ed. (2013). 1001: Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. London: Cassell Publishing. p. 323. ISBN 978-1844037353.
  8. ^ Kreps, Daniel (21 April 2022). "Elton John Announces 50th-Anniversary Reissue of 'Madman Across the Water'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
  9. ^ Rapp, Alison (21 April 2022). "Elton John Announces Deluxe Reissue of 'Madman Across the Water'". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved 21 April 2022.