Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player

Don't Shoot Me
I'm Only the Piano Player
Studio album by
Elton John
Released26 January 1973
Recorded10–19 June 1972
StudioChâteau d'Hérouville, Hérouville, France; mixed at Trident, London
GenrePop rock[1]
Length43:05
LabelMCA (US), DJM (UK)
ProducerGus Dudgeon
Elton John chronology
Honky Château
(1972) 		Don't Shoot Me
I'm Only the Piano Player
(1973) 		Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
(1973)
Singles from Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player
  1. "Crocodile Rock"/"Elderberry Wine"
    Released: 27 October 1972
  2. "Daniel"
    Released: 20 January 1973
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]
Christgau's Record GuideC+[3]
Rolling Stone(favourable)[4]
The Daily VaultB+[5]
Tom Hull – on the WebB[6]

Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player is the sixth studio album by English musician Elton John.[7] Released in January 1973 by DJM Records, it was the first of two studio albums he released in 1973 (the second was Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, released nine months later), and was his second straight No. 1 album in the US and first No. 1 album in the UK.

The lead single "Crocodile Rock" yielded John his first No. 1 single in both the US and Canada.[8] "Daniel" was also a major hit from the album, giving him his second Canadian No. 1 single on the RPM Top Singles Chart[9] and No. 2 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and reaching No. 4 in the UK, one place higher than achieved by "Crocodile Rock".

  1. ^ "Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player - Elton John - Songs, Reviews, Credits - AllMusic". AllMusic.
  2. ^ "Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player". AllMusic. Retrieved 5 January 2012.
  3. ^ Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: J". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved 27 February 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
  4. ^ Holden, S. (15 March 1973). "Don't Shoot Me I'm Only The Piano Player". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 29 February 2012.
  5. ^ Clutterbuck, Jeff (2019). "The Daily Vault Music Reviews : Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player". dailyvault.com. Retrieved 29 January 2019.
  6. ^ Hull, Tom (22 June 2021). "Music Week". Tom Hull – on the Web. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
  7. ^ John Tobler (1995). "Don't Shoot Me I'm Only The Piano Player". albumlinernotes.com.
  8. ^ "Item Display – RPM – Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Archived from the original on 30 July 2017. Retrieved 5 January 2012.
  9. ^ "Item Display – RPM – Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Archived from the original on 20 October 2012. Retrieved 5 January 2012.