Sir Elton John is preparing to launch a new album, which he has hailed as “one of the greatest musical experiences” of his life, but he previously confessed that there is one album which is his least favourite. The Rocketman admitted that his 1979 disco album Victim of Love is “not my finest work”, and this was reflected in the charts.
Reflecting on his career, the 77-year-old explained: “I’ve made a lot of missteps. I mean, I made a disco album at the end of the disco craze called Victim of Love, which is not my finest work. That was my fault for not giving it enough attention and time and I learned from those mistakes. Usually, I love to be involved in everything I do, but for that, I just did the vocals, and that was it. It wasn’t a hit and it taught me a lesson.”
Victim of Love was Elton’s 13th album and was not critically well-received, peaking at 41 on the UK Albums chart. In a stark contrast to his other work, Elton neither wrote nor played piano or keyboards. He also did little marketing an did not tour to promote it.
Meanwhile, anticipation is growing for his forthcoming studio record Who Believes In Angels? which is due out on April 4. He described the process to Mail Online, saying: “This record was one of the toughest I’ve ever made, but it was also one of the greatest musical experiences of my life.”
Sir Elton described his new album as a fresh start, adding: “It has given me a place where I know I can move forward. Who Believes In Angels? feels like going into another era and I’m pushing the door open to come into the future.”
The music legend views this latest release as the beginning of a new chapter in his career, stating: “I have everything I’ve done behind me and it’s been brilliant, amazing. But this is the new start for me. As far as I’m concerned, this is the start of my career, Mark 2.”
The album was created in collaboration with close friends, including US singer-songwriter Brandi Carlile, producer and songwriter Andrew Watt, and long-time professional partner Bernie Taupin, who contributed lyrics.
However, Sir Elton revealed that the recording process was not without its challenges, admitting to BBC Radio 2: “I had more doubt on this record than I had ever had in my life.”
He credited his collaborators, saying: “If I’d have been on my own without Brandi and Bernie and Andrew, this record would never have got made.”
Elton also endured a challenging health ordeal that resulted in blindness in one eye. The iconic singer disclosed his deteriorating eyesight following a serious infection last year.
Now blind in his right eye and with limited sight in the left, Sir Elton told The Guardian: “I’m an optimist permanently, I’ve got bad eyesight at the moment. There have been days I’ve been miserable.
“I’ve beaten addiction, health issues and can pick myself up, dust myself off. I think about how lucky I am, I’ve got a new respect for sight-impaired people, but I’ve got a great life and hopefully my sight will improve.”