Puneet Varma (Editor)

Reg Strikes Back

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Released
  
24 June 1988

Artist
  
Elton John

Producer
  
Chris Thomas

Genres
  
Rock music, Pop music

Recorded
  
1987–88

Release date
  
24 June 1988

Label
  
MCA Records

Reg Strikes Back httpsimagesnasslimagesamazoncomimagesI6

Length
  
42:06 (Original) 62:06 (1998 Reissue)

Reg Strikes Back (1988)
  
The Complete Thom Bell Sessions (1989)

Similar
  
Elton John albums, Rock music albums

Elton john town of plenty 1988 with lyrics


Reg Strikes Back, released in 1988, is the twenty-first official album release for Elton John. It was his self-proclaimed comeback album, and his own way of fighting back against bad press. The "Reg" in Reg Strikes Back refers to John's birth name, Reginald Kenneth Dwight.

Contents

In the US the album was certified gold in August 1988 by the RIAA.

Town of plenty


Background

This was the last album that bassist Dee Murray (albeit without bass) appeared on prior to his death in 1992. The tracks "I Don't Wanna Go On with You Like That" and "A Word in Spanish" peaked at No. 2 and No. 19 on the Billboard Hot 100, respectively. John brought back record producer Chris Thomas for the album. This is the first studio album to be recorded and released after John's throat surgery the previous year. The album cover featured costumes from John's collection that he decided to put up for auction.

Track listing

All songs written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin, except where noted.

Side one

  1. "Town of Plenty" – 3:40
  2. "A Word in Spanish" – 4:39
  3. "Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters, Part Two" – 4:12
  4. "I Don't Wanna Go On with You Like That" – 4:35
  5. "Japanese Hands" – 4:40

Side two

  1. "Goodbye Marlon Brando" – 3:30
  2. "The Camera Never Lies" – 4:36
  3. "Heavy Traffic" (John, Taupin, Davey Johnstone) – 3:30
  4. "Poor Cow" – 3:50
  5. "Since God Invented Girls" – 4:54

Bonus tracks (1998 PolyGram International reissue)

  1. "Rope Around a Fool" – 3:48
  2. "I Don't Wanna Go On with You Like That" (Shep Pettibone Mix) – 7:16
  3. "I Don't Wanna Go On with You Like That" (Just Elton and His Piano Mix) – 4:37
  4. "Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters, Part Two" (The Renaissance Mix) – 6:19

B-sides

'Rope Around a Fool' was recorded during these sessions, as was an unused track, 'Love Worth Waiting For', which Elton would perform at an AIDS benefit show in Los Angeles during the summer of 1988, but has yet to see official release on any format.

Personnel

  • Elton John: keyboards, lead and harmony vocals
  • Fred Mandel: synthesizers
  • Davey Johnstone: guitars
  • Pete Townshend: acoustic guitar on "Town of Plenty"
  • David Paton: bass guitar
  • Charlie Morgan: drums
  • Ray Cooper: tambourine, maracas and timbales on tracks 6-9
  • Freddie Hubbard: trumpet and flugelhorn on "Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters, Part Two"
  • Backing vocals (tracks 1-9): Dee Murray, Nigel Olsson, Davey Johnstone and Elton John
  • Backing vocals on "Since God Invented Girls": Adrian Baker, Bruce Johnston, Carl Wilson and Elton John

    • Production

  • Producer: Chris Thomas
  • Recorded and Engineered by Bill Price, Michael Mason and Paul Wertheimer
  • Assistant Engineer: Karl Lever
  • Recorded at AIR Studios (Montserrat), Westside Studios (London, England), Circle Seven Recording and The Record Plant (Los Angeles, CA)
  • Mixed at AIR Studios (Montserrat)
  • Mastered by Tim Young
  • Art Direction: David Costa
  • Photography: Gered Mankowitz
  • Wardrobe: Bob Stacey
    • 1998 Reissue
  • Producer and remastering supervision: Mike Gill
  • Remixing and additional production on tracks 12, 13 & 14: Shep Pettibone
  • Additional remixing on tracks 12 & 13 by Steve Peck
  • Remixing on track 14 by Daniel Abraham
  • Editing on tracks 12 & 13: Junior Vasquez
  • Programming on tracks 12 & 13: Fred McFarlane
  • Remastered by Gus Dudgeon, Mike Gill & Peter Mew

    • Songs

    1Town of Plenty3:40
    2A Word in Spanish4:39
    3Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters - Part 24:13

    References

    Reg Strikes Back Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA