On Friday 17 October, Sam Fender released the single ‘Talk to You’ with Elton John. As a child falling asleep to the sound of ‘Tiny Dancer’ on my dad’s piano, who grew into a Sam Fender obsessed teenager—I was beyond ecstatic for this release.
On first listen, I was instantly comforted by Fender’s signature jangly guitar ringing out over John’s subtle piano chords. ‘Talk to You’ is an introspective yet relatable song typical of a great lyricist. The music complements the lyrics impeccably with the last line, “Give ‘em hell back” instantly answered by a screaming but simple saxophone solo from Johnny ‘Blue Hat’ Davis—typical of Fender’s epic outros that punch me in the gut every time.
Elton John’s contribution is humble. I waited for him to take a verse or harmonies and expected a flamboyant piano solo that never came. Then I thought, isn’t that cool? A piano legend content with chugging away at simple chords with embellishments here and there. I pictured him sitting in the back like any other pianist, just letting Sam Fender do his thing.
Although a figment of my imagination, this thought isn’t far from the truth. Elton John is famous for championing up-and-coming artists. Watching him play on the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury 2023 (a fever dream) he brought out Stephen Sanchez. Sanchez is best known for his viral song ‘Until I Found You’ but was relatively unknown. John introduced him to a new audience and sat back, praising the young talent. Sam Fender is far from up-and-coming but Elton John’s sentiment remains the same. He loudly supports young artists like Kneecap, Lola Young, and Yard Act, rather than clinging on the fame he gained in the ’70s. This sparks the question: why aren’t more legendary musicians doing the same?
Fontaines DC are less welcoming of older talents than Sam Fender. Fontaines DC’s response to the Oasis Reunion was controversial. When asked if they were excited about the tour, guitarist Carlos O’Connell answered “I couldn’t really give a sh*t, to be honest,” and bassist Conor Degan insightfully added that “I feel like we get caught… into such a nostalgic thing that we’re forgetting to make new things.”
I was immediately defensive about my beloved Oasis—still bitter about missing out on tickets—but these observations are valid. Britpop was an iconic era, but stereotypical fans tend not to listen to a lot else. Oasis had Richard Ashcroft of The Verve supporting them throughout their UK tour, a ’90s britpop throwback– but was this the right move? They had the opportunity to introduce their audience to newer artists and, without neglecting to read the room, champion new talent. Reminiscing on the iconic ’90s era is great but, in Degan’s words, it’s easy to get caught in the nostalgia of the ’90s, desperate to replicate that era? I am all for the reunion, it was a joy to see people reliving their youth and new fans experiencing a band they never thought they’d get to see. However, I think that they could have done better than catering to that specific niche: dads in Parkas and Sambas.
Elton John’s final performance at Glastonbury 2023 was full of his best tracks, ‘Bennie and the Jets,’ ‘Tiny Dancer,’ ‘Crocodile Rock’ etc, but as he stepped down from the limelight he introduced those who would take his place, setting an example all musicians should follow. So, to older artists: you’re legends for a reason but make room for the legends of tomorrow as Elton John did. Sit back in a recording studio, playing humble piano instrumentals for the Rock n Roll stars of the future.
“Sam Fender (2021)” by Raph_PH is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
