Duets (Elton John album)

Duets is the first collaboration album by the English singer-songwriter Elton John, released in 1993.

Duets
Studio album by Elton John and various artists
Released	23 November 1993
Recorded	August – October 1993
Genre	Rock, Pop
Length	74:39
Label	MCA (US) Rocket (UK)
Producer	Various (See Below)
Elton John chronology
Rare Masters (1992) Duets (1993) The Lion King (soundtrack) (1994)
Singles from Duets
"Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" Released: 25 November 1991 "True Love" Released: 8 November 1993 "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" Released: 14 February 1994 "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing" Released: 2 May 1994

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]

Background

Duets was released on a single CD, a single cassette and also as a double vinyl LP in the UK, with a slightly different running order. It was initially a Christmas project of John's, but that soon grew into an album of its own (Elton John's Christmas Party). The live version of "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" with George Michael, track number 15 on the album, had already become a UK/US No. 1 hit in 1991. Three singles were released from the album in Britain: "True Love" (with Kiki Dee, reached #2), "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" (with drag queen RuPaul, reached #7) and "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing" (with Marcella Detroit, reached #24). The album debuted at No. 7 in the UK. This is one of only 3 albums released between 1983 and 2016 without John's regular guitar player, Davey Johnstone. In the US, it was certified gold and platinum in January 1994 by the RIAA.

Track listing

CD edition

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"Teardrops" (with k.d. lang)	Cecil Womack, Linda Womack	Greg Penny	4:55
2.	"When I Think About Love (I Think About You)" (with P.M. Dawn)	Attrell Cordes	P.M. Dawn	4:34
3.	"The Power" (with Little Richard)	Elton John, Bernie Taupin	Greg Penny, Elton John	6:25
4.	"Shakey Ground" (with Don Henley)	Jeffrey Bowen, Al Boyd, Eddie Hazel	Don Henley	3:52
5.	"True Love" (with Kiki Dee)	Cole Porter	Narada Michael Walden	3:35
6.	"If You Were Me" (with Chris Rea)	Chris Rea	Chris Rea	4:26
7.	"A Woman's Needs" (with Tammy Wynette)	Elton John, Bernie Taupin	Barry Beckett	5:19
8.	"Old Friend" (with Nik Kershaw)	Nik Kershaw	Nik Kershaw	4:17
9.	"Go On and On" (with Gladys Knight)	Stevie Wonder	Stevie Wonder	5:50
10.	"Don't Go Breaking My Heart" (with RuPaul)	Elton John, Bernie Taupin	Giorgio Moroder	5:00
11.	"Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing" (with Marcella Detroit)	Nickolas Ashford, Valerie Simpson	Chris Thomas	3:36
12.	"I'm Your Puppet" (with Paul Young)	Spooner Oldham, Dan Penn	Steve Lindsey	3:36
13.	"Love Letters" (with Bonnie Raitt)	Edward Heyman, Victor Young	Don Was	4:01
14.	"Born to Lose" (with Leonard Cohen)	Ted Daffan	Steve Lindsey	4:33
15.	"Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" (live, with George Michael)	Elton John, Bernie Taupin	George Michael	5:48
16.	"Duets for One"	Elton John, Chris Difford	Elton John, Stuart Epps, Greg Penny	4:52

LP edition

Side one

No.	Title	With	Length
1.	"Teardrops"	k.d. lang	4:55
2.	"When I Think About Love (I Think About You)"	P.M. Dawn	4:34
3.	"The Power"	Little Richard	6:25
4.	"Shakey Ground"	Don Henley	3:51
Total length:			19:45

Side two

No.	Title	With	Length
1.	"True Love"	Kiki Dee	3:34
2.	"If You Were Me"	Chris Rea	4:26
3.	"A Woman's Needs"	Tammy Wynette	5:18
4.	"Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" (Live)	George Michael	5:46
Total length:			19:04

Side three

No.	Title	With	Length
1.	"Old Friend"	Nik Kershaw	4:15
2.	"Go On and On"	Gladys Knight	5:50
3.	"Don't Go Breaking My Heart"	RuPaul	5:00
4.	"Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing"	Marcella Detroit	3:36
Total length:			18:41

Side four

No.	Title	With	Length
1.	"I'm Your Puppet"	Paul Young	3:36
2.	"Love Letters"	Bonnie Raitt	4:01
3.	"Born to Lose"	Leonard Cohen	4:33
4.	"Duets for One"		4:52
Total length:			17:02

B-sides

Song	Format
"The Show Must Go On" (live)	True Love 7"/CD (UK)
"Don't Go Breaking My Heart" (Remix)	Don't Go Breaking My Heart 12"/CD (US)
"Don't Go Breaking My Heart" (Don't Go Dubbing My Heart)	Don't Go Breaking My Heart 12" (US)
"Don't Go Breaking My Heart" (MK Mix)	Don't Go Breaking My Heart 12"/CD (US)
"Don't Go Breaking My Heart" (Serious Rope 12" Mix)	Don't Go Breaking My Heart 12"/CD (US/UK)
"Don't Go Breaking My Heart" (Roger's Dub)	Don't Go Breaking My Heart 12"/CD (US)
"Don't Go Breaking My Heart" (Serious Rope Instrumental)	Don't Go Breaking My Heart 12" (US/UK), CD (UK)
"Don't Go Breaking My Heart" (Serious Rope Dirty Dub)	Don't Go Breaking My Heart 12" (US/UK), CD (UK)
"Don't Go Breaking My Heart" (Roger's Runaway U Betta Work Bitch Mix)	Don't Go Breaking My Heart 12" (US)
"Don't Go Breaking My Heart" (Moroder 12" Mix)	Don't Go Breaking My Heart 12"/CD (UK)
"Don't Go Breaking My Heart" (Sanchez Club Mix Edit)	Don't Go Breaking My Heart 12" (UK)
"Don't Go Breaking My Heart" (Sanchez Radio Mix Edit)	Don't Go Breaking My Heart 12" (UK)
"Don't Go Breaking My Heart" (Sanchez Club Instrumental)	Don't Go Breaking My Heart 12" (UK)
"Don't Go Breaking My Heart" (Sanchez's Man's Rubba Dub Mix)	Don't Go Breaking My Heart 12" (UK)
"Don't Go Breaking My Heart" (Moroder 7" Mix)	Don't Go Breaking My Heart CD (UK)
"Don't Go Breaking My Heart" (Serious Rope 7" Mix)	Don't Go Breaking My Heart CD (UK)
"Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing" (Kenny Dope Extended Mix)	Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing CD (UK)
"Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing" (Troopa Mood Mix)	Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing CD (UK)

Personnel

• Elton John – piano, keyboards, Roland RD-1000 digital piano, vocals
• Robert Ahwai – guitar (6)
• Guy Babylon – keyboards (3)
• Eddie Bayers – drums (7)
• Louis Biancaniello – keyboards, synthesizer, programming (5)
• Curt Bisquera – drums (1, 3)
• Martin Bliss – guitar (15)
• Kimberly Brewer – backing vocals (9)
• Johnny Britt – backing vocals (12)
• Ray Brown – bass guitar (14)
• Kelli Bruce – backing vocals (7)
• Robbie Buchanan – keyboards, programming (13)
• Kathy Burdick – backing vocals (7)
• Chris Cameron – keyboards (15)
• Linda Campbell McCrary – backing vocals (10)
• Bill Churchfield – horn (12)
• David Clayton – keyboards (15)
• Leonard Cohen – vocals (14)
• Luis Conte – congas (12)
• Jim Cox – Hammond organ (12, 14), piano (14)
• Andraé Crouch - backing vocals (3)
• Andraé Crouch Choir - backing vocals (3)
• Sandra Crouch - backing vocals (3)
• Danny Cummings – percussion (15)
• P.M. Dawn – vocals (2)
• Kiki Dee – vocals (5)
• Marcella Detroit – vocals, guitar, harmonica (11)
• Martin Ditcham – drums (6), percussion (6, 16)
• Nathan East – bass guitar (1, 3)
• Alan Estes – bells, tambourine, vibraphone (12)
• Deon Estus – bass guitar (15)
• Ricky Fataar – drums (13)
• Lynne Fiddmont-Linsay – backing vocals (9)
• Brandon Fields – tenor saxophone (13)
• Connye Florence – backing vocals (7)
• Malcolm Foster – bass guitar (16)
• Paul Franklin – steel guitar (7)
• Jim Gilstrap – backing vocals (12)
• Mark Goldenberg – guitar (13)
• Gary Grant – trumpet (3)
• Ed Greene – drums (12)
• Sandy Griffith – backing vocals (5)
• Steve Grove – saxophone (12)
• John Guerin – drums (14)
• Andy Hamilton – saxophone (15)
• Don Henley – vocals (4)
• Jay Henry – backing vocals (15)
• Jerry Hey – trumpet (3)
• Dan Higgins – baritone saxophone (3)
• Yvonne Hodges – backing vocals (7)
• Dann Huff – electric guitar (7)
• James "Hutch" Hutchinson – bass guitar (13)
• Paul Jackson Jr. – guitar (12)
• Danny Jacob – guitar (15)
• Michelle Johnson – backing vocals (2)
• Plas Johnson – saxophone (14)
• Nik Kershaw – vocals (8)
• Herold Klosser – keyboards, programming (10)
• Mike Knapp – Roland TB-303 bassline (10)
• Gladys Knight – vocals (9)
• Stephen Kupka – baritone saxophone (13)
• k.d. lang – vocals (1)
• Shirley Lewis – backing vocals (15)
• Etyenne Lytel – keyboards (2)
• Lynn Mabry – backing vocals (15)
• Sylvan Marc – bass guitar (6)
• Candi McKenzie – backing vocals (16)
• George Michael – vocals (15)
• Max Middleton – piano, keyboards (6)
• Jonathan Moffett – drums (15)
• Giorgio Moroder – programming (10)
• Phil Naish – synthesizer (7)
• Dean Parks – guitar (1, 3, 14, 16), lap steel guitar (14)
• Derrick Perkins – programming (9)
• Jamie Perkins – keyboards (16)
• Phil Perry – backing vocals (12)
• Joel Peskin – tenor saxophone (3)
• Greg Phillinganes – piano (12)
• Scott Plunkett – keyboards (4)
• Don Potter – acoustic guitar (7)
• Billy Preston – Hammond organ B3 (13)
• Lon Price – saxophone (12)
• Bonnie Raitt – vocals, slide guitar (13)
• Chris Rea – vocals (6), steel guitar (6), guitar (6, 16)
• Bill Reichenbach Jr. – trombone (3)
• Michael Rhodes – bass guitar (7)
• Little Richard – vocals, piano (3)
• Claytoven Richardson – backing vocals (5)
• John Robinson – drums (4)
• Portia Neeley-Rolle – backing vocals (2)
• RuPaul – vocals (10)
• Corrado Rustici – mandolin (5)
• Chuck Sabo – drums (11, 16)
• Thomas Schobel – sequencer (10)
• Beverley Skeete – backing vocals (16)
• Greg Smith – saxophone (12)
• Phil Spalding – bass guitar (11)
• Neil Stubenhaus – bass guitar (4)
• Mark Taylor – keyboards (16)
• Michael Thompson – guitar (4)
• Lee Thornburg – trombone, trumpet (12, 13)
• Matthew Vaughan – programming (11)
• Narada Michael Walden – arrangements and vocal arrangement (5)
• Freddie Washington – bass guitar (12)
• Marietta Waters – backing vocals (10)
• Greg Wells – Hammond organ (3)
• Precious Wilson – backing vocals (16)
• Stevie Wonder – arrangements, backing vocals and all instruments (9)
• Tammy Wynette – vocals (7)
• Paul Young – vocals (12)

Production

• Producers – Barry Beckett, P.M. Dawn, Stuart Epps, Don Henley, Elton John, Nik Kershaw, Steve Lindsey, George Michael, Giorgio Moroder, Greg Penny, Chris Rea, Chris Thomas, Don Was, Narada Michael Walden and Stevie Wonder.
• Associate Producer on "True Love" – Louis Biancaniello
• Executive Producers – Steve Brown, Ray Cooper and Elton John.
• Production Supervision – Greg Penny
• Production Coordination – Stephanie Andrews, Debra Johnson, Julie Larson, Janice Lee, Lisa Louie, Connie Pappas-Hillman, Cynthia Shiloh, Toby Taibi, Sam Stell and Kevin Walden.
• Engineers – Jim Champagne, Ed Cherney, Mark Evans, Mike Fossenkemper, David Frazer, Ron Jacobs, Jon Ingoldsby, Paul McKenna, David Nicholas, Csaba Petucz, Brian Reeves, Marc Reyburn, Matt Still, Gabe Veltri and Frank Wolf.
• Assistant Engineers – Van Arden, Dominick Barbera, Dan Bosworth, Jim Champagne, Todd Childress, Shaun de Ego, Jim DeMain, Billy Gabor, John Hendricksen, Amy Hughes, Steve Holroyd, Pete Lewis, Charles Paakkari, Thomas Rickert, Rail Jon Rogut, Brian Scheuble, Matt Still and Ben Wallach.
• Mixed by Van Arden, Ed Cherney, Mike Fossenkemper, David Frazer, Jon Ingoldsby and Bill Schnee.
• Mix Assistants – Dominick Barbera, Todd Childress, Steve Holroyd and Matt Still.
• Mix Consultant – Chris Lang
• Recorded at Ocean Way Recording, Conway Recording Studios & Capitol Studios (Hollywood, CA); A&M Studios & Wonderland Studios (Los Angeles, CA); Tarpan Studios (San Rafael, CA); Soundtrack Studios (New York City, NY); Bosstown Recording Studio (Atlanta, GA); Woodland Studio (Nashville, TN); Sol Studios (Cookham, Berkshire, UK), The Town House (London, UK), Olympic Studios (Barnes, West London) & Wembley Arena (Wembley Park, London).
• Mixed at Ocean Way Recording, Soundtrack Studios, A&M Studios, Tarpan Studios, Wonderland Studios, The Townhouse, Schnee Studio (N. Hollywood, CA); Skip Saylor Recording (Los Angeles, CA); Record One (Sherman Oaks, CA); Metropolis Studios (Chiswick, West London).
• Digital Editing: Pete Fausone and R.R. Harlan
• Mastered by Chris Bellman at Bernie Grundman Mastering (Hollywood, CA).
• Photography: Brian Aris, Brad Branson, Mark Contratto, Paul Cox, Robert Goldstein, Stephen Harvey, Dominique Issermann, Harry Langdon, Sophie Muller, Hideo Odia, Albert Sanchez, Randee St. Nicholas, Allan Titmuss, Albert Watson and Firooz Zahedi.

Certifications

Sales certifications for Duets

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[2]	Gold	35,000^^
Austria (IFPI Austria)[3]	Platinum	50,000^*
Canada (Music Canada)[4]	Platinum	100,000^^
Denmark (IFPI Denmark)[5]	Platinum	80,000^^
France (SNEP)[6]	2× Gold	247,500[7]
Japan	—	30,000[8]
New Zealand (RMNZ)[9]	Platinum	15,000^^
Norway (IFPI Norway)[10]	Platinum	50,000^*
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[11]	Platinum	100,000^^
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[12]	Platinum	50,000^^
United Kingdom (BPI)[13]	Platinum	300,000^^
United States (RIAA)[14]	Platinum	1,000,000^^
^* Sales figures based on certification alone. ^^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

1. Stephen Thomas Erlewine (23 November 1993). "Duets - Elton John | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 24 May 2014.
2. Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia’s Music Charts 1988–2010. Mount Martha, Melbourne, Victoria: Moonlight Publishing.
3. "Austrian album certifications – Elton John – Duets" (in German). IFPI Austria. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
4. "Canadian album certifications – Elton John – Duets". Music Canada. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
5. Lot 114 – Bernie Taupin Elton John Duets Danish "Platinum" CD Record Award – Julien's Auctions at the Wayback Machine (archived 20 April 2020)
6. "French album certifications – Elton John – Duets" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
7. Les Meilleures Ventes de CD / Albums "Tout Temps" at the Wayback Machine (archived 8 March 2020)
8. Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970–2005 (in Japanese). Roppongi, Tokyo: Oricon Entertainment. 2006. ISBN 4-87131-077-9.
9. Scapolo, Dean (2007). The Complete New Zealand Music Charts: 1966–2006. Maurienne House. ISBN 978-1-877443-00-8.
10. "IFPI Norsk platebransje Trofeer 1993–2011" (in Norwegian). IFPI Norway. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
11. Lot 83 – Bernie Taupin Elton John Duets Spanish "Platinum" CD Record Award – Julien's Auctions at the Wayback Machine (archived 23 August 2020)
12. "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards (Elton John; 'Duets')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
13. "British album certifications – Elton John/Various – Duets". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 23 August 2020. Select albums in the Format field. Select Platinum in the Certification field. Type Duets in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
14. "American album certifications – Elton John – Duets". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 23 August 2020. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH.