Tell me when the whistle blows

As Elton John’s Rocket Records celebrates its 50th anniversary, Steve Sutherland remembers the very boozy launch party, held in the unlikely, but charming Cotswolds setting of Moreton-in-Marsh

- Steve Sutherland

THE date was set for Thursday, April 26, 1973. The invitations arrived in the form of a first-class Great Western Railway ticket. The ticket was clipped on boarding the train, known back in the day as a ‘football special’— a Pullman hired specifically to take supporters to matches. It set off from Paddington station at 6.40pm, with a stated return of 11.35pm. ‘Drinks, goodies, food and music,’ were promised for the journey and the destination was revealed as ‘Moreton On Marsh’. Recollections as to the food, music and goodies served on the 1½-hour journey are sketchy, however— mostly because the drinks provided on the train turned out to be a surfeit of Champagne.

The party had been arranged to celebrate the launch of Rocket Records, a new, independent label founded by Elton John, now Sir Elton. The singer had previously been signed to DJM Records with his lyricist partner Bernie Taupin. However, tensions over remuneration and, ultimately, guitarist Davey Johnstone’s desire to put out a solo album, which DJM was not keen on, prompted Sir Elton to launch his own business. The new company was named for Stephenson’s Rocket, the famous steam locomotive from 1829, and Rocket Man (I Think It’s Going To Be A Long, Long Time), the number-two hit single from Sir Elton’s Honky Château album, released in 1972. Its first employee was business all-rounder Stuart Epps, who’d jumped ship with Sir Elton from DJM. ‘Elton had just released the Don’t Shoot Me I’m Only The Piano Player album and by now all the albums were going to number one,’ says Mr Epps. ‘Elton’s career was roaring and he wanted to put something back by signing artists to his own label.’