Daniel Single: 1973

A Goodbye Yellow Brick Road Classic

Released as a 7-inch vinyl single in the UK on January 12, 1973, on DJM Records (catalogue: DJS 271), Elton John’s “Daniel” — backed with “Skyline Pigeon” — was a poignant piano ballad written by Elton John & Bernie Taupin. The single entered the UK Singles Chart on January 20, 1973, remained for 10 weeks, and peaked at No. 4. A timeless Goodbye Yellow Brick Road era gem.

It initially appeared as the opening track on John's 1973 album, Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player. The original single release was also significant for featuring a re-recorded version of "Skyline Pigeon" on its B-side, a song from John's 1969 debut album, Empty Sky, which later became popular on its own.

In the United States, it peaked at No. 2 on the pop charts, just behind "My Love" by Paul McCartney and Wings, and secured the No. 1 spot on the adult contemporary charts for two weeks during the spring of 1973.

In the US, the song was awarded a gold certification by the RIAA in September 1995 and reached platinum status in May 2018. In Canada, it became his second No. 1 hit after "Crocodile Rock" earlier that year, maintaining the top spot for two weeks on the RPM 100 national singles chart. John and Taupin were honored with the 1973 Ivor Novello award for Best Song Musically and Lyrically. The track was also featured on the soundtrack of the 1974 film "Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore."

Single Overview

Release Details

Label: DJM Records.

Format: Vinyl, 7", 45 RPM, Single.

Full Track Listing

Side A

Daniel

Side B

Skyline Pigeon

Production and Context

Written by Elton John & Bernie Taupin. From Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player (1973). Elton’s heartfelt storytelling at its finest.

Official Singles Chart Data

Peak position: 4

10 weeks total – entry January 20, 1973

Do you have Daniel in your vinyl stack? Still saying goodbye to Daniel? Share in the comments!

Sources

Information is drawn from my personal knowledge and supplemented by web sources, including Discogs, 45cat, AllMusic, Rate Your Music, Wikipedia, BBC Official Charts Company, Billboard Chart History and YouTube

Whilst every effort is made to provide accurate information, mistakes do happen. Simply leave a comment and the post will be updated. Thank you.