Part Simon Cowell, part sugar plumb fairy,
Elton John had perfected the dark art of divaism in popular music long before Mariah Carey even knew how to climb stairs, let alone reject them as being beneath her dignity. And, yet, over forty years after releasing his debut album,
Empty Sky, John remains as rapt a tabloid figure as ever. Now, with his first new material of the century, director
Cameron Crowe has made a documentary film about the making of his new album,
The Union, as well as the song-writers creative process. The former rock journalists film, also titled
The Union, will open at the Tribeca Film Festival in Lower Manhattan on April 20th with a free outdoor screening, followed by a concert. Very cool. The documentary is set to focus upon the relationships with guest musicians and collaborations with a number of highly esteemed names from pop, rock and country including Neil Young, Brian Wilson, Booker T. Jones and Johns ever present co-writer, Bernie Taupin. A significant portion of the film is said to focus upon John working with his former session musician
Leon Russell, with whom the new father has not spoken for almost 38 years. The Union marks the start of a busy period for Crowe, including a documentary about grunge pioneers Pearl Jam that opens late summer, as well as the currently filming
We Bought A Zoo, starring Matt Damon and Scarlett Johansson that's his first film since Elizabethtown in 2005. For now, we'll enjoy our copy of Almost Famous and the best cinematic use of John's Tiny Dancer to date; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=247yUL_0e-Y