Return to Paradise (Elton John song)
Encyclopedia
"Return to Paradise" is a song by Elton John
with lyrics by Gary Osborne
. It is the second track off his 1978 album, A Single Man.
at the same time as it has music similar to that of a Mexican Mariachi
band. It features a prominent marimba
played by John's long-time percussionist, Ray Cooper
.
Some critics called it a rewrite of "Island Girl
", one of his #1 hits from 1975. It bears a certain resemblance, but it is not considered a direct "rip-off".
reference to British holidaymakers who go abroad to find the sunshine, particularly Spain.
- the latter in February 1979 where it failed to chart.
executives at the Century Plaza Hotel
in Los Angeles
, America
(14 October 1978); and performed on ZDF
's Rockpop show in Germany (mimed). It has not been heard live since.
Along with "Song for Guy
", the song appeared in the 1980 Chevy Chase
movie, Oh Heavenly Dog
.
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
with lyrics by Gary Osborne
Gary Osborne
Gary Osborne is an English singer and songwriter from the United Kingdom.-Career:Osborne was born in London, educated in Switzerland, and followed his father into the music industry at the age of fifteen....
. It is the second track off his 1978 album, A Single Man.
Musical structure
The musical structure of the song is a bit unusual compared to other works of John. It is inspired by the sounds of the CaribbeanCaribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
at the same time as it has music similar to that of a Mexican Mariachi
Mariachi
Mariachi is a genre of music that originated in the State of Jalisco, in Mexico. It is an integration of stringed instruments highly influenced by the cultural impacts of the historical development of Western Mexico. Throughout the history of mariachi, musicians have experimented with brass, wind,...
band. It features a prominent marimba
Marimba
The marimba is a musical instrument in the percussion family. It consists of a set of wooden keys or bars with resonators. The bars are struck with mallets to produce musical tones. The keys are arranged as those of a piano, with the accidentals raised vertically and overlapping the natural keys ...
played by John's long-time percussionist, Ray Cooper
Ray Cooper
Ray Cooper is an English musician. He is a session and road-tour percussionist, and occasional actor, who has worked with several musically diverse bands and artists including George Harrison, Billy Joel, Eric Clapton, and Elton John. Cooper is commonly regarded by music fans, critics and fellow...
.
Some critics called it a rewrite of "Island Girl
Island Girl
"Island Girl" is a song performed by Elton John that went to number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US and number 14 in the UK in 1975.In the U.S. it was certified Gold on 12/4/1975 and Platinum on 9/13/1995 by the R.I.A.A...
", one of his #1 hits from 1975. It bears a certain resemblance, but it is not considered a direct "rip-off".
Lyrical meaning
According to Elton, the song was written as a tongue-in-cheekTongue-in-cheek
Tongue-in-cheek is a phrase used as a figure of speech to imply that a statement or other production is humorously intended and it should not be taken at face value. The facial expression typically indicates that one is joking or making a mental effort. In the past, it may also have indicated...
reference to British holidaymakers who go abroad to find the sunshine, particularly Spain.
Singles
The song was released as a single in Germany and the NetherlandsNetherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
- the latter in February 1979 where it failed to chart.
Appearances
The song was included in a solo concert for MCAMCA
- Archaeology :* Medieval Climatic Anomaly, an extreme and persistent drought in California and Patagonia during Medieval TimeChodu- Aviation :* Minimum crossing altitude, a minimum obstacle crossing altitude for fixes on published airways...
executives at the Century Plaza Hotel
Century Plaza Hotel
The Hyatt Regency Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles is a landmark 19-story luxury hotel forming a sweeping crescent design fronting the spectacular fountains on Avenue of the Stars adjacent to the twin Century Plaza Towers and the CAA building.- History :...
in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
(14 October 1978); and performed on ZDF
ZDF
Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen , ZDF, is a public-service German television broadcaster based in Mainz . It is run as an independent non-profit institution, which was founded by the German federal states . The ZDF is financed by television licence fees called GEZ and advertising revenues...
's Rockpop show in Germany (mimed). It has not been heard live since.
Along with "Song for Guy
Song for Guy
"Song for Guy" is a mainly instrumental piece of music by Elton John. It is the closing track of his 1978 album, A Single Man.-Musical structure:Elton said this in the sleeve notes of the 7" single:...
", the song appeared in the 1980 Chevy Chase
Chevy Chase
Cornelius Crane "Chevy" Chase is an American comedian, writer, and television and film actor, born into a prominent entertainment industry family. Chase worked a plethora of odd jobs before moving into comedy acting with National Lampoon...
movie, Oh Heavenly Dog
Oh Heavenly Dog
Oh! Heavenly Dog is a 1980 comedy film written by Rod Browning. The film stars Benjean, billed here as Benji , Chevy Chase, Jane Seymour, and Omar Sharif...
.
Personnel
- Elton John - pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, vocals, backing vocalsBacking vocalistA backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists... - Gary Osborne - backing vocals
- Tim Renwick - guitarsAcoustic guitarAn acoustic guitar is a guitar that uses only an acoustic sound board. The air in this cavity resonates with the vibrational modes of the string and at low frequencies, which depend on the size of the box, the chamber acts like a Helmholtz resonator, increasing or decreasing the volume of the sound...
- Clive Franks - bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
- Steve Holly - drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
- Ray Cooper - percussionPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
- Henry Lowther - trumpetTrumpetThe trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
- Paul BuckmasterPaul BuckmasterPaul John Buckmaster is a Grammy Award-winning English artist, arranger and composer.He began learning the cello at the age of 4 and graduated from the Royal College of Music at age 16....
- arrangements