The Time Eric McCormack Hosted a BBQ for Elton John
Elton John is coming over to your house. What do you do? Obviously, have a BBQ and ask him to christen your piano. Believe it or not, that’s exactly what…
Elton John is coming over to your house. What do you do? Obviously, have a BBQ and ask him to christen your piano.
Believe it or not, that's exactly what actor Eric McCormack did years ago when he had Sir Elton and his husband, David Furnish, over. In the clip below from a June 2014 episode of Conan, the Will & Grace star explains that he and Furnish went to high school together. One day, Furnish phones McCormack to tell him he's in town, and they should have dinner. McCormack's wife is in the background while he's on the phone and tell him to invite Furnish to the house for dinner, thinking Furnish was by himself. When he agrees, Furnish tells McCormack he and Elton will be by Sunday for dinner.
"What do we do? What do we do?" McCormack recalls asking his wife on what to prepare for the couple. She said, "Uh...BBQ?" Conan O'Brien then jokingly interjects, "You know how Elton loves BBQ!"
Cut to the dinner. McCormack said he had a few glasses of wine and a new piano in his home. The wine gave him the gumption to say, "Elton, after dinner, you're going to have to christen the piano." Elton then got up from the dinner table and walked into the next room and sat at the piano. He asked McCormack, "What would you like me to play?" McCormack wanted to impress Sir Elton with a deep cut from his catalog to prove he was a fan. He requested "I've Seen That Movie Too" from Goodbye Yellow Brick Road.
John's response? "Oh, f--- off! I don't remember that song!"
Of course, McCormack and John had a classic interaction on-screen, too. The music icon famously made a guest appearance on Will & Grace in December 2002. In the episode, Will doubts the "Gay Mafia" is after Jack, believing it doesn't exist. A chance encounter in a restaurant with Sir Elton makes Will realize that maybe he's very, very wrong.
Some of Elton John's songs are absolutely iconic hit singles, but one of the great pleasures of being a big Elton John fan is finding the lesser-known gems. We’re partial to his hit-free album Tumbleweed Connection from 1970 (as you’ll see), as well as his criminally underrated Songs From The West Coast from 2001, and a few of the diamonds in the rough from albums that you may have overlooked.
For this list, we’re going with the best version of each song, which sometimes means a live version. And in one case, an alternate studio version that you may not have heard before. Enjoy!
40. “Hey Ahab” from ‘The Union’ (with Leon Russell) (2010)
Decca39. “Have Mercy On The Criminal” from 'Live In Australia' (1987)
MCA38. “The One” from 'The One' (1992)
Island Records37. “Believe” from ‘Made In England’ (1995)
Island Def Jam36. “The King Must Die” from ‘Live In Australia’ (1987)
MCA35. “Elderberry Wine” from ‘Don’t Shoot Me, I’m Only The Piano Player’ (1973)
MCA34. “Holiday Inn” from ‘Madman Across The Water’ (1971)
MCA33. “Home Again” from ‘The Diving Board’ (2013)
Capitol Records32. “Tonight” from ‘Live In Australia’ (1987)
MCA31. “Daniel” from ‘Don’t Shoot Me, I’m Only The Piano Player’ (1973)
MCA30. “The Last Song” from ‘The One’ (1992)
Island Records29. “Sacrifice” from ‘Sleeping With The Past’ (1989)
MCA28. “I Need You To Turn To” from ‘Live In Australia’ (1987)
MCA27. “Whenever You’re Ready (We’ll Go Steady Again)” B-side of “Saturday Night’s Alright For Fighting” (1973)
MCA26. “Sad Songs (Say So Much)” from ‘Breaking Hearts’ (1984)
Geffen25. “Rocket Man (I Think It’s Going To Be A Long, Long Time)” from ‘Honky Chateau’ (1972)
Uni/MCA24. “Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word” from ‘Blue Moves’ (1976)
MCA23. “Someone Saved My Life Tonight” from ‘Captain Fantastic And The Brown Dirt Cowboy’ (1975)
MCA22. “The Bitch Is Back” from ‘Caribou’ (1974)
MCA21. “I Guess That’s Why They Call It The Blues” from ‘Too Low For Zero’ (1983)
Geffen20. “Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me” from ‘Caribou’ (1974)
MCA19. “Sixty Years On” from ‘17-11-70’ (1970)
MCA18. “I Want Love” from ‘Songs From The West Coast’ (2001)
Republic17. “Take Me To The Pilot” from ‘17-11-70’ (1970)
MCA16. “Empty Garden (Hey Hey Johnny)” from ‘Jump Up!’ (1982)
Geffen15. “Bad Side Of The Moon” from ‘17-11-70’ (1970)
MCA14. “Madman Across The Water (featuring Mick Ronson)” outtake from ‘Tumbleweed Connection’ (1970)
MCA13. “Burn Down The MIssion” from 'Tumbleweed Connection' (1970)
MCA12. “This Train Don’t Stop There Anymore” from ‘Songs From The West Coast’ (2001)
Republic11. “Bennie And The Jets” from ‘Goodbye Yellow Brick Road’ (1973)
MCA10. “Amoreena” from ‘Tumbleweed Connection’ (1970)
MCA9. “Funeral For A Friend/Love Lies Bleeding” from ‘Goodbye Yellow Brick Road’ (1973)
MCA8. “Come Down In Time” from ‘Tumbleweed Connection’ (1970)
MCA7. “Mona Lisas And Mad Hatters” from ‘Honky Chateau’ (1972)
Uni/MCA6. “Saturday Night’s Alright (For Fighting)” from ‘Goodbye Yellow Brick Road’ (1973)
MCA5. “Border Song” from ‘Elton John’ (1970)
Mercury4. “Your Song” from ‘Elton John’ (1970)
Mercury3. “Candle In The Wind” from ‘Live In Australia’ (1987)
MCA2. “Tiny Dancer” from ‘Madman Across The Water’ (1971)
MCA1. “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” from Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (1973)
MCA
