Jump Up!

Jump Up! is the sixteenth studio album by British singer/songwriter Elton John, released in 1982 on Rocket Records except in the US and Canada, where it was released on Geffen Records. It was recorded at AIR Studios in Montserrat, and Pathe Marconi Studios in France. It features such songs as "Empty Garden (Hey Hey Johnny)", a tribute to John Lennon (who had also signed to Geffen for the release of Double Fantasy, which is now owned by EMI). This is one of the first few LPs that showcases John singing in a deeper voice, as can be heard in songs such as "Blue Eyes", "Princess", "Ball and Chain" and "Spiteful Child". "Legal Boys" was written by John and Tim Rice, who would write lyrics for songs for The Lion King twelve years later. This is the last studio album in which James Newton-Howard plays keyboards. In a 2010 Sirius radio special, John's lyricist, Bernie Taupin, called Jump Up! "one of our worst albums," adding "it's a terrible, awful, disposable album, but it had 'Empty Garden' on it, so it's worth it for that one song." In the U.S., it was certified Gold on 22 November 1982 by the RIAA.