Regimental Sgt. Zippo

Originally slated for release in 1968, Elton John scrapped Regimental Sgt. Zippo in favor of Empty Sky, the LP that became his official debut in 1969. Looking back, it was certainly the right move. Empty Sky touches upon the lush, arty balladry that would become one of John's signatures in the 1970s, whereas Regimental Sgt. Zippo is very much looking backwards -- at the psychedelic vistas opened up by the Beatles in particular. The very title signals the album's debt to Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart Club Band and "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" -- a song Elton would later cover -- is a particular touchstone. Melodies swirl through the ornate production, the lyrics are aggressively whimsical, and the recordings are intent on opening up your mind so you can float downstream. As a whole, Regimental Sgt. Zippo is a heavier affair than Pepper -- there are fuzz guitars and washes of organ straight out of Procol Harum -- and it can also get quite Baroque, as the precious "Tartan Coloured Lady" makes plain. All of this is interesting and makes for a rather interesting artifact, but there's little question it would've gotten Elton John's career off to an unsteady start back in 1968.