- Lady Samantha
Single infobox
Name = Lady Samantha
Artist =Elton John
from Album =Empty Sky (1995 reissue)
B-side = "All Across the Havens "
"It's Me That You Need "
(US, 1970)
Released =January 17 , 1969 (UK) / (US)January , 1970 (US)
(Second release)
Recorded =December , 1968
DJM Studios
Genre =Psychedelic Rock , Rock, Pop
Length = 3:04
Label =Philips (UK 1969)DJM Records (US 1969)
Congress (US 1970)
Writer =Elton John ,Bernie Taupin
Last single = "I've Been Loving You"
(1968)
This single = "Lady Samantha"
(1969)
Next single = "It's Me That You Need "
(1969)Extra tracklisting
Album =Empty Sky (1995 reissue)
Type = studio
prev_track = "Gulliver/Hay-Chewed/Reprise "
prev_no = 9
this_track = "Lady Samantha"
track_no = 10
next_track = "All Across the Havens "
next_no = 11Lady Samantha is a song by
Elton John with lyrics byBernie Taupin . It was his second single released in early 1969, six months before his first album, "Empty Sky " came out. It appeared on its 1995 reissue as a bonus track.Musical structure
It opens with a psychedelic electric guitar. The verse is gloomy and bluesy, whilst the chorus carries a pure pop essence with a high note and a catchy end. This was praised by critics, but the single failed to chart everywhere. At the time of its release, many new progressive rock bands came out, mixed with the psychedelic feel at the time. Though many saw the piano as leading the song, it is the guitar that carries it the most.
Lyrical meaning
The song deals with a woman, who likely has gone insane due to lost love. It could also implement that the song is about a widower;
"She is harmless and empty of anything bad
"For she once had something that most of you have"The woman is very depressed, walking around in a long satin dress which could easily be a wedding dress. It could also be a matter of
manic depression . It is one of Taupin's early lyrics, and critics praised the song for these lyrics, which did not seem to be written by a then 18-year old young man fromLincolnshire .Performances
It was recorded in December, 1968 along with its b-side, "
All Across the Havens ". It was performed on several radio performances in 1969, but forgotten afterwards. It has never been played in concert, but is highly regarded amongst long-time fans and critics.Chart perfomance and releases
John's first single did not go well on the British charts. This song went the same way. It was as mentioned praised by critics but failed to chart. It was his last single on the Philips label. This was also John's first US single, released on the DJM-label there, but it failed to chart. It was re-released a year later but still failed to chart. This time it was released on the Congress label. The b-side was his third British single, "
It's Me That You Need ".Personnel
*Elton John -
electric piano ,organ , vocals
*Caleb Quaye - guitar
*Tony Murray - bass
*Roger Pope - drums
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
