It started on an elephant. Seriously. Elton John was on safari in Africa, probably surrounded by the kind of luxury only a knight of the realm can afford, but he wasn't thinking about the scenery. He was crying. He had his iPod on shuffle, and a song by Leon Russell came on—one of those gritty, swampy, gospel-soaked tracks that defined the early 70s. Suddenly, Elton was twenty-three again, sitting in the second row of the Troubadour in Los Angeles, looking at a man with a silver mane of hair who looked more like a wizard than a piano player.
Leon was Elton’s idol. But by 2009, Leon Russell was playing tiny clubs for a few hundred bucks a night. He was basically a ghost in the industry he helped build. Elton decided right then that he couldn’t let that stand. He picked up the phone, called Leon—who was literally lying in bed watching As The World Turns—and asked him to make a record. That phone call birthed Elton John and Leon Russell The Union, an album that wasn't just a collaboration; it was a rescue mission.
The Master and the Student
Leon Russell wasn't just some guy. In the 60s and 70s, he was the "Master of Space and Time." He played on Pet Sounds. He was the musical director for Joe Cocker’s legendary Mad Dogs & Englishmen tour. He wrote "A Song for You," which has been covered by everyone from Ray Charles to Amy Winehouse. When Elton John first came to America in 1970, he was terrified of Leon. He thought Leon was going to tell him he didn't know how to play the piano.
Fast forward nearly forty years. Elton is a global icon. Leon is struggling with his health and his bank account.
When they got into the studio for Elton John and Leon Russell The Union, the vibe was heavy. Elton didn't want a "pop" record. He wanted the dirt. He wanted the soul. He brought in T Bone Burnett to produce, a man known for making records sound like they were pulled out of the Nashville soil a hundred years ago. T Bone is the king of that "organic" sound, and he was the perfect bridge between Elton's polished showmanship and Leon’s rough-edged Oklahoma blues.
Writing Under Pressure
They wrote the songs fast. We're talking ten songs in four days. Bernie Taupin, Elton’s long-time lyricist, was there too, cranking out words that felt like they belonged in the Civil War era or a dusty church in Tulsa. Elton would sit at one piano, Leon at another. They were dueling, but they were also healing.
It wasn't easy.
Halfway through the process, Leon had to have emergency surgery. He had brain fluid leaking—literally a life-threatening situation. Most people would have packed it in. Leon came back to the studio with his head still partially shaved from the operation, sat down, and kept playing. You can hear that grit in the tracks. There's a song called "If It Wasn't For Bad" that Leon wrote, and it’s got this swampy, syncopated groove that reminds you why the guy was a legend.
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Why The Union Still Matters
Honestly, the music industry usually forgets people. It's a "what have you done for me lately" business. Elton John and Leon Russell The Union bucked that trend. It debuted at #3 on the Billboard 200, which was Leon’s highest-charting album since 1972. Think about that. A forty-year gap between Top 10 hits.
The guest list on this thing was insane:
- Neil Young showed up for "Gone to Shiloh," a haunting Civil War ballad.
- Brian Wilson added those unmistakable Beach Boys-style harmonies.
- Booker T. Jones brought the B3 organ soul.
- Robert Randolph tore it up on the pedal steel.
But even with all those stars, the core was always the two pianos. If you listen to "Monkey Suit," you hear that frantic, pounding rhythm that both men made famous. It’s messy. It’s loud. It’s human.
Cameron Crowe, the guy who directed Almost Famous, filmed the whole thing for a documentary also titled The Union. If you haven't seen it, you should. There's a scene where Leon is struggling to find his place in a song, and Elton is just gently pushing him, honoring him, and basically refusing to let him fail. It’s one of the most moving things you’ll ever see in a music doc.
The Legacy of a Thank You
The album ends with a song called "In the Hands of Angels." Leon wrote it as a "thank you" to Elton. He recorded it in one take, alone at the piano, while Elton and the crew watched from the booth. It’s a tear-jerker. Leon sings about how Elton "came back to the bottom of the barrel" to pull him out.
Shortly after the album came out, Leon was finally inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Elton John was the one who inducted him. Leon passed away in 2016, but he spent his final years back in the spotlight, playing theaters instead of bars, and knowing that he was respected.
Elton John and Leon Russell The Union isn't just a discography entry. It’s a reminder that sometimes the biggest stars use their power to shine a light on the people who paved the way.
Actionable Insights for Music Lovers:
- Listen to the "Deluxe" Tracks: Don't just stick to the main 14 songs. Tracks like "My Kind of Hell" show the darker, bluesier side of the session that T Bone Burnett excelled at capturing.
- Watch the Documentary: Search for The Union directed by Cameron Crowe. It provides a rare look at Elton John's songwriting process, which is usually kept strictly private.
- Explore Leon's Catalog: If you like the sound of this album, go back to Leon Russell's self-titled 1970 debut or his 1972 album Carney. You'll hear exactly where Elton's 70s sound actually came from.
- Check the Credits: Look up the "Wrecking Crew." Leon was a huge part of that legendary group of session musicians, and understanding his history makes the collaboration on The Union feel much more significant.