IN CONCERT PRESENTS: TWO ROOMS: A TRIBUTE TO ELTON JOHN AND BERNIE TAUPIN (TV)

Summary

This musical interview special, hosted by actor Sylvester Stallone, celebrates the creation of the 1991 tribute album "Two Rooms: Celebrating the Songs of Elton John & Bernie Taupin," on which many notable performers have recorded some of the famous songwriting duo's many hits.

John performs "Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting" in Central Park in 1980, and guests Eric Clapton, Sting, Tina Turner and Axl Rose comment on his meaningful impact on the music world. John then performs "Burn Down the Mission" in 1986 with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, and Phil Collins records the same song for the album and discusses his reasons for selecting it. Al Jardine explains why The Beach Boys chose "Crocodile Rock" for the record, and John and Taupin comment on their "unique method" of songwriting, in which Taupin first pens the lyrics that John then sets to music (writing separately in "two rooms"). John performs "Tiny Dancer" in 1984, and Bruce Hornsby records "Madman Across the Water" for the tribute album. Taupin and John admit that they do not understand the meanings of "50 to 60 percent" of their own songs, including the unusual "Take Me to the Pilot," which is then recorded, along with "Saturday Night," by The Who.

John Oates reveals why he and Daryl Hall, both Philadelphia natives, chose "Philadelphia Freedom" for "Two Rooms," and John performs the same song in Verona, Italy, in 1989. John admits that he regrets some of his more outrageous costumes of the past, which Taupin agrees were not "necessary" to the performances, though Clapton notes that John was merely expressing a sense of fun. Turner, a fan of John's, explains that she has included "The Bitch is Back" in her set list for some time, as seen in a 1978 performance at the Apollo Theater. She jokes about the time John has performed the song dressed in her iconic style, as seen in an Australian performance in 1986.

Sting records "Come Down in Time" for the album, and Taupin states that cover artists should "do whatever the hell they want" with his and John's songs. Kate Bush performs an eccentric version of "Rocket Man," and John sings his version in 1984 at Wembley Stadium. John performs "Daniel" in a 1973 show, and he and Taupin discuss their dissimilar experiences with extreme levels of fame back in the '70s. John performs "Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word" on the BBC in 1976 and "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" at the 1986 Melbourne show, and Taupin admits that the extroverted John has a "dark side" and can be moody. Oleta Adams covers "Sun," and George Michael joins John onstage for a live performance of the song.

John performs "Sacrifice," and Sinead O'Connor explains why she wished to record an "emptier" version of the tune for "Two Rooms." John reflects on the great honor of the tribute album, and he performs his memorable hit "Your Song" at Wembley Stadium in 1977 and 1984, on the BBC in 1971, and at the Central Park concert in 1980. Clapton records "Border Song," and John performs it on the BBC in 1970. Stallone then adds that John has been active in HIV/AIDS charities, and John performs "Candle in the Wind" as a tribute to famous young AIDS victim Ryan White at the 1990 Farm Aid concert. Taupin concludes that he and John were "destined" to meet and work together, after which Stallone closes the program. Includes commercials and promos.

Details

• NETWORK: ABC
• DATE: December 21, 1991 9:00 PM
• RUNNING TIME: 0:58:21
• COLOR/B&W: Color
• CATALOG ID: B:23488
• GENRE: Music
• SUBJECT HEADING: Music; Talk/Interview; Songwriting; Specials
• SERIES RUN: ABC - TV, 1991
• COMMERCIALS:
  • TV - Commercials - AT&T telephone services
  • TV - Commercials - Aspen cologne
  • TV - Commercials - Burger King restaurants
  • TV - Commercials - Children's Tylenol Cold medication
  • TV - Commercials - DeBeers diamonds
  • TV - Commercials - Diet Coca-Cola soft drinks
  • TV - Commercials - General Mills Honey Nut Cheerios cereal
  • TV - Commercials - Gyne-Lotrimin yeast infection medication
  • TV - Commercials - Hyundai automobiles
  • TV - Commercials - Lactaid enzyme supplement
  • TV - Commercials - Malibu Musk fragrances
  • TV - Commercials - Post Honey Bunches of Oats cereal
  • TV - Commercials - Radio Shack stores
  • TV - Promos - "America's Funniest Home Videos"
  • TV - Promos - "Dolly Parton: Christmas at Home"
  • TV - Promos - "Entertainers '91: The Top 20 of the Year"
  • TV - Promos - "Life Goes On"
  • TV - Promos - "Raiders of the Lost Ark"
  • TV - Promos - "Sinbad and Friends"
  • TV - Promos - "The Commish"
  • TV - Promos - "The Young Riders"

CREDITS

• David Saltz … Executive Producer
• John Reid … Executive Producer
• David Hockman … Executive Producer
• Howard Kaufman … Executive Producer
• Trudy Green … Executive Producer
• Marty Callner … Executive Producer
• Bart Lipton … Producer
• Claudia Rosencrantz … Producer, Director
• Lorna Dickinson … Producer, Director
• Jonathan K. Bendis … Producer, Director, Writer
• Andy Kadison … Co-Producer
• Jo-Dee Campanale-Griffith … Associate Producer
• Anastasia Mouzas … Associate Producer
• Chris Main … Associate Producer
• Bill Richmond … Director
• Jonathan Dayton … Director
• Valerie Faris … Director
• David Benjamin Wain … Writer
• David P. Levin … Writer
• Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, The … Symphony Orchestra
• Sylvester Stallone … Host
• Beach Boys, The … Performer
• Who, The … Performer
• Kate Bush … Performer
• Oleta Adams … Performer
• George Michael … Performer
• Elton John … Performer, Interviewee
• Phil Collins … Performer, Interviewee
• Al Jardine … Performer, Interviewee
• Bruce Hornsby … Performer, Interviewee
• John Oates … Performer, Interviewee
• Roger Daltrey … Performer, Interviewee
• Tina Turner … Performer, Interviewee
• Sinead O'Connor … Performer, Interviewee
• Eric Clapton … Performer, Interviewee
• Axl Rose … Interviewee
• Sting (see also: Gordon Sumner) … Interviewee
• Bernie Taupin … Interviewee
• Ryan White
• For "ABC News Brief":
• Jack Smith … Anchor