Rock Of The Westies is the tenth studio album by English musician Elton John, released in October 1975. As with Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy, Rock of the Westies debuted on the US Billboard 200 chart at No. 1, the only two albums at that time to have done so. It was also successful (albeit to a lesser extent) in the artist’s home territory of the UK, where it reached No. 5 on the UK Albums Chart. Robert Christgau ranked it as No. 7 on his list of the best albums of 1975. The title is a play on the phrase “West of the Rockies”, the album having been recorded at Caribou Ranch in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado.
Tracks
1 Medley(Yell Help/Wednesday Night/Ugly) (Elton John; Bernie Taupin; Davey Johnstone) 06:18
2 Dan Dare (Pilot Of The Future) (Elton John; Bernie Taupin) 03:31
3 Island Girl (Elton John; Bernie Taupin) 03:43
4 Grow Some Funk Of Your Own (Elton John; Bernie Taupin; Davey Johnstone) 04:45
5 I Feel Like A Bullet (In The Gun Of Robert Ford) (Elton John; Bernie Taupin) 05:27
6 Street Kids (Elton John; Bernie Taupin) 06:24
7 Hard Luck Story (Ann Orson; Carte Blanche) 05:15
8 Feed Me (Elton John; Bernie Taupin) 04:01
9 Billy Bones And The White Bird (Elton John; Bernie Taupin) 04:24
Musicians
1 Medley(Yell Help/Wednesday Night/Ugly)
| Bass | Kenny Passarelli |
| Drums | Roger Pope |
| Guitar | Caleb Quaye |
| Guitar | Davey Johnstone |
| Clavinet | James Newton-Howard |
| Harpsichord | James Newton-Howard |
| Synthesizer | James Newton-Howard |
| Percussion | Ray Cooper |
| Background Vocals | Ann Orson |
| Background Vocals | Labelle |
| Vocals | Elton John |
2 Dan Dare (Pilot Of The Future)
| Bass | Kenny Passarelli |
| Drums | Roger Pope |
| Guitar | Caleb Quaye |
| Guitar | Davey Johnstone |
| Clavinet | James Newton-Howard |
| Background Vocals | Ann Orson |
| Background Vocals | Caleb Quaye |
| Background Vocals | Davey Johnstone |
| Background Vocals | Kenny Passarelli |
| Background Vocals | Kiki Dee |
| Vocals | Elton John |
3 Island Girl
| Bass | Kenny Passarelli |
| Drums | Roger Pope |
| Guitar | Davey Johnstone |
| Acoustic Guitar | Caleb Quaye |
| Electric Piano | James Newton-Howard |
| Mellotron | James Newton-Howard |
| Percussion | Ray Cooper |
| Background Vocals | Ann Orson |
| Background Vocals | Caleb Quaye |
| Background Vocals | Davey Johnstone |
| Background Vocals | Kenny Passarelli |
| Background Vocals | Kiki Dee |
| Vocals | Elton John |
4 Grow Some Funk Of Your Own
| Bass | Kenny Passarelli |
| Drums | Roger Pope |
| Guitar | Caleb Quaye |
| Guitar | Davey Johnstone |
| Acoustic Guitar | Caleb Quaye |
| Acoustic Guitar | Davey Johnstone |
| Electric Piano | James Newton-Howard |
| Synthesizer | James Newton-Howard |
| Background Vocals | Caleb Quaye |
| Background Vocals | Davey Johnstone |
| Background Vocals | Kenny Passarelli |
| Background Vocals | Kiki Dee |
| Vocals | Elton John |
5 I Feel Like A Bullet (In The Gun Of Robert Ford)
| Bass | Kenny Passarelli |
| Drums | Roger Pope |
| Guitar (solo) | Davey Johnstone |
| Guitar | Caleb Quaye |
| Acoustic Guitar | Davey Johnstone |
| Acoustic Guitar | Caleb Quaye |
| Electric Piano | James Newton-Howard |
| Synthesizer | James Newton-Howard |
| Vibraphone | Ray Cooper |
| Percussion | Ray Cooper |
| Vocals | Elton John |
6 Street Kids
| Bass | Kenny Passarelli |
| Guitar (solo) | Caleb Quaye |
| Guitar | Davey Johnstone |
| Percussion | Ray Cooper |
| Background Vocals | Ann Orson |
| Background Vocals | Caleb Quaye |
| Background Vocals | Davey Johnstone |
| Background Vocals | Kenny Passarelli |
| Background Vocals | Kiki Dee |
| Vocals | Elton John |
7 Hard Luck Story
| Bass | Kenny Passarelli |
| Drums | Roger Pope |
| Guitar | Caleb Quaye |
| Guitar | Davey Johnstone |
| Electric Piano | James Newton-Howard |
| Percussion | Ray Cooper |
| Background Vocals | Caleb Quaye |
| Background Vocals | Kenny Passarelli |
| Background Vocals | Kiki Dee |
| Vocals | Elton John |
8 Feed Me
| Bass | Kenny Passarelli |
| Drums | Roger Pope |
| Guitar | Caleb Quaye |
| Guitar | Davey Johnstone |
| Electric Piano | James Newton-Howard |
| Vibraphone | Ray Cooper |
| Percussion | Ray Cooper |
| Background Vocals | Ann Orson |
| Background Vocals | Caleb Quaye |
| Background Vocals | Clive Franks |
| Background Vocals | Davey Johnstone |
| Background Vocals | Kiki Dee |
| Vocals | Elton John |
9 Billy Bones And The White Bird
| Bass | Kenny Passarelli |
| Drums | Roger Pope |
| Guitar | Caleb Quaye |
| Guitar | Davey Johnstone |
| Electric Piano | James Newton-Howard |
| Percussion | Ray Cooper |
| Background Vocals | Ann Orson |
| Background Vocals | Kiki Dee |
| Vocals | Elton John |
Liner Notes
Producer – Gus Dudgeon
Engineer – Jeff Guercio
Engineer (Assistant) – Mark Guercio
Art Direction, Design – David Larkham
Photography – Terry O’Neill
Recorded At Caribou Ranch
Remixed At Trident Studios
Phonographic Copyright This Record Co Ltd
Copyright This Record Co Ltd
Rock Of The Westies is the tenth studio album by English musician Elton John, released in October 1975. As with Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy, Rock of the Westies debuted on the US Billboard 200 chart at No. 1, the only two albums at that time to have done so. It was also successful (albeit to a lesser extent) in the artist’s home territory of the UK, where it reached No. 5 on the UK Albums Chart. Robert Christgau ranked it as No. 7 on his list of the best albums of 1975. The title is a play on the phrase “West of the Rockies”, the album having been recorded at Caribou Ranch in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado.