Don't Go Breaking My Heart

Album

Single

Label

MCA Records

Genre

Disco

Composer(s)

Elton John;Bernie Taupin

Entered Chart

Jul 3, 1976

Peak Date

Aug 7, 1976

Released

25 June 1976

Recorded

27 March 1976 (musicians and Elton John's vocals)[1] May 1976 (backing vocals)[1] Studio Eastern So

Catalog #

Rocket 40585

B-Side

Snow Queen

Kiki Dee explained in the book 1000 UK #1 Hits by Jon Kutner & Spencer Leigh, "Both Elton and I were big fans of those duets on Motown by the likes of Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell and as there hadn't been any around for a bit, we thought we'd do one ourselves." Elton recorded his part in Toronto, then the tape was sent to London where Kiki Dee recorded her vocal. Producer Gus Dudgeon recalls, "I was with Elton in Canada and he actually sang about three quarters of the song and gave Kiki about four lines. I said, "Hang on a minute, is this supposed to be a duet or a guest appearance? Elton replied, 'A duet.' Then you've got to give her at least 50% of the song." After Elton recorded his part in Toronto, the tapes were sent to London and when Kiki got them she remembered, "Elton had recorded the song abroad and also did my vocals in a high-pitched voice which was quite funny, so I knew which lines to sing." This was the second-biggest-selling record of 1976 in both the UK and US (In the UK, "Save Your Kisses for Me" was #1; in the US it was "Silly Love Songs" by Wings. It was a huge international success, topping the charts in a number of countries, including France, Italy, Australia and Canada. Originally, Elton and Kiki were going to record a cover version of the Four Tops' "Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever." Elton and his songwriting partner Bernie Taupin wrote this song using the pseudonyms Ann Orson and Carte Blanche. This was Elton's first #1 in the UK. He had to wait 14 years for his next UK #1, which was "Sacrifice." In 1993 Elton and Kiki teamed up again with a cover of "True Love," this time reaching #2 in the UK. Elton rerecorded this 1994 in a duet with drag queen RuPaul. This version of the song was featured in the 1999 film Summer Of Sam. When Elton John performed this on a season 2 episode of The Muppet Show in 1977, he performed the song with Miss Piggy. The porcine puppet was clearly smitten with Elton, and late in the duet exclaims, "Eat your heart out, Kiki." Roger Pope played drums on this track. He was a favorite drummer of Elton John's who can also be heard on "Tiny Dancer," and "Island Girl." >> Q-Tip and Demi Lovato teamed up to record this for the 2018 tribute album Revamp: Reimagining the Songs of Elton John and Bernie Taupin. That same year, Shawn Mendes and SZA performed it on a Grammy tribute to John and Taupin. Elton sang some of this in a 2018 Snickers commercial where he plays the alter ego of a battle rapper who loses his edge when he's hungry. Yeah, it's a stretch.

Don't go breaking my heart
I couldn't if I tried
Honey if I get restless
Baby you're not that kind

Don't go breaking my heart
You take the weight off me
Honey when you knock on my door
I gave you my key

Nobody knows it
When I was down
I was your clown
Nobody knows it
Right from the start
I gave you my heart
I gave you my heart

So don't go breaking my heart
I won't go breaking your heart
Don't go breaking my heart

And nobody told us
`Cause nobody showed us
And now it's up to us babe
I think we can make it

So don't misunderstand me
You put the light in my life
You put the spark to the flame
I've got your heart in my sights