On August 7th, 1976, Elton John and Kiki Dee were at number 1 on the U.S. Singles Chart with their uptempo duet ‘Don’t Go Breaking My Heart.’ This was Elton John’s sixth number 1 song. Do you have any favorite Elton John songs?
The video for the song was shot in one take using 3 cameras. Elton and Kiki walk into the recording room and start the music. Elton is bouncing around, dancing to the beat.
Elton puts his arm around Kiki during the first chorus to loosen her up and make her feel more comfortable. By the 2nd verse, Kiki and Elton are dancing and singing together, making each other laugh.
Kiki and Elton trade lines singing, ‘Don’t go breaking my heart. I couldn’t if I tried. Honey, if I get restless. Baby, you’re not that kind.’ It is a perfect pairing of singers for this infectious tune.
During the instrumental section, Elton attempts to teach Kiki a version of the ‘hand jive.’ The dance was popular in the 50s and had a resurgence in popularity from the movie ‘Grease.’
‘Don’t Go Breaking My Heart’ was written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin under the pseudonyms’ Ann Orson’ and ‘Carte Blanche.’ It was designed to be an homage to the great Motown duets.
In 1977, Elton sang the song on ‘The Muppet Show’ without Kiki. He did the duet with Ms. Piggy! The song exemplifies the fantastic partnership between Elton John and Bernie Taupin, who have reshaped pop music ever since 1967.
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