"Don't Go Breaking My Heart"
Single by Elton John and Kiki Dee
B-side"Snow Queen"
Released21 June 1976
Recorded27 March 1976[1]
Genre
Length4:31
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Gus Dudgeon
Elton John singles chronology
"Pinball Wizard"
(1976)		 "Don't Go Breaking My Heart"
(1976)		 "Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word"
(1976)
Kiki Dee singles chronology
"Once a Fool"
(1975)		 "Don't Go Breaking My Heart"
(1976)		 "First Thing in the Morning"
(1977)
Music video
"Don't Go Breaking My Heart" on YouTube

"Don't Go Breaking My Heart" is a 1976 duet by English musician Elton John and English singer Kiki Dee. It was written by John with Bernie Taupin under the pseudonyms "Ann Orson" and "Carte Blanche", respectively, and intended as an affectionate pastiche of the Motown style, notably the various duets recorded by Marvin Gaye and singers such as Tammi Terrell and Kim Weston.

John and Taupin originally intended to record the song with Dusty Springfield, but ultimately withdrew the offer; Springfield's partner Sue Cameron later said this was because she was too ill at the time.[4][5]

In 1994, John released the song as a duet with American drag queen RuPaul. It was produced by Giorgio Moroder and reached number three on the US Billboard Dance Club Songs chart.

Reception

Cash Box said that "there are some great harmonies in the chorus" and that John and Dee "seem perfectly wedded in this tune."[6] Record World called it "a duet of rare simplicity and charm with James Newton-Howard's strings practically dancing out of the grooves."[7]

Chart performance

Writers John and Taupin received the 1976 Ivor Novello award for Best Song Musically and Lyrically.[8]

Unlike many of John's singles from the 1970s, it was never included on an original album (although it was recorded during the Blue Moves sessions), but was subsequently released as the third single on the album Duets, in early 1994. This version of the song was recorded with RuPaul and reached number seven on the UK Singles Chart[9] and number one in Iceland.[10]

"Don't Go Breaking My Heart" was the first No. 1 single in the UK for both John and Kiki Dee, topping the chart for six weeks in mid 1976. John would not enjoy a solo British chart-topper until "Sacrifice" in 1990. It also became his sixth No. 1 single in the US, topping the Billboard Hot 100 for four weeks and spent one week on the Easy Listening chart.[11] Billboard ranked it as the No. 2 song for 1976, giving him his second consecutive appearance in the Billboard Year-end Top 3.[12] In the U.S., it has been certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.[13] After this duet with Dee, John failed to have another US solo number one single until "Candle in the Wind 1997". This 21-year period included two intervening number one hits in America with musical partners: "That's What Friends Are For" by Dionne & Friends in 1986, and a 1992 re-make of John's "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" with George Michael credited as a duet.

The B-side, "Snow Queen", was supposedly inspired by Cher, with John quoting past Sonny & Cher hits "I Got You Babe" and "The Beat Goes On", as well as the solo Cher song "Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)" during the fadeout of the song.

In 1977, John guest-starred on The Muppet Show and performed the track with Miss Piggy. In 1985, John and Dee performed the track to the crowd at Wembley Stadium during John's set at Live Aid (where Dee sang backup). In 1988, John appeared with Minnie Mouse on the NBC special Totally Minnie miming to the track. He performed the track with Alan Partridge (Steve Coogan) at the 2001 British Comedy awards. He also performed it with the Spice Girls on his ITV tribute programme An Audience with ... Elton John.

In June 2013, 37 years after its original release, the single reached one million sales in the UK.[14][15]

The B-side, "Snow Queen", remained unavailable on CD outside Australia until April 2019 when it was included as a bonus track on the reissue of Kiki Dee's Cage the Songbird album, included in the 5-CD box set The Rocket Years.[16] In May 2019 it was also included on the 3-CD box set Gold, a retrospective of Dee's career spanning various labels. In 2020, it was also included on Elton John's 8-CD box set Jewel Box.

Personnel

Based on information on the Elton John official website.[1]

Charts

Certifications and sales

Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[48][49] Gold 50,000^
Canada (Music Canada)[50] Platinum 150,000^
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[51] Platinum 90,000‡
Italy (FIMI)[52] Gold 50,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[53] Platinum 600,000‡ / 1,029,242[54]
United States (RIAA)[55] Platinum 1,000,000‡

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Elton John and RuPaul version

"Don't Go Breaking My Heart"
Single by Elton John and RuPaul
from the album Duets
B-side
  • "Donner Pour Donner"
  • "A Woman's Needs"
Released14 February 1994 (1994-02-14)[56]
Genre
Length4:59
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Giorgio Moroder
Elton John singles chronology
"True Love"
(1993)		 "Don't Go Breaking My Heart"
(1994)		 "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing"
(1994)
RuPaul singles chronology
"House of Love"
(1993)		 "Don't Go Breaking My Heart"
(1994)		 "Snapshot"
(1996)
Music video
"Don't Go Breaking My Heart" on YouTube

In 1994, Elton John and American drag queen RuPaul released the song as a duet. It was produced by Giorgio Moroder and released on 14 February 1994 by Rocket and MCA as the third single from John's first collaboration album, Duets (1993).

The song reached number three on the US Billboard Dance Club Songs chart. In Europe, it peaked at number-one in Iceland and within the top 10 in Portugal and the UK, the top 20 in Denmark, Ireland and Italy, and the top 30 in Austria, France and Switzerland. On the Eurochart Hot 100, "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" peaked at number 18 in March 1994. Outside Europe, the song reached number 39 in New Zealand, number 45 in Australia, and number 92 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US.

Critical reception

AllMusic editor Stephen Thomas Erlewine described the song as a "kitschy number".[57] Larry Flick from Billboard wrote that John recreates his classic Kiki Dee duet with "the world's favorite drag queen. Revamped quasi-rave/hi-NRG version of the track is way stronger than the less-than-pleasing mix on John's current collection, rendering it a formidable contender for action on both dancefloors and radio. Oodles of good fun."[58] Dave Sholin from the Gavin Report commented, "Thanks to producer Giorgio Moroder, there's a few more beats per minute, as well as a hilarious video, and a super performance of a great tune."[59]

Alan Jones from Music Week gave it four out of five, calling it "somewhat soulessly produced" and a "smash-bound but tacky remake".[60] John Kilgo from The Network Forty stated that this remake of the previous number-one smash "is for real..."[61] Sam Wood from Philadelphia Inquirer viewed it as "a campy techno remake" of John's 1977 hit.[62] Tom Doyle from Smash Hits gave it one out of five, saying that the music "sounds like it was done with the help of a Gameboy running low on batteries".[63] Charles Aaron from Spin wrote, "If I'd known he was gearing up for world domination, I never would've given Ru so much guff for his café au lait complexion, blond ambition, and cosmetic tinkering. Keep those techno bon mots coming. Star booty forever."[64]

Music video

A music video was produced to promote the single, featuring Elton John and RuPaul, directed by Randy Barbota.[65] The video was later published on John's official YouTube channel in 2016, and had generated more than three million views as of January 2023.[66]

Track listing

CD single, Europe (1994)
No.TitleLength
1."Don't Go Breaking My Heart"4:59
2."Donner Pour Donner"4:25
CD single, UK (1994)
No.TitleLength
1."Don't Go Breaking My Heart"4:59
2."Donner Pour Donner"4:24
3."A Woman's Needs"5:16
CD maxi, US (1994)
No.TitleLength
1."Don't Go Breaking My Heart" (Remix)6:56
2."Don't Go Breaking My Heart" (MK Mix)7:19
3."Don't Go Breaking My Heart" (Serious Rope 12")6:39
4."Don't Go Breaking My Heart" (Roger's Dub Mix)7:06

Charts

Other versions

The musical comedy troupe the Capitol Steps recorded a parody of the song, in which then President George W. Bush is told by his wife Laura Bush, "Don't go faking you're smart".[85]

Notes

  1. ↑ John and Taupin were credited under the pseudonyms "Ann Orson" and "Carte Blanche", respectively, and intended as an affectionate pastiche of the Motown style

References

  1. 1 2 "10 Fun Facts about 'Don't Go Breaking My Heart'". 7 August 2018. Retrieved 4 November 2019.
  2. 1 2 Breihan, Tom (10 September 2019). "The Number Ones: Elton John & Kiki Dee's "Don't Go Breaking My Heart"". Stereogum. Retrieved 30 June 2023. It's a pretty good deeply cheesy Broadway-disco shout-along, though...But it's a perfectly likable piece of amiable mid-'70s pop hackery.
  3. ↑ "Elton John, Kiki Dee - Don't Go Breaking My Heart". Discogs. 12 December 1976.
  4. ↑ Bartlett, Karen. Dusty – An Intimate Portrait of a Musical Legend.
  5. ↑ Lifton, Dave (19 May 2019). "The Story of Elton John's 'Don't Go Breaking My Heart'". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved 8 November 2022.
  6. ↑ "CashBox Singles Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. 3 July 1976. p. 24 (304). Retrieved 11 December 2021.
  7. ↑ "Hits of the Week" (PDF). Record World. 3 July 1976. p. 1. Retrieved 4 March 2023.
  8. ↑ Lister, David (28 May 1994). "Pop ballads bite back in lyrical fashion". The Independent. London, England: Newspaper Publishing.
  9. ↑ "Official Singles Chart Top 100 27 February 1994 – 5 March 1994". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 9 October 2019.
  10. 1 2 "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (10.–16.3. '94)". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). 10 March 1994. p. 20. Retrieved 9 October 2019.
  11. ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2002). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961–2001. Record Research. p. 128.
  12. 1 2 "Singles". Billboard. 25 December 1976. p. 43.
  13. ↑ "American certifications – Go Breaking My Heart". Recording Industry Association of America.
  14. ↑ Pakinkis, Tom (28 June 2013). "Elton, Sheeran and Andre join million-sellers club in the UK". Music Week. London, England: Intent Media. Retrieved 16 June 2014.
  15. ↑ Lane, Daniel (27 June 2013). "Daft Punk's Get Lucky becomes one of the UK's biggest selling singles of all-time!". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 16 June 2014.
  16. ↑ Marchese, Joe (15 May 2019). "Edsel Collects Kiki Dee's "The Rocket Years" on New Box Set". The Second Disc. Retrieved 22 May 2020.
  17. 1 2 Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, New South Wales, Australia: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 978-0-646-11917-5.
  18. ↑ "Elton John & Kiki Dee – Don't Go Breaking My Heart" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  19. ↑ "Elton John & Kiki Dee – Don't Go Breaking My Heart" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  20. ↑
    • Lwin, Nanda Top 40 Hits: The Essential Chart Guide. Mississauga, ON: Music Data Canada, 2000
  21. ↑ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 4289a." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 9 October 2019.
  22. ↑ "Item Display – RPM – Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. 28 August 1976. Retrieved 26 January 2022.
  23. ↑ Pennanen, Timo (2021). "Elton John". Sisältää hitin - 2. laitos Levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla 1.1.1960–30.6.2021 (PDF) (in Finnish). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. p. 117. Retrieved 27 June 2022.
  24. ↑ "Elton John & Kiki Dee – Don't Go Breaking My Heart" (in French). Les classement single.
  25. ↑ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Don't Go Breaking My Heart". Irish Singles Chart.
  26. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Elton John" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40.
  27. ↑ "Elton John & Kiki Dee – Don't Go Breaking My Heart" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  28. ↑ "Elton John & Kiki Dee – Don't Go Breaking My Heart". Top 40 Singles.
  29. ↑ "Elton John & Kiki Dee – Don't Go Breaking My Heart". VG-lista.
  30. ↑ Kimberley, C. Zimbabwe: Singles Chart Book. Harare: C. Kimberley, 2000
  31. ↑ ""Don't Go Breaking My Heart" on the South African Singles Chart". Springbok Radio. Retrieved 25 September 2010.
  32. ↑ "Elton John & Kiki Dee – Don't Go Breaking My Heart". Singles Top 100.
  33. ↑ "Elton John & Kiki Dee – Don't Go Breaking My Heart". Swiss Singles Chart.
  34. ↑ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  35. ↑ "Elton John Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  36. ↑ Whitburn, Joel (1993). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961–1993. Record Research. p. 122.
  37. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Elton John & Kiki Dee – Don't Go Breaking My Heart" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 2 March 2020. To see peak chart position, click "TITEL VON Elton John & Kiki Dee"
  38. ↑ "National Top 100 Singles for 1976". Kent Music Report. 27 December 1976. Retrieved 15 January 2022 – via Imgur.
  39. ↑ "Top Singles – Volume 26, No. 14 & 15, January 08 1977". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Archived from the original on 19 March 2016. Retrieved 13 March 2016.
  40. ↑ "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1976". Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 22 September 2020.
  41. ↑ "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1976". MegaCharts. Retrieved 22 September 2020.
  42. ↑ "Top Selling Singles of 1976 | The Official New Zealand Music Chart". Nztop40.co.nz. 8 December 1963. Retrieved 11 October 2016.
  43. ↑ "Top 20 Hit Singles of 1976". Retrieved 2 September 2018.
  44. ↑ Hunter, Nigel, ed. (1977). "Top 100 Singles 1976". BPI YearBook 1977 (2nd ed.). British Phonographic Industry. pp. 216–18. ISBN 0-906154-00-6.
  45. ↑ Top 50 Adult Contemporary Hits of 1976
  46. ↑ "The UK's biggest selling singles of all time". Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on 24 June 2018. Retrieved 5 July 2018.
  47. ↑ "Billboard Hot 100 60th Anniversary Interactive Chart". Billboard. Retrieved 10 December 2018.
  48. ↑ "LOT 131 OF 817: BERNIE TAUPIN ELTON JOHN "DON'T GO BREAKING MY HEART" RECORD AWARD". Julien's Auctions. Retrieved 31 December 2019.
  49. ↑ "Blue Moves to Platinum" (PDF). Cash Box. Vol. 38, no. 29. 4 December 1976. p. 50. Retrieved 15 August 2020 – via World Radio History.
  50. ↑ "Canadian single certifications – Elton John – Don't Go Breaking My Heart". Music Canada. Retrieved 22 November 2012.
  51. ↑ "Danish single certifications – Elton John – Don't Go Breaking My Heart". IFPI Danmark. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
  52. ↑ "Italian single certifications – Elton John – Don't Go Breaking My Heart" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved 19 June 2023. Select "2023" in the "Anno" drop-down menu. Select "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" in the "Filtra" field. Select "Singoli" under "Sezione".
  53. ↑ "British single certifications – Elton John & Kiki Dee – Don't Go Breaking My Heart". British Phonographic Industry.
  54. ↑ Copsey, Rob (19 September 2017). "The UK's Official Chart 'millionaires' revealed". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
  55. ↑ "American single certifications – Elton John & Kiki Dee – Don't Go Breaking My Heart". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 11 May 2018.
  56. ↑ "Single Releases". Music Week. 12 February 1994. p. 21.
  57. ↑ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Elton John – Duets". AllMusic. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
  58. ↑ Flick, Larry (8 January 1994). "Single Reviews" (PDF). Billboard. Retrieved 31 January 2020.
  59. ↑ Sholin, Dave (11 February 1994). "Gavin Picks: Singles" (PDF). Gavin Report. p. 46. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
  60. ↑ Jones, Alan (19 February 1994). "Market Preview: Mainstream – Singles" (PDF). Music Week. p. 12. Retrieved 13 April 2021.
  61. ↑ Kilgo, John (4 March 1994). "Mainstream: Music Meeting" (PDF). The Network Forty. p. 22. Retrieved 28 March 2020.
  62. ↑ Wood, Sam (23 November 1993). "Elton John and Friends; Classic Jazz; Pop for Films". Philadelphia Inquirer.
  63. ↑ Doyle, Tom (16 February 1993). "New Singles". Smash Hits. p. 41. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
  64. ↑ Aaron, Charles (May 1994). "Singles". Spin. p. 102. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
  65. ↑ "elton john & ru paul – don't go breaking my heart ( viva tv )". Archived from the original on 30 August 2020. Retrieved 23 August 2020 – via YouTube.
  66. ↑ "Elton John, RuPaul – Don't Go Breaking My Heart (with RuPaul)". Retrieved 27 January 2023 – via YouTube.
  67. ↑ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010. Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing.
  68. ↑ "Elton John & RuPaul – Don't Go Breaking My Heart" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 20 December 2019.
  69. ↑ "Elton John & RuPaul – Don't Go Breaking My Heart" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 20 December 2019.
  70. ↑ Danish Singles Chart. 25 March 1994.
  71. ↑ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. 26 March 1994. p. 20. Retrieved 20 December 2019.
  72. ↑ "Adult Contemporary Europe Top 25" (PDF). Music & Media. 9 April 1994. p. 34. Retrieved 28 May 2023.
  73. ↑ "Elton John & RuPaul – Don't Go Breaking My Heart" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 20 December 2019.
  74. ↑ "Elton John & RuPaul – Don't Go Breaking My Heart" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 2 March 2020.
  75. ↑ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Don't Go Breaking My Heart". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 5 December 2022.
  76. ↑ "Elton John & RuPaul – Don't Go Breaking My Heart" (in Dutch). top40.nl. Retrieved 20 December 2019.
  77. ↑ "Elton John & RuPaul – Don't Go Breaking My Heart" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 20 December 2019.
  78. ↑ "Elton John & RuPaul – Don't Go Breaking My Heart". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 5 December 2022.
  79. ↑ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100 13 March 1994 – 19 March 1994". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 14 April 2021.
  80. ↑ "Elton John & RuPaul – Don't Go Breaking My Heart". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 20 December 2019.
  81. ↑ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 5 December 2022.
  82. ↑ "The RM Club Chart" (PDF). Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental Insert). 26 February 1994. p. 10. Retrieved 15 May 2023.
  83. ↑ "RuPaul". Billboard.
  84. ↑ "Árslistinn 1994". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). 2 January 1995. p. 25. Retrieved 14 July 2020.
  85. ↑ Vyse, Graham (16 February 2022). "The Fall of the Capitol Steps". The Washington Post. Retrieved 19 February 2022.
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