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Elton John's "I Can't Go On Living Without You" (Stewart A. Brown 1969)

1,583 views · Published 31 August 2013 · 3:14 · Indexed 23 October 2026

Channel: Ronnie Friend · 2013 · Music

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An early composition by Elton John & Bernie Taupin from the Dick James Studios in 1968. This song was their first to get public attention, if not quite success. It made it into the UK qualifying round for the 1969 Eurovision Song Contest. Out of the six songs entered, it came number six! Lulu performed it on television, because she performed all six numbers. The winning song was "Boom Bang-a-Bang", which also came to tie for first place in the actual Eurovision Contest. So this song became Elton John's first brush with fame. As a consequence of the Eurovision appearance the song was one of their first to be covered by other British artists, such as this one by Stewart A. Brown. 

Stewart A. Brown was one of Reg Dwight (Elton John)'s mates from Pinner with whom he formed the band Bluesology. Stewart was actually the lead singer & guitarist in the band, though Reg was allowed to sing a couple of songs they recorded (and he had written). Elton has often explained that he was just the organist in the band, and not a very good one at that! In this video you can see some photos of Stewart & Reg playing together, as Bluesology.

Stewart Brown made this record just after leaving Bluesology, when the band had started devoting more of their time to backing Long John Baldry, as Stewart was losing the role of front man and was attempting to start a solo career. This record was actually recorded BEFORE the song was offered by Dick James to the Eurovision contest, so it was the first cover of the song. But it was never released. The recording was finished, 5,000 copies were pressed and then the song was accepted into the qualifying rounds for Eurovision and scheduled to be sung by Lulu. No one else was allowed to release it, so the 5,000 copies sat unsold. Of course this did NOT help Brown start a solo career! Fortunately some copies survived - and here you are listening to the track, copied from vinyl!

Another interesting coincidence is that Gary Osborne produced this record! Osborne later wrote songs with Elton John, when Elton & Taupin were taking a break in the late 70s-early 80s. I have read elsewhere that Gary and Reg were friends back in the Bluesology days.....

Listen to Elton John's original demo here... 
http://youtu.be/FnMCThS6Mo4

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