'Can you feel the love' one night only

Elton John is returning to China next week. He is scheduled to hold concerts in Shanghai (November 23), Beijing (November 25) and Guangzhou (December 6).

Despite his being one of the most famous musicians of all time, there seems to be something other than music on the minds of some fans.

"I just don't feel like he's getting old, apart from a few wrinkles on his face," said Ding Taisheng, a senior music producer in the industry.

China memories

Few musicians have remained as popular as he has for as many years (four decades), not to mention having won so many awards including a half-dozen Grammies and an Oscar along the way. Still, some might ask if he has the same energy as in the past. His most recent performance in China came in 2004 in Shanghai, and people wonder if John is still able to perform with the same kind of flamboyant showmanship.

Elton John's first trip to China was in the early 1980s. John recalls that in 1984, he spent most of his time in airports and hotels or backstage at the concert venue, according to an e-mail sent by his press agent. It was not until 1987 that he experienced the real flavor of China.

As he was still virtually unknown in China at that time, he walked around without being recognized or approached. "It was a very special visit," he said.

Now, almost 30 years later, Beijing fans will finally get their first night of Elton John.

And what will the fans hear? "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" from 1994 and "Candle in the Wind" from 1997 are perhaps his most noted songs for the world audience. For those who love the young British rocker style, they can enjoy hearing many of his earlier works such as "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road," "Daniel," "Your Song," "Bennie & Jets" and "Philadelphia Freedom." Even without new albums coming out, it would be easy to make a whole concert out of vintage Elton tunes.

John said this time he will perform a lot of his hit singles, plus some of the best-loved album tracks. Songs from his early career are particularly special to him. Over the years some of the songs, for example "Rocket Man," have grown and developed musically, while others, such as "Your Song," remain essentially the same when performed live as when they were first recorded.

Moving performances

John is described as an evergreen tree in the global music industry. However, when his music was introduced to China, it was already nearly 20 years after he became famous in the UK.

Ding said that unlike today, when we can hear all kinds of music from the rest of the world, the musicians introduced to China in the 1980s were all renowned figures in the world. Those singers had an impact on Chinese musicians both on the style of music and the way they performed.

"[Elton John] was breaking boundaries all the time, in his music, in the way he plays and in his style and personality," said Ding.

Song Ke, CEO of Taihe Rye Music, told the Global Times that the 1980s was a boom time for the Chinese music industry. Domestic musicians were keen to learn from the best stars in the world and John was definitely on top of the list.

Song noted that piano singers are usually elegant and stay still on stage: John is different. He stands up, moves his body and really gets into the music. Especially when playing songs in a classical style, the contradiction is particularly attractive.

Song shared his experience of watching a concert in Dubai where he found the combination of piano and the crazy way John played it was "shocking." Even now, with so many talented musicians coming out in the world, it is still rare to see a singer who plays piano and performs like John did in his live concerts.

Icon and more

John may not be as influential as in the past, but as long as young music lovers listen to Western pop, there are always a few songs from Elton John they hear and love.

Hu Pan, the editorial director of the music magazine Q, China, said people of different eras interpret John's music differently. For listeners born after the 1980s, John is more like a pop icon from the 1970s, while older listeners might see him as a star of the soft rock genre.

"When I was a teenager, his album was introduced to China and was quite popular. How listeners feel about his music depends on their age and life experience," said Hu.

Music is an attitude and lifestyle and Elton John has been persistent in his lifestyle. Unlike many musicians who would prefer to stay backstage or just leave the competitive music industry as time goes by, John's goal is to be able live a life in music.

The fact that John remains popular is a reflection of his productive creativity as well as the way he treats music. Since he is a person who would "have been happy working in a record store as long as he could be involved with music," who cares about the wrinkles on his face.