Music is sort of like ballet in that it takes a delicate arrangement to work with some artists' instincts. Not everyone goes together seamlessly in the same way, regardless if they're in the same genre or not. Even an odd pairing on paper can work if they understand what they want to accomplish. For Elton John, one of his greatest skills was his ability to tap into different artists' wheelhouses. He could dabble with rappers like Nicki Minaj and Young Thug or dark rockstars like Ozzy Osbourne. John can fit like a glove in pop outings with Dua Lipa just like he can channel Stevie Wonder or Aretha Franklin's energy.
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However, it's not always a seamless fit for Elton. You don't expect the Rocket Man to dip his toes into grunge scene. Moreover, you aren't going to see him galavant on stage like more dynamic performers like Mick Jagger. Sometimes, these energies just clash. This is the case when he got to work with Tina Turner, where a conflict about how music was played turned into a massive explosion.
Elton John Falls Out With Tina Turner Over Conflicting Performance
In an autobiography in 2019, the "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting" singer recalls a turbulent exchange with Tina Turner. She tells John that he's not playing her song "Proud Mary" correctly and immediately throws her hands up, saying he doesn't know how to play. As you might expect, Elton takes some serious offense to this. "The subsequent debate became heated quite quickly before I brought it to a conclusion by telling Tina Turner to stick her fucking song up her arse and storming off. I've thrown plenty of tantrums in my time, but there are limits: there's an unspoken rule that musician don't treat their fellow musicians like s--t," Elton states.
Given Turner's abusive relationship, you could expect her to be a little on edge. Moreover, it's always a headache to hear one of your songs sound completely different when you aren't expecting it. But her and Elton never did get it together for any music later on.
