Kiki Dee explained in the book 1000 UK #1 Hits by Jon Kutner & Spencer Leigh, "Both Elton and I were big fans of those duets on Motown by the likes of Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell and as there hadn't been any around for a bit, we thought we'd do one ourselves."
Elton recorded his part in Toronto, then the tape was sent to London where Kiki Dee recorded her vocal. Producer Gus Dudgeon recalls, "I was with Elton in Canada and he actually sang about three quarters of the song and gave Kiki about four lines. I said, "Hang on a minute, is this supposed to be a duet or a guest appearance? Elton replied, 'A duet.' Then you've got to give her at least 50% of the song."
After Elton recorded his part in Toronto, the tapes were sent to London and when Kiki got them she remembered, "Elton had recorded the song abroad and also did my vocals in a high-pitched voice which was quite funny, so I knew which lines to sing."
This was the second-biggest-selling record of 1976 in both the UK and US (In the UK, "
Save Your Kisses for Me" was #1; in the US it was "
Silly Love Songs" by Wings.
It was a huge international success, topping the charts in a number of countries, including France, Italy, Australia and Canada.
Originally, Elton and Kiki were going to record a cover version of the Four Tops' "Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever."
Elton and his songwriting partner Bernie Taupin wrote this song using the pseudonyms Ann Orson and Carte Blanche.
This was Elton's first #1 in the UK. He had to wait 14 years for his next UK #1, which was "Sacrifice."
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Bernie Taupin recalled the genesis of this song in his 2023 autobiography Scattershot: Life, Music, Elton, and Me):
"I was in Barbados one evening in 1976 when Elton called from Toronto to play me a backing track he'd just cut with the band. Half cut myself by this point, the afternoon's poolside cocktails having muddied my brainwaves, I listened and took note. Elton was in need of a lyric that could be done as a duet. I told him I would give it a shot, hung up, and stuck my head in the ice bucket.
In 10 minutes, I'd thrown something together that was simplistic without being overly trite, and that is how 'Don't Go Breaking My Heart' came about."
Elton rerecorded this 1994 in a duet with drag queen RuPaul. This version of the song was featured in the 1999 film Summer Of Sam.
When Elton John performed this on a season 2 episode of The Muppet Show in 1977, he performed the song with Miss Piggy. The porcine puppet was clearly smitten with Elton, and late in the duet exclaims, "Eat your heart out, Kiki."
Roger Pope played drums on this track. He was a favorite drummer of Elton John's who can also be heard on "
Tiny Dancer," and "
Island Girl."
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Suggestion credit:
Bertrand - Paris, France
In 1993 Elton and Kiki teamed up again with a cover of "True Love," this time reaching #2 in the UK.
Elton sang some of this in a
2018 Snickers commercial where he plays the alter ego of a battle rapper who loses his edge when he's hungry. Yeah, it's a stretch.
Q-Tip and Demi Lovato teamed up to record this for the 2018 tribute album Revamp: Reimagining the Songs of Elton John and Bernie Taupin. That same year, Shawn Mendes and SZA performed it on a Grammy tribute to John and Taupin.