"Candle In The Wind 1997"
Single by Elton John
Released	1997
Format	CD single, Cassette single
Recorded	The Townhouse Studios
Genre	Pop
Length	3:39
Label	A&M
Writer(s)	Elton John, Bernie Taupin
Producer(s)	George Martin
Chart positions
#1 (UK, U.S., Australia, Canada, Ireland)
Elton John singles chronology
"Live Like Horses" (1996)	"Candle in the Wind 1997" (1997)	"Recover Your Soul" (1998)

"Candle in the Wind" is a song with music by Elton John and lyrics by Bernie Taupin. Originally written in 1973, a later version of the song became the world's best-selling single of all time. Image File history File links Summary The cover of the single from 1997, the tribute to Princess Diana(Candle In The Wind). ... A collection of various CD singles In music, a single is a short recording of one or more separate tracks. ... Sir Elton Hercules[1] John, CBE[2] (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight on 25 March 1947) is an English pop/rock singer, composer and pianist. ... 1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A CD single is a music single in the form of a compact disc. ... Insert from the Winter cassette single by Tori Amos The cassette single was a music recording format that debuted in the 80s. ... A music genre is a category (or genre) of pieces of music that share a certain style or basic musical language (van der Merwe 1989, p. ... For popular music (music produced commercially rather than art or folk music), see Popular music. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... A&M Records is a record label formed in 1962 by Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss. ... A songwriter is someone who writes the lyrics to songs, the musical composition or melody to songs, or both. ... Bernie Taupin (born May 22, 1950) is an English lyricist famous for his collaboration with Elton John. ... In the music industry, a record producer (or music producer) has many roles, among them controlling the recording sessions, coaching and guiding the performers, and supervising the recording, mixing and mastering processes. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... A record chart, also known as a music chart, is a method of ranking music according to popularity during a given period of time. ... United States is the current Good Article Collaboration of the week! Please help to improve this article to the highest of standards. ... Sir Elton Hercules[1] John, CBE[2] (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight on 25 March 1947) is an English pop/rock singer, composer and pianist. ... Sir Elton Hercules[1] John, CBE[2] (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight on 25 March 1947) is an English pop/rock singer, composer and pianist. ... Bernie Taupin (born May 22, 1950) is an English lyricist famous for his collaboration with Elton John. ... 1973 (MCMLXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday. ... A collection of various CD singles In music, a single is a short recording of one or more separate tracks. ...

Original version

The original version was found on Elton John's 1973 album Goodbye Yellow Brick Road. The lyrics of the song are a sympathetic portrayal of the life of Marilyn Monroe (the song's opening line "Goodbye Norma Jean" refers to Monroe's real name) and condemn exploitation by those around her, using the metaphor of a candle extinguished prematurely after the loneliness of her final years. The single release of the original song reached number eleven in the UK charts in 1974, and a live recording reached number five in 1988. Taupin was inspired to write the song after hearing the phrase "candle in the wind" used in tribute to the late Janis Joplin. 1973 (MCMLXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday. ... Goodbye Yellow Brick Road is the eighth album by British singer/songwriter Elton John, released in 1973 (see 1973 in music). ... Marilyn Monroe (June 1, 1926 – August 5, 1962) was an iconic American actress, singer and model. ... 1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday. ... 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Janis Lyn Joplin (January 19, 1943 – October 4, 1970) was an American blues-influenced rock singer and occasional songwriter with a highly unique and distinctive voice. ...

This version is ranked #347 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. Rolling Stone is an American magazine devoted to music, politics and popular culture. ... The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time was the cover story of a special issue of Rolling Stone magazine published in November 2004. ...

1997 version

"Candle In The Wind 1997" is a remake of "Candle In The Wind" (now addressing Princess Diana instead of Marilyn Monroe) by Elton John released as a tribute to the late Diana, Princess of Wales. Released in 1997, the song peaked at number one in the UK becoming John's fourth number one single. It also peaked at number one in the USA, Australia, and Canada. As of 2006, it is the world's best-selling CD single in history. Sir Elton Hercules[1] John, CBE[2] (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight on 25 March 1947) is an English pop/rock singer, composer and pianist. ... Diana, Princess of Wales (Diana Frances Mountbatten-Windsor, née The Lady Diana Spencer) (1 July 1961 – 31 August 1997) was the first wife of The Prince of Wales, the eldest son and heir apparent of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom. ... 1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Track listing

1. "Something About The Way You Look Tonight"
2. "Candle In The Wind (1997)"
3. "You Can Make History (Young Again)"

Song information

On 31 August 1997, Diana, Princess of Wales, was killed in a car crash. The news immediately shocked John as he and the Princess had been very good friends. He had also lost another good friend, the fashion designer Gianni Versace, just weeks before. August 31 is the 243rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (244th in leap years), with 122 days remaining. ... 1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Diana, Princess of Wales (Diana Frances Mountbatten-Windsor, née The Lady Diana Spencer) (1 July 1961 – 31 August 1997) was the first wife of The Prince of Wales, the eldest son and heir apparent of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom. ... Gianni Versace Giovanni Gianni Versace (December 2, 1946 – July 15, 1997) was a charismatic and accomplished Italian designer of clothing and theater costumes. ...

As a result of these deaths, John sank into a deep depression, and considered not going to the funeral due to the emotional trauma. In the end, he decided to attend after receiving support from other friends. Following the recovery, John decided he wanted to pay a tribute to Diana. With that in mind, he contacted his veteran writing partner, Bernie Taupin. Due to the limited time available, they felt it was not possible to write a new song, instead choosing to re-write the lyrics to "Candle in the Wind". George Martin was contacted to help produce the song, and added a string quartet and woodwind to help balance the recording. Depression, or a depressed mood, may in everyday English refer to a state of melancholia, unhappiness or sadness, or to a relatively minor downturn in mood that may last only a few hours or days. ... Bernie Taupin (born May 22, 1950) is an English lyricist famous for his collaboration with Elton John. ...

In this memorial anthem John expresses the grief felt not only by him but also from those around the world who admired Diana. With the new lyrics, John draws parallels between her life and that of the aforementioned Marilyn Monroe (the opening line of the song is changed from "Goodbye Norma Jean" to "Goodbye England's Rose"). More comparisons between the two can also be seen as both Monroe and Diana had very difficult lives filled with many problems causing them both of them to suffer from depression. John sums up his feelings about Diana being like a candle in the wind, as he states "And it seems to me you lived your life, Like a candle in the wind...never fading with the sunset, when the rain set in. And your footsteps will always fall here..along England's greenest hills...your candle's burned out long before...your legend ever will...."

John sang "Candle In The Wind 1997" in public, for the first and only time in history, at the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales, in Westminster Abbey on 6 September 1997. Due to the nature of the lyrics, John has repeatedly turned down requests to perform the song live. The song has also never been released on any of his albums. (John released an album The Big Picture shortly after her death but did not include it there either.) However, he has made an exception to this rule, and has stated that he will play the song again only if requested by Diana's sons. To date, this request has not been made. At concerts, he performs the original 1973 version. The Abbeys western façade The Collegiate Church of St Peter, Westminster, which is almost always referred to as Westminster Abbey, is a mainly Gothic church, on the scale of a cathedral, in Westminster, London, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. ... September 6 is the 249th day of the year (250th in leap years). ... 1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

In 2005, Q magazine included the 1997 version in a list of "Ten Terrible Records by Great Artists". Q is a music and entertainment magazinepublished monthly in the United Kingdom. ...

Chart performance

As the song was a tribute to the popular Diana and because pre-order numbers had been high, it was expected by chart analysts for the song to top the charts, but its results were record breaking. In its first week on sale, it became the fastest-selling single in the UK, selling 658,000 copies in the UK on that day alone, and over 1.5 million copies in its first week. The single would remain at number one for 5 weeks. All in all, it eventually sold 4.86 million copies in the UK, overtaking "Do They Know It's Christmas?" to become the best-selling single of all time in the UK. Cover art for the original Do They Know Its Christmas? release – artist Peter Blake This article is about the song. ... This is a list of best-selling singles in the United Kingdom. ...

The response in the USA was quite similar. It became the 7th song in history to debut at number one, and sold over 1 million copies in its first week. As a result, the single held on to the number one position for several weeks, with 14 weeks at the top in all, the record for a male solo artist. All in all, it sold over 11 million copies in the USA to become the all-time best-selling single, after receiving advance orders of nearly 9 million. Besides being the best-selling single in the USA, it is also the most shipped single in the USA with a certification of 11x platinum. This makes "Candle In The Wind 1997" the only song in the USA ever to be certified for more than 4 million copies sold, and the first and only diamond single ever. See the following lists for the best-selling singles of each country: United Kingdom (also by year) United States of America See also List of Christmas number one singles UK Singles Chart RIAA certification Record company Record industry Categories: Lists of songs ... A diamond single is a single that has reached a certain level of official sales. ...

Its success was also seen in most countries around the world. In Canada, it spent three years in the top 20, with 45 weeks at the top spot. (However, the song's unusual chart performance in Canada has also been explained as a structural factor -- due to the relative lack of CD singles available for sale in Canadian stores, in some weeks the song was able to chart on sales of less than 100 copies across the entire country.)

From a worldwide perspective, over 33 million copies were sold around the globe, making it the best-selling single of all time worldwide, although it should be noted that this sales figure takes into account only CD singles and was released after the era of the traditional single had effectively ended; Bing Crosby's "White Christmas" remains the biggest-selling traditional vinyl single. It is estimated that at the peak of sales, almost six copies of the single were sold across the world per second. All artist and composer royalties and record company profits were donated to the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund. Harry Lillis Bing Crosby (May 3, 1903 – October 14, 1977) was an American singer and actor whose career lasted from 1926 until his death in 1977. ... White Christmas is an Irving Berlin song whose lyrics reminisce about White Christmases. ... A royalty is a sum paid to the creator of performance art for the use of that art. ... The Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund was set up after the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, in 1997. ...

Comprehensive charts

UK

International

The Irish Singles Chart is the Irish Chart for music singles. ...

Sales

• United States: (11x Platinum) (Sales: 11,000,000)
• Holland: (6x Platinum) (Sales: 300,000)
• United Kingdom (9x Platinum) (Sales: 5,400,000)
• Canada: (Diamond) (Sales:1,000,000)
• Switzerland: (9x Platinum) (450,000)
• Australia: (14X Platinum) (Sales: 980,000+)
• France: (Diamond) (sales: 2,000,000+)

Other Uses

Candle In The Wind is the name of a 1941 play by Maxwell Anderson. This article is about the year. ... (James) Maxwell Anderson (15 December 1888 – 28 February 1959) was a Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright, author, poet, reporter and lyricist, and a founding member of The Playwrights Company (which included, at various times, Maxwell Anderson, S. N. Behrman, Elmer Rice, Robert E. Sherwood, Sidney Howard, Roger L. Stevens, John F...

"The Candle In The Wind" is the name of the fourth and final volume in English author T.H. White's retelling of the myth of King Arthur, The Once and Future King. Terence Hanbury White (May 29, 1906 - January 17, 1964) was a writer. ... A bronze Arthur in plate armour with visor raised and with jousting shield is one of the chivalrous mourners at the tomb of Emperor Maximilian I (died 1519), in Innsbruck King Arthur is an important figure in the mythology of Great Britain, where he appears as the ideal of kingship... The Once and Future King The Once and Future King is an Arthurian fantasy novel written by T.H. White. ...

• Performance at YouTube