Lady Samantha – 50th Music Anniversaries and Other Musings

Elton John – Single: Lady Samantha

Lady Samantha was Elton’s second single. It was written by John and Bernie Taupin, and released this day 50 years ago (and a year later in the US), six months before the release of his first album. He performed the song on various British radio broadcasts, and while critics liked it, it didn’t garner much attention by the record buying public.

http___a.amz.mshcdn.com_wp-content_uploads_2015_10_eltonjohn-4.jpg — Val Wilmer/Redferns/Getty Images.

This is an early Elton/Bernie collaboration with an esoteric bent I like quite a bit. It’s about the ghost of a lady who frightens everyone who sees her, but in reality she’s a sad figure. I first heard this song on the To Be Continued… box set and liked it immediately. Caleb Quaye’s electric guitar is a cool counter to Elton’s funereal organ playing. I thought it would’ve fit in perfectly on his first album, Empty Sky. It was in fact added to 1995 reissue of that album along with a few other early singles and b-sides.