Following his laser eye operation earlier this year, Elton has become a master video editor – and used his skills to deadly precision against his former manager and lover, John Reid, reported MX (Australia) on July 21, 2003.
Reid has been erased from a re-release of the video for Are You Ready For Love. The song is already flying high in the UK dance charts and tipped to be a number one in September in a new 2003 version. The video is a re-make of the 1979-remix of the 1977 song.
The 1979 promotion for Are You Ready For Love showed the singer mixing the track, surrounded by his friends, including Reid.
But now the pair don’t talk to each other after Elton sued Reid’s firm for mismanagement of his funds in 2000.
Elton lost the suit and was hit with an estimated £8 million legal bill. (We’ve written heaps on all that at eltonjohnworld).
So to get his own back, Elton blurred Reid’s face in the video for the track, expected to be re-released on September 1, 2003.
A friend of Elton’s said: “There is still a lot of bad blood and Elton didn’t want Reid to have anything to do with the record.
“The video could only be used if Reid was obscured.”
* Jazz FM‘s Nicky Horne on July 17, 2003, played the version of the song from the LP album The Complete Thom Bell Sessions and reinforced what we have previously reported – the song will be used as the theme for Sky Sports TV’s coverage in the autumn.
But Nicky got some of his facts wrong. He said the song had never been released, but correctly noted that the Detroit Spinners were on the release. He then played the song.
And the song which he said sells for up to £200 on a single, well that is the version by Elton with only some backing vocals from Detroit Spinners which was on the Mama Can’t Buy Me Love single in 1979 – when remixed by Clive Franks.
On July 7, 2003, a new mix was released by Ashley Beedle.
And don’t forget to enter our competition to WIN a copy signed by Ashley himself! Quiz ends July 24, 2003. See the live links below!
