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Scattershot
- Life, Music, Elton and Me
- Narrated by: Bernie Taupin, John Lee
- Length: 15 hrs and 35 mins
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Scattershot
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Summary
*THE SUNDAY TIMES TOP TEN BESTSELLER*
*A Times Best Music Book of 2023*
'This is the most glorious of books. I am besotted by the life I never knew he had.' -Elton John
'Every page of Scattershot is a delight, a joy, a name-dropper fan's delight. Divine. I couldn't put it down.' -Pete Townshend
'Hilarious and so emotionally true, Scattershot is like a letter from a cherished friend. You'll want to keep it close, so you can read it again and again.' -Cameron Crowe
'Touching. Charming. Humble. Witty. And exquisitely written. Taupin's words need no musical accompaniment. They sing with a poets voice.' -Gary Oldman
'Eloquent and inspiring' -Robert Hilburn, author of Johnny Cash: The Life
'A funny, zippy narrative' -MOJO
'An entertaining ride that doesn't spare the horses' -RTE Guide
'Sharply written' -The Independent
'Self deprecating and refreshingly honest' - Sunday Times
'Brilliant memoir' Daily Express
This is the memoir music fans have been waiting for. Half of one of the greatest creative partnerships in popular music, Bernie Taupin is the man who wrote the lyrics for Elton John, who conceived the ideas that spawned countless hits, and sold millions and millions of records. Together, they were a duo, a unit, an immovable object. Their extraordinary, half-century-and-counting creative relationship has been chronicled in biopics (like 2019's Rocketman) and even John's own autobiography, Me. But Taupin, a famously private person, has kept his own account of their adventures close to his chest, until now.
Written with honesty and candour, Scatterhot allows the reader to witness events unfolding from Taupin's singular perspective, sometimes front and center, sometimes from the edge, yet always described vibrantly, with an infectious energy that only a vivid songwriter's prose could offer. From his childhood in the East Midlands of England whose imagination was sparked and forever informed by the distinctly American mythopoetics of country music and cowboys, to the glittering, star-studded fishbowl of '70s and '80s Beverly Hills, Scattershot is simultaneously a Tom Jones-like picaresque journey across a landscape of unforgettable characters, as well as a striking, first-hand account of a creative era like no other and one man's experience at the core of it.
An exciting, multi-decade whirlwind, Scattershot whizzes around the world as we ride shotgun with Bernie on his extraordinary life. We visit New York with him and Elton on the cusp of global fame. We spend time with him in Australia almost in residency at an infamous rock 'n' roll hotel in an endless blizzard of drugs. And we spend late, late night hours with John Lennon, with Bob Marley, and hanging with Frank Sinatra. And beyond the world of popular music, we witness memorable encounters with writers like Graham Greene, painters like Andy Warhol and Salvador Dali, and scores of notable misfits, miscreants, eccentrics, and geniuses, known and unknown. Even if they're not famous in their own right, they are stars on the page, and we discover how they inspired the indelible lyrics to songs such as "Tiny Dancer," "Candle in the Wind," "Bennie and The Jets," and so many more.
Unique and utterly compelling, Scattershot will transport the reader across the decades and around the globe, along the way meeting some of the greatest creative minds of the 20th century, and into the vivid imaginings of one of music's most legendary lyricists.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.
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What listeners say about Scattershot
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Colin Peel
- 11-01-24
Bernie who?
I have loved the words that Bernie has painted with since the early seventies.❤️
In this book I can see where they came from.🧐
A very good listen.🤗
I now have to relisten and research all of the influences he lists, it may take some time.🤓
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Thistle
- 25-11-23
ok but ..
ok interesting but do we really need that much info about horses and rodeo.. some parts was so boring. but the audio is clear but felt its was a bit rushed as if there was a joke waiting at end of most sentences .Worth a read or listen.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Brian
- 25-09-23
Enjoyable listen
Having read the existing reviews I almost didn’t buy this audiobook.
Obviously, I did buy it in the end and found it to be a well written, interesting insight into Bernie Taupin’s life.
As it says in previous reviews, there is a bit of a confusing timeline to the book and the story may be a bit all over the place, but it didn’t spoil it for me.
Don’t let the poor reviews put you off.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 01-12-23
Annoying mispronunciation
I really enjoyed the eloquence with which Bernie Taupin writes and I‘ve found it fascinating learning about the diversity of his character and where life has taken him. The only thing that has spoilt the audiobook are the constant mispronunciations of everyday words which niggled me and spoiled an otherwise great autobiography.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Wayne N.
- 10-11-23
A life well lived!
I’m a massive Elton John and Bernie Taupin fan of many years and there are just so many great stories in this honest memoir. A lot fitted into those years.
Highly recommended
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Paul R Gregory
- 28-10-23
Lyricist, raconteur, cowboy, a life well lived
An enjoyable collection of stories from a man whose life has been lived to the utmost. From Lincolnshire chicken farm to Hollywood, it’s been a hell of a ride….
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Rabbit
- 26-10-23
Don’t let the poor reviews put you off
An excellent listen. Fascinating insight into the author’s story. Don’t expect a homage to Elton John, It is what you should expect of an autobiography, a fascinating journey through the life of Bernie Taupin
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- 1PTS
- 29-01-24
Well written and narrated but…
This is a very well written and narrated autobiography but I expected a lot more stories about Bernie and Elton. How they worked together, their ups and downs etc. Clearly Bernie has lead an interesting and fulfilling life and there are some revealing and funny moments; one thing for sure Bernie is honest about his thoughts and views on some of the celebrities he’s encountered. I really wanted to like this book but I wished there’d been more about his songwriting and how they were penned and the music put to his words.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Stop the lights
- 24-11-23
Some interesting tales
It's OK. Can't help but think he's an exceptionally lucky guy. If he never met Elton would he ever have been anything. Some entertaining stories but in honesty the book could have been discarded at many junctions.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Mr. S. W. Pannell
- 05-10-23
Don’t really get the negative reviews
Ok, some people prefer chronological autobiographies, and also the author to have read it. I’m one of them. But this book is well written and presented, interesting throughout. I’m guessing the average Elton John fan just wants to hear about that side and also hasn’t read much or knows words with more than 7 letters in them.
Bernie is a wordsmith! What did you expect?!
He can describe the scene and tell a story.
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1 person found this helpful