Elton John, Bernie Taupin, his band and touring members come to America for the first time to start a week residency at Doug Weston’s Troubador in LA from August 25 – 30, 1970.

From all accounts, these Troubador shows are the launch pad for the Rocket Man. Here is the setlist from August 25, 1970.

Your Song
Bad Side Of The Moon
Sixty Years On
I Need You To Turn To
Border Song
Country Comfort
Take Me To The Pilot
Honky Tonk Women
Burn Down The Mission / My Baby Left Me / Get Back

In the spring of 1973, I started dating Mary Kit Smith. Her favorite music artist at the time was Elton John, who we had the pleasure to see in 1973 at the Hollywood Bowl, and in 1974 at the Fabulous Forum in Los Angeles. (Note- The last song on the playlist, Pinball Wizard is from his “Red Piano” shows where we saw him in Las Vegas, I believe in 2009.)

By 1975, Elton John is the biggest concert act in the world. He decides to come back to the Troubadour to celebrate the 5 year anniversary of his triumphant run. He calls these shows, “Five Years of Fun.”

In spring of 1975, Mary Kit wins two golden tickets to one of four shows through a postcard lottery process that she had entered. The tickets were all to benefit the UCLA Jules Stein Eye Institute at Doug Weston’s Troubadour (250 seats) in LA. I’ll never forget being at her house when she got the call that she was selected from all the people who entered their names for the drawing. We thought we had won the lottery and yes, we did win the lottery!

The following video is an edited video that I made from a Youtube video that wouldn’t let me embed it into my blog. Well, bloody hell, here’s a shortened better version personalized to this story.

The summer and week of August 25, 1975, Mary Kit and I move from our hometown of Santa Maria, CA down to the dorms at San Diego State University. So in the span of one week: we get settled in our dorms, drive back up to LA for the Elton John benefit show, then go to a rock festival on August, 31st in San Diego. (I will cover that rock festival in my post next week as a little teaser here.)

So, I’m going to say (but not certain), that we went to the August 26th show at the Troubadour. At the time, I had a very used 1968 BMW 1600 purchased for $800, that at some point, had a cracked head in the engine. In the drive north from San Diego to the Troubadour, the clutch starts to go out! I decide, damn the torpedoes, we can make it! We make it there and find a parking lot several blocks from the Troubadour, and park for free.

During that incredible show, we spot Bernie Taupin just to the left of us standing by a door. We got up, and went over to him as he was surrounded by several girls. Mary Kit marched right up to him and just started talking to him. He spoke to her for several seconds and then he gave her a kiss on the cheek. That was a very cool moment. The entire show is so up close and wonderful, we can’t believe our eyes and ears!

Back to the San Diego State dorms…

We get in the car and I have to nurse and ride the clutch and I don’t remember ever getting out of 3rd gear. To make matters worse, as we go down Interstate 405 to the 5, The fog is getting very thick along the coast. I remember being so white knuckled driving in the slow lane, thinking the clutch was going to fall out of the engine at any moment! I can’t see ten feet in front of me, but I’m smiling, as Mary Kit is amped, talking a mile a minute, and I’m thinking she’s on the best date of her life, me too!

In the nine albums that Elton John released between 1970 – 1975, Mary Kit had purchased every one. I had purchased every one, including Empty Sky (1969), up until Goodbye Yellow Brick Road. For me, the magic probably starts to wear off a bit after Elton’s drug use really takes off in 1974. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the music excellence is starting to diminish as the Rocket Man, and so many are… “gonna be high as a kite by then.” But I have to say, the first six albums on this list below represent a string of studio albums few have ever matched back to back, not to mention being in the heart of my teenage years.

1973

Here is the setlist for the August 25, 1975 show at the Troubadour-

Your Song
I Need You To Turn To
Border Song
Honky Cat
Levon
Rocket Man (I Think It’s Going To Be A Long, Long Time)
Hercules
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
Bennie And The Jets
Harmony
Dixie Lily
Someone Saved My Life Tonight
The Bitch Is Back
Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me
Street Kids
Island Girl
Philadelphia Freedom
Crocodile Rock
Pinball Wizard

There is only one actual video from the 1970 show, and none from the 1975 shows, that I could find on Youtube? The playlist this week will be a mix of live and studio recordings mostly performed during that magical five year period where Elton was one of the best to ever do it!

Enjoy my friends.

References

• Footage World. YouTube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1gCVPL247k&t=5s Last accessed 16th August 2025
• Tinnitist. Area Resident’s Stylus Counsel: A Tale Of Two Troubadours – Tinnitist. Available at: https://tinnitist.com/2023/06/08/area-residents-stylus-counsel-a-tale-of-two-troubadours/, Last accessed 16th August 2025