22. Wrap Her Up (Elton John - Live In Belfast: 1/11/1986)

Hello folks! Holy smokes! I have been forced to go back on my “never-ending farewell tour” because of a recent Elton John show that has just been released to the public. While working on an unrelated project, I saw that an Elton John show from Belfast 1986 was posted to DIME. After initially thinking that it was just a clone of the commonly circulating show from January 9th, I was informed that it was indeed a new show! Afterwards, all of my current plans were put on hold in order to work on this upload!
This recording has decent quality and is 100% complete! While it’s a bit of a distant-sounding recording in general, you can still hear all of the instrumentation, the vocals (although the backing singers are slightly buried in comparison to everything else), and a fantastic atmosphere in general. The audience is absolutely on fire at this show and this propels Elton and his band to deliver one of the best shows of the era. This show is extremely special in the realm of this tour leg and I was shocked at some of the performances. I can’t wait to discuss this show with people!
A big reason to why this show is so excellent is due to Elton himself. Not only is his vocal shape excellent overall, but his song deliveries are among his best for the tour in general. I don’t know if it was because it’s the last show on the tour (and Elton goes all-out because of that), the amazing crowd atmosphere, or the Northern Irish air, but Elton steps up his game and truly delivers amazingly consistent performances on this show. His vocal strength also seems to increase as the show progresses and every facet of his voice shines throughout. Now… time to talk about these performances!
“Tonight” has some roughness and a slight lyrical stumble, but it’s otherwise a good conservative version. “One Horse Town” has Elton nailing the key falsettos and his voice seems to get stronger as the performance progresses. “Better Off Dead” has the best vocal delivery of the song on the tour leg as Elton sings the song with an aggressive punch and does the embellishment on “if you haven’t yet died.” “Rocket Man” is amazing overall with Elton singing the falsettos in the verses like the record version (glides up to the note without a breath/pause) and adds a lot of power and nuances to the vocals that make it sound closer to a 1984 version. “Honky Cat” is one of the better post-Sheffield versions as Elton sings the song straightforwardly and sings a nice falsetto on “bottle of wine.” “Burn Down The Mission” is a candidate for the best live version as the musicianship is top notch (Charlie really shines on the drums) and Elton sounds beastly on the vocal side of things. “Someone Saved My Life Tonight” features one of Elton’s best vocal performances from the era as his control is fantastic and he sounds extremely powerful and consistent throughout the entire performance. The outroduction section highlights an excellent Davey solo and Elton’s powerful high notes. “The Bitch Is Back” is extremely energetic with Elton sounding especially excellent during the last half of the song. “Song For You” highlights Elton’s strong middle register and excellent vocal control. “Blue Eyes” has great vocal harmonies with some nice phrasing choices by Elton, and “I Guess That’s Why They Call It The Blues” has a fantastic vocal delivery by Elton and is among the best medley versions of the song.
“Restless” has Elton aggressively delivering the song like a version from 1984, and Davey’s guitar work is sublime. “Passengers” from this show is the best version live as Elton remembers the words, delivers a passionate vocal performance, and the trombone solo is awesome. “Bennie And The Jets” is one of the best versions from the tour as Elton sounds very strong throughout and does his over-the-top goofy falsetto phrasing in the third chorus. “Sad Songs (Say So Much)” sounds great with Elton delivering a consistent vocal and the instrumentation sounding nice. “Shoot Down The Moon” has a fantastic vocal delivery (which beats the album version) and the band sound really nice on this version. “This Town” highlights the fantastic band as everybody sounds amazing on this version. “Nikita” is another strong performance with Elton’s vocals sounding great. “I’m Still Standing” is one of the best versions ever as Elton’s vocals are fantastic. “Your Song” is the typical duet version from the tour. “Wrap Her Up” is a great performance overall. “Candle In The Wind” is the best version from the tour as Elton’s voice is very smooth and he nails the ending with great power. “Kiss The Bride” is a fun performance with Elton making up random vocal phrasings in spots, not singing a line, and the whole band sound enthusiastic. Finally, “Can I Get A Witness” ends the show by being a candidate for the best version as Elton sounds extremely consistent and powerful throughout.
ENJOY!!!
Note: Elton accidentally calls the city “Dublin” after “One Horse Town” and the audience take notice!

[@ncf1]

sounds more vital live.. i like it played just a bit faster.. better than studio i reckon!

[@GregsynthWizard]

Yeah - the song comes alive in the live environment! These UK versions are splendid!