Ben Carter
On 31 August 1997, the world was shocked by the sudden death of Diana, Princess of Wales, in a car crash in Paris, France. Elton John, a close friend of the Princess, performed a rewritten version of his 1973 song Candle in the Wind at her funeral on 6 September 1997. The new version, titled Candle in the Wind 1997 or Goodbye England's Rose, featured lyrics adapted to suit the circumstances of Diana's life and death. John has not performed this version live since the funeral, but the single became one of the best-selling records of all time, with proceeds going to charitable causes that were close to Diana's heart.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of times Elton John sang Candle in the Wind 1997 publicly | Once, at the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales |
| Whether Elton John sings the 1997 version at his concerts | No, he sings the original 1973 version |
| Whether Elton John released the 1997 version on any of his albums or compilations | No |
| Whether Elton John released the 1997 version as a single | Yes |
| The song's ranking on the UK singles chart | Number one |
| The song's ranking on the German Singles Chart | Number one |
| The song's ranking on the Australian Singles Chart | Number one |
| The song's ranking on the US Billboard Hot 100 | Number one |
| The song's ranking on the Guinness Book of Records | Second highest-selling physical single of all time |
| The song's Grammy Award status | Best Male Pop Vocal Performance at the 40th Grammy Awards |
| The song's Brit Awards status | Nominated for Best British Single |
| The song's original subject | Marilyn Monroe |
| The song's 1997 version subject | Diana, Princess of Wales |
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What You'll Learn
- Elton John performed 'Candle in the Wind' at Princess Diana's funeral in 1997
- He has not performed the 1997 version live since
- The original version was one of Princess Diana's favourite songs
- Elton John won a Grammy for the original version
- The 1997 version is the second highest-selling physical single of all time
Elton John performed 'Candle in the Wind' at Princess Diana's funeral in 1997
On 6 September 1997, Elton John performed at the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales, in Westminster Abbey. He sang a rewritten version of his 1973 song "Candle in the Wind", titled "Candle in the Wind 1997" or "Goodbye England's Rose". John was good friends with Princess Diana, and the song was released as a tribute single to her.
The original version of "Candle in the Wind" was written by John and his fellow songwriter Bernie Taupin and featured on John's 1973 album "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road". The song was a tribute to Marilyn Monroe, who had died 11 years earlier, and referenced her birth name, Norma Jeane. Taupin has stated that he wanted to portray Monroe as "very much somebody people could fall in love with without her being out of reach".
Following Princess Diana's death in a car accident on 31 August 1997, Taupin rewrote the lyrics to "Candle in the Wind", drawing parallels between the lives of Monroe and Diana. The new version of the song, with lyrics like "Goodbye England's rose / May you ever grow in our hearts", became an anthem for the grieving nation.
Elton John's performance of "Candle in the Wind 1997" at Princess Diana's funeral was the only time he publicly performed this version of the song. It has not been released on any of his albums or compilations, and he has repeatedly turned down requests to perform it again. The song's global proceeds were donated to charities that were close to Diana's heart, and it became the best-selling single in UK chart history.
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He has not performed the 1997 version live since
Elton John has not performed the 1997 version of "Candle in the Wind" live since Princess Diana's funeral on 6 September 1997. He has repeatedly turned down requests to perform the song, including for the memorial Concert for Diana in July 2007. John vowed never to perform the song again unless asked by Diana's sons.
The 1997 version of "Candle in the Wind", also known as "Goodbye England's Rose", was a rewritten and re-recorded version of the 1973 song of the same name. The original version was one of Princess Diana's favourite songs, as she identified with the sentiment expressed in the song about how the press hounds public figures. The 1997 version was written as a tribute to Princess Diana, who died in a car accident on 31 August 1997.
John was very good friends with Princess Diana, and he wanted to pay tribute to her with the song. The lyrics of the 1997 version were adapted from the original, with references to Marilyn Monroe changed to reflect Diana's life. For example, the opening line "Goodbye Norma Jean" from the 1973 version became "Goodbye England's rose" in the 1997 version.
The 1997 version of "Candle in the Wind" was produced by Sir George Martin and released on 13 September 1997. It became the best-selling single in UK chart history and John's ninth and final US number-one single. The song's global proceeds went towards Diana's charities, and it raised £38 million ($49 million) for these causes.
Despite the song's enormous success, John has refrained from performing it since Diana's funeral, out of respect for her memory and his own emotional connection to the song.
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The original version was one of Princess Diana's favourite songs
The original version of "Candle in the Wind" was one of Princess Diana's favourite songs. She identified with the song's sentiment about the press hounding public figures, even after their death.
The song was originally written in 1973 by Elton John and Bernie Taupin as a tribute to Marilyn Monroe, who had died 11 years earlier. The opening line, "Goodbye, Norma Jean", refers to Monroe's real name, Norma Jeane (also spelled Jean) Mortenson. The lyrics also include the line, ""Your candle burned out long before your legend ever did", which some interpret as a reference to Monroe's tragic death.
In 1997, John and Taupin rewrote and re-recorded the song as "Candle in the Wind 1997" or "Goodbye England's Rose" as a tribute to Princess Diana, who had died that year. The new version included adapted lyrics, such as "Goodbye England's rose/May you ever grow in our hearts", and additional instrumentation, including a string quartet and woodwind.
John performed the 1997 version live only once, at Diana's funeral in Westminster Abbey on September 6, 1997. He has since refused to perform this version again, even for a memorial concert in 2007, vowing never to sing it again unless asked by Diana's sons.
The 1997 version of "Candle in the Wind" became one of the best-selling singles of all time, with over 33 million copies sold worldwide. It topped the charts in several countries, including the UK, where it became the fastest-selling single in history, and the US, where it topped the Billboard Hot 100 for 14 weeks. The song also won John the Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance in 1998.
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Elton John won a Grammy for the original version
"Candle in the Wind" is a threnody-style ballad written by English musician Elton John and songwriter Bernie Taupin. It was originally written in 1973 as a tribute to Marilyn Monroe, who had died 11 years earlier. The song was released as a single in 1974 and reached No. 11 in the UK charts. The original version, which is in the key of E major, appeared on John's 1973 album "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road".
In 1997, Elton John performed a rewritten version of the song, "Candle in the Wind 1997", as a tribute to Diana, Princess of Wales, who had died that year. The new version had new lyrics and was recorded with a string quartet and woodwind instruments. It was released on 13 September 1997 and became a huge commercial success, peaking at No. 1 in several countries, including the UK and the US. The song also topped the German Singles Chart for seven weeks and the Australian Singles Chart for six weeks.
"Candle in the Wind 1997" won John the Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance at the 40th Grammy Awards ceremony in 1998. The song was also nominated for the Brit Award for Best British Single at the 1998 Brit Awards. John has not performed this version live since Diana's funeral and it has not appeared on any of his subsequent compilation albums, which instead use the original version.
Elton John continues to sing the original version of "Candle in the Wind" at his concerts but has repeatedly turned down requests to perform the 1997 version, even for the memorial Concert for Diana in July 2007. He has vowed never to perform the 1997 version again unless asked by Diana's sons.
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The 1997 version is the second highest-selling physical single of all time
"Candle in the Wind 1997", also known as Goodbye England's Rose and Candle in the Wind '97", is a rewritten and re-recorded version of the 1973 song "Candle in the Wind" by Elton John and Bernie Taupin. It was released on 13 September 1997 as a tribute to Diana, Princess of Wales, who had died in a car accident on 31 August 1997. The proceeds from the song went towards Diana's charities.
The song entered at number one on the UK singles chart after just one day of sales, becoming the fastest-selling record of all time in the UK charts. It also became John's fourth UK number-one single and the best-selling single in UK chart history. In the US, it became John's ninth and final US number-one single, topping the Billboard Hot 100 for 14 weeks. It was also his final top-40 hit as a solo artist.
According to the Guinness Book of Records, "Candle in the Wind 1997" is the second highest-selling physical single of all time, with 33 million copies sold worldwide. It is also the highest-selling single since charts began in the 1950s. The song has been certified Diamond in the US, with over 11 million copies shipped. In the UK, the song has sold 4.9 million copies as of September 2017.
In Germany, the song is the eighth best-selling pop hymn ever and has been certified 14 times platinum in Australia, where it spent six weeks at number one. It is also the best-selling single of all time in Finland, with quintuple-platinum sales of over 54,000 copies. "Candle in the Wind 1997" had high pre-order numbers in several countries, including 150,000 in the Netherlands, 2 million in Germany, 250,000 in France, 400,000 in Australia, and 2 million in Germany.
Elton John has not performed "Candle in the Wind 1997" in public since Diana's funeral, and it has not appeared on any of his subsequent albums.
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Frequently asked questions
Elton John has not performed the 1997 version of Candle in the Wind live since Diana's funeral. He continues to sing the original 1973 version at his concerts.
The song has never been released or re-released on any of Elton John's albums or compilations.
Elton John vowed never to perform the 1997 version again unless asked by Diana's sons.
Yes, Elton John wrote and performed Candle in the Wind, with lyrics by his fellow co-songwriter Bernie Taupin.
Yes, Elton John performed Candle in the Wind, also known as "Goodbye England's Rose", at Princess Diana's funeral on 6 September 1997.
