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Credit: Hanna Hanseroth
Elton John and Brandi Carlile have shared a new single, Never Too Latea duet inspired by, and specifically written for, the forthcoming Disney+ documentary chronicling Elton John’s career.
Elton John: Never Too Late will stream on Disney+ on December 13.
The tagline for the film, co-directed by American film-maker R.J. Cutler (The War Room, Nashville) and David Furnish, the musician’s husband runs, “He risked it all, to find himself”, and a synopsis from Disney+ reads: “The documentary follows Elton John as he looks back on his life and the astonishing early days of his 50-year career in this emotionally charged, intimate and uplifting full-circle journey.
“As he prepares for his final concert in North America at Dodger Stadium, Elton takes us back in time and recounts the extraordinary highs and heartbreaking lows of his early years and how he overcame adversity, abuse and addiction to become the icon he is today.”
The song Never Too Late was written after John and Furnish screened an unfinished and as-yet-untitled early cut of the film for Carlile.
The Washington state-born singer/songwriter says, “I found the early cut of the documentary that went on to become Elton John: Never Too Late so moving. It was really amazing to see historic footage of Elton and the trajectory of his life. But as fantastic and as beautiful as everything was that we were all witnessing as fans, his life was also pretty lonely and difficult at times. And I thought that the documentary illustrated a really important sentiment, because he might not have ever found his serenity and his peace, but he did find it, and he found it later in life. And it is never too late – too late to find the love of your life, or to start a family, or to change your mind about anything.”
Elton John says: “When Brandi told me she was so inspired by the early cut of the documentary that she wanted us to to co-write a new song for it, I was thrilled. I’ve known for a long time how great she was but still, reading her lyrics and co-writing with her on the music was deeply moving. Especially given how personal it is to see, seeing my life on the screen, she just perfectly captured the essence of the documentary and why I stopped touring to spend more time with my family. I’m constantly astonished by her craft, she can channel my voice in a way only Bernie has managed to do before. I know Bernie helped guide Brandi on that. The standard of her musicianship, her songwriting, her passion for what she does are sensational. She truly is one of the greatest there is.”
Listen to the song, produced by Andrew Watt (Ozzy Osbourne, The Rolling Stones, Pearl Jam), below:
“You think about that more when you get to my age,” John says at one point in the film, as reported by the Irish Independent. “You think about life and death…. I don’t have to work after this tour. I will be working doing records and putting radio shows together, and doing other things, but travelling takes so much out of you. It is very tiring. I am used to it and I am a veteran at it… but this is where you start to think about mortality.”
Watch the film’s trailer below:
