The Bitch Is Back

"The Bitch Is Back" is a rock song by Elton John, written with lyrics Bernie Taupin. It was the second single released from his 1974 album Caribou, and reached number 1 in Canada (his sixth in that country),^[1] number 4 in the United States and number 15 in the United Kingdom.^[2] With lyrics parodying John's celebrity lifestyle, the song has been identified as one of his best hard rock cuts. In the U.S., it was certified Gold on 13 September 1995 by the Recording Industry Association of America.^[3]

Background

The idea to create the song was inspired not by John or Taupin directly, but rather by Bernie Taupin's wife at the time, Maxine Feibelman, who would say, "The bitch is back," when Elton was in a bad mood.^[4] Taupin then wrote the lyrics. Musically, the song originally was written in A-flat major, but is today performed live a half step lower in the key of G major. The saxophone solo in the middle is nowadays usually performed by synthesizers, while a guitar solo occasionally substitutes, as can be seen in the concert videos, One Night Only and Live in Australia.

Controversy

Several radio stations in the United States and elsewhere refused to play the song because of the word "bitch". For example, in 1976, the program director of WPIX-FM in New York told Billboard, "We will play records that are borderline suggestive records such as 'Disco Lady' by Johnny [sic] Taylor but we will not play 'The Bitch Is Back' by Elton John. We won't play those types of records no matter how popular they get."^[5]

Versions

Producer Gus Dudgeon added a live version of it, recorded on Thanksgiving night 1974 at Madison Square Garden, at the close of the There disc on the reissued two-CD version of Here and There. It is a concert staple for John, who loves to play the song live to this day, often as his opening number.^[6] A mixed media presentation of it, with a video cameo from Pamela Anderson, was created for part of John's very successful Red Piano show in Las Vegas.

Covers

The song was twice recorded by Tina Turner: once for her Rough album in 1978, and again for the John/Taupin tribute album Two Rooms in 1991. Turner also performed the song in her live show in the late 1970s, and with Elton John at the VH1 Fashion and Music Awards 1995 and VH1 Divas Live '99.

Dusty Springfield is one of the backing vocalists on the studio version of the song.

Lita Ford covered "The Bitch is Back" on her albums, Living Like a Runaway and the live album, The Bitch Is Back ... Live. Ford named the live album after his song.

In 2013, the song was covered in the Glee episode "Feud", mashed-up with Madonna's "Dress You Up".

Chart performance

Weekly charts

Chart (1974)	Peak position
Australia	53
Canada RPM^[1]	1
UK^[2]	15
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	4
U.S. Cash Box Top 100	5

Year-end charts

Chart (1974)	Rank
Canada	34
U.S. (Joel Whitburn's Pop Annual)^[7]	56

Personnel

Ray Cooper – tambourine
Davey Johnstone – electric guitars
Elton John – piano, vocals
Clydie King – backing vocals
Sherlie Matthews – backing vocals
Dee Murray – bass, phased Pignose bass
Nigel Olsson – drums
Lenny Pickett – tenor sax solo
Jessie Mae Smith – backing vocals
Dusty Springfield – backing vocals

Brass by the Tower of Power horn section

References

1 2 "RPM Top Singles". RPM. 22 (11): 9. 2 November 1074. Retrieved 13 August 2011.
1 2 Guinness British Hit Singles, Fifth Edition, GRRR Books Ltd. and Guinness Superlatives Ltd., 1985, ISBN 0-85112-429-1, p. 115.
↑ "Gold & Platinum - RIAA: Elton John". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved July 2, 2016.
↑ Rosenthal, Elizabeth J. (2001). His Song: The Musical Journey of Elton John. New York: Billboard Books. p. 83. ISBN 0-823088-93-6.
↑ Williams, Jean (25 December 1976). "Sex-Oriented Lyrics, Titles Stir a Storm". Billboard. p. 19. Retrieved 14 November 2011.
↑ "Elton John Concert Setlist at FedExForum, Memphis on March 16, 2013 - setlist.fm". setlist.fm.
↑ Whitburn, Joel (1999). Pop Annual. Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. ISBN 0-89820-142-X.

External links

Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics

Preceded by "You Haven't Done Nothin'" by Stevie Wonder	*Canadian RPM* number-one single** 2 November 1974	Succeeded by "You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet" by Bachman-Turner Overdrive

Elton John songs

1960s and 1970s	"Skyline Pigeon" (1968) "I've Been Loving You" (1968) "Lady Samantha" (1969) "It's Me That You Need" (1969) "Border Song" (1970) "Rock and Roll Madonna" (1970) "From Denver to L.A." (1970) "Take Me to the Pilot" (1970) "Your Song" (1970) "Friends" (1971) "Levon" (1971) "Tiny Dancer" (1972) "Rocket Man" (1972) "Honky Cat" (1972) "I Think I'm Going to Kill Myself" (1972) "Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters" (1972) "Crocodile Rock" (1972) "Elderberry Wine" (1972) "Daniel" (1972) "Teacher I Need You" (1973) "Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding" (1973) "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting" (1973) "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" (1973) "Step into Christmas" (1973) "Candle in the Wind" (1974) "Bennie and the Jets" (1974) "Harmony" (1973) "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" (1974) "The Bitch Is Back" (1974) "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" (1974) "Philadelphia Freedom" (1975) "I Saw Her Standing There" (1975) "Someone Saved My Life Tonight" (1975) "Island Girl" (1975) "Grow Some Funk of Your Own" (1976) "I Feel Like a Bullet (In the Gun of Robert Ford)" (1976) "Pinball Wizard" (1976) "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" (1976) "Cage the Songbird" (1976) "Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word" (1976) "Bite Your Lip (Get Up and Dance!)" (1977) "Crazy Water" (1977) "The Goaldiggers Song" (1977) "Ego" (1978) "Part-Time Love" (1978) "Song for Guy" (1978) "Are You Ready for Love" (1979) "Mama Can't Buy You Love" (1979) "Johnny B. Goode" (1979)

1980s	"Little Jeannie" (1980) "Sartorial Eloquence (Don't Ya Wanna Play This Game No More?)" (1980) "Dear God" (1980) "Whatever Gets You thru the Night" (1981) "Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever" (with Kiki Dee, 1981) "Blue Eyes" (1982) "Empty Garden (Hey Hey Johnny)" (1982) "Ball and Chain" (1982) "All Quiet on the Western Front" (1982) "I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues" (1983) "I'm Still Standing" (1983) "Sad Songs (Say So Much)" (1984) "Nikita" (1985) "That's What Friends Are For" (1985) "Wrap Her Up" (1985) "Take Me to the Pilot" (1988) "I Don't Wanna Go on with You Like That" (1988) "Town of Plenty" (1988) "Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters (Part Two)" (1988) "Healing Hands" (1989) "Sacrifice" (1989)

1990s	"Club at the End of the Street" (1990) "You Gotta Love Someone" (1990) "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" (1991) "The One" (1992) "Runaway Train" (1992) "The Last Song" (1992) "Simple Life" (1993) "True Love" (1993) "Shakey Ground" (1994) "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing" (1994) "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" (1994) "Circle of Life" (1994) "Believe" (1995) "Made in England" (1995) "When the Money's Gone" (1995) "You Can Make History (Young Again)" (1996) "Something About the Way You Look Tonight" (1997) "Candle in the Wind 1997" (1997) "Written in the Stars" (1999)

2000s	"I Want Love" (2001) "This Train Don't Stop There Anymore" (2002) "Original Sin" (2002) "Are You Ready for Love" (2003) "Ghetto Gospel" (2005) "Electricity" (2005) "The Bridge" (2006) "Joseph, Better You than Me" (2008) "Tiny Dancer (Hold Me Closer)" (2009)

Related articles	Albums discography Videography

Book:Elton John Category:Elton John

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