Bernie Taupin

Bernie Taupin, longtime Elton John lyricist, brings his own band, the Farm Dogs, to the Topanga Days Country Fair in the canyon Sunday. Even though Taupin has enjoyed more success as a songwriter than the average 100 songwriters put together, he's decided that he still has more music in him. Much more than his collaborations with John alone will satisfy.

ELTON JOHN didn't just become a pop sensation in the 1970s because he wrote some of the most gorgeous melodies since Lennon-McCartney. He and songwriting partner Bernie Taupin also gave us songs that seemed almost revolutionary in their refusal to stick to the rock 'n' roll rules of the '60s. Rock in those days was exclusively a young man's game, a guitar-driven rebellion against adult rules, values, power and lifestyles, but even at the beginning John and Taupin's themes reached out.

Bernie Taupin is among the most private figures in pop music, a lyricist so media-shy that he makes Bob Dylan look like an extrovert. While his flamboyant songwriting partner Elton John travels the world singing their hits (and they've had more than anyone except Elvis Presley), the reclusive Taupin lives on a 30-acre cutting-horse ranch in the Santa Ynez Valley, caring for his horses and turning out lyrics for more songs.

Robert Hilburn neglected to mention Bernie Taupin's own recent musical output and that Taupin is also a "Man With the Voice" ("Man With the Words," Sept. 30). Bernie and his band, the Farm Dogs, have (quietly) released two albums in recent years working in a style updating Elton John's "Tumbleweed Connection" period. Taupin serves as both lyricist and lead vocalist with his band. GREG DaPONTE Los Angeles

Lyricist Bernie Taupin's pick of Shawn Colvin's "Sunny" as the longshot winner in the best song category last year was so impressive that Calendar invited Elton John's longtime writing partner back for a second round of Grammy song evaluation. This time, he agreed to give Times pop music critic Robert Hilburn his views on the rock and country song nominees as well as the song of the year finalists.

'The beauty of not talking about our songs is that it has always left them open to interpretation," lyricist Bernie Taupin says, sitting next to songwriting partner Elton John on the sofa in a Los Angeles hotel suite. "That's the joy of what we do, creating songs that are a door to the imagination. You are free to step in and see whatever you want to see. We just paint the colors and you put it all together."

ELTON JOHN didn't just become a pop sensation in the 1970s because he wrote some of the most gorgeous melodies since Lennon-McCartney. He and songwriting partner Bernie Taupin also gave us songs that seemed almost revolutionary in their refusal to stick to the rock 'n' roll rules of the '60s. Rock in those days was exclusively a young man's game, a guitar-driven rebellion against adult rules, values, power and lifestyles, but even at the beginning John and Taupin's themes reached out.

Robert Hilburn neglected to mention Bernie Taupin's own recent musical output and that Taupin is also a "Man With the Voice" ("Man With the Words," Sept. 30). Bernie and his band, the Farm Dogs, have (quietly) released two albums in recent years working in a style updating Elton John's "Tumbleweed Connection" period. Taupin serves as both lyricist and lead vocalist with his band. GREG DaPONTE Los Angeles

*** 1/2 ELTON JOHN, "Made in England" Rocket In their landmark albums in the '70s, Elton John and lyricist Bernie Taupin came as close to the level of any pop-rock writing team since Lennon-McCartney in giving us music rich enough in character and detail to be both hauntingly personal and seductively universal.

What makes a good song? No one knows better than the folks who write them. Calendar enlisted some experts to look at the Grammy nominees in three song categories--R&B, country and pop (a.k.a. song of the year)--to determine whether this year's crop yields any gems, or just a bunch of stinkers. SONG OF THE YEAR The Nominees: "Don't Speak" by Eric Stefani and Gwen Stefani; "How Do I Live" by Diane Warren; "I Believe I Can Fly" by R.

Bernie Taupin is among the most private figures in pop music, a lyricist so media-shy that he makes Bob Dylan look like an extrovert. While his flamboyant songwriting partner Elton John travels the world singing their hits (and they've had more than anyone except Elvis Presley), the reclusive Taupin lives on a 30-acre cutting-horse ranch in the Santa Ynez Valley, caring for his horses and turning out lyrics for more songs.

Lyricist Bernie Taupin's pick of Shawn Colvin's "Sunny" as the longshot winner in the best song category last year was so impressive that Calendar invited Elton John's longtime writing partner back for a second round of Grammy song evaluation. This time, he agreed to give Times pop music critic Robert Hilburn his views on the rock and country song nominees as well as the song of the year finalists.

Bernie Taupin, longtime Elton John lyricist, brings his own band, the Farm Dogs, to the Topanga Days Country Fair in the canyon Sunday. Even though Taupin has enjoyed more success as a songwriter than the average 100 songwriters put together, he's decided that he still has more music in him. Much more than his collaborations with John alone will satisfy.

What makes a good song? No one knows better than the folks who write them. Calendar enlisted some experts to look at the Grammy nominees in three song categories--R&B, country and pop (a.k.a. song of the year)--to determine whether this year's crop yields any gems, or just a bunch of stinkers. SONG OF THE YEAR The Nominees: "Don't Speak" by Eric Stefani and Gwen Stefani; "How Do I Live" by Diane Warren; "I Believe I Can Fly" by R.

If you like to sing along with records, the odds are you've probably spent a good chunk of time singing the words of Bernie Taupin. As Elton John's lyricist, Taupin has co-written some of the most memorable hits of the modern pop era--from the romantic innocence of "Your Song" to the dark anxiety of "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me." So it's surprising to hear Taupin refer--even good-naturedly--to all that music as his "day job."

'The beauty of not talking about our songs is that it has always left them open to interpretation," lyricist Bernie Taupin says, sitting next to songwriting partner Elton John on the sofa in a Los Angeles hotel suite. "That's the joy of what we do, creating songs that are a door to the imagination. You are free to step in and see whatever you want to see. We just paint the colors and you put it all together."

Elton John and Bernie Taupin are due to sign a music publishing deal today in Los Angeles with Warner/Chappell Music that will give them the largest cash advance in music publishing history. The estimated $39-million, 12-year agreement is more than twice the previous highest advance--the estimated $19 million the same company paid in September to Prince for the right to administer worldwide the songs in his Controversy Music catalogue.

If you like to sing along with records, the odds are you've probably spent a good chunk of time singing the words of Bernie Taupin. As Elton John's lyricist, Taupin has co-written some of the most memorable hits of the modern pop era--from the romantic innocence of "Your Song" to the dark anxiety of "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me." So it's surprising to hear Taupin refer--even good-naturedly--to all that music as his "day job."

*** 1/2 ELTON JOHN, "Made in England" Rocket In their landmark albums in the '70s, Elton John and lyricist Bernie Taupin came as close to the level of any pop-rock writing team since Lennon-McCartney in giving us music rich enough in character and detail to be both hauntingly personal and seductively universal.

Elton John and Bernie Taupin are due to sign a music publishing deal today in Los Angeles with Warner/Chappell Music that will give them the largest cash advance in music publishing history. The estimated $39-million, 12-year agreement is more than twice the previous highest advance--the estimated $19 million the same company paid in September to Prince for the right to administer worldwide the songs in his Controversy Music catalogue.