3 Times a Musician Was Forced to Record a Song

Not every recording session is an easy one–even for seasoned musicians. In fact, there have been times when a musician was all but forced to record a song. Find three such songs, below.

3 Times a Musician Was Forced to Record a Song

1. “Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me” – Elton John

Despite “Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me” being one of Elton John’s signature songs, he found it very difficult to record. After countless takes, John still found the song unsatisfactory. He even thought about pawning it off to another artist.

 “When Elton recorded this track, he was in a filthy mood,” Gus Dudgeon, John’s producer, once said. “On some takes, he’d scream it, on others he’d mumble it, or he’d just stand there, staring at the control room. Eventually, he flung off his headphones and said, ‘Okay, let’s hear what we got’. Elton said, ‘That’s a load of crap. You can send it to Engelbert Humperdinck, and if he doesn’t like it, you can give it to Lulu as a demo.’”

In the end, John’s collaborators pushed him to finish the song. Luckily for all of us, he listened.

I can’t light no more of your darkness
All my pictures seem to fade to black and white
I’m growin’ tired, and time stands still before me
Frozen here on the ladder of my life

[RELATED: Bid on Used Items from Elton John’s Wardrobe to Help Benefit His AIDS Foundation]

2. “What’s Love Got To Do With It” – Tina Turner

Tina Turner put her stake in the ground with “What’s Love Got To Do With It.” While the powerful ballad made use of Turner’s unparalleled vocals, it was a little soft compared to some of her earlier songs. That idea made Turner uneasy about the song.

“I thought ‘What’s Love’…it could be a big song,” Turner’s manager, Roger Davies, once said. “Tina never really liked it.” 

Ultimately, Turner decided to move forward with the song. In turn, it earned her a lauded solo career.

You must understand, though the touch of your hand makes my pulse react
That it’s only the thrill of boy meeting girl, opposites attract
It’s physical
Only logical
You must try to ignore that it means more than that

3. “I Don’t Want to Know” – Fleetwood Mac/Stevie Nicks

Though “I Don’t Wanna Know” is a Fleetwood Mac staple, Stevie Nicks wasn’t too keen on recording it. A large part of her pushback on the song–despite being the primary songwriter–was because it was made to replace “Silver Springs.” Nicks far preferred that ode to the end of her relationship with Lindsey Buckingham, but it was ultimately scrapped for time’s sake.

I don’t want to know the reasons why
Love keeps right on walking on down the line
I don’t want to stand between you and love
Honey, I just want you to feel fine

(Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for ABA)