Candle in the Wind – Single: Feb. 1974
- Elton John
- Feb 22, 1974
- 3 min read
Elton John’s tribute to Marilyn Monroe, paired with “Bennie and the Jets,” and issued as a UK‑only single.
🔘 – Overview
Released in the UK on February 22, 1974, “Candle in the Wind” (DJM DJS 297) stands as one of Elton John and Bernie Taupin’s most enduring compositions. Written as a reflection on the life and mythologisation of Marilyn Monroe, the song opens with the now‑iconic line “Goodbye, Norma Jean” — a reference to Monroe’s birth name, Norma Jeane Baker. Taupin later explained that the phrase “candle in the wind” was inspired by Clive Davis’s tribute to Janis Joplin, sparking the metaphor that shaped the lyric.
The single was paired with “Bennie and the Jets” as its B‑side in the UK. In the United States, however, the situation was reversed: “Bennie and the Jets” was chosen as the A‑side, and “Candle in the Wind” was not issued as a single at the time.
Produced by Gus Dudgeon and taken from the double album Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (1973), the track entered the UK Singles Chart on March 2, 1974, peaking at No. 11 and charting for nine weeks. Though not a major hit on release, the song’s legacy grew steadily, eventually becoming one of the most recognised and frequently revisited works in Elton John’s catalogue.
🔘 – Track List
UK 7" Single — DJM Records – DJS 297 — 1974
Side A
Candle in the Wind
Written‑By: Elton John, Bernie Taupin
Produced by Gus Dudgeon
Side B
Bennie and the Jets
Written‑By: Elton John, Bernie Taupin
Produced by Gus Dudgeon
🔘 – Variants
7", 45 RPM, Single, Stereo, Solid Centre — DJM – DJS 297 — UK — 1974
7", 45 RPM, Single, Solid Centre (“Candle in the Wind / Benny and the Jets”) — DJM – DJS 297 — UK — 1974
7", 45 RPM, Single, Knock‑Out Centre — DJM – DJS 297 — UK — 1974
7", 45 RPM, Single, Reissue, Stereo — DJM – DJS 10297 — UK — 1976
7", 45 RPM, Single, Reissue — DJM – DJS 10297 — UK
🔘 – Chart Performance
UK — Official Singles Chart
Peak No. 11 · 9 Weeks on Chart (1974)
Pos 28 — Mar 2, 1974
Pos 11 ↑ — Mar 9, 1974 (Peak)
Pos 12 ↓ — Mar 16, 1974
Pos 11 ↑ — Mar 23, 1974
Pos 14 ↓ — Mar 30, 1974
Pos 17 ↓ — Apr 6, 1974
Pos 19 ↓ — Apr 13, 1974
Pos 39 ↓ — Apr 20, 1974
Pos 42 ↓ — Apr 27, 1974 (Final Week)
🔘 – Context & Notes
• Written by Elton John & Bernie Taupin
• Produced by Gus Dudgeon
• From the album Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (1973)
• UK A‑side; US A‑side was “Bennie and the Jets”
• Lacquer cut by Rays
• Pressed by Tranco Limited
• Published by Dick James Music Ltd.
• ℗ 1973 This Record Co. Ltd.
• One of Taupin’s most famous lyrical tributes
• Became a signature Elton John ballad long before its later reinterpretations
🔘 – Visual Archive
UK DJM Records black‑label 7-inch for “Candle in the Wind,” featuring catalogue number DJS 297 and production credit for Gus Dudgeon.
🔘 – Related Material
Explore the tags below for connected posts and themes.
🔘 – Discography
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road — Elton John’s “Candle in the Wind,” released on February 22, 1974, peaked at No. 11 in the UK and was paired with “Bennie and the Jets” as its B‑side.
Bennie and the Jets — 1974
Caribou — 1974
🔘 – Mini‑Timeline
✦ 1973 — Goodbye Yellow Brick Road released
✦ February 22, 1974 — “Candle in the Wind” single issued in the UK
✦ March 2, 1974 — Enters UK chart
✦ March 9, 1974 — Peaks at No. 11
✦ April 27, 1974 — Final chart week
🔘 – Glam Flashback
“Candle in the Wind” is one of Taupin’s most poetic reflections — a meditation on fame, fragility, and the way culture consumes its icons. Paired with the swagger of “Bennie and the Jets,” the single captures Elton John at the height of his early‑70s creative power.
🔘 – Closing Notes
Though not a chart‑topping hit on release, “Candle in the Wind” became one of Elton John’s most enduring works — a song whose emotional resonance has only deepened across decades of reinterpretation and remembrance.
🔘 – Sources
Discogs
Official Charts Company
DJM Records
Wikipedia
🔘 – Copyright
All original text and images remain the copyright of their respective publishers and creators.
Presented for historical, educational, and archival purposes.
🔘 – Tags
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