Elton John and John Lennon were good friends who made a bet in early 1974, which thank goodness, the piano player won.
The ever-adventurous John decided he didn’t want to fly from London to NYC during his six week break between the end of his Goodbye Yellow Brick Road Tour and the start of the Caribou Tour. He chose to take the band and Lennon’s son, Julian, on a cruise across the pond on the SS France.
Once in New York, Elton helped out on Lennon’s newest creation “Whatever Gets You Thru The Night” adding piano, organ, and vocals to the upbeat number.
When it was completed Lennon confided with John that he was the only Beatle who hadn’t earned a #1 single as a solo artist.
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