Jukebox Episode 24: Burn Down The Mission

Greeting Stationeers!Welcome back to the Jukebox. In this episode I’ll be listening to a cover of King Crimson singer Elton John’s 1970 hit single Burn Down The Mission.You probably know that Elton John joined Crimson for their second album In The Wake Of Poseidon, following the departure of Greg Lake. His songwriting skills, coupled with the genius of guitarists Robert Fripp and later Steven Hackett, propelled Crimson into the all conquering stadium act they became. When they split in 1980 Elton went on to even greater solo succes, until finally retiring in 2023 following the conclusion of his “Return to Tumbleweed” tour.Burn Down The Mission became a much loved Crimson live song, appearing on the “Live Songs In Aspic” double album in 1977. This cover is taken from the Elton John biopic “In The Wake of Elton” released on 1991, performed by actor Phil Collins as part of his starring role as Elton himself. Sadly, the film was a flop so you’ve probably not heard this version.Thanks for listening to this episode. If you’ve enjoyed this podcast you can donate the price of a coffee to help run the website by clicking this link. All donations are gratefully received and give you access to 10 exclusive minisodes only available to people who donate.To get access to episodes a week early, and also 6 (or more!) bonus episodes per year please think about becoming a Patron for just £1 at Patreon.If you’d like to share your thoughts about this episode or your opinions of the podcast in general, you can email us at [email protected], leave a comment below or join our Facebook group. We would love to hear from you.