Elton John and Brandi Carlile teamed up to perform ‘Little Richard’s Bible’ and ‘Who Believes in Angels’ on Saturday Night Live – watch footage below.
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Both tracks come from their collaborative album, ‘Who Believes in Angels‘, which came out this Friday (April 4). Taking on the ’50s-inspired ‘Little Richard’s Bible’, the title track of the album, John was behind the piano for a searing solo while Carlile was on guitar.
Introduced by host Jack Black and joined by Chad Smith on drums, the pair performed in front of retro-style LED signs, with one illuminated to read: “Who believes in angels?” at the front of the stage when they took on the song.
Their new album features backing from the likes of Pino Palladino (Nine Inch Nails, Gary Numan and David Gilmour), Josh Klinghoffer (Pearl Jam, Beck), as well as Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Smith, and includes the recent single ‘Swing For The Fences’ and last year’s ‘Never Too Late’.
The pair’s new album follows on from John’s 2021 collaborative LP ‘The Lockdown Sessions’, which featured Carlile along with the likes of Dua Lipa, Miley Cyrus, Stevie Nicks and Lil Nas X.
John’s 31st and latest solo album, ‘Regimental Sgt. Zippo’, was released earlier that year – but it was first recorded back in the ’60s. Its predecessor, ‘Wonderful Crazy Night’, arrived in 2016.
John and Carlile showcased ‘Who Believes In Angels?’ during an intimate one-off concert at the London Palladium last week, and the performance is set to air as a TV special titled An Evening With Elton John And Brandi Carlile.
Earlier this year, Carlile revealed that the ‘Rocketman’ icon had smashed his iPad and told her to “fuck off” during a tenser moment in the making of their new album.
“Once we got through the first three songs, we knew we had something. And I was much more relaxed … but I was a bit of a nightmare,” she said.
Elsewhere, John, 78, opened up about how a new song on the LP that tackles mortality had made him “break down” and reflect on how much time he “has left”. At the end of last year, the musician told fans that he had “lost [his] eyesight” as a result of a “severe eye infection”.
He has since opened up about his deteriorating eyesight, admitting that it has been a “very stressful time” adjusting to his new reality.
Meanwhile, John has co-signed Ed Sheeran’s open letter to the UK government calling for immediate and long-term funding for music education.