Something About the Way You Look Tonight

Music video

The video for the song was directed by Tim Royes and features John singing and playing piano to an empty theatre, as well as actors Ramon Tikaram and Luisa Bradshaw-White who played Ferdy and Kira in the hit BBC television programme This Life, and supermodels Kate Moss and Sophie Dahl. Many consider it to be one of John's best videos. He has publicly revealed (through his "warts and all" documentary Tantrums and Tiaras) that he finds videos "fucking loathsome" and after the videos from his album The Big Picture refrained from appearing in his own videos unless they were cameo appearances.

Sales and chart positions

In the UK alone, the double A-side single with "Candle in the Wind 1997" sold over 4,930,000 copies (8× platinum), making the song the best-selling single ever in UK history. It remained for five weeks at the number-one position. In the US, the double A-side single spent 14 weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100. The best-selling single in Billboard history and the only single ever certified diamond in the US, the single sold over 11 million copies in the US.{{cite web |access-date = 2 February 2010 |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070930200852/http://www.riaa.com/newsitem.php?news_year_filter=1999&resultpage=2&id=3ABF3EC8-EF5B-58F9-E949-3B57F5E313DF |archive-date = 30 September 2007}}

On the US Adult Contemporary chart, "Something About the Way You Look Tonight" and "Candle in the Wind 1997" charted separately; while the tribute to Princess Diana peaked at number two on this chart, "Something About the Way You Look Tonight" spent 10 weeks at number one in late 1997 into early 1998. This double-sided single holds the record for the fewest weeks in a chart year from a year-end number-one single, with as few as eight. (In 1998, it had 34 more total weeks, and was number eight in the year-end list of 1998.)

After this song, John was unable to reach the top spot of the US Adult Contemporary chart for 24 years until his collaboration with Ed Sheeran, titled "Merry Christmas" reached number one for five weeks.

Critical reception

Billboard magazine said the song is a "grandly executed ballad that washes John's larger-than-life performance in cinematic strings and whooping, choir-styled backing vocals. An instant fave for die-hards, this single will bring kids at top 40 to the table after a few spins." Music & Media wrote that "this single proves that Elton John's composing and performing skills are as good as ever. A ballad, boasting a classy string arrangement by Anne Dudley of Art of Noise fame, it's vaguely reminiscent of another John/Taupin composition, 1973's Candle in the Wind, but it's too original to be called a ripoff."

Personnel

• Elton John – piano, vocals
• Davey Johnstone – guitars
• John Jorgenson – guitars
• Bob Birch – bass guitar
• Guy Babylon – keyboards
• Charlie Morgan – drums and percussion
• Paul Carrack – organ
• Carol Kenyon – backing vocals
• Jackie Rawe – backing vocals
• Strings arranged by Guy Babylon and Anne Dudley
• Anne Dudley – conducting

Charts

The following chart entries are for "Something About the Way You Look Tonight" as a solo single.

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Release history

References

References

1. [https://www.eltonjohn.com/stories/diamond-moments-elton-60-live-at-madison-square-garden Diamond Moments: Elton 60 Live at Madison Square Garden] Retrieved 7 January 2018
2. (22 September 1997). "The Big Picture". [[The Rocket Record Company]], [[Mercury Records]].
3. (11 August 2015). "17 Years Ago, Elton John's 'Candle In the Wind 1997' Started Its 14-Week No. 1 Run".
4. (10 November 1999). "RIAA News Room – The American Recording Industry Announces its Artists of the Century". [[Recording Industry Association of America]].
5. [https://www.rollingstone.com/music/artists/elton-john/biography Elton John: Biography. Rolling Stone Music] ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' "Candle in the Wind 1997," easily became the all-time highest-certified single".
6. [https://web.archive.org/web/20101215200126/http://img299.imageshack.us/img299/3315/guinness2007.pdf Guinness Book of Records, 2007 Edition, page 187]
7. (25 June 2016). "Pride special: Celebrating the biggest selling singles by LGBT artists". [[Official Charts Company]].
8. "Elton John: Biography – Rolling Stone Music".
9. "Adult Contemporary chart for the week of 9/27/1997".
10. Trust, Gary. (27 December 2021). "Ed Sheeran & Elton John's 'Merry Christmas' Jingles to No. 1 on Adult Contemporary Chart".
11. (30 August 1997). "Singles: Pop".
12. (6 September 1997). "Airborne". [[Music & Media]].
13. (26 August 1997). "Eesti Top 20". [[Sõnumileht]].
14. (19 September 1997). "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (18.9. '97 – 25.9. '97)". [[DV (newspaper).
15. (4 October 1997). "Top National Sellers".
16. (4 October 1997). "Major Market Airplay: Italy".
17. Salaverri, Fernando. (September 2005). "Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002". Fundación Autor-SGAE.
18. (3 April 2018). "Brazilian Top 100 Year-End 1997". [[Crowley Broadcast Analysis]].
19. (15 December 1997). "RPM '97 Year-End Top 100 Adult Contemporary Tracks".
20. "Romanian Top 100 Singles Airplay – Top of the Year 1997". [[Romanian Top 100]].
21. (27 December 1997). "The Year in Music 1997: Hot Adult Contemporary Singles & Tracks".
22. (3 April 2018). "Brazilian Top 100 Year-End 1998". [[Crowley Broadcast Analysis]].
23. (14 December 1998). "RPM's Top 100 Adult Contemporary Tracks of '98".
24. (26 December 1998). "The Year in Music 1998: Hot Adult Contemporary Singles & Tracks".
25. (25 December 1998). "Most Played Adult Top 40 Songs of 1998".
26. (22 August 1997). "New Releases".
27. (6 September 1997). "New Releases: Singles".
28. "ユー・ルック・トゥナイト {{!}} エルトン・ジョン". [[Oricon]].
29. Jones, Alan. (20 September 1997). "The Official UK Charts".
30. Sandiford-Waller, Theda. (20 September 1997). "Hot 100 Singles Spotlight".