"Don't Go Breaking My Heart" is a duet by the British musicianElton John and the English singerKiki Dee, released byThe Rocket Record Company on 25 June 1976.[2][5] It was written by John withBernie Taupin under the pseudonyms "Ann Orson" and "Carte Blanche", respectively, and intended as an affectionate pastiche of theMotown style, notably the various duets recorded byMarvin Gaye and singers such asTammi Terrell andKim Weston. John and Taupin originally intended to record the song withDusty Springfield, but ultimately withdrew the offer; Springfield's partner Sue Cameron later said this was because she was too ill at the time.[6][7]
Unlike many of John's singles from the 1970s, it was never included on an original album (although it would later be included on the 1995Mercury Records reissue of John's 1975 albumRock of the Westies). In the same year, John and Taupin received the 1976Ivor Novello award for Best Song Musically and Lyrically.[8]
Critical reception to the song in the UK was mixed. InNME, Phil McNeill stated that "they're both quite good singers, but it's a pity that Orson and Blanche didn't write a more memorable song than this, which jogs along harmlessly".[11] Jonh Ingham ofSounds commented that the record was "not exactlyMarvin andDiana". He said that the song had "a well executed arrangement" but that ultimately "all is pale compared to previous work".[12] InRecord Mirror, Rosalind Russell wrote that it was "not the stunner I'd expected from two ace singers", but that "the arrangements (strings and things) were good and the two voices go well together".[13]
In the US,Cash Box said that "there are some great harmonies in thechorus" and that John and Dee "seem perfectly wedded in this tune."[14]Record World called it "a duet of rare simplicity and charm with James Newton-Howard's strings practically dancing out of the grooves."[15]
"Don't Go Breaking My Heart" was the first No. 1 single in the UK for both John and Kiki Dee, topping the chart for six weeks in mid 1976. John would not enjoy a solo British chart-topper until "Sacrifice" in 1990. It also became his sixth No. 1 single in the US, topping theBillboard Hot 100 for four weeks and spent one week on theEasy Listening chart.[16]Billboard ranked it as the No. 2 song for 1976, giving him his second consecutive appearance in theBillboard Year-end Top 3.[17] In the U.S., it has been certified 2x platinum by theRecording Industry Association of America.[18] After this duet with Dee, John failed to have another US solo number one single until "Candle in the Wind 1997". This 21-year period included two intervening number one hits in America with musical partners: "That's What Friends Are For" byDionne & Friends in 1986, and a 1992 re-make of John's "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" withGeorge Michael credited as a duet.
The B-side, "Snow Queen", was inspired byBernie Taupin's failed attempt at romance withCher.[19] The lyrics express a personal condemnation, portraying Cher as being primarily concerned with "a wardrobe of gowns, TV ratings, a fragile waist, and a name." During the fadeout of the song, John quotes past Sonny & Cher hits "I Got You Babe" and "The Beat Goes On", as well as the solo Cher song "Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)". The song was poorly received and has since been disavowed by both John and Taupin.
In June 2013, 37 years after its original release, the single reached one million sales in the UK.[20][21]
The B-side, "Snow Queen", remained unavailable on CD outside Australia until April 2019 when it was included as a bonus track on the reissue of Kiki Dee'sCage the Songbird album, included in the 5-CD box setThe Rocket Years.[22] In May 2019 it was also included on the 3-CD box setGold, a retrospective of Dee's career spanning various labels.[citation needed] In 2020, it was also included on Elton John's 8-CD box setJewel Box.
* Sales figures based on certification alone. ^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. ‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.
In 1994, Elton John and American drag queenRuPaul released the song as a duet. It was produced byGiorgio Moroder and released on 14 February 1994, byRocket andMCA Records, as the third single from John's first collaboration album,Duets (1993).
The song reached number three on the USBillboardDance Club Play chart. In Europe, it peaked at number-one in Iceland and within the top 10 in Portugal and the UK, the top 20 in Denmark, Ireland and Italy, and the top 30 in Austria, France and Switzerland. On theEurochart Hot 100, "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" peaked at number 18 in March 1994. Outside Europe, the song reached number 39 in New Zealand, number 45 in Australia, and number 92 on theBillboardHot 100 in the US.
AllMusic editorStephen Thomas Erlewine described the song as a "kitschy number".[64]Larry Flick fromBillboard magazine wrote that John recreates his classicKiki Dee duet with "the world's favoritedrag queen. Revamped quasi-rave/hi-NRG version of the track is way stronger than the less-than-pleasing mix on John'scurrent collection, rendering it a formidable contender for action on both dancefloors and radio. Oodles of good fun."[65] Dave Sholin from theGavin Report commented, "Thanks to producerGiorgio Moroder, there's a few more beats per minute, as well as a hilarious video, and a super performance of a great tune."[66]
Alan Jones fromMusic Week gave it a score of four out of five, calling it "somewhat soulessly produced" and a "smash-bound but tacky remake".[67] John Kilgo fromThe Network Forty stated that this remake of the previous number-one smash "is for real..."[68] Sam Wood fromPhiladelphia Inquirer viewed it as "a campytechno remake" of John's 1977 hit.[69] Tom Doyle fromSmash Hits gave it one out of five, saying that the music "sounds like it was done with the help of aGameboy running low on batteries".[70]Charles Aaron fromSpin wrote, "If I'd known he was gearing up for world domination, I never would've given Ru so much guff for his café au lait complexion, blond ambition, and cosmetic tinkering. Keep those technobon mots coming. Star booty forever."[71]
The musical comedy troupethe Capitol Steps recorded a parody of the song, in which then-PresidentGeorge W. Bush is told by his wifeLaura, "Don't go faking you're smart".[96]
^John and Taupin were credited under the pseudonyms "Ann Orson" and "Carte Blanche", respectively, and intended as an affectionate pastiche of theMotown style
