Organ, Meant Sales

John probably could have been very successful as a classical pianist.

He had the natural talent and the training for it, but he chose a career in rock and roll, which is perhaps one of his most revealing marketing lessons. He understood that being successful in the classical recordings arena probably meant sales of a few hundred thousand records, while success in the pop music market meant larger, mass audiences, more market impact, and bigger bucks-over $200 million and rising for his recordings alone. It was also where his passion resided, certainly not an insignificant factor in his success, and a key lesson for marketers of any service, product, or brand.

Music Meets Marketing In order to appreciate fully the name Elton John made for himself, it is helpful to understand the foundation of the brand he created.

Reggie Dwight, as he was still known in the early 1960s, banded with a local group of boys to form Bluesology, in which he played the organ (primarily because of its aggressive, intimidating qualities).

The group added a trumpet player and a saxophone player who were older, experienced jazz musicians with contacts in the industry. Not only did they help get bookings in better venues, they helped put together a demo tape in 1965 of a song Dwight had written, called “Come Back Baby.” The key was too high for the band’s lead singer, so Dwight stepped in, and because it was a ballad, he swapped his organ for the piano. In a sweet, clear voice he sang the song that beckoned his love to come back to him, as his fingers danced along the ivories-a combination that would separate him from many other rockers and eventually lead him to superstardom. Few people, however, would hear his breakthrough piece.