"Tiny Dancer" | ||||||||
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Single by Elton John | ||||||||
from the album Madman Across the Water | ||||||||
B-side | "Razor Face" | |||||||
Released | 7 February 1972 | |||||||
Format | 7-inch single | |||||||
Recorded | 9 August 1971 | |||||||
Studio |
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Genre | Pop | |||||||
Length | 6:12 | |||||||
Label | Uni | |||||||
Writer(s) |
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Producer(s) | Gus Dudgeon | |||||||
ISWC | T-070.183.697-6 | |||||||
Elton John singles chronology | ||||||||
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"Tiny Dancer" | ||||
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Single by Ben Folds | ||||
from the album Ben Folds Live | ||||
Released | 2002 | |||
Length | 3:16 (single version) 5:23 (album version) |
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Label | Epic | |||
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Ben Folds singles chronology | ||||
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"Tiny Dancer" | ||||
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Single by Tim McGraw | ||||
from the album Tim McGraw and the Dancehall Doctors | ||||
Released | December 30, 2002 | |||
Format | CD single | |||
Genre | Country | |||
Length | 5:09 | |||
Label | Curb | |||
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Producer(s) |
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Tim McGraw singles chronology | ||||
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"Tiny Dancer" is a 1971 song by Elton John with lyrics by Bernie Taupin. It appears on John's fourth album, Madman Across the Water, and was released as a single in 1972. In the U.S. it was certified Gold on 19 May 2005, and Platinum on 19 August 2011 by the Recording Industry Association of America. In the UK, "Tiny Dancer" has been certified Silver by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) for sales of 200,000 copies, despite never being released as an official single.
The song's lyrics were written by Bernie Taupin to capture the spirit of California in 1970 encapsulated by the many beautiful women he met there. The song was dedicated to Maxine Feibelman, Taupin's first wife on the album Madman Across the Water.
The song features a piano-based melody during verses and an arrangement that at the start features pedal steel guitar and light percussion but, transitioning subtly halfway through one of the choruses, by the end is driven by Paul Buckmaster's dynamic strings, along with a barely heard backing choir.
Due to the song lacking a hook, "Tiny Dancer" was initially a non-starter as a single in the US, reaching only #41 on the U.S. pop chart, and was not even released as a single in the UK. The song fared better in Canada, where John had much of his early commercial breakthrough success, peaking at #19. It was also a hit in Australia, peaking at #13. Eventually, the song slowly became one of John's most popular songs even in the territories that initially failed to embrace it, and the full-length version is now a fixture on North American, UK and Australian adult contemporary and rock radio stations.
It was ranked No. 397 on the 2010 List of Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.