Scattershot: Life, Music, Elton, and Me (2025)

My thanks to Hatchette books, Bernie Taupin and Netgalley.
I have always loved Bernie. I've never known him, except through his and Eltons songs, and that was enough for me!
I enjoyed the shit out of this book, and I'd totally recommend it for anyone who is a fan of the music 🎶.
As an addendum, one thing that I forgot to say is that Bernie and Elton made the best music. My very first album was Goodbye Yellow Brick road.
Actually, I stole It from Hastings, way back in nineteen seventy fucking something! A kabillon decade's ago! Good shit, Maynard! Good shit!

3.5 stars
Drat! I wanted more from this.
In my younger days I was not only a huge Elton John fan, but also a huge fan of Bernie Taupin’s lyrics. To me they were poetry, especially all the gems from the first few albums.
He hasn’t lost anything with this autobiography. His writing remains impressive and intelligent, and I didn’t mind that it jumped around, but I need to name up my shallowness and admit I was hanging out for more dirt and hype.

The Words You Know, The Tune You Hum

Bernie Taupin’s “Scattershot” delivers insight into one of rock music’s most visible unknowns. Known as Elton John’s lyricist, his photos were on a number of the 1970’s albums… but anything else could pretty much be fabricated with interpretation of his lyrics. The wide-eyed innocence of “Your Song” was a landmark and melded perfectly with Elton’s unforced piano work. From there… a long, extraordinary road.

I can never get enough rock biographies— until I read one. Music has been a huge part of my life, both as an entertainment and as a livelihood. Casey Kasem’s countdown shows were always a must and to this day I possess wonderfully pointless trivia neutrons lounging in vital brain cells. All that being said, worthwhile music biographies have been illusive in my pursuits. Keith Richards’s book was surprising with its profound and illuminating insights. The recent Ricki Lee Jones bio was enjoyable, and the stories Robbie Robertson told were (from his angle, at least) amazing. On the less worthwhile side, Chuck Negron’s Three Dog Night story was mostly one of a heroin tragedy. I found Donovan’s to be so self-aggrandizing I wanted to sic ‘Superman or Green Lantern’ on him. Most of the other accounts were hit or miss, pretty tepid “as told to” tales of drugs, groupies, two-year peaks and crashes.

In the Author’s Note, Bernie warns us this is not a straight-forward biography, not a strictly chronological tale. It is going to be “Scattershot,” perhaps haphazard in its form. If a scholarly document is desired, this is not the place to look. The book takes off from there. The initial, well known telling of the Elton-Bernie collaboration is covered, there are the early struggling years, and the career breakthrough Troubadour performances. Much of this was covered in Elton’s book, “Me,” and the hyper-glitzy film “Rocketman.”

“Scattershot” is not limited to Elton’s adventures with his sidekick. We do get insights into their relationship and there are passages like Elton’s suicide attempt and how that is transformed into “Someone Saved My Life Tonight,” but Bernie stresses the differences in their personalities and how they have found their own separate paths to happiness. He is not just one of the Captain Fantastic posse as he travels on tour, he claims his job is to be a witness.

“I’m a complete voyeur when it comes to my ideas. I always have been, from day one. I think if there’s anything you could put on my tombstone, it could be: HE WAS AN OBSERVER.” – Bernie in a Vanity Faire interview.

Is this a “tell all” book? It is a “tell some” with entertaining anecdotes about people like Cher, Nilsson, John Lennon, John Belushi, Bob Marley, Frank Sinatra— even encounters with Salvador Dali and author Graham Greene. He pulls no punches as he blasts Chevy Chase, John Bonham and Led Zeppelin manager Peter Grant. Fun stuff.

Songwriters are often grilled on the meaning of the lyrics. One of the big reveals is that he was never a Marilyn Monroe fan, that “Candle in the Wind '' was not originally about her, and that while he did adapt the lyrics for Princess Di’s memorial, he was never particularly a royal family follower. There are a few instances where Bernie reveals his inspiration, but he includes Lou Reed’s quote, “Just because I wrote it doesn’t mean I know what it’s about.” Then he adds, “Don’t rely on me– I’m liable to make things up.”

Bernie’s life is much more than songwriting. The ‘Brown Dirt Cowboy’ has been an accomplished equestrian, a successful restaurateur, and a celebrated artist. While these areas show a great deal of diversity, there is much more detail here than necessary and could have been edited down.

Finally: I do not hold it against “Scattershot” that Mr. Taupin was responsible for writing “We Built This City.” There must be a statute of limitations on that crime. Oh, “Island Girl,” too.

“I’m just a hack writer who drinks too much and falls in love with girls.” – Holly Martins from “The Third Man” as quoted by Bernie.

I do recommend “Scattershot: Life, Music, Elton, and Me” for its entertaining reveal of a pop life we could only imagine. It rises above the average rock bio, thankfully.

Thank you to Hachette Books and NetGalley for providing an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is a well-written, entertaining, informative memoir, which is tastefully written, and has wit, humor, and several laugh out loud moments. It vividly describes Bernie Taupin's life and career, and is filled with fascinating facts, numerous celebrity encounters and interactions, and Mr. Taupin's perceptions of these individuals. I listened to the audio version of this book, and the narrator, Mr. John Lee, has a captivating voice and is truly talented. The author's note, in Mr. Taupin's own voice, is enlightening and is truly appreciated.
Note: I received an advance listener copy of this audiobook from Hachette Audio and NetGalley. I also borrowed a copy from the library while awaiting approval. I am grateful to now own a copy of this amazing audiobook.

3 Stars @ 33%

I kept thinking of the words "self-indulgent" as I read this book. Loving rock biographies/memoirs and being a casual Elton John fan I thought this would be intriguing. Bernie Taupin is the lyricist for many iconic Elton John hits. Back in the 90s there was a TV special and accompanying CD called "Two Rooms" documenting how Elton John and Bernie Taupin composed songs separately; Bernie would supply Elton with lyrics and then Elton would dash off to pair them with melodies- creating sonic magic.

Bernie reminds me of Neil Peart, the late Rush drummer who wrote lyrics for all their compositions. Like Bernie, Neil was an avid reader. Neil was able to parlay this into becoming a successful writer of books such as "Ghost Rider: Travels on the Healing Road" and "Roadshow: Landscape With Drums", but I don't forsee any such talent in Bernie Taupin's future. Bernie has a writing style that is not exactly free-flowing and easy to read. Some without an expansive vocabulary might need a dictionary to comprehend his passages. If you're reading at bedtime (as I often do) this might not pass for relaxing reading.

He meanders in a rather unstructured fashion into in-depth vignettes and stories about famous people he interacted with while travelling the world. As the "silent partner" who didn't have to perform on stage he roamed around in Paris, New York and Los Angeles, drinking in experiences that hopefully would translate into meaningful lyrics. Upon making it a third of the way into his book, I found myself frustrated and disinterested. I then consulted some reviews to check for shared experiences and found similar complaints, and people that checked out about the same time I did.

Thank you to the publisher Hachette Books for providing an advance reader copy via NetGalley.

I’ve been a fan of Elton John’s music since the early ‘70s, a time in which he’d release up to three albums in a twelve month period. But it wasn’t until the release of his biographical album Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy (1975) that I became aware of the close collaboration between Elton, who composed the music, and Bernie, who wrote the lyrics for the songs. Whilst Elton became all glamour and glitz, as the years passed, his song writing partner steadfastly stayed in the shadows. This self-penned story of Bernie’s life therefore throws a good deal of light on a man who’s definitely isn’t the shy and retiring bloke I imagined him to be.

Brought up in the rural eastern English county of Lincolnshire, he walks us through his life in rough chronological order. That said, there are few dates here, so it’s sometimes hard to accurately follow the timeline. He didn’t enjoy school, but always loved music. Eventually he started writing down lines that might later turn into songs. His early influences included American country, R&B, improvisational jazz and even Scottish ‘runt’ Lonnie Donegan. His eventual partnership with Elton John, via an advert in the New Musical Express is, of course, well documented.

Taupin constantly refers to himself as a loner, and yet he’s been married four times, has had a lengthy string of girlfriends and lists a number of close friends, in addition to his best buddy Elton. Included in this list are American singer Alice Cooper and ex-Beatle Ringo Starr. His addictions to booze and what he refers to as the White Lady, or the powder, fuelled many late nights as he made the acquaintance of a seemingly endless stream of well-known singers, actors, artists and writers. He comes across as a wonderer, a man who struggles to settle, who is happy to dine and holiday alone, but who is forever seeking stimuli and is always excited to meet new and interesting people.

I listened to an audio version, narrated by John Lee. There were times when I though his delivery wasn’t quite suited to the material, but his jocular pub raconteur drawl definitely worked for the many hilarious anecdotes that pepper this book. In fact, I really can’t recall when I laughed so much. Like most celebrity bios I’ve come across, it drifts into a list of achievements towards the end, but on the whole this is a fine overview of the life of a gifted man who has actually led a particularly varied and interesting life. Highly recommended.

My thanks to Hachette Audio for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars

Songs should be treated not only as escapism but as thought-provoking in the same way as motion pictures or modern art. Take a ride and invest yourself in letting your ears create visuals that are your own invention. Don’t rely on me—I’m liable to make things up.

If you're looking for salacious information, you won't find it here. Although a few well-known singers like Rod Stewart and Grace Slick do deserve little reprimands. Bernie Taupin writes considerably about his passion for music, his solid relationship with Elton John and the different personalities he's encountered over the years.

He's a great storyteller and I loved finding out the true inspirations for some of his most famous songs. It is easy to tell that Bernie gets a kick out of the rumoured inspiration for some of his music. I loved finding out who was the ORIGINAL inspiration for Candle in the Wind( before it was Marilyn Monroe). Also, his John Lennon and Brian Wilson story was my #1 favourite. I am going to enjoy retelling that one.

Why 3 stars? Well, I liked it. That's a fact. But at times, I do feel like I couldn't follow the deep and thoughtful Bernie Taupin throughout all his tales. Maybe it's just me but I felt there were times I forgot what he was talking about in the first place. LOL!

Publication Date 12/09/23
Goodreads Review 24/03/24

* I had originally received an ARC through NetGalley and Hachette Books but it was archived before I could download it. My review and highlights are from a recent Kindle purchase of the published book. *

I do love a good celebrity memoir, and this is a good rock n roll story. It is not your typical autobiography, it jumps around and tells Bernie’s story, Bernie’s way.

First of all, this is not a book about Elton John. If you want that, read Me. Bernie is most famous for being Elton’s songwriting partner but there is so much more to him. In saying that, he talks about Elton, his best friend, and their connection and relationship.

But Scattershot is a mixture of stories about Bernie Taupin. About his rock and roll lifestyle. His many famous friends, how he wasn’t so much in the limelight so he could get away with more. He drank, he took drugs, he messed up relationships. His love of horses and his family, he travelled and saw so many things in the world. The songs he wrote with and for other people. I had no idea he wrote We Bukit This City that was a hit for Starship.

He is quite critical of many things, no love lost with the Royal family. He did make me laugh at times.

This is a book for music lovers. It was so interesting and a book that you just want to keep reading .

Thanks so much to Hachette Australia for this surprise bookmail, thoroughly enjoyed it.

A captivating memoir by "the one who writes the words for Elton John".
Spanning over the past fifty years Bernie Taupin takes us around the world describing his extraordinary life. We read about his many ups and downs, famous and not so famous people he spent time with and his love of the art world including writers, painters and artists in many forms.
A truly captivating read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Hatchette Books for an arc of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

Some quick thoughts because I'm so behind on reviews after the chaotic time of year... I may even skip some reviews 😆.

This is a pretty long audiobook that I didn't feel was giving much. It seemed a bit of a brag of name dropping, i.e. just too much on the royal family, too much about celebrities met, but without much substance.

There were interesting comments about songs written, where ideas came from and I loved that aspect but was honestly hoping for a lot more of it.

I thought the narrator was good and engaging as much as can be for the content.

Thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for my audio-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Scattershot is a good title for this memoir. Some parts caught my attention, others just let my mind wander.

So I was not going to read any more rock memoirs…my appetite for debauchery had its limits, but Taupin was the songwriter so I was intrigued.

Well, he’s a far better writer…almost to a fussy degree…but there’s still the louche, the drugs, the excuses papering over what was a ridiculously splendid life of beaches, beauties, and famous folk.

This book is more a travelogue and a who’s who…so again I say I will read no more works of the oh so tortured but immensely wealthy rock denizen who always manages to find true love after countless beautiful women…oh and the fact that they’re now growing old has nothing to do with their Paul like conversion.

P.s. but there is perhaps room for a Dylan bio…since I’ve never understood his iconography.

They say never meet your heroes…
A memoir is realistically, the closest I’ll ever come to meeting the man who penned many of my all-time favourite songs, legendary songwriter for Elton John, Bernie Taupin. And unfortunately, having now ‘met’ the man, well yeah, I kind of wish I hadn’t. What a disappointment!

This memoir and I just didn’t gel. It was rambly & written with language that could be read as either poetic or pretentious - take your pick. Mysteries abound and many things are alluded to but never stated outright, leaving this reader often wondering, “what are you actually saying?”

Obviously, if you want to read about Elton John, then you should read Elton’s memoir. This isn’t a book about Elton, but having such a close & successful working relationship for so many decades, I did expect far more content about him than SCATTERSHOT provides.

I think most readers picking up this book will expect to read about what Bernie is famous for - his songwriting. His decades of work surely would have provided ample fodder to explore his inspiration, favourite works, and his thoughts on the secrets to great songwriting. But again, all that remains a mystery. The writer shares that songwriting comes easily to him and that, unfortunately, is my main takeaway.

Reading Mr Taupin’s book & watching some promotional interviews he did when it launched, I’ve just been left disappointed. From his views on his past relationships & marriages, and what I perceive as a refusal to focus on the topic the masses want most - his songs, I just didn’t find him endearing at all.

Awfully disappointed by this book that’s left my hero worship of the man pretty tarnished.

I’d love to hear from readers who enjoyed the reading of this book or gained lots of insight from it - let’s chat!

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This is a book about Bernie and his working relationship with Elton John as well as his friendship spanning over many decades. We play alot of music in our household so I thoroughly enjoyed reading this. Candle in the Wind is one of my favourite Elton John songs. I loved hearing about his experiences with Van Morrison, Bob Dylan, John Lennon , Cher and Bob Marley and Robin Williams . I loved the added surprise of finding out he is a book collector and reader.

Lou Reed said, "Just because I wrote it doesn't mean I know what it's about."

The opening paragraphs promised a very good read, however that was not to be the case. Though thoughtful and smart, Bernie failed to deliver anything of note to capture and keep my interest. It isn't enough to be a great lyricist. And just like Neil Young, it doesn't make you a good memoirist.

...I had in me a deeper desire to search for something different, a wider range of what was out there, not exactly hiding in plain sight, but evidently existing off the radar somewhere. It was my crusade, an archeological adventure, that became a lifelong quest...

And just as those words above are the likely ones to demonstrate his creative impetus, Bernie still managed to segue off to retelling his Hollywood drinking and drugging adventures with the musical and acting elite. Not impressed.

...it was Dylan, a man who has never concerned himself with losing out in order to remain contrary...

And it still is Bob Dylan doing what it is that makes a story interesting. And Bernie...I had to quit reading him for the same reasons Bernie tried to make about art and authenticity.

Super-disappointing. I'd been looking forward to a Taupin autobiography for years - I'd always been fascinated with the other half of the most unlikely songwriting duo in pop music history and I should have just left myself with that mystery. One of the dullest memoirs that I can remember.

I've been an Elton John/Bernie Taupin fan since the early 70's. So was really looking forward to reading this one!
Sad to say, this book was was very disappointing. Slow, boring, rambling, pretentious.

Hit and miss. His early years and working with Elton John are interesting and well told but once he moves to the USA you tire of the endless parties and celebrities, not to mention the legion of women he had brief relationships with.

By his own admission he recalls little of writing specific songs which is a shame. Worth reading for the gems but in the second half they take some searching for.

Not particularly well written and if the editor had actually edited we might be spared repetitions and ramblings.

Je vois beaucoup de commentaires sur le "name dropping"... Vous vouliez qu'il fasse quoi, parler des oiseaux dans sa cour?! Le mec a voyagé partout dans le monde avec l'une des plus grandes stars de la planète, c'est sûr qu'il aura des histoires à déballer avec les plus grandes et grands de ce monde. Perso, je l'ai trouvé très groundé et honnête envers lui-même et les autres, surtout en ce qui concerne les qualités et les défauts. Plein de petites anecdotes hilarantes parsèment le livre, c'est plaisant. Bref, pas aussi engageant que "Me" de Elton, mais une fenêtre qui s'ouvre dans la vie d'une personne qui aura marqué mon éducation artistique au tournant des années 2010.

What I enjoy most of some autobiographies is the honesty of them: what lies beneath the presumed glitter and gold. As a child of the 70s, Elton John's music was omnipresent - well, for me, music was always present and still is.
What I liked best was not the breakdown or the behind the scenes of the lyrics, but the stories that inspired; the adventures, the travels, the sights, the sounds, and everything thing in between.
There is a certain bravery in telling the truth, the whole truth, and even those embarrassing truths: it provides an element of humanity that the people we revere are not that much different than the rest of us, but with a lot more talent in their respective fields. They suffer, laugh, cry, and slog through this world like the rest of us - and that is where the humanity exists.
As with any book by anyone involved with music, you have to read them with a notebook handy to jot down and then go discover the music and literature that inspired them - the real pearls of these books.
I highly recommend this to anyone that is ready to climb aboard the tour bus going round the globe and see it through the eyes of a real artist - in word and in physical medium.

The many celebrities shamelessly name-dropped in this book might find this worth a cursory browse. For others it's a dull read.

Lackluster and disorganized memoir still has some good stories in it, as you'd imagine from the pen of Elton John's excellent lyric writer. Determined to be his own man, apparently, Taupin only occasionally touches on Elton. This book is mostly about his thoughts on cities like New York, Paris and Sydney, literature, his art, a number of his girlfriends, who are invariably described as "petite," his life as a rodeo person and uh, the drugs, which are sometimes taken with people like Ringo, Alice Cooper (a best friend, along with Elton) and others. He likes writers like Graham Greene and Oscar Wilde, and the language in this book is sort of like them but not as good....i.e. it is overly mannered. In the end, I get very little sense of Bernie Taupin the person. Certainly, this book is not in a league with Elton's own book, ME, which is a truly terrific memoir.

Thank you publisher and author for the opportunity to read a free copy of this book for review. I apologize but I could not delve deeply into his tale. May be my fault? I thought it would be more detailed and may I say exciting around very events, but I think what I did was overlay aspects of others’ stories on his. And that was not fair to him and his book. Maybe one day I will pick this up again when I might do a music unit challenge focus, but I just have way too many other books to read right now.

Format Read: Ebook from NetGalley (releases 9/12/23)
Review: I wanted to love this and think I would have preferred it on audio. It was so long and so drawn out and detailed that my mind drifted often. The lyrics Bernie Taupin wrote are more for me.
Recommended For: Elton John fans will enjoy this.

Sadly a DNF

Bernie Taupin's biography is compelling, honest, and hard to put down. Although his is a private person, takes us on his journey of childhood through his life as we learn the man behind the brilliant lyrics. His details and descriptions of his extraordinary life and partnership with Elton John make this an excellent, well-done memoir. As always, I love memoirs and hearing the stories behind the songs. This is especially true for this book, as I was a teenager in the 1970s, and the songs from the musical collaboration of Bernie Taupin and Elton John were part of that era for me. They have remained with me through the present. Hearing these songs performed live by Elton John in Nashville, Tennessee in 2019 is a memory that will last forever.

Thank you to Hachette Books and Net Galley for an advance reader's copy. My thoughts are my own.

I’m a huge fan of Bernie and Elton, and so after loving the latter’s memoir in 2020 I couldn’t wait for Bernie Taupin to follow suit and release his own autobiography.

However, this book was a slog and I was happy to see the last chapter end. I expected the bulk of the book to be about the songwriting, production of albums and his interconnected life with one of the world’s most famous stars. I was wrong. It’s almost a love letter to Americana with a few music industry tales sprinkled in. Elton is almost always referred to as “My friend” too - I found it a little odd but make of it what you will.

I do think “Scattershot” is the perfect title, as there are a variety of topics covered in detail by the author, such as ranching, horses, art, country music. But I didn’t find much of this captivating. Bernie’s passion radiates from the page, that much can be seen, though.

One of the best written memoirs that I've read. Review to come.

*I read an advance copy and was not compensated.

I am enormously grateful to have received the audio version of Scattershot written by lyricist and self admitted “story-telller’, Bernie Taupin. What a fun read!
Taupin, as most will know, is and has been the guy whose words Elton John has put to music for the past 50 years. It’s no surprise that it is well written and Taupin mentioned in a recent interview that he wrote it without the assistance of a ghost writer.
This memoir contains many amusing, informative and down right laugh out loud episodes in his life. Name dropping? Well sure. Taupin’s life is the music business, why not share the memorable moments experienced with other artists such as John Lennon, Salvador Dali and Cher, just to name a few.
As Elton’s lyricist, Taupin has certainly lived a charmed life. To find your life’s work, using your passion for writing at the age of 17 is utterly remarkable and somewhat inspiring.

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher and author for affording me the opportunity of listening to the ARC on audio. Narrator, John Lee was outstanding and the author’s note read by Taupin himself was a welcome addition.

A real struggle and disappointment for me, as someone that loves the musical result of the Elton and Bernie combo. Perhaps I should’ve expected that a person known for their words would use all the biggest words they possibly could in their autobiography, at the expense of the narrative. Dude, we get it, you’re well-read and know multisyllabic words. Why use a simple description when you can use an esoteric one?

This book took me ages to read as it literally put me to sleep some nights, and I subconsciously found other things to do than read. I even skim read the last 100 pages which is very unlike me.

I also found some of his descriptions of some women he dated or hung around with quite demeaning at times, not overly complimentary, which definitely tainted my view of him.

My favourite parts were definitely when he explained how and why songs came together. I guess it’s on me for hoping that there would be more of that.