Ice on Fire
Elton John's 1985 album featuring the hit single 'Nikita'.
Ice on Fire is the nineteenth studio album by the British musician Elton John, released on 4 November 1985 through Geffen Records in North America and The Rocket Record Company elsewhere. The album marked a deliberate shift in sound, as John dismissed his longtime rhythm section and employed multiple lineups of session musicians, including guest appearances by Sister Sledge, George Michael, and members of Queen. It was John's first album since Blue Moves (1976) to be produced by Gus Dudgeon.
Quick Facts
- Artist
- Elton John
- Released
- 4 November 1985
- Studio
- The Sol (Cookham); CTS Studios (Wembley)
- Genre
- Pop
- Length
- 45:17
- Label
- Rocket (UK), Geffen (US)
- Producer
- Gus Dudgeon
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
After the grueling tour for Breaking Hearts (1984), during which John collapsed from a viral infection, he decided to dismiss bassist Dee Murray and drummer Nigel Olsson, seeking a change in sound. Inspired by Tina Turner's Private Dancer, John used four different rhythm sections for Ice on Fire. Recording took place at Sol Studios in Cookham, Berkshire, in spring 1985, a prolific period during which John claimed to have recorded eighteen songs. The album's first two singles, 'Nikita' and 'Wrap Her Up', were successful, with 'Nikita' reaching the top 10 in the US and UK. The album itself reached number three in the UK and received a Platinum certification by the BPI, but it was John's lowest-charting album in the US up to that point, stalling at number 48, though it was eventually certified Gold by the RIAA.
Reader's Guide
Ice on Fire represents a transitional moment in Elton John's career, as he moved away from the pop rock sound of his early 1980s comeback albums toward a more mechanized soul and R&B style heavy on synthetic drums and keyboards. The album's lyrics, written by Bernie Taupin, explore personal and political themes, including war, economic decline, and Cold War tensions. While commercially mixed—successful in the UK but underperforming in the US—the album produced the enduring hit 'Nikita', a ballad about a man in love with a Soviet border guard. Retrospective assessments of John's catalogue tend to rank Ice on Fire near the bottom of his discography, but it remains notable for its guest appearances, its use of multiple rhythm sections, and as an early sign of the vocal issues that would lead to John's 1987 surgery.
Track listing
Side one
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | This Town | 3:54 |
| 2 | Cry to Heaven | 4:14 |
| 3 | Soul Glove | 3:28 |
| 4 | Nikita | 5:42 |
| 5 | Too Young | 5:10 |
| Total length | 22:28 | |
Side two
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wrap Her Up | 6:05 |
| 2 | Satellite | 3:56 |
| 3 | Tell Me What the Papers Say | 3:40 |
| 4 | Candy by the Pound | 3:54 |
| 5 | Shoot Down the Moon | 4:58 |
Track listing from the source article.
Did You Know?
- The song 'Nikita' is sung from the perspective of a man in love with a Soviet border guard, though Nikita is a traditionally male name in Russia.
- The album's first two tracks, 'This Town' and 'Cry to Heaven', were recorded with drummer Charlie Morgan and bassist Paul Westwood.
More in Band Members & Collaborators
Elsewhere in Elton John
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced