Healing Hands (Elton John song)


"Healing Hands" was the final Billboard Hot 100 hit single of the 1980s for Elton John, written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin and recorded on his million-selling 1989 album Sleeping with the Past. The single was released during the late-summer of 1989, and was a top-20 hit in the US. A reissued version became the singer's first solo number 1 single in the UK. The song was inspired by the Four Tops song "Reach Out, I'll Be There". Produced by Chris Thomas, it was the first of three singles released from the album, with the follow-ups being "Sacrifice" and "Club at the End of the Street".

Chart performance

"Healing Hands" did moderately well as a single in the United States, climbing to #13 on the Billboard Hot 100 and reaching #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart on the week of 21 October 1989.
The song failed to make the UK Top 40 on its initial release, as did the follow-up, "Sacrifice". However, after Steve Wright of BBC Radio One added "Sacrifice" to his station's playlist, "Sacrifice" was re-released in the UK as a double A-side with "Healing Hands". The double A-side record topped the UK chart for five weeks starting 23 June 1990, becoming the first solo #1 UK hit of Elton John's career.

Technical details

Musically, the song is complex, with the intro and verses in the key of B flat, and the chorus in the key of D. An instrumental solo, in the related minor key of g, serves as a bridge. Rob Stevens also sang the song on his debut album, Little Heart for Love.

Charts

Year-end charts

Personnel