In the Details

Viz “The Brit Is Back” (by Robert Hilburn, Feb. 19):

On the night of Aug. 24, 1970, Danny Hutton asked me to his pad in Laurel Canyon to assess Reggie Dwight, also known as Elton John. I’d produced some demos for Three Dog Night; Hutton founded that group. When they performed at the Revolution, on their first trip to London, T.D.N. were pitched by Reggie to record his songs, armed with his demo from Dick James Music. He was too late for T.D.N.’s debut album, but his collaboration “Lady Samantha” was shoe-horned into their next album. Their endorsement established Elton as a commercial reality.

Hutton also played a pivotal entrepreneurial role in Elton’s intro to the L.A. music scene, lobbying Doug Weston for Elton’s Troubadour gig. Anyone who’s seen Elton’s two-man shows knows what a pivotal contribution was made by “a percussionist,” not credited in your article, the truly charismatic Ray Cooper.

God is in the details! Hilburn should credit Danny Hutton and Doug Weston in his next assiduously detailed revisionistic redux of Elton John.

VAN DYKE PARKS

Encino