Bernie Taupin, Elton John's longtime lyricist and one of pop music's most decorated songwriters, has announced The Sea Has No Mercy, his first solo album in nearly four decades. Due out this autumn, it marks a rare return to the spotlight for a writer far better known for the words behind other artists' hits, including his and John's extensive catalogue and '80s staples such as Starship's "We Built This City" and Heart's "These Dreams."

The album, recorded in Nashville with producer Frank Liddell and backing band the Tennessee Stone Cutters, features contributions from Brandi Carlile, Lee Ann Womack and Taupin's daughter Georgey Devon Taupin, and is notable as the first record he has written entirely alone. It follows his 1971 debut Taupin, 1980's He Who Rides The Tiger and 1987's Tribe. Taupin, now 76, says the songs reflect where he is at this stage of life; the ten-track record, including its title song, arrives on 23 October via Vertigo/MCA Nashville.