Bernie Taupin, Elton John's longtime lyricist, is releasing his first solo album in nearly four decades, titled *The Sea Has No Mercy*, on 23 October. Despite writing the words behind classics such as "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" and "Tumbleweed Connection," Taupin's own solo career has remained largely unknown to most Elton John fans, having last released a solo record in 1987.

The new album was recorded in Nashville with producer Frank Liddell and a band including guitarist Adam Wright, bassist Glenn Worf and keyboardist Michael Rojas, alongside guest appearances from Brandi Carlile, Lee Ann Womack, percussionist Jay Bellerose, violinist Scarlet Rivera and Taupin's daughter, Georgey. Taupin, who disbanded his previous group Farm Dogs in 1998, described the record as the most satisfying of his career, saying it allowed him to express his own feelings in his own writing rather than through his work with Elton John.