composed by the duo, on its Suitable for Framing album in 1969-a form of flattery if not success for John and Taupin at that point in their careers. Empty Sky, released in 1969, was the teams first album featuring Elton John. Overall, it was far from a perfect product, sell- ing only 4,000 copies, but it demonstrates that everyone-whether entrepreneur or musical group-has to start somewhere, even with little initial success. Your Song---Giving Fans What They Want Up to that point, John and Taupin had been trying to sell-generally unsuccessfully-what they had created, relying only on their own ideas and creative talents. But sometimes those most involved in the creative side of business are those least likely to have a connection to what customers really want to buy because of an all-too-common disconnection from mass-market audiences. The shift to a marketing orientation started with changing their product. Taupin and John continued to do what each did best, but they added producer Gus Dudgeon, an industry veteran with the experience needed to elevate the music quality, and an arranger, Paul Buckmaster, who offered up elegant string arrangements, complete with a studio orchestra. The result was a product with substantially more depth than the compositions and performances they had tried to sell by themselves. The result was Elton John, their second album, released in the summer of 1970. It could serve as a textbook on consumer behavior,   demonstrating how to reach consumers by appealing to basic human emotions. Just as companies with high sales and brand loyalty often design products that appeal to the needs, drives, problems and feel- ings of consumers,3so too did the album Elton John appeal to basic human needs and motivations. It encompassed a wide range of demographic and cultural segments, and served as a blueprint for the brand that John would build over the next three decades. The featured track, "Your Song," which became his first number one hit, spoke about giving the beautiful gift of a song to a lover-a simple sentiment but one that connects with anyone who is in love or wants to be, which is just about everyone. This songs significance would only increase throughout Johns career, becoming one of the most re- quested by fans among the string of hits that would span the next 35 years. And while it is about a lovers gift, it symbolizes the gift of song from John to his fans-the ultimate marketing gesture. Giving back to fans-rewarding them with something they feel has been created for them-helps move the relationship to a more intimate level. The album also contained other culturally relevant songs, connect- ing with people of all ages. "Sixty Years On" related to the loneliness of