Regimental Sgt. Zippo was recorded between November 1967 and May 1968. For the sessions, Elton John worked with musicians who were either his or his manager Steve Brown's associates, including guitarist
Caleb Quaye and drummer Roger Pope (both members of the band
Hookfoot at the time), and bassist Tony Murray (from
the Troggs). The songs were recorded in a four-track studio at the offices of Dick James Music. The project was eventually shelved in favour of what became John's debut album,
Empty Sky (1969).
Bernie Taupin later confirmed his and Elton John's love of
the Beatles and
the Moody Blues; however,
Dick James, whose company published John and Taupin's songs, did not believe that this was the right artistic direction for them. According to John's collaborator Bernie Taupin, the album's trippy sound was "a tip of the hat to
Sgt. Pepper. It certainly proved that we were hanging on the coattails of things that were currently popular – things like '
A Whiter Shade of Pale' were in vogue at that particular point in time. I think, in a way, I was literally trying to be part of a gang."
Plastic Penny, which featured drummer
Nigel Olsson, who played on
Empty Sky, and by 1970 was a member of the
Elton John Band, covered "Turn to Me" in 1969 on their album
Currency. ==Release==