Ice on Fire

Ice on Fire is the nineteenth studio album by the British musician Elton John. It was released on 4 November 1985 through Geffen Records in North America and The Rocket Record Company elsewhere. Stemming from a desire for a change in sound, John fired the rhythm section of Dee Murray and Nigel Olsson, both of whom had performed on the preceding two albums, and opted to use multiple lineups of session musicians, including Fred Mandel, David Paton, and Charlie Morgan, as well as guest appearances by Sister Sledge, George Michael, and members of Queen. The album was recorded at The Sol in Cookham, Berkshire, and was John's first since Blue Moves (1976) to be produced by Gus Dudgeon. In comparison to the pop rock sound of previous albums, Ice on Fire contains elements of soul and rhythm and blues music, while also exhibiting a contemporary 1980s sound emphasizing synthesizers and electronic percussion. Bernie Taupin's lyrics explore both personal and political themes, such as war ("Cry to Heaven"), the economic decline of working-class communities ("This Town"), and the Cold War themes of "Nikita". A duet with Millie Jackson, "Act of War", was included as a bonus track on CD and cassette editions of the album. Ice on Fire was released to mixed commercial success. The album's first two singles—"Nikita" and "Wrap Her Up"—were successful, with the former reaching the top 10 in the US and UK, and the latter reaching the top 20 in both territories as well. The album itself reached number three in the UK, and has since received a Platinum certification by the BPI. However, the album was John's lowest-charting up to that point in the US, where it stalled at number 48, though it was eventually certified Gold by the RIAA. Reviews were mixed, and retrospective assessments...