Philadelphia Freedom ( song ) - wikipedia Philadelphia Freedom ( song ) This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. ( April 2011 ) `` Philadelphia Freedom '' Single by The Elton John Band B - side `` I Saw Her Standing There '' ( live with John Lennon ) Released 24 February 1975 Genre Rock Length 5 : 38 5 : 20 ( Edited version ) Label MCA ( US ) DJM ( UK ) Songwriter ( s ) Elton John, Bernie Taupin Producer ( s ) Gus Dudgeon Elton John singles chronology `` Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds '' ( 1974 ) `` Philadelphia Freedom '' ( 1975 ) `` Someone Saved My Life Tonight '' ( 1975 ) `` Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds '' ( 1974 ) `` Philadelphia Freedom '' ( 1975 ) `` Someone Saved My Life Tonight '' ( 1975 ) `` Philadelphia Freedom '' is a song released by The Elton John Band as a single in 1975. The song was the fourth of Elton John 's six number 1 US hits during the early and mid-1970s, which saw his recordings dominating the charts. In Canada it was his eighth single to hit the top of the RPM national singles chart. The song was written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin as a favour to John 's friend, tennis star Billie Jean King. King was part of the Philadelphia Freedoms professional tennis team. The song features an orchestral arrangement by Gene Page, including flutes, horns, and strings. The song made its album debut on 1977 's Elton John 's Greatest Hits Volume II. The unedited version ( without an early fade out ) appears on the box set To Be Continued... and the 40th anniversary edition of the Goodbye Yellow Brick Road album. Contents 1 Background 1.1 Billie Jean King 2 Chart performance 2.1 Weekly singles charts 2.2 Year - end charts 3 Personnel 4 Cover versions 5 References 6 External links Background Recorded in the summer of 1974, during breaks between sessions for Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy, the song was at the time the only song Elton John and Bernie Taupin had ever consciously written as a single, as John told journalist Paul Gambaccini. John was looking to honour Billie Jean King, and so asked Taupin to write a song called `` Philadelphia Freedom '' as a homage to her tennis team, the Philadelphia Freedoms. In His Song : The Musical History of Elton John, Elizabeth Rosenthal recounts that Taupin said, `` I ca n't write a song about tennis, '' and did not. Taupin maintains that the lyrics bear no relation to tennis, Philly Soul, or even flag - waving patriotism. Nonetheless, the lyrics have been interpreted as patriotic and uplifting, and even though it was released in 1975, the song 's sentiment, intentionally or not, meshed perfectly with an American music audience gearing up for the country 's bicentennial celebration in July 1976. In the US, the song was certified Gold in 1975 and Platinum in 1995 by the Recording Industry Association of America. Billboard ranked it as the No. 3 song for 1975. The song was dedicated in part to the Philadelphia sound : the music of the Delfonics, producers Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff ; and The Spinners, producer Thom Bell, with whom John would work two years later on The Thom Bell Sessions. This song plays in Philadelphia 's Franklin Institute IMAX Theater before every show as a tribute to the city 's love for freedom and its impact on the country. The lyrics are also printed on the walls of the Hard Rock Cafe in Philadelphia. The B - side, `` I Saw Her Standing There '', is a live recording of the Elton John Band with John Lennon at Madison Square Garden on 28 November 1974. It was the last of three songs John and Lennon performed together that night -- the performance would mark Lennon 's last ever concert appearance. Three songs from that collaboration were featured on the 1975 album Elton John Band featuring John Lennon and the Muscle Shoals Horns ( DJM Records ). These recordings can also be found on the Lennon box set and the remastered edition of John 's Here and There album. Billie Jean King Elton John met Billie Jean King in 1973 and, according to reporters for CNN, they have since built a `` powerful partnership in philanthropy, raising hundreds of millions of dollars... for equal rights and for HIV / AIDS causes. '' Upon admiring and meeting King, John asked his long - term writing partner Bernie Taupin to write the lyrics to what became `` Philadelphia Freedom '' and dedicate it to his friend, King, who was a member of the Philadelphia Freedoms tennis team. The label on the vinyl for this record reads `` with Love to B.J.K. and the sound of Philadelphia. '' At the time, King had just been ranked the `` World Number 1 women 's player '' for the fifth time in the previous seven years. Additionally, one reporter argued that she had `` alter ( ed ) the gender perception of professional tennis with her victory against Bobby Riggs in a highly - publicized ' Battle of the Sexes ' exhibition match. '' The lyrics of `` Philadelphia Freedom '' are not explicitly about the match or King, but stem from a love of King and her cause. Prior to their match, Riggs claimed that even as a 55 - year - old man, he could still beat a woman ( King was 29 at the time ) in a tennis match because it was a man 's game. The match was held on 20 September 1973 at the Houston Astrodome and was telecast worldwide. Though usually cheering from the sidelines at every match, John lost his voice cheering King on from a Los Angeles hotel. The year before the `` Battle of the Sexes '' match, Congress passed the Equal Rights Amendment ( though it was never put into law ) and 1973 saw the decision of Roe v. Wade give women the right to choose to have an abortion. King made other steps in feminism in 1973 when she founded The Women 's Tennis Association and `` convinced the U.S. Open to award female champions the same prize money as men. '' This set the scene for King 's match and victory against Riggs. The win ignited even more advocacy efforts for sexual equality, shattered the stereotype Riggs had presented and, as famous feminist Gloria Steinem put it, `` provided... a morale change. '' King is now known as a `` champion for social change and equal rights. '' Despite her success in the match and its historical importance, King told Eltonjohn.com that they ( she and Elton ) did not want the song to be about tennis. `` It 's a feeling, '' she said. King and John also co-founded the World Team Tennis Smash Hits, a charity function benefitting AIDS charities. King speaks about her work with Elton, saying `` We 're out there every single day with our energy and we 're going to make this world a better place, no matter if it 's through tennis, through music, whatever, to try to help the LGBT community, just help humanity. '' Chart performance Weekly singles charts Chart ( 1975 ) Peak position Australia Canada RPM Top Singles Germany 50 New Zealand UK 12 U.S. Billboard Hot 100 U.S. Billboard R&B 32 Year - end charts Chart ( 1975 ) Rank Australia 56 Canada 5 New Zealand 14 U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Personnel Elton John -- electric piano, vocals Ray Cooper -- tambourine, maracas, congas Davey Johnstone -- electric & acoustic guitars Dee Murray -- bass Nigel Olsson -- drums Orchestral arrangement by Gene Page Cover versions The song was covered by MFSB on their album of the same name The song was covered by Hall & Oates on the 1991 tribute album Two Rooms. References Jump up ^ `` American certifications -- Philadelphia Freedom ''. Recording Industry Association of America. Jump up ^ Carsten Henkelmann ( 28 November 1974 ). `` Elton John Band Feat. John Lennon And The Muscle Shoals Horns : Featuring John Lennon And The Muscle Shoals Horns - LP, 1975, Erstauflage ''. Musik-sammler.de. Retrieved 10 October 2016. ^ Jump up to : Olshansky, Ken ; Krever, Mick. `` Elton John and Billie Jean King : 40 years of friendship, philanthropy, activism ''. CNN. CNN. Retrieved 1 March 2016. ^ Jump up to : `` Billie Jean King Talks About Philadelphia Freedom ''. Elton John. Retrieved 11 March 2016. ^ Jump up to : Spencer, Nancy E. ( 2000 ). `` Reading Between the Lines : A Discursive Analysis of the Billie Jean King vs. Bobby Riggs `` Battle of the Sexes `` ''. Sociology of Sport Journal. 17 ( 4 ) : 386. Jump up ^ Kaminski, Theresa ( 2012 ). `` Game, Set, Match : Billie Jean King and the Revolution in Women 's Sports ''. The Historian. 74 ( 2 ) : 378. Retrieved 11 March 2016. Jump up ^ Steele, Erika ( 2007 ). `` Reflections on Billie Jean King, Title IX, and making the most of gifts that have been given ''. Women in Sport & Physical Activity Journal. Jump up ^ `` Australian Chart Books ''. www.austchartbook.com.au. Jump up ^ Canada, Library and Archives ( 17 July 2013 ). `` Image : RPM Weekly ''. Jump up ^ `` NZ Top 40 Singles Chart The Official New Zealand Music Chart ''. Nztop40.co.nz. 5 May 1975. Retrieved 10 October 2016. Jump up ^ Joel Whitburn 's Top Pop Singles 1955 - 1990 - ISBN 0 - 89820 - 089 - X Jump up ^ Hung, Steffen. `` australian-charts.com - Forum - Top 100 End of Year AMR Charts - 1980s ( ARIA Charts : Special Occasion Charts ) ''. australian-charts.com. Jump up ^ `` Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada ''. collectionscanada.gc.ca. Jump up ^ `` Top Selling Singles of 1975 The Official New Zealand Music Chart ''. Nztop40.co.nz. 31 December 1975. Retrieved 10 October 2016. Jump up ^ `` Top 100 Hits of 1975 / Top 100 Songs of 1975 ''. Musicoutfitters.com. Retrieved 10 October 2016. External links Lyrics of this song at berniejtaupin.com Elton John songs 1960s and 1970s `` Skyline Pigeon '' ( 1968 ) `` I 've Been Loving You '' ( 1968 ) `` Lady Samantha '' ( 1969 ) `` It 's Me That You Need '' ( 1969 ) `` Border Song '' ( 1970 ) `` Rock and Roll Madonna '' ( 1970 ) `` From Denver to L.A. '' ( 1970 ) `` Take Me to the Pilot '' ( 1970 ) `` Your Song '' ( 1970 ) `` Friends '' ( 1971 ) `` Levon '' ( 1971 ) `` Tiny Dancer '' ( 1972 ) `` Rocket Man '' ( 1972 ) `` Honky Cat '' ( 1972 ) `` I Think I 'm Going to Kill Myself '' ( 1972 ) `` Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters '' ( 1972 ) `` Crocodile Rock '' ( 1972 ) `` Elderberry Wine '' ( 1972 ) `` Daniel '' ( 1972 ) `` Teacher I Need You '' ( 1973 ) `` Funeral for a Friend / Love Lies Bleeding '' ( 1973 ) `` Saturday Night 's Alright for Fighting '' ( 1973 ) `` Goodbye Yellow Brick Road '' ( 1973 ) `` Step into Christmas '' ( 1973 ) `` Candle in the Wind '' ( 1974 ) `` Bennie and the Jets '' ( 1974 ) `` Harmony '' ( 1974 ) `` Do n't Let the Sun Go Down on Me '' ( 1974 ) `` The Bitch Is Back '' ( 1974 ) `` Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds '' ( 1974 ) `` Philadelphia Freedom '' ( 1975 ) `` I Saw Her Standing There '' ( 1975 ) `` Someone Saved My Life Tonight '' ( 1975 ) `` Island Girl '' ( 1975 ) `` Grow Some Funk of Your Own '' ( 1976 ) `` I Feel Like a Bullet ( In the Gun of Robert Ford ) '' ( 1976 ) `` Pinball Wizard '' ( 1976 ) `` Do n't Go Breaking My Heart '' ( 1976 ) `` Cage the Songbird '' ( 1976 ) `` Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word '' ( 1976 ) `` Bite Your Lip ( Get Up and Dance ! ) '' ( 1977 ) `` Crazy Water '' ( 1977 ) `` The Goaldiggers Song '' ( 1977 ) `` Ego '' ( 1978 ) `` Part - Time Love '' ( 1978 ) `` Song for Guy '' ( 1978 ) `` Are You Ready for Love '' ( 1979 ) `` Mama Ca n't Buy You Love '' ( 1979 ) `` Johnny B. Goode '' ( 1979 ) 1980s `` Little Jeannie '' ( 1980 ) `` Sartorial Eloquence ( Do n't Ya Wanna Play This Game No More ? ) '' ( 1980 ) `` Dear God '' ( 1980 ) `` Whatever Gets You thru the Night '' ( 1981 ) `` Nobody Wins '' ( 1981 ) `` Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever '' ( with Kiki Dee, 1981 ) `` Blue Eyes '' ( 1982 ) `` Empty Garden ( Hey Hey Johnny ) '' ( 1982 ) `` Ball and Chain '' ( 1982 ) `` All Quiet on the Western Front '' ( 1982 ) `` I Guess That 's Why They Call It the Blues '' ( 1983 ) `` I 'm Still Standing '' ( 1983 ) `` Sad Songs ( Say So Much ) '' ( 1984 ) `` Passengers '' ( 1984 ) `` Nikita '' ( 1985 ) `` That 's What Friends Are For '' ( 1985 ) `` Wrap Her Up '' ( 1985 ) `` Take Me to the Pilot '' ( 1988 ) `` I Do n't Wanna Go on with You Like That '' ( 1988 ) `` Town of Plenty '' ( 1988 ) `` Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters ( Part Two ) '' ( 1988 ) `` Healing Hands '' ( 1989 ) `` Sacrifice '' ( 1989 ) 1990s `` Club at the End of the Street '' ( 1990 ) `` You Gotta Love Someone '' ( 1990 ) `` Do n't Let the Sun Go Down on Me '' ( 1991 ) `` The One '' ( 1992 ) `` Runaway Train '' ( 1992 ) `` The Last Song '' ( 1992 ) `` Simple Life '' ( 1993 ) `` True Love '' ( 1993 ) `` Shakey Ground '' ( 1994 ) `` Ai n't Nothing Like the Real Thing '' ( 1994 ) `` Can You Feel the Love Tonight '' ( 1994 ) `` Circle of Life '' ( 1994 ) `` Believe '' ( 1995 ) `` Made in England '' ( 1995 ) `` When the Money 's Gone '' ( 1995 ) `` You Can Make History ( Young Again ) '' ( 1996 ) `` The Madness of King Scar '' ( 1997 ) `` Something About the Way You Look Tonight '' ( 1997 ) `` Candle in the Wind 1997 '' ( 1997 ) `` Written in the Stars '' ( 1999 ) 2000s `` I Want Love '' ( 2001 ) `` This Train Do n't Stop There Anymore '' ( 2002 ) `` Original Sin '' ( 2002 ) `` Are You Ready for Love '' ( 2003 ) `` Ghetto Gospel '' ( 2005 ) `` Electricity '' ( 2005 ) `` The Bridge '' ( 2006 ) `` Joseph, Better You than Me '' ( 2008 ) `` Tiny Dancer ( Hold Me Closer ) '' ( 2009 ) Related articles Albums discography Videography Book : Elton John Category : Elton John Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Philadelphia_Freedom_(song)&oldid=850369345 '' Categories : Billie Jean King 1975 singles American patriotic songs Elton John songs Billboard Hot 100 number - one singles Songs about cities Songs about the United States Songs with music by Elton John Songs with lyrics by Bernie Taupin 1975 songs DJM Records singles United States Bicentennial MCA Records singles Hidden categories : Articles needing additional references from April 2011 All articles needing additional references Articles with hAudio microformats Use dmy dates from January 2018 Talk Contents About Wikipedia Dansk Deutsch Italiano Norsk Norsk nynorsk Svenska Edit links This page was last edited on 15 July 2018, at 13 : 02 ( UTC ). 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Question: who did elton john write philadelphia freedom for
Answer: Billie Jean King