Elton John is taking advantage of an album release delay to re-examine the music on his new album, 'The Diving Board.' Producer T-Bone Burnett tells Rolling Stone that the music icon is in the rare position of having plenty of time between the completion of a disc and its release and it's giving him the opportunity to take a closer look what will eventually be part of the final record.

John was initially expecting a 2012 release, but his label pushed back the record for promotional reasons giving him the extra time. Burnett says, "There were like seven or eight songs that were so completely of a piece that they have an identity. I think he thought, 'You know, maybe I should write some more things in that mode so that the album has a tighter identity.' Some tunes were maybe too happy for the overall identity of the album."

The disc was initially recorded in January and February, with John revisiting the idea of recording as a trio. In this case, drummer Jay Bellerose and bassist Raphael Saadiq rounded out the lineup.

Earlier this year, John stated of the effort, "It's the most exciting solo record I've done in a long, long time. It just came flooding out. Quickest record I've ever made. I'm as psyched about it as I was with [the collaborative Leon Russell record] 'The Union.' As I said with 'The Union,' I had to go forward to go back, and it's the same with this record."

In other Elton John news, the musician was among those mourning the late Andy Williams last week. John's first-ever American television performance came on 'The Andy Williams Show' and can be seen below. In addition, John's website posted footage of Williams' recollection the first time he met the singer, who at the time was still in the early stages of his career.

During the summer of 2003, John performed the Andy Williams classic 'Moon River' at a pair of solo concerts.

Watch Elton John's First U.S. Appearance on 'The Andy Williams Show'

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