It was during his work with Magna Carta that he caught the attention of producer Gus Dudgeon who asked Johnstone to play on Bernie Taupin's eponymous 1970 solo album, which resulted in a meeting with Elton John and Johnstone playing on his 1971 album Madman Across the Water.
•
He recorded several albums with them beginning in 1970 on Seasons, (1970) and continued to contribute to Songs from Wasties Orchard (1971), (named after the street where he lived in Long Hanborough, Oxfordshire), and a live album entitled In Concert.
In 1972, John re-recorded the song with his band (Dee Murray, Nigel Olsson and Davey Johnstone) during the sessions for Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player.
Johnstone Strait | Johnstone | Davey Graham | Keith Johnstone | George Johnstone Stoney | Robin Davey | Derek Johnstone | Davey Havok | Aaron Davey | William Johnstone Hope | William Johnstone | Parker Johnstone | John Davey | Davey Lopes | Davey Johnstone | Davey Hamilton | Davey Faragher | Cathy Davey | Alwyn Davey | William Johnstone Ritchie | William Johnstone (actor) | St. Johnstone F.C. | Shaun Davey | Robert Johnstone (editor) | Robert Johnstone | Jimmy Johnstone | Jay Johnstone | Ian Johnstone | Frank Davey | Davey Williams |
John also reunited with the core of his backing band of the early '70s: Dee Murray, Nigel Olsson and Davey Johnstone as well as Ray Cooper, Kiki Dee and Skaila Kanga (who played harp on John's self-titled album and Tumbleweed Connection) – two other musicians were intended to join the line-up, but dropped out.