(Credits: Far Out / Allan Warren)

Being a working musician was never known to be the friendliest occupation one could take on. There might be some people willing to give you adulation every time you get up onstage, but behind the scenes, there will always be people who see the artist more as a commodity rather than a human being half the time. Although Rod Stewart was more than happy to be cordial with whomever he came across, he knew that there were a few friends in the industry who would last a lifetime.

Then again, a singer who has been going for as long as Stewart has doesn’t get there without having to burn some bridges along the way. There are plenty of people who will always be there for him through thick and thin, but breaking up The Faces was never going to be easy, and when someone tried to cheat him out of his money, it wasn’t long before Stewart started showing his dark side.

When Stewart became a major force in pop music, the industry was still like the Wild West. Anyone could find themselves on the wrong side of a deal too quickly, and while Stewart managed to keep his head above water most of the time, even he wasn’t safe from a few jabs by fans when they saw him donning a onesie and grinding on the floor when filming ‘Do Ya Think I’m Sexy’.

If Stewart stood for everything that rock and roll was meant to be for a certain audience, Elton John was the one responsible for twisting everything on its head. Although John and Stewart approached songwriting from a similar perspective by keeping everything rooted in singer-songwriter territory, John was never afraid to get a little theatrical, usually having the most lavish costumes anyone had ever seen when he took to the stage.

And while he and Stewart were joined at the hip most of the time, they weren’t afraid to have a friendly rivalry whenever they came to town. These weren’t cheap shots, either, with Stewart hiring people to tear down some of John’s promotional material when he was preparing for some of the biggest gigs of his career.

Still, that didn’t stop Stewart from considering John one of his dearest friends, even recalling later when asking to do a duet with him, “But, Elton John was the only one I approached personally because he’s a dear, dear mate of mine. I love him to death. And he said yes, Rod, I’ll sing with you. He was the only one I approached.”

Compared to Stewart’s trademark rasp, though, John’s tone is actually far smoother to listen to. He’s clearly dropped his voice down a few tones to be able to sing some of his most famous tunes these days, but listening to him and Stewart exchange lines makes them sound like a couple of old mates who happen to be hanging out in the pub instead of the studio.

And for as much bullshit as both of them had to plough through when cutting their teeth in the industry, the fact that they can smile and laugh off some of their shortcomings is everything that an ageing rockstar is supposed to be. They might admit they are far from perfect, but no musician can be a role model for their entire life. They can be honest, though, and being upfront with your musical friends is what helps relationships last a lot longer.