The Diving Board is the twenty-ninth studio album by English musician Elton John.^[2] It is the second of his studio releases since 1979's Victim of Love without any of his regular band members.^[3][4] The album was released in the United Kingdom on 16 September 2013 and debuted at No. 3 on the UK album chart, his highest-charting studio album in his home country since 2001's Songs from the West Coast, and at No. 4 on the Billboard 200. It is also his highest-charting solo album in the United States since Blue Moves in 1976.

The album's premiere single, "Home Again", was released on 24 June 2013, the same day the album became available for pre-order. On 28 August 2013, a video for "Mexican Vacation (Kids in the Candlelight)" was released on YouTube.

The album was written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin and produced in Los Angeles by The Union producer T Bone Burnett. Burnett suggested that John return to the piano, bass, and drums format of his very early years and the result, John says, is "the most exciting solo record I've done in a long, long time."^[5] The Diving Board was initially written in two days.^[6]

The album's release date was pushed back; though the record was originally planned for release in the fall of 2012, it was revealed on Taupin's website that it would instead be released in February 2013 for promotional reasons.^[7] Later, it was pushed back again.

It was revealed on 28 September 2012 in Rolling Stone magazine that John was dissatisfied with the balance on the album and that he had started to write more new songs for the album. He believed that many of the songs had a theme and that he wanted to write more songs after sitting on the project for so long.^[8]

During a concert at the Perth Arena in Perth, Australia on 10 November 2012, John revealed that The Diving Board's release would be pushed back further, to May 2013.^[9] The delay in release was because John was to record more material for the album with Burnett in January 2013.^[10]

On 8 January 2013 it was revealed by Taupin's website that the title of the album had been changed from The Diving Board to Voyeur.^[11][12]

An article on Billboard published on 23 February 2013 revealed that the release date had once again been pushed back, this time until September 2013; the title of the album was back to The Diving Board again. The article also revealed the revised track list, which includes four new songs mixed in with the original material. A song originally stated for release on the album, titled "5th Avenue", had been dropped. John called the revised album "The most piano-oriented album of my career" and said "It's my most adult album".^[13] In total, the album's release had been pushed back four times.

The album's premiere single "Home Again" was released on 24 June 2013, the same day the album became available for pre-order.^[14]

On 28 August 2013, a video for "Mexican Vacation (Kids in the Candlelight)" was released on YouTube, being the album's second single.^[1]

• Standard edition: 15-track album^[32]
• Deluxe edition: 19-track album^[33]
• Super deluxe edition: 19-track album with DVD Live from Capitol Recording Studios [not available as MP3]^[34]
• Double LP^[35]
• Amazon.com USA exclusive edition: Deluxe album with a reproduction of 1970 Troubadour Concert Poster^[36]
• Walmart.com USA exclusive edition: Deluxe album with a bonus DVD of Live at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville, AR, June 2013 For Walmart Shareholders
• Target.com USA exclusive edition: 2CD version with three session tracks. Two unavailable on any other format^[36]
• BestBuy.com USA exclusive edition: Deluxe album with a bonus DVD of the making of The Million Dollar Piano Show
• Japanese exclusive edition: SHM 2CD version with three session tracks. Two unavailable on any other format^[36]

• Elton John – acoustic piano, lead vocals (1-4, 6-10, 12, 13, 15)
• Keefus Ciancia – keyboards (2, 3, 4, 6-10, 12)
• Larry Goldings – Hammond B3 organ (15)
• Doyle Bramhall II – guitars (3, 10)
• Raphael Saadiq – bass (2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 10, 12-15)
• David Plitch – bass (9)
• Jay Bellerose – drums (2, 3, 4, 6-10, 12-15)
• Jack Ashford – tambourine (3, 4, 7, 8, 10, 13)
• George Bohanon – baritone horn (9), trombone (12, 15), euphonium (12, 15)
• Bruce Fowler – trombone (9)
• Ira Nepus – trombone (12, 15)
• Chuck Findley – flugelhorn (9)
• Darrell Leonard – flugelhorn (9, 12, 15), horn arrangements (9, 12, 15, trumpet (12)
• William Roper – tuba (9, 12, 15)
• Stjepan Hauser – cello (2, 4, 12)
• Luka Šulić – cello (2, 4, 12)
• Bill Maxwell – BGV arrangements (3, 4, 7, 10, 13)
• Bill Cantos – backing vocals (3, 4, 7, 10, 13)
• Alvin Chea – backing vocals (3, 4, 7, 13)
• Carmel Echols – backing vocals (3, 10, 13)
• Judith Hill – backing vocals (3, 10, 13)
• Perry Morgan – backing vocals (3, 4, 7, 13)
• Louis Price – backing vocals (3, 4, 7, 13)
• Rose Stone – backing vocals (10)

• Producer – T Bone Burnett
• Recorded and Mixed by Jason Wormer
• Second Engineers – Jeff Gartenbaum, Chris Owens and Vanessa Parr.
• Mix Assistants – Zachary Dawes and Chris Owens
• Mixed at The Village Recorder and Olympic Studios (Los Angeles, CA).
• Mastered by Gavin Lurssen at Lurssen Mastering (Hollywood, CA).
• Equipment Technician – Zachary Dawes
• Piano Technician – Carl Lieberman
• Art Direction – Mat Maitland
• Photography – Tim Barber
• Creative Director – Tony King

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