Cash Box said that "A Word in Spanish" is "brilliant," describing it as "a Spanish-guitar tinged ballad written with the kind of originality that John-Taupin haven't really touched since the seventies.

"[11] After taking over a year off (to recover from throat surgery, address personal issues and record Reg Strikes Back in London), John returned to the stage with a new rhythm section.

He wanted more of an R&B sound to his material, so drummer Jonathan Moffett and bassist Romeo Williams, along with backing singers Marlena Jeter, Natalie Jackson and Alex Brown, were added to the band.

[12] The band's first show was at an AIDS benefit at the Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles, where they played a 14-song set that featured the never-released John/Taupin composition, "Love Is Worth Waiting For".

[12] After recording the follow-up album Sleeping with the Past in Denmark, the band (now with backing vocalist Mortonette Jenkins instead of Alex Brown) resumed their tour on 20 March 1989 at La Halle Tony Garnier in Lyon, France, and played across Eastern Europe and the UK, concluding on 10 June 1989 at the RDS Arena in Dublin.