SACRAMENTO, Calif.--Elton John [ tickets ], who told a concert audience last week that his latest album would be his final one, played down the statement during press conference for a charity tennis event at Arco Arena.

At a Nov. 30 performance in Manchester, N.H., John said that "Songs from the West Coast" (Universal), which was released in October, would be his last album. "I'm fed up with it," he reportedly told the crowd. "I like playing to you guys but I hate the record industry. I've made 40 albums and its about time for me to get out."

Asked to comment on Wednesday (12/5), John said, "I think it was my time of the month. I always say these things on stage when we're having a bad night."

John, who was in Sacramento to host the "Smash Hits" tennis tournament, which benefited a local AIDS charity, did say that his heavy workload is taking a toll.

"I'm 54 now, and the CD probably has another year's life in it because we're going to take three or four more singles from it," he said. "It's not the making of the record that's hard, it's the promoting of it. ... I've got to take stock of my life and find out when I'm going to slow down a little bit.

"I'm not saying I'm never going to make another record again, but I'm really going to take a look at my life."

John said he recently spoke with Carlos Santana, who typically spends three months on the road and follows it with three months at home.

"I do 11-and-a-half months at home and half a month at home, and that's not good enough," John said. "You miss the people you love, and sometimes things may be a little bit more important than making records."