The 25th of August was a salient milestone for Sir Elton John. Yesterday marked fifty years since the iconic singer, songwriter and pianist shot to stardom after his blinding US debut at the Troubadour.
Elton’s cult classic, Your Song, was in the setlist of the momentous performance at the world-famous Los Angeles club five decades ago. Elton shared the life-changing performance to his official YouTube channel, which can be watched below. This career-forming gig catapulted the singer into global superstardom, and the Rocketman has not come down since.
Whilst only 300 people were in attendance that historic night at the Troubadour, Elton’s audience held some of the 1970s music scene’s paramount artists. The most notable audience members who witnessed the breathtaking performance were Peggy Lipton, Brian Wilson, Neil Diamond and none other than Quincy Jones. Robert Hilburn, chief music critic at the Los Angeles Times during 1970, also wrote a glowing review of the Crocodile Rocker.
In celebration of the special anniversary, a special deluxe gatefold double LP edition of Elton’s spectacular debut album will be released. The self-titled album will be a Record Store Day exclusive and will be available from the 29th of August.
The reissue of the groundbreaking Elton John playfully matches the eccentric artist, as it will be pressed with a translucent purple vinyl finish. The two-disc LP will feature a 2016 remaster of the classic LP, bonus tracks from the 2008 CD edition and unreleased demos of both Bad Side of The Moon and Border Song. To say that fans are in for a treat would be a gross understatement!
Elton John took to social media on the 25th of August to honour the performance that changed his life. In a post on Instagram, the Tiny Dancer hitmaker shared the special moment with his 3m followers.
Featuring a snap of the legendary performance and a short clip from the wonderful Rocketman biopic, John captioned the nostalgic post: “When I walked on the stage on August 25th, 1970, I was just a little known pop singer from England. It didn’t take me long to realise afterward, though, that things would never be the same again.” The post was greeted with a joyous reception from the star’s gigantic fanbase, receiving a whopping 116,000 likes and views.
The Elton John Tracklisting will go as follows:
LP1 / SIDE A
1. Your Song
2. I Need You To Turn To
3. Take Me To The Pilot
4. No Shoe Strings On Louise
5. First Episode At Hienton
LP1 / SIDE B
1. Sixty Years On
2. Border Song
3. The Greatest Discovery
4. The Cage
5. The King Must Die
LP2 / SIDE A
1. Your Song (Piano Demo)
2. I Need You To Turn To (Piano Demo)
3. Take Me To The Pilot (Piano Demo)
4. Sixty Years On (Piano Demo)
5. Border Song (Piano Demo)
6. Bad Side Of The Moon (Piano Demo)
LP2 / SIDE B
1. Thank You Mama (Piano Demo)
2. All The Way Down To El Paso (Piano Demo)
3. I’m Going Home (Piano Demo)
4. Bad Side Of The Moon
5. Grey Seal
6. Rock And Roll Madonna
