The expanded set will be available on multiple formats this fall
A half a century after it dominated charts globally, Elton John’s seminal album Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy will receive a 50th Anniversary Edition reissue, out on October 24th via UMe. The special reissue will be available on multiple formats, including 2 LP, 2 CD, and 1 LP with a booklet containing never-before-seen entries from John’s diary. Live At Midsummer Music, Wembley Stadium 1975, which was the album’s live debut, will be available separately.
In 1975, John was in the midst of a prolific run of unimaginable success, having broken into the mainstream in 1970 to become the biggest star on the planet. His ninth album in six years, Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy, would break new ground in several ways. A concept album devised with Elton’s longtime collaborator and lyricist Bernie Taupin, it told the chronological story of the early years of Elton (Captain Fantastic) and Bernie’s (the Brown Dirt Cowboy) musical careers in London as they struggled to break through.
Featuring the single “Someone Saved My Life Tonight,” the album became the first in history to debut at No. 1 on the US Billboard 200 and the first to be certified gold upon its release due to the number of pre-orders. It sold 1.4 million copies in its first four days and remained at the top of the chart for seven weeks.
Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy was written aboard The SS France – at the time, the world’s longest passenger liner – as Elton was taking the leisurely route back to the US for a breather in a very hectic year. With a sheaf of words already provided by lyricist Bernie Taupin, Elton wrote the music using downtime in the liner’s music room, the Salon Debussy, committing everything to memory as he didn’t have a tape recorder, before recording at Caribou Ranch with longtime producer Gus Dudgeon.
Despite lacking the mega hits of its predecessors, Bernie’s wonderfully evocative lyrics combined with Elton’s achingly beautiful melodies to create a distinct masterpiece that sits alone amongst Elton’s work of the 70s, becoming one of the biggest-selling cult albums. It’s an album about the unbreakable kinship its writers shared, full of intense platonic love songs between the best of friends. Alan Aldridge’s iconic album artwork is one of the most instantly recognizable designs of the decade, placing Elton in the center of a fanciful imaginary landscape, escaping from his rainy suburban bubble and riding his piano through the many distractions of pop stardom.
This 50th anniversary edition suite contains the 2016 remaster of the original album, previously unreleased session demos, plus Elton’s live performance of tracks from the album, recorded during 2005 for the album’s 30th anniversary. It also includes a 28-page booklet, containing sleeve notes and Elton’s never-before-seen 1974 diary entries.
Amongst the various formats available to fans is a recording of Midsummer Music Live At Wembley, 1975. This performance, featuring the ten Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy tracks, marked the first time Elton had played the album live and is available for the first time on vinyl. With a stacked bill hand-picked by Elton that included Rufus with Chaka Khan, Joe Walsh, The Eagles, and The Beach Boys, the 72,000 fans officially at Wembley Stadium (estimates put it closer to 100,000) were warmed up and ready to hear the hits. The decision, however, was made to play the newly released album in full from start to finish, and, despite a restless crowd, many of whom left, the result is a quite remarkable recording of what would become a firm fan favorite album.
News of the reissue comes during a groundbreaking year for Elton that has included his tenth UK No. 1 album, Who Believes In Angels?, created with close friend and 11-time Grammy-winning US superstar Brandi Carlile, as well as the release of the iconic live album Elton John – Live from the Rainbow Theatre with Ray Cooper in July.
CD 1:
1. Captain Fantastic And The Brown Dirt Cowboy
2. Tower Of Babe
3. Bitter Fingers
4. Tell Me When The Whistle Blows
5. Someone Saved My Life Tonight
6. (Gotta Get A) Meal Ticket
7. Better Off Dead
8. Writing
9. We All Fall In Love Sometimes
10. Curtains
11. Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds
12. One Day At A Time
13. Philadelphia Freedom
14. House Of Cards
CD 2:
1. Tell Me When The Whistle Blows (Session Demo)
2. Captain Fantastic Take 1 (Session Demo)
3. Writing (Session Demo)
4. We All Fall In Love Sometimes (Session Demo)
5. Captain Fantastic Take 2 (Session Demo)
6. Bitter Fingers (Session Demo)
7. Captain Fantastic And The Brown Dirt Cowboy (Captain Fantastic Live / 2005)
8. Bitter Fingers (Captain Fantastic Live /2005)
9. Tell Me When The Whistle Blows (Captain Fantastic Live / 2005)
10. Someone Saved My Life Tonight (Captain Fantastic Live / 2005)
11. (Gotta Get A) Meal Ticket (Captain Fantastic Live / 2005)
12. Better Off Dead (Captain Fantastic Live /2005)
13. We All Fall In Love Sometimes / Curtains (Captain Fantastic Live / 2005)
