NewsElton John / “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” 40th anniversary set coming
A 40th anniversary deluxe edition reissue of Elton John‘s 1973 classic Goodbye Yellow Brick Road will be released later this year.
Via his website, Elton John has asked his fans to “to help us make this edition as special as possible” by sending relevant material whether it be photos, ticket stubs, merchandise, news clippings, or even audio and video (Peter Gabriel put in a similar request last year for his 2012 So reissue, but then failed to include ANY fan submitted content in the 68-page book).
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road was released in October 1973 and contains some of John’s best-loved songs including the title track, Bennie And The Jets, Saturday’s Alright For Fighting and Candle In The Wind.
The original CD release maintained the double album over two discs, but subsequent versions would tend to squeeze the 76 minutes of music onto one CD. The album has been reissued many times over the years including a Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab gold disc from 1989. Ten years ago, the 30th anniversary reissue resulted in a two-disc SACD set which featured a highly regarded surround sound mix by Greg Penny, and four bonus tracks including a previously unreleased acoustic mix of Candle In The Wind. There was also a version of this SACD set with a 50 minute ‘making of’ documentary on DVD.
We expect a super deluxe edition retailing at around £80 to be part of the 40th anniversary offering. Contents could include the album on heavyweight vinyl and CD, and a DVD with the aforementioned documentary and the surround sound mix. Further CDs could include unreleased bonus material and live performances.
What will be interesting is to see how Universal deal with the blu-ray vs DVD issue. There is a tendency from labels to conveniently ‘forget’ about cherished features on old sets when putting together new reissues (see Warner Music’s surround sound-free 25th anniversary of R.E.M.’s Green). Including a blu-ray disc with the new set will allow for a hi-res lossless stereo and surround mix to be included. If they opt only for DVD, they will not be able to include a hi-res surround mix, meaning the 30th anniversary issues will outscore the 40th in this respect. Eric Clapton’s Slowhand super deluxe edition suffered in exactly this way by only including a DVD-video disc.
What would you like to see in a 40th Anniversary Goodbye Yellow Brick Road? Leave a comment and let us know.
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26 thoughts on “Elton John / “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” 40th anniversary set coming”
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I just want the very best reproduction possible, free of any unintended distortions and sounding as true as possible to the original intended release on vinyl – without anything lost from the master mix on the original release. I enjoy this double record sooooo very much to this day, I just want the pleasure of listening to an even better version then all other releases in the past.
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This is simple! what should be included is unreleased studio demo’s..like the sessions in Kingston Jamaica before they left to record in France!!! instead whats the betting, you get another same old same old record company released drivel, and cash in job!!!!!!! they could easily include this type of studio material… from the Jamaica sessions (at least two tracks?) and France session ? there is bundles of it on tape?
The remaining 5.1 surround sound mixes done by Greg Penny should all be put out on BluRay. They are all completed according to Greg Penny. Not sure who holds the rights to these now but these need to come out. The Penny mixes that are out now are terrific.
Remastered 5.1 mix that isn’t brickwalled with poor dynamic range like the DVD-Audio and SACD
GYBR CD with :
(1) CD/DVD – Classic full concert from the 1970’s ex: Madison Square Garden 8/16/1976
(2) DVD – Full Christmas concert: Hammersmith Odeon 12/22/1973
(3) CD – Never before released songs Studio / Live from the 1970’s
How about….
(1) Classic concert from the 1970’s on CD
Blu-ray 5.1 please!! Number 1 requirement. If the deluxe box has that and a heavyweight vinyl pressing, ill put my hand up to own one. One of my favourite albums of all time.
Seems like a crazy idea to add a covers CD – the free ones on the front of magazines can be dull enough. A collection of cover versions from ’73/’74 (or whenever) a maybe, but certainly not at any major cost. Don’t overspec the set! Do include the lyrics – ANOTHER omission in the So super deluxe.
Hi-Res Blu Ray audio is a must (please) – probably the main market for the Deluxe set will be those of us who collect everything of Eltons’ we can and who already have numerous copies of GBYR from the original vinyl, cassette, SACD, anniversary SACD and the DVDAudio. Whilst I will probably buy the new edition for completeness, adding something special to the mix will make the buying decision all the easier.
I don’t think there was a SACD set of GYBR without the documentary, as far as I know there was only a 3-discs set with 2 SACDs and 1 documentary DVD.
Also you forgot to mention that there was also a DVD-A version (one DVD-A with the whole album in 5.1/stereo 96khz 24-bit) and again the documentary on DVD); I think it was released only in SUA and is very hard to find, as you can see here:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0001Z53MY/ref=as_li_ss_til?tag=newofthemus0a-21&camp=2902&creative=19466&linkCode=as4&creativeASIN=B0001Z53MY&adid=1JMMRVPDQ19369FAW34E&
As for the Peter Asher covers, there is talk that Ed Sheeran and Fall Out Boy will contribute to the project.
There was a 2xSACD set without the DVD because I have it. Might be a US only release.
The covers CD is a terrible idea, interesting to the artist maybe, but I’d suggest not what most fans want on a deluxe set of GBYBR.
How about the December 22nd, 1973 show from the Hammersmith Odeon. It has a great setlist from ths GBYBR tour:
Funeral For A Friend/Love Lies Bleeding
Candle In The Wind
Hercules
Rocket Man (I Think It’s Going To Be A Long Long Time)
Bennie And The Jets
Daniel
This Song Has No Title
Honky Cat
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
The Ballad Of Danny Bailey (1909-34)
Elderberry Wine
Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer [instrumental]
I’ve Seen That Movie Too
All The Girls Love Alice
Crocodile Rock
Your Song
Saturday Night’s Alright (For Fighting)
This would be fantastic. A great set list.
Sorry but this “Peter Gabriel put in a similar request last year for his 2012 So reissue, but then failed to include ANY fan submitted content in the 68-page book” made me smile, in a “why do we bother?” sort of way.
how about the long lost “Elton John and Bernie Taupin Say Goodbye Norma Jean and other things ” film?
According to Peter Asher’s website he is producing a CD of new cover versions of GYBR songs for inclusion in the 40th anniversary edition of the album.
Oh dear. High up on no one’s list of ‘must have’ content for this set…
5.1, but not restricted to the pricey box!
Like Goldfrapp’s forthcoming album where the 5.1 mix is only available in the £65 box set :-/
Blu-ray is obviously the way to go. After the Peter Gabriel fiasco, that seems pretty obvious.
Perhaps the fact that Universal France have just re-released around 30 albums in Blu-ray audio should be seen as an encouraging sign?
http://goo.gl/ZLLCk
Virtually all of those UA Blu Ray Audio discs are limited to hi-res stereo, even on titles where 5.1 mixes are known to exist and/or have been previously released on DVD-A or SACD.
This *has* to include the 5.1 mix, and even a hi-res 5.1 mix in Blu Ray audio. However, I ain’t holding my breath ;-)
You’d think it would, but then it seemed a no-brainer to include 5.1 for the “So” box and look what happened there.
Indeed! :-)