Elton John

Elton John's 1972 landmark 'Honky Château' album will be reissued in expanded 50th anniversary editions on March 24.

These are spread across two sections which feature the demo versions of every track on the album with the exception of “Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters.” The 2CD edition adds eight tracks from the finished LP as performed at the Royal Festival Hall, “Rocket Man” among them. It was a time of unbridled creativity, as the superstar would later remember of the prolific sessions. It also marked the first time he recorded at the residential Château d’Hérouville studio of its title, situated 25 miles north-west of Paris. It features what became Elton’s classic band line-up of the era, with Davey Johnstone on guitar, Dee Murray on bass and Nigel Olsson on drums, and mirrors the track’s studio arrangement on stage with accuracy and freshness. It’s [now available for pre-order](https://eltonjohn.lnk.to/HC50) in 2CD, 2LP, and limited edition gold vinyl LP configurations. The live version of what became an undying Elton signature marked its first public performance on February 5, 1972, two months before the song became the first single from Honky Château in April, itself one month before the LP appeared.

The set will be available on 2 CD, 2 LP and limited edition gold vinyl LP on March 24th via Universal Music Enterprises.

Includes an eight-page booklet containing rare photos, memorabilia and an essay featuring interviews from those who were there at the time. Includes a 40-page booklet containing rare photos, memorabilia and an essay featuring interviews from those who were there at the time. This live debut of “Rocket Man at the Royal Festival Hall” – recorded two months before its release as the album’s first single – is striking in its freshness and its ability to nearly replicate the studio arrangement on stage.

The 1972 LP, featuring such classics as "Rocket Man" and "Honky Cat," became the first of the star's six consecutive Billboard #1 albums.

Susie (Dramas) (Session Demo) “Honky Cat” became John’s first up-tempo number to make the U.S. By June 1972, “Rocket Man” was in the U.K. In the U.S., the single reached #6, helping the LP become the first of six consecutive Billboard #1 albums. A pivotal album in his ascent to superstardom, the album’s sepia-tinged cover belies the effortless grooves within of a band who had truly found their feet as a unit. Two tracks from the collection were made available in the Feb.

Elton John will mark the 50th anniversary of 'Honky Chateau' with a reissue featuring the album alongside unreleased demos and a 1972 London concert.

- Susie (Dramas) (Session Demo) Additionally, the reissue features John’s Feb. - Salvation (Session Demo)