Elton John Expands 'Rock of the Westies' For 50th Anniversary
(TPR) Fifty years after its original release, Elton John's celebrated tenth studio album, Rock of the Westies, is set to receive a special 50th Anniversary Edition, arriving November 20 via UMe.
The expanded collection revisits one of the most electrifying chapters in Elton's extraordinary career, bringing together the original album and a selection of previously unreleased Piano & Vocal Versions recorded during the original sessions.
Available across 2LP, 2CD, 1LP and digital formats, the anniversary release offers fans a rare opportunity to experience Rock of the Westies from an entirely new perspective. Stripped back to Elton's unmistakable voice and piano, the previously unreleased recordings reveal the songs in their most intimate form, shining a fresh light on the musicianship, arrangements and creative energy behind this landmark album.
To celebrate the announcement, the Piano & Vocal Version of 'Street Kids' is available now, offering a first taste of the newly unearthed recordings.
Reflecting on revisiting the material, Elton John says: "I listened to the whole album again this year, stripped back to just the piano and vocals. On 'Street Kids', there is a single, long piano riff throughout the whole song. And there's absolutely not a single mistake there. After all these years, I am still very proud of the quality of the musicianship on this record."
Originally released in October 1975, Rock of the Westies arrived just five months after Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy, during an extraordinary period of commercial and creative success for Elton. Recorded at Caribou Ranch in Colorado and produced by longtime collaborator Gus Dudgeon, the album captured an artist at the height of his powers, embracing a louder, rawer and more adventurous rock sound. The record marked a significant evolution in Elton's musical lineup, introducing a refreshed band featuring Kenny Passarelli on bass, Roger Pope on drums, James Newton Howard on keyboards and Caleb Quaye on guitar, alongside returning guitarist Davey Johnstone and percussionist Ray Cooper. Remarkably, the new lineup had been together for just 33 days when they arrived at Caribou Ranch to begin recording.
The result was one of the most distinctive and unapologetically rock-driven albums of Elton's 1970s catalogue. Fueled by heavier drumming, funky bass lines, layered guitars and adventurous arrangements, Rock of the Westies showcased a different side of the piano-playing superstar.
Commercially, the album continued Elton's remarkable run of success, becoming his sixth consecutive No. 1 album on the US Billboard 200. It made history by entering the chart at No. 1 and remaining there for three consecutive weeks, while also reaching the Top 5 of the UK Albums Chart. Its enduring highlights include the chart-topping single 'Island Girl', alongside fan favorites 'Grow Some Funk Of Your Own', 'Dan Dare (Pilot Of The Future)', 'Street Kids' and 'I Feel Like A Bullet (In The Gun Of Robert Ford)'. The Rock of the Westies (50th Anniversary Edition will be available in several collectible formats. The 2LP edition features Sea Blue and Electric Blue colored vinyl, housed in a gatefold sleeve with a 16-page booklet containing new liner notes and archival imagery. The 2CD edition comes in a digipack with a 24-page booklet featuring new sleeve notes and archival photographs. A limited-edition D2C-exclusive 1LP will also be available, pressed on 180g Blue Jay, Baby Blue and Sunshine Yellow tri-color-effect vinyl.
The anniversary editions also bring the 2017 remasters of the original album to CD and digital formats for the first time.
Half a century on, Rock of the Westies remains a thrilling snapshot of Elton John and his band at their most spontaneous, adventurous and uninhibited. This special anniversary release celebrates not only an extraordinary moment in music history, but also the enduring musicianship and creative spirit behind one of Elton's most distinctive albums.
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