Elton John has announced a massive, career-spanning box set titled Elton: Jewel Box. Due out November 13th, the eight-disc collection was curated by John himself and boasts all sorts of rarities, B-sides, and fan favorites. As a preview, he’s sharing a previously unreleased track from 1969 called “Sing Me No Sad Songs”.
The 148-song (!) set is split into four main sections, “Deep Cuts”, “B-Sides”, “Rarities”, and And This Is Me… The first two discs aptly feature deep cuts that are supposedly personal favorites of John’s, while the next three discs comprise of rarities categorized chronologically: Rarities Part One 1965-1968, Rarities Part Two 1968, and Rarities Part Three 1968-1971. That’s where the sprightly “Sing Me No Sad Songs” is pulled from, which you can take a listen to below.
Discs six and seven compile B-sides from 1976 through 2005, 17 of which were previously only available on vinyl. And lastly, And This Is Me… contains songs mentioned by name in The Rocket Man’s own acclaimed autobiography Me, which is getting an updated paperback release to coincide with this box set collection.
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“To delve back through every period of my career in such detail for Jewel Box has been an absolute pleasure,” John said in a statement. “Hearing these long lost tracks again, I find it hard to comprehend just how prolific [lyricist] Bernie [Taupin] and I were during the early days. The songs just poured out of us, and the band were just unbelievable in the studio.”
The five-time Grammy winner continued:
“I always want to push forward with everything I do and look to the future, but having time during lockdown to take stock and pull these moments from my memory from each era has been a joy. As a devout record collector myself, this project has really excited me, and I couldn’t be happier with the level of craft involved in such a carefully curated, lovingly constructed box set. I’m sure my fans will enjoy it as much as I have.”
Jewel Box is being released in a bunch of different formats, including an eight-CD box set packaged with a hardcover book full of photos and commentary from John himself. There’s also a four-LP set, a three-LP set, and a two-LP version, as well as a digital release through streaming services. Pre-orders are now live.
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Elton: Jewel Box Tracklist:
CD1: Deep Cuts
01. Monkey Suit
02. Where To Now St Peter?
03. Mellow
04. The Ballad Of Danny Bailey (1909-34)
05. Chameleon
06. Gone To Shiloh
07. We All Fall in Love Sometimes
08. Too Low for Zero
09. The Power With Little Richard
10. All That I’m Allowed
11. The Bridge
12. The New Fever Waltz
13. Stone’s Throw From Hurtin’
14. The North
15. Hoop of Fire
16. Boogie Pilgrim
CD2: Deep Cuts
01. Ticking
02. Crystal
03. All Quiet on the Western Front
04. Tell Me When the Whistle Blows
05, Freaks in Love
06. Never Too Old (to Hold Somebody)
07. The Emperor’s New Clothes
08. House
09. (Gotta Get a) Meal Ticket
10. Understanding Women
11. Shoot Down the Moon
12. Have Mercy on the Criminal
13. Blues for Baby and Me
14. My Quicksand
15. Street Kids
CD3: Rarities Part One 1965-1968
01. Come Back Baby Bluesology
02. Mr. Frantic Bluesology
03. Scarecrow (Piano/Tambourine Demo)
04. A Dandelion Dies in the Wind’ (Piano Demo)
05. Velvet Fountain (Piano Demo)
06. A Little Love Goes a Long Way (Piano Demo)
07. If You Could See Me Now (Piano Demo)
08. Mr. Lightning Strikerman (Piano Demo)
09. Countryside Love Affair (Piano Demo)
10. I Could Never Fall in Love With Anybody Else (Piano Demo)
11. I Get a Little Bit Lonely (Piano Demo)
12. The Witch’s House (Piano Demo)
13. Get Out of This Town (Piano/Tambourine Demo)
14. Year of the Teddy Bear (Piano Demo)
15. Where It’s At (Piano/Percussion Demo)
16. Who’s Gonna Love You (Piano/Percussion Demo)
17. Nina (Band Version)
18. Angel Tree (Piano/Guitar/Tambourine Demo)
19. Here’s to the Next Time (Piano/Tambourine Demo)
20. Thank You for All Your Loving (Band Version)
21. Watching the Planes Go By (Band Version)
22. When the First Tear Shows (Arranged Band Version)
23. Tartan Coloured Lady (Arranged Band Version)
CD4: Rarities Part Two 1968
01. Hourglass (Band Version)
02. 71-75 New Oxford Street (Band Demo)
03. Turn to Me: (Arranged Band Version)
04. Reminds Me of You (Piano Demo)
05. I Can’t Go on Living Without You (Arranged Band Version)
06, And the Clock Goes Round (Piano Demo)
07. When I Was Tealby Abbey (Piano Demo)
08. I’ll Stop Living When You Stop Loving Me (Piano Demo)
09. Trying to Hold On to a Love That’s Dying (Piano Demo)
10. Sitting Doing Nothing (Band Version)
11. Regimental Sgt. Zippo (Band Version)
12. Cry Willow Cry (Band Demo)
13. There Is Still a Little Love (Band Demo)
14. If I Asked You (Band Demo)
15. Skyline Pigeon (Piano Demo)
16. Two of a Kind (Arranged Band Version)
17. The Girl on Angel Pavement (Arranged Band Version)
18. Smokestack Children (Arranged Band Version)
19. Baby I Miss You (Band Demo)
20. All Across the Havens (Piano/Guitar Demo)
21. Bonnie’s Gone Away (Piano/Guitar Demo)
22. Just an Ordinary Man (Piano Demo)
23. There’s Still Time for Me (Piano/Guitar/Tambourine Demo)
CD5: Rarities Part Three 1968-1971
01. The Tide Will Turn for Rebecca (Piano Demo)
02. Dick Barton Theme (Devil’s Gallop) (Bread And Beer Band)
03. Breakdown Blues (Bread And Beer Band)
04. Taking the Sun From My Eyes (Arranged Band Version)
05. It’s Me That You Need (Band Demo)
06. Sing Me No Sad Songs (Band Demo)
07. The Flowers Will Never Die (Piano Demo)
08. In the Morning (Band Demo)
09. Open Your Eyes to the Sun (Piano/Tambourine Demo)
10. One Time, Sometime or Never (Band Demo)
11. Slow Fade to Blue (Piano/Guitar Demo)
12. Rolling Western Union (Piano Demo)
13. My Father’s Gun (Piano Demo)
14. Amoreena (Piano Demo)
15. Burn Down the Mission (Piano Demo)
16. Razor Face (Piano Demo)
17. Madman Across the Water (Piano Demo)
18. Holiday Inn (Piano Demo)
19. All the Nasties (Piano Demo)
CD6: B Sides Part One 1976-1984
01. Snow Queen
02. Conquer the Sun
03. Cartier
04. White Man Danger
05. Tactics
06. Steal Away Child
07. Love so Cold
08. Les Aveux
09. Donner Pour Donner
10. J’veux D’la Tendresse
11. Fools in Fashion
12. Can’t Get Over Getting Over Losing You
13. Tortured
14. Hey Papa Legba
15. Take Me Down to the Ocean
16. Where Have All the Good Times Gone? (Alternate Mix)
17. The Retreat
18. Choc Ice Goes Mental
19. A Simple Man
CD7: B-Sides Part Two 1984-2005
01. Lonely Boy
02. Highlander
03. Billy and the Kids
04. Lord of the Flies
05. Rope Around a Fool
06. Medicine Man
07. I Know Why I’m in Love
08. Big Man in a Little Suit
09. God Never Came Here
10. The North Star
11. Did Anybody Sleep With Joan of Arc
12. So Sad the Renegade
13. A Little Peace
14. Keep it a Mystery
15. How’s Tomorrow
16. Peter’s Song
17. Things Only Get Better With Love
CD8: And This Is Me…
01. Empty Sky
02. Lady Samantha
03. Border Song
04. My Father’s Gun
05. All the Nasties
06. I Think I’m Going to Kill Myself
07. Philadelphia Freedom
08. Song for Guy
09. Sartorial Eloquence
10. Elton’s Song
11. Cold as Christmas (In the Middle of the Year)
12. I Fall Apart
13. Amazes Me
14. The Last Song
15. American Triangle
16. (I’m Gonna) Love Me Again
