Elton John announces the forthcoming release of Elton: Jewel Box. Released on November 13th via UMe / EMI, Elton: Jewel Box is an unrivaled collection containing 148 songs spanning 1965 to 2019 on 8CD, 4LP, 3LP, 2LP, digital download, and streaming formats.
The ultimate exploration into Elton’s extensive back catalog, Elton: Jewel Box covers deep cuts, rarities from the earliest stages of his and Bernie Taupin’s musical journey, B-side spanning 30 years, and songs discussed in his best-selling, critically acclaimed 2019 memoir Me. The 8 CD boxset of buried treasures comes in a beautiful hardcover book with the discs housed in the back, all wrapped in an outer slipcase. Each section comes accompanied by extensive notes, including a track-by-track commentary by Elton for Deep Cuts. Three different LP collections are also available to pre-order now – a 4LP gatefold black vinyl set of Deep Cuts (curated by Elton himself), a 3LP gatefold black vinyl set of Rarities and B-side highlights, and a 2LP gatefold black vinyl set “And This Is Me…”. All audio was mastered at Abbey Road Studios by GRAMMY-winning mastering engineer Sean Magee. With an unprecedented number of previously unheard and unreleased tracks painstakingly excavated from deep within the UMG archives, this is the ultimate treasure trove for Elton John fans.
As a first taster of some of the many gems gathered within Elton: Jewel Box, “Sing Me No Sad Songs” is today unveiled for the very first time. Listen here. Previously unreleased, the track was written and recorded as a band demo in 1969. “Sing Me No Sad Songs” is a fascinating first taste of what was to come from Elton and lyricist Bernie Taupin, and one that mentions not one, but two, future smashes in its lyrics – “Sad Songs (Say So Much)” from 1984’s Breaking Heartsalbum and Elton’s first UK chart-topping single “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” from 1976.
Speaking of the release, Elton says, “To delve back through every period of my career in such detail for Jewel Box” has been an absolute pleasure. Hearing these long lost tracks again, I find it hard to comprehend just how prolific Bernie and I were during the early days. The songs just poured out of us, and the band were just unbelievable in the studio. 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 boxset. I’m sure my fans will enjoy it as much as I have.”
Available to pre-order here, Elton: Jewel Box compromises of the below formats:
Disc Guide
Discs 1 & 2: Deep Cuts – A selection of personal favorites, curated by Elton. The box set book includes a track-by-track commentary by Elton.
Discs 3, 4, and 5: Rarities 1965 -1971 – Elton’s much sought-after 1960s and early 1970s demos and music that cemented the foundations of the iconic Elton John / Bernie Taupin writing partnership. The compelling, previously unreleased, missing piece in his illustrious career. Daryl Easlea narrates this fascinating story with contributions from those who were there at the time. These discs encompass 65 songs, all but a few of which have been stored in the vaults for more than 50 years. Most of these demos were recorded during sessions before Elton was signed to a recording contract or released his first album. Also included are the first song ever written by Elton and his debut appearance on a record (both “Come Back Baby” – 1965), Elton and Bernie’s first composition (“Scarecrow” – 1967), and newly-unearthed piano/vocal demos of some of Elton’s most acclaimed songs from his early albums. The packaging appropriately contains rare archival artwork and select original lyric sheets.
Discs 6 & 7: B-Sides 1976-2005 – Non-LP tracks and flipsides, never before compiled together. 36 gems that are now given another chance to sparkle – 17 previously only available on vinyl, resulting in all of Elton’s studio B-sides now being offered digitally for the first time in his career.
Disc 8: And This Is Me . . . – To coincide with the release of the updated paperback edition of Me, the final collection celebrates the songs mentioned by name by Elton in his acclaimed autobiography, closing Jewel Box with the 2020 Academy Award-winning duet with Taron Egerton, “(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again.”
Elton: Jewel Box is yet another marker in an incredible few years for the world’s favorite singer-songwriter. Since the release of the ultimate greatest hits album Diamonds in 2017, Elton has undertaken a breathtaking 3 years of activity that are unmatched in their ambition, reach and impact across generations of music fans. Elton announced his record-breaking Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour at New York’s Gotham Hall in January 2018, with a typically forward-looking virtual reality spectacular. Encompassing 5 continents and over 300 dates, this 3-year-long tour started in September 2018 and marks his retirement from touring after more than 50 years on the road. August 2018 saw Elton named as the most successful male solo artist in Billboard Hot 100 chart history. In 2019, the Farewell Tour was named Billboard’s Top Rock Tour and Pollstar’s Major Tour Of The Year. 2019 also saw the release of Elton’s critically acclaimed global bestselling autobiography, Me. The 2019 epic fantasy musical motion picture of Elton’s life, Rocketman, has been a commercial and critical hit, taking over $200m at the box office. It has won an Oscar, 2 Golden Globe Awards, and a Critics’ Choice Award, and garnered BAFTA nominations. Its soundtrack was also nominated for a GRAMMY Award. 2019 also saw Elton awarded the Légion d’ honneur, France’s highest award, for his lifetime contribution to the arts and the fight against HIV/AIDS. He was also honored with both a Royal Mail stamp collection and Royal Mint coin collection. Diamonds, the ultimate greatest hits package of Elton and Bernie, has spent a staggering 148 consecutive weeks in the UK album charts, including 29 weeks in the Top 20 in 2020 alone, selling over a million copies worldwide in the process and recently reaching double-platinum status in the UK.
An unparalleled career that has forever changed the cultural landscape, Elton John’s collaborations with Bernie Taupin and others continue to shape the cultural landscape, break records, top charts, and win new fans across the generations. We’ve had the book, the film, the farewell tour, the fashion collections, and the greatest hits. And now, with Elton: Jewel Box, fans finally have the treasure trove of previously unheard and unreleased tracks they have been waiting for from the world’s favorite singer-songwriter.
About Elton John:
Elton’s career achievements to date are unsurpassed in their breadth and longevity. Elton is one of the top-selling solo artists of all time, with 1 diamond, 40 platinum or multi-platinum, 23 gold albums, over 50 Top 40 hits, and he has sold more than 300 million records worldwide.
He holds the record for the biggest-selling single of all time, “Candle in the Wind 1997,” which sold over 33 million copies. Diamonds, the Ultimate Greatest Hits album, reached the Top 5 of the UK album charts on its release in November 2017, becoming Elton’s 40th UK Top 40 album in the process. This release celebrated 50 years of his songwriting partnership with Bernie Taupin. August 2018 saw Elton named as the most successful male solo artist in Billboard Hot 100 chart history, having logged 67 entries, including nine No. 1 singles and 27 Top 10s.
Among the many awards and honors bestowed upon him are six GRAMMYs, including a GRAMMY Legend Award, a Tony and two Oscars, a Best British Male Artist BRIT Award, induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame, the Kennedy Center Honor, Legend of Live Award, 13 Ivor Novello Awards between 1973 and 2001, and a knighthood from HM Queen Elizabeth II for “services to music and charitable services.”
In 1992, Elton established the Elton John AIDS Foundation, which today is one of the leading non-profit HIV/AIDS organizations and has raised over $450 million to date in the global fight against HIV/AIDS. In June 2019, President Emmanuel Macron presented Elton the Légion d’ honneur, France’s highest award, for his lifetime contribution to the arts and the fight against HIV/AIDS. Elton was awarded the Companion of Honour in the 2020 New Year Honours list. The highest acknowledgment in the list, Elton, became one of only 64 people to hold the honor. September 2019 saw The Royal Mail issue a set of 12 stamps as a tribute to Elton being one of the most popular and enduring music artists of all time. Elton is one of only two individual music artists to be featured in a dedicated stamp issue. In July 2020, the Royal Mint released an Elton John commemorative coin, the second in their music legends series, to celebrate “one of the most successful and enduring artists of all time.”
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