Columbia Records and Legacy Recordings will release a Turnstiles 50th anniversary box set from Billy Joel on December 11th. The package includes 54 previously unheard tracks.
The collection features a number of well-known songs, including “New York State of Mind,” “James,” “Say Goodbye to Hollywood,” “I’ve Loved These Days,” and “Prelude/Angry Young Man.” The album Turnstiles first came out on May 19th, 1976, which marked Joel’s return to New York City following a period spent in Los Angeles.
The 54 Unreleased Songs
Four CDs and one Blu-ray make up the box set. Inside are 67 audio tracks and 32 video performances, among which 54 songs and 24 video performances have not been released before. The previously unseen material covers live work from Joel’s June 1975 concerts at San Francisco’s Great American Music Hall alongside a June 10th, 1976 show at New York City’s The Bottom Line.
The Complete Billy Joel Tonight Film
The centerpiece is the full Billy Joel Tonight concert film, which has been transferred, edited, restored, and remixed in HD from the December 1976 shows recorded at Connecticut College in New London, Connecticut. It first aired as a 1977 TV special and documents Joel and his band on the verge of a mainstream breakthrough.
The Blu-ray comes with extra content, including behind-the-scenes footage, production inserts, rare live appearances, and old materials. It also features a fresh Dolby Atmos mix of Turnstiles, put together by Bradshaw Leigh and processed by Ted Jensen and Adam Grover at Sterling Sound.
The Booklet and Notes
The set includes a 40-page hardcover booklet. Inside it are previously unseen photographs, along with archival material. The booklet also contains detailed notes on the album’s creation from John Jackson, Director of the Billy Joel Archives, alongside new liner notes from music journalist David Fricke.
“The story of Turnstiles is the story of how ‘The Piano Man’ became Billy Joel,” Jackson said in a statement. “The victories and setbacks experienced at every turn in 1975 and 1976 would have stalled any lesser performer. But not Billy. His vision and commitment to his artistry at all costs made him Billy Joel, no longer simply ‘The Piano Man.'”
What’s on Each Disc
A February 7th, 1975 band demo of “All You Wanna Do Is Dance” and a July 12th, 1975 band demo of “James.” mark the early stages of development, along with other rough sketches and preliminary versions.
CD1: Album sessions, including alternate mixes of “James,” “Summer, Highland Falls,” “Say Goodbye to Hollywood,” and “I’ve Loved These Days.”
CD2: Live at The Bottom Line, recorded June 10th, 1976.
CD3: Live at The Bottom Line, recorded June 10th, 1976.
CD4: Live at The Bottom Line, recorded June 10th, 1976.
Blu-ray: The complete Billy Joel Tonight concert film.
The Live Shows
This sequence begins at “Prelude/Angry Young Man,” and moves through “Somewhere Along the Line,” “Summer, Highland Falls,” “Piano Man,” “Root Beer Rag,” and “James,” ending with “Captain Jack” and “Souvenir.”.
During the Billy Joel Tonight set, listeners hear “Handball,” “You’re My Home,” “Roberta,” and “The Ballad of Billy the Kid,”. The evening also features a cover of “Still Crazy After All These Years” by Paul Simon during “James”, along with “Jungleland” during “Travelin’ Prayer.”.
A Demo to Start
Before the song arrives, listeners can hear a rough version of it from the band’s own recording sessions. A 1975 demo of “James”, pulled straight from those sessions, is available to stream below. It offers a glimpse of the track before it was fully completed for the album.
The Set Arrives December 11th
A Turnstiles 50th Anniversary Edition is currently open for pre-order. This set gives Billy Joel fans live recordings, alternate versions, and newly restored video content, making it a substantial addition to an existing collection.
The unreleased tracks are what will pull in listeners who already know the album backwards and forwards. The restored concert film, on the other hand, gives newcomers a look at the exact moment Joel reached his audience.
This collection explores a phase of Joel’s career when he was rediscovering his footing, and it demands both patience and curiosity from the listener to be fully appreciated.
Key Facts Box
- Release date: December 11th
- Format: 4 CDs + 1 Blu-ray
- Unreleased tracks: 54 songs, 24 video performances
- Total audio tracks: 67
- Total video performances: 32
- Booklet: 40-page hardcover
- Concert film: Edited, restored, remixed HD from December 1976 Connecticut College shows
See the video the story is built around at Consequence.
Get the Notebook.
The day's best stories and every fresh verdict, in plain English, in your inbox by seven. One email a day, no more.