Billy Joel has announced a sprawling Turnstiles 50th anniversary box set featuring 54 previously unreleased demos, rarities, and live recordings. Ahead of its December 11th release via Columbia Records and Legacy Recordings, stream a 1975 band demo of “James” below.
Packed with classics like “New York State of Mind,” “James,” “Say Goodbye to Hollywood,” “I’ve Loved These Days,” and “Prelude/Angry Young Man,” Turnstiles was originally released on May 19th, 1976, and marked Joel’s return to New York City after several years in Los Angeles.
Buy Turnstiles – 50th Anniversary Edition
“The story of Turnstiles is the story of how ‘The Piano Man’ became Billy Joel,” John Jackson, Director of the Billy Joel Archives, 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.'”
Available for pre-order now, Turnstiles – 50th Anniversary Edition is spread across four CDs and one Blu-ray. The collection includes 67 audio tracks and 32 video performances. Of those, 54 songs and 24 video performances are previously unreleased. These include live recordings from Joel’s June 1975 concerts at San Francisco’s Great American Music Hall and a June 10th, 1976 concert at New York City’s The Bottom Line.
The Turnstiles anniversary set is highlighted by the complete Billy Joel Tonight concert film, which has been transferred, edited, restored, and mixed in HD from the December 1976 performances filmed at Connecticut College in New London, Connecticut. Previously broadcast as a 1977 television special, the movie features Joel and his band at the cusp of a mainstream breakout.
The Blu-ray includes bonus material such as largely unseen rehearsal footage, production inserts, rare performances, and archival material, as well as a new Dolby Atmos mix of Turnstiles, mixed by Bradshaw Leigh and mastered by Ted Jensen and Adam Grover at Sterling Sound.
Turnstiles – 50th Anniversary Edition also comes with a 40-page hardcover booklet that features previously unseen photographs, archival material, detailed notes about the album’s creation from Jackson, and new liner notes from music journalist David Fricke.
Stream the 1975 band demo of “James” below.
Turnstiles — 50th Anniversary Edition Packaging:
Turnstiles — 50th Anniversary Edition Tracklist:
CD1: Demos and Early Versions
01. All You Wanna Do Is Dance (Band Demo, February 7th, 1975)
02. James (Band Demo, July 12th, 1975)
03. New York State of Mind (Live at The Great American Music Hall, June 12th, 1975 – Set 1)
04. All You Wanna Do Is Dance (Live at The Great American Music Hall, June 10th, 1975 – Set 2)
05. Oklahoma (Live at The Great American Music Hall, June 9th, 1975 – Set 1)
06. Everybody Has a Dream (Live at The Great American Music Hall, June 10th, 1975 – Set 2)
07. New York State of Mind (Piano/Vocal Demo, 1975)
08. I’ve Seen the Lamb Lie Down on Broadway (Miami 2017) (Piano/Vocal Demo, 1975)
09. James (Piano/Vocal Demo, 1975)
10. Oklahoma (Piano/Vocal Demo, 1975)
11. New Ideas (Say Goodbye to Hollywood, Angry Young Man, Brenda and Eddie) (Piano/Vocal Demo, 1975)
12. Say Goodbye to Hollywood (Piano/Vocal Demo With Percussion Overdub, 1975)
13. These Rhinestone Days (Piano/Vocal Demo, 1975) – Previously Released on My Lives
14. Prelude/Angry Young Man – Take 9 (Dee Murray, Nigel Olsson Session, January 19th, 1976)
15. I’ve Loved These Days – Take 1 (Dee Murray, Nigel Olsson Session, January 20th, 1976)
16. James – Take 3 (Dee Murray, Nigel Olsson Session, January 21st, 1976)
17. Everybody Has a Dream – Take 1 (Dee Murray, Nigel Olsson Session, January 21st, 1976)
18. Sadness or Euphoria (Summer, Highland Falls) – Take 2 (Doug Stegmeyer, Liberty DeVitto Session, January 23rd, 1976)
19. All You Wanna Do Is Dance – Take 2 (Doug Stegmeyer, Liberty DeVitto Session, January 23rd, 1976)
20. Miami 2017 (Seen the Lights Go Out on Broadway) – Take 1 (Doug Stegmeyer, Liberty DeVitto Session, January 23rd, 1976)
CD2: Album Sessions
01. Say Goodbye to Hollywood
02. Summer, Highland Falls
03. All You Wanna Do Is Dance
04. New York State of Mind
05. James
06. Prelude/Angry Young Man
07. I’ve Loved These Days
08. Miami 2017 (Seen the Lights Go Out on Broadway)
09. James (Alternate Mix With Strings; Reprise With Acoustic Guitar, Bongos and Saxophone)
10. Summer, Highland Falls (Alternate Acoustic Version)
11. Say Goodbye to Hollywood (Alternate Band Take)
12. I’ve Loved These Days (Alternate Orchestral Mix)
13. Conversation With Ed Sciaky, Philadelphia, June 18, 1976
CD3: Live at The Bottom Line
Recorded in New York, New York on June 10, 1976
01. Prelude/Angry Young Man
02. Somewhere Along the Line
03. Summer, Highland Falls
04. Piano Man
05. Root Beer Rag
06. James
07. Travelin’ Prayer
08. New York State of Mind
09. The Entertainer
10. The Ballad of Billy the Kid
11. I’ve Loved These Days
12. Miami 2017 (Seen the Lights Go Out on Broadway)
13. Captain Jack
14. All You Wanna Do Is Dance
15. Ain’t No Crime
16. Weekend Song
17. Souvenir
CD4: Billy Joel Tonight
Recorded live December 5th and 6th, 1976 at Palmer Auditorium, Connecticut College, New London.
01. Prelude/Angry Young Man
02. Somewhere Along the Line
03. Summer, Highland Falls *
04. Piano Man
05. Handball
06. James
07. Travelin’ Prayer
08. New York State of Mind *
09. The Entertainer
10. You’re My Home
11. Root Beer Rag
12. Roberta
13. The Ballad of Billy the Kid *
14. I’ve Loved These Days
15. Miami 2017 (Seen the Lights Go Out on Broadway)
16. Captain Jack
17. Souvenir *
Blu-ray: Billy Joel Tonight – The Concert
Recorded live December 5th, 1976 at Palmer Auditorium, Connecticut College, New London
01. Prelude/Angry Young Man *
02. Somewhere Along the Line
03. Summer, Highland Falls
04. Piano Man *
05. Handball *
06. James (Includes “Still Crazy After All These Years” by Paul Simon)
07. Travelin’ Prayer (Includes “Jungleland” by Bruce Springsteen)
08. New York State of Mind *
09. The Entertainer *
10. You’re My Home *
11. Root Beer Rag
12. Roberta
13. The Ballad of Billy the Kid
14. I’ve Loved These Days
15. Miami 2017 (Seen the Lights Go Out on Broadway) *
16. Captain Jack *
17. Worse Comes to Worst
18. Ain’t No Crime
19. Weekend Song
20. If I Only Had the Words to Tell You
21. Souvenir
Rehearsals and Production Inserts
Recorded live December 6th, 1976 at Palmer Auditorium, Connecticut College, New London
01. Stop in Nevada (Incomplete Rehearsal) (Includes “Behind Closed Doors” by Kenny O’Dell)
02. She’s Got a Way
03. Say Goodbye to Hollywood
04. Streetlife Serenader
05. The Great Suburban Showdown
06. All You Wanna Do Is Dance
07. I’ve Loved These Days
08. Honky Tonk Women (Mick Jagger/Keith Richards)
09. Covers Medley: You Are So Beautiful (Billy Preston/Bruce Fisher) / Born to Run (Bruce Springsteen) / Hey Mister, That’s Me Up on the Jukebox (James Taylor) / Tell Me Why (John Lennon/Paul McCartney) / Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (Elton John/Bernie Taupin) / Bennie and the Jets (Elton John/Bernie Taupin)
10. Souvenir
11. Nocturne * (Includes “Clair de Lune” by Claude Debussy)
Dolby Atmos Mix of Turnstiles Album
01. Say Goodbye to Hollywood
02. Summer, Highland Falls
03. All You Wanna Do Is Dance
04. New York State of Mind
05. James
06. Prelude/Angry Young Man
07. I’ve Loved These Days
08. Miami 2017 (Seen the Lights Go Out on Broadway)
* = previously released
