To commemorate the 10th anniversary of Record Store Day, Elton John had the opportunity to choose his favorite live concert for a special reissued vinyl release. The project, 17.11.70+, includes six bonus tracks as part of the two-disc remastered LP that hits stores on April 22. Back in November 1970, Elton John performed an intimate concert at A&R Studios in New York City for just 125 people when the project was recorded.
The 70-year-old reminisced on the 1970 concert that has stayed in his memories for all this time. “I’m astonished by how good we were, listening to this record,” said Elton in a press release. “A lot of it was improvised, and you can do that when you’re a three-piece band because I’m really the lead instrument, and Dee and Nigel were so brilliant at following what I did.”
“I think it’s one of the greatest live albums ever made,” Elton continued. “It wasn’t initially coming out as a live album, but there were so many bootlegs in those days that the record company put it out. I’m glad they did because it really is something I’m very, very proud of’.”
In the video above, John speaks about how his most recent bootleg vinyl purchase was Kanye West’s The Life Of Pablo, which ended up costing him a fortune. Elton previously collaborated with Yeezy on the My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy song “All Of The Lights.”
The Blue Moves artist spoke highly of the vinyl press’ impact on his life, “I love vinyl so much,” John said. “The tactile nature, the ritual of it, looking at the sleeve … especially with the old albums and the liner notes – who played on them, the process of putting it on, the needle going on and the sound coming out. And it does sound better, I know it does. I’ve been around long enough to know, I’ve been in so many studios … It does sound better. So it’s just the wonder of having vinyl.”
17.11.70+ Track List
A1 “Take Me To The Pilot”
A2 “Honky Tonk Women”
A3 “Sixty Years On”
A4 “Can’t Put You On”
B1 “Bad Side Of The Moon”
B2 “Burn Down The Mission” (Incl. “My Baby Left Me” / “Get Back”)
C1 “Indian Sunset”
C2 “Amoreena” (Newly remixed bonus track)
C3 “Your Song” *D1 “Country Comfort”
D2 “I Need You To Turn To”
D3 “Border Song”
D4 “My Father’s Gun”