Old news, yes. And perhaps for many Elton John hits fans, inconsequential. But in writing an article for a newspaper, I took a second – and closer – look at this set and thought, “this is kinda nice if you’re an EJ completist”. Therefore, I’m posting this announcement for those of you who will derive value from it.
On November 13, a large scale project with direct input by Elton himself will be released. It will be a collection of B-sides, rare cuts, piano demos, and much more, all presented over 8CDs (or 9LPs, if you’re the vinyl enthusiast). The box will be cleverly called Jewel Box. Within, Jewel Box, the will be the music mentioned above, and a 100-page book filled with written goodies like liner notes, and a track-by-track commentary by Elton John. The book will be richly adorned with photos and memorabilia.
Jewel Box will contain 148 recorded tracks, 60 of them previously unreleased. Jewel Box also presents an unprecedented review of his early period, 1965-1971.
Jewel Box will also be offered in truncated form for LP in 4LP (Deep Cuts), 3LP (Rarities & B-Sides), and 2LP (And This Is Me…) sets, totaling 9LPs, as mentioned above. It will also be made available on DD, and multiple streaming platforms.
It’s important to note that Jewel Box does not house a collection of greatest hits, although it probably should have. It certainly wouldn’t have hurt.
Jewel Box – Elton John
CD1 (Deep Cuts)
01 Monkey Suit – Elton John And Leon Russell
02 Where To Now St Peter?
03 Mellow
04 The Ballad Of Danny Bailey (1909-34)
05 Chameleon
06 Gone To Shiloh – Elton John And Leon Russell
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 Stones Throw From Hurtin’
14 The North
15 Hoop Of Fire
16 Boogie Pilgrim
CD2 (More 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) – Elton John And Leon Russell
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 – Arranged 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 Demo
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 Demo
17 The Girl On Angel Pavement- Arranged Band Demo
18 Smokestack Children – Arranged Band Demo
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 – Band 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 – Elton John And Kiki Dee
02 Conquer The Sun
03 Cartier
04 White Man Danger
05 Tactics
06 Steal Away Child
07 Love So Cold
08 Les Aveux – Elton John And France Gall
09 Donner Pour Donner – Elton John And France Gall
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 – Elton John And Taron Egerton
If you want greatest hits there’s the Diamonds collections. Most every hit ( but not all of them ) are included on any of the different Diamonds configurations. Jewel Box is for the hardcore fans. The best part of this box set are the 36 b-sides of which 17 of them have never been released officially on CD before. I also look foward to the 60 unreleased piano demos and band demos as well as the deep cuts. Yes I have most of the deep cuts already but that fact that Elton was involved in selecting them makes this set even more intriguing.