Steve Miller is a monumental name that soared the charts for no less than 15 years. With a band that once included Boz Scaggs, the Steve Miller Band issued 12 albums within the embryonic and hit-making periods that includes The Joker (1973), Fly Like An Eagle (1976), Book Of Dreams (1977), Circle Of Love (1981), and Abracadabra (1982). The Joker was the album that began the blitz of radio hits with “The Joker”, and “Your Cash Ain’t Nothin’ But Trash”.
On September 15, Capitol Records will revisit the magic of The Joker with a 50th Anniversary celebration of the title with a 2CD set to be strangely called J50: The Evolution Of The Joker. This set will include the original album interspersed with a collection of Steve Miller commentaries about the album and tracks, live performance cuts, and another collection of bonus tracks including early takes, demos, and such. This culminates in a 43 track set.
A Deluxe Edition includes 3LP, and a 7″ single (“The Joker” and the 4-track “Lidi/Travelin'” on the A-Side, and “I Don’t Mind” and “Lidi” on the B-Side.) That set packs in a 60-page book, a repro of a vintage Joker iron-on, and a new The Joker lithograph.
J50: The Evolution Of The Joker (50th Anniversary) – Steve Miller Band
CD1
01 Steve Miller Commentary 1
02 Children Of The Future (Live – Los Angeles, CA, May 20, 1972)
03 Brave New World (Live – Los Angeles, CA, May 20, 1972)
04 Dear Mary (Live – Los Angeles, CA, May 20, 1972)
05 Space Cowboy (Live – Berkeley, CA, July 14, 1972)
06 Ginger Man (Live – Berkeley, CA, July 14, 1972)
07 Nothing Lasts (Live – Berkeley, CA, July 14, 1972)
08 Steve Miller Commentary 2
09 Sugar Babe (Early Version – Hotel 4-Track, April 21, 1972)
10 Sugar Babe (Live – Columbus, OH, December 8, 1973)
12 Mary Lou (Early Version – Studio Rehearsal, January 19, 1973)
13 Mary Lou
14 Steve Miller Commentary 3
15 Hat (Pre-“Shu Ba Da Du Ma Ma Ma Ma” – Live – Sacramento, CA, June 6, 1971)
16 Say Hey Ray (Pre-“Shu Ba Da Du Ma Ma Ma Ma” Studio Rehearsal, July 27, 1973)
17 White Elephant (Pre-“Shu Ba Da Du Ma Ma Ma Ma” Studio Rehearsal, June 21, 1973)
18 Shu Ba Da Du Ma Ma Ma Ma (Early Version – Hotel 4 Track, April 21, 1972)
19. Shu Ba Da Du Ma Ma Ma Ma
CD2
01 Steve Miller Commentary 4
02 Your Cash Ain’t Nothin’ but Trash (Early Version – Studio Jam, July 5, 1973)
03 Your Cash Ain’t Nothin’ But Trash
04 Lidi (Twang Guitar – Hotel 4-Track, April 21, 1972)5. Lidi Studio, August 4, 1973)
06 Lidi / Travelin’ (Harmonics – Looking for a Chorus for “The Joker” – Hotel 4-Track, November 3, 1972)
07 Travelin’ (Looking for a Chorus for “The Joker” – Live Radio, July 1, 1973)
08 The Joker
09 Steve Miller Commentary 5
10 The Lovin’ Cup (Live – Lansing, MI, November 27, 1973)
11 The Lovin’ Cup
12 Come On In My Kitchen (Early Version – Live – Dallas, TX, October 19, 1973)
13 Come On In My Kitchen
14 Evil Studio (Demo, July 28, 1973)
15 Evil
16 Steve Miller Commentary 6
17 Coupe de Ville (A Cappella – Hotel 4-Track, July 1973)
18 Something To Believe In (Early Version – Hotel 4-Track, November 3, 1972)
19 Something To Believe In (Tough Crowd – Live – Austin, TX, October 19, 1973)
20 Something To Believe In
21 I Don’t Mind (Hotel 4-Track, April 21, 1972)
22 I Don’t Mind (Studio, July 31, 1973)
23 Mama Church (A Cappella – Hotel 4-Track, April 21, 1972)
24 The Joker (Single Version)