Photos: Elton John's ROCK OF THE WESTIES Gets 50th Anniversary Reissue

Five decades after its original release, Elton John's Rock of the Westies will receive a 50th Anniversary Edition reissue, out November 20 via UMe. The special reissue will be available on multiple formats, including 2LP, 2CD and 1LP, with the expanded editions featuring previously unreleased Piano & Vocal Versions from the original album sessions. The 2017 remasters of the original album will now also be available for the first time on CD and digital.

Released in October 1975, Rock of the Westies is the tenth studio album by Elton John. Recorded at Caribou Ranch in Colorado and produced by longtime collaborator Gus Dudgeon, the album captures Elton and his band having fun at the height of their mid-'70s success. It was, as Elton says today, 'the most genuine rock and roll record that I've ever made.'

The album arrived during an extraordinary year for Elton, following Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy just five months earlier. In 1975 alone, Elton headlined Wembley Stadium, released two studio albums, enjoyed a succession of hit singles and played his era-defining concerts at Dodger Stadium. Against this backdrop, Rock of the Westies marked the pinnacle of an extraordinary period of commercial success, becoming his sixth consecutive album to reach No. 1 in the U.S. It made history by entering the U.S. Billboard 200 at No. 1 and remaining there for three consecutive weeks, while also reaching the top five of the UK Albums Chart.

Speaking on the album, Elton John says: 'I had forgotten how good some of the tracks were and how good some of the piano playing was. It just rocks! I love it! It was a fun record to make.'

The record also marked a major change for Elton's band with a new rhythm section of Kenny Passarelli and Roger Pope joining on bass and drums respectively, while James Newton Howard joined on keyboards and Caleb Quaye came aboard on guitar alongside Davey Johnstone and Ray Cooper on percussion. Remarkably, the new band had been together for just 33 days when they arrived at Caribou Ranch to record Rock of the Westies, having already rehearsed in Amsterdam and performed to 72,000 people at Wembley Stadium.

The result was one of the most rock 'n' roll records of Elton's 1970s career. With heavier drumming, funky bass lines, two guitars, synthesizer and percussion, Rock of the Westies found Elton changing gears and embracing a looser, louder and more experimental sound. As Ray Cooper recalls, 'new guitar licks, new funky bass lines and new drumming from Roger Pope, heavier, less of the balladeer, but much more of a funk rock.'

This 50th Anniversary Edition features the original album alongside a collection of previously unreleased Piano & Vocal Versions recorded during the original sessions. Stripped back to just Elton and his piano, these recordings showcase the songs in a way they have never been heard before, without the full band arrangements, providing a fresh perspective on the writing, performances and making of the album. The Piano & Vocal Version of 'Street Kids' is available today, capturing the raw energy of the song while highlighting Elton's remarkable piano performance.

Elton John says: 'I listened to the whole album again this year, stripped back to just the piano and vocals. On 'Street Kids' there is a single, long piano riff throughout the whole song. And there's absolutely not a single mistake on there. After all these years, I am still very proud of the quality of the musicianship on this record.'

Among the various formats available to fans is a 2LP colored vinyl edition, pressed on Sea Blue and Electric Blue vinyl and housed in a gatefold sleeve. It includes the original album alongside a bonus disc of previously unreleased Piano & Vocal Versions, with a 16-page booklet featuring new liner notes and archival imagery. The 2CD edition features the original album and bonus Piano & Vocal Versions, housed in a digipack with a 24-page booklet containing new liner notes and archival imagery. Also available exclusively via D2C is a limited edition 1LP, pressed on 180g Blue Jay, Baby Blue and Sunshine Yellow tricolor-effect vinyl.

Rock of the Westies was released at the height of Elton's extraordinary 1970s run, but its loose, raw-edged energy set it apart from much of what had come before. Fifty years on, it remains a snapshot of Elton and his band at their most spontaneous; having fun and rocking out.

Rock of the Westies (50th Anniversary Edition) Tracklist

2LP Side A

1. Medley: Yell Help / Wednesday Night / Ugly

2. Dan Dare (Pilot Of The Future)

3. Island Girl

4. Grow Some Funk Of Your Own

5. I Feel Like A Bullet (In The Gun Of Robert Ford)

Side B

1. Street Kids

2. Hard Luck Story

3. Feed Me

4. Billy Bones And The White Bird

Side C - Piano / Vocal Versions

1. Medley: Yell Help / Wednesday Night / Ugly - Piano / Vocal Version

2. Dan Dare (Pilot Of The Future) - Piano / Vocal Version

3. Island Girl - Piano / Vocal Version

4. Grow Some Funk Of Your Own - Piano / Vocal Version

5. I Feel Like A Bullet (In The Gun Of Robert Ford) - Piano / Vocal Version

Side D

1. Street Kids - Piano / Vocal Version

2. Hard Luck Story - Piano / Vocal Version

3. Feed Me - Piano / Vocal Version

4. Billy Bones And The White Bird - Piano / Vocal Version

1LP Side A

1. Medley: Yell Help / Wednesday Night / Ugly

2. Dan Dare (Pilot Of The Future)

3. Island Girl

4. Grow Some Funk Of Your Own

5. I Feel Like A Bullet (In The Gun Of Robert Ford)

Side B

1. Street Kids

2. Hard Luck Story

3. Feed Me

4. Billy Bones And The White Bird

2CD & Digital Disc 1

1. Medley: Yell Help / Wednesday Night / Ugly

2. Dan Dare (Pilot Of The Future)

3. Island Girl

4. Grow Some Funk Of Your Own

5. I Feel Like A Bullet (In The Gun Of Robert Ford)

6. Street Kids

7. Hard Luck Story

8. Feed Me

9. Billy Bones And The White Bird

Disc 2 - Piano / Vocal Versions

1. Medley: Yell Help / Wednesday Night / Ugly - Piano / Vocal Version

2. Dan Dare (Pilot Of The Future) - Piano / Vocal Version

3. Island Girl - Piano / Vocal Version

4. Grow Some Funk Of Your Own - Piano / Vocal Version

5. I Feel Like A Bullet (In The Gun Of Robert Ford) - Piano / Vocal Version

6. Street Kids - Piano / Vocal Version

7. Hard Luck Story - Piano / Vocal Version

8. Feed Me - Piano / Vocal Version

9. Billy Bones And The White Bird - Piano / Vocal Version

Photo Credit: Terry O'Neill / Iconic Images