Jewel Box Set

Elton John has announced an expansive new collection of deep cuts, rarities and b-sides, "Elton : Jewel Box", to be released on November 13th, 2020 via Universal Music. The set comprises no fewer than 148 songs reaching all the way back to his pre-fame days in 1965, concluding in 2019. It will be available on 8 CD's, 4 LP's, 3 LP's, 2 LP's, digital download, and streaming formats.

The 8 CD box set comes in a hardcover book with the discs housed in the back, all wrapped in an outer slipcase. Each section features extensive notes, including a track-by-track commentary by Elton himself for the 16 track "Deep Cuts" disc.

There are 3 different LP collections, also available. These are a 4 LP gatefold black vinyl set of "Deep Cuts", curated by Elton, a 3 LP gatefold black vinyl set of "Rarities & B-side Highlights", and the 2 LP gatefold black vinyl set "And This Is Me". All of the audio on the releases was mastered at Abbey Road Studios by Grammy winning mastering engineer Sean Magee.

To set the scene for the countless rare and lesser heard Elton gems being presented, is the first ever release of “Sing Me No Sad Songs”. The song was written and recorded as a band demo in 1969, and stands as an early example of the artist’s developing working relationship with lyricist Bernie Taupin. It’s also remarkable for its namechecks of 2 future Elton classics in its lyrics, 1984’s “Sad Songs (Say So Much)”, and Elton’s first UK # 1 single, 1976’s “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart”.

“The songs just poured out of us”, says Elton: “To delve back through every period of my career in such detail for 'Jewel Box' has been an absolute pleasure. Hearing these long lost tracks again, I find it hard to comprehend just how prolific Bernie and I were during the early days. The songs just poured out of us, and the band were just unbelievable in the studio".

“I always want to push forward with everything I do and look to the future, but having time during lockdown to take stock and pull these moments from my memory from each era has been a joy. As a devout record collector myself, this project has really excited me, and I couldn’t be happier with the level of craft involved in such a carefully curated, lovingly constructed box set. I’m sure my fans will enjoy it as much as I have”.