Set for release on March 24th is the belated 50th anniversary edition of Elton John's Honky Chateau. The double disc set features, “the original album, a newly created selection of outtakes from the original session tapes and eight live recordings from the Royal Festival Hall show in 1972, where the tracks received their live debut, just a few days after being recorded at the Chateau. It includes a 40-page booklet with an essay featuring interviews from those who were there at the time.”
The album, which was Elton's fifth studio album, was originally released on May 19th, 1972. The album topped the charts that July 15th and enjoyed a five-week run at Number One and spent 18 weeks in the Top 10. The album spawned two massive Top 10 hits with “Rocket Man” (#6) and “Honky Cat (#8).”
Elton John told us that throughout his partnership with lyricist Bernie Taupin, one member has never outranked the other: “It's never been major/minor, it's always been 50/50, it's never been. . . we've never even thought of it like that, from my point of view, anyway. It's a relationship that's never, ever been questioned. It's always as a one — it's never split. It's a complete 'one' relationship.”