Billy Joel Announces Massive Turnstiles 50th Anniversary Box Set with 54 Unreleased Tracks

Billy Joel has announced a sprawling Turnstiles 50th anniversary box set featuring 54 previously unreleased demos, rarities, and live recordings. Ahead of its December 11th release via Columbia Records and Legacy Recordings, stream a 1975 band demo of “James” below.

Packed with classics like “New York State of Mind,” “James,” “Say Goodbye to Hollywood,” “I’ve Loved These Days,” and “Prelude/Angry Young Man,” Turnstiles was originally released on May 19th, 1976, and marked Joel’s return to New York City after several years in Los Angeles.

“The story of Turnstiles is the story of how ‘The Piano Man’ became Billy Joel,” John Jackson, Director of the Billy Joel Archives, said in a statement. “The victories and setbacks experienced at every turn in 1975 and 1976 would have stalled any lesser performer. But not Billy. His vision and commitment to his artistry at all costs made him Billy Joel, no longer simply ‘The Piano Man.'”

Available for pre-order now, Turnstiles, 50th Anniversary Edition is spread across four CDs and one Blu-ray. The collection includes 67 audio tracks and 32 video performances. Of those, 54 songs and 24 video performances are previously unreleased. These include live recordings from Joel’s June 1975 concerts at San Francisco’s Great American Music Hall and a June 10th, 1976 concert at New York City’s The Bottom Line.

The Turnstiles anniversary set is highlighted by the complete Billy Joel Tonight concert film, which has been transferred, edited, restored, and mixed in HD from the December 1976 performances filmed at Connecticut College in New London, Connecticut. Previously broadcast as a 1977 television special, the movie features Joel and his band at the cusp of a mainstream breakout.

The Blu-ray includes bonus material such as largely unseen rehearsal footage, production inserts, rare performances, and archival material, as well as a new Dolby Atmos mix of Turnstiles , mixed by Bradshaw Leigh and mastered by Ted Jensen and Adam Grover at Sterling Sound.

Turnstiles, 50th Anniversary Edition also comes with a 40-page hardcover booklet that features previously unseen photographs, archival material, detailed notes about the album’s creation from Jackson, and new liner notes from music journalist David Fricke.

Turnstiles, 50th Anniversary Edition Tracklist: CD1: Demos and Early Versions 01. All You Wanna Do Is Dance (Band Demo, February 7th, 1975) 02. James (Band Demo, July 12th, 1975) 03. New York State of Mind (Live at The Great American Music Hall, June 12th, 1975, Set 1) 04. All You Wanna Do Is Dance (Live at The Great American Music Hall, June 10th, 1975, Set 2) 05. Oklahoma (Live at The Great American Music Hall, June 9th, 1975, Set 1) 06. Everybody Has a Dream (Live at The Great American Music Hall, June 10th, 1975, Set 2) 07. New York State of Mind (Piano/Vocal Demo, 1975) 08. I’ve Seen the Lamb Lie Down on Broadway (Miami 2017) (Piano/Vocal Demo, 1975) 09. James (Piano/Vocal Demo, 1975) 10. Oklahoma (Piano/Vocal Demo, 1975) 11. New Ideas (Say Goodbye to Hollywood, Angry Young Man, Brenda and Eddie) (Piano/Vocal Demo, 1975) 12. Say Goodbye to Hollywood (Piano/Vocal Demo With Percussion Overdub, 1975) 13. These Rhinestone Days (Piano/Vocal Demo, 1975), Previously Released on My Lives 14. Prelude/Angry Young Man, Take 9 (Dee Murray, Nigel Olsson Session, January 19th, 1976) 15. I’ve Loved These Days, Take 1 (Dee Murray, Nigel Olsson Session, January 20th, 1976) 16. James, Take 3 (Dee Murray, Nigel Olsson Session, January 21st, 1976) 17. Everybody Has a Dream, Take 1 (Dee Murray, Nigel Olsson Session, January 21st, 1976) 18. Sadness or Euphoria (Summer, Highland Falls), Take 2 (Doug Stegmeyer, Liberty DeVitto Session, January 23rd, 1976) 19. All You Wanna Do Is Dance, Take 2 (Doug Stegmeyer, Liberty DeVitto Session, January 23rd, 1976) 20. Miami 2017 (Seen the Lights Go Out on Broadway), Take 1 (Doug Stegmeyer, Liberty DeVitto Session, January 23rd, 1976)

CD2: Album Sessions 01. Say Goodbye to Hollywood 02. Summer, Highland Falls 03. All You Wanna Do Is Dance 04. New York State of Mind 05. James 06. Prelude/Angry Young Man 07. I’ve Loved These Days 08. Miami 2017 (Seen the Lights Go Out on Broadway) 09. James (Alternate Mix With Strings; Reprise With Acoustic Guitar, Bongos and Saxophone) 10. Summer, Highland Falls (Alternate Acoustic Version) 11. Say Goodbye to Hollywood (Alternate Band Take) 12. I’ve Loved These Days (Alternate Orchestral Mix) 13. Conversation With Ed Sciaky, Philadelphia, June 18, 1976

CD3: Live at The Bottom Line Recorded in New York, New York on June 10, 1976 01. Prelude/Angry Young Man 02. Somewhere Along the Line 03. Summer, Highland Falls 04. Piano Man 05. Root Beer Rag 06. James 07. Travelin’ Prayer 08. New York State of Mind 09. The Entertainer 10. The Ballad of Billy the Kid 11. I’ve Loved These Days 12. Miami 2017 (Seen the Lights Go Out on Broadway) 13. Captain Jack 14. All You Wanna Do Is Dance 15. Ain’t No Crime 16. Weekend Song 17. Souvenir

CD4: Billy Joel Tonight Recorded live December 5th and 6th, 1976 at Palmer Auditorium, Connecticut College, New London. 01. Prelude/Angry Young Man 02. Somewhere Along the Line 03. Summer, Highland Falls * 04. Piano Man 05. Handball 06. James 07. Travelin’ Prayer 08. New York State of Mind * 09. The Entertainer 10. You’re My Home 11. Root Beer Rag 12. Roberta 13. The Ballad of Billy the Kid * 14. I’ve Loved These Days 15. Miami 2017 (Seen the Lights Go Out on Broadway) 16. Captain Jack 17. Souvenir *

Blu-ray: Billy Joel Tonight, The Concert Recorded live December 5th, 1976 at Palmer Auditorium, Connecticut College, New London 01. Prelude/Angry Young Man * 02. Somewhere Along the Line 03. Summer, Highland Falls 04. Piano Man * 05. Handball * 06. James (Includes “Still Crazy After All These Years” by Paul Simon) 07. Travelin’ Prayer (Includes “Jungleland” by Bruce Springsteen) 08. New York State of Mind * 09. The Entertainer * 10. You’re My Home * 11. Root Beer Rag 12. Roberta 13. The Ballad of Billy the Kid 14. I’ve Loved These Days 15. Miami 2017 (Seen the Lights Go Out on Broadway) * 16. Captain Jack * 17. Worse Comes to Worst 18. Ain’t No Crime 19. Weekend Song 20. If I Only Had the Words to Tell You 21. Souvenir

Rehearsals and Production Inserts Recorded live December 6th, 1976 at Palmer Auditorium, Connecticut College, New London 01. Stop in Nevada (Incomplete Rehearsal) (Includes “Behind Closed Doors” by Kenny O’Dell) 02. She’s Got a Way 03. Say Goodbye to Hollywood 04. Streetlife Serenader 05. The Great Suburban Showdown 06. All You Wanna Do Is Dance 07. I’ve Loved These Days 08. Honky Tonk Women (Mick Jagger/Keith Richards) 09. Covers Medley: You Are So Beautiful (Billy Preston/Bruce Fisher) / Born to Run (Bruce Springsteen) / Hey Mister, That’s Me Up on the Jukebox (James Taylor) / Tell Me Why (John Lennon/Paul McCartney) / Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (Elton John/Bernie Taupin) / Bennie and the Jets (Elton John/Bernie Taupin) 10. Souvenir 11. Nocturne * (Includes “Clair de Lune” by Claude Debussy)

Dolby Atmos Mix of Turnstiles Album 01. Say Goodbye to Hollywood 02. Summer, Highland Falls 03. All You Wanna Do Is Dance 04. New York State of Mind 05. James 06. Prelude/Angry Young Man 07. I’ve Loved These Days 08. Miami 2017 (Seen the Lights Go Out on Broadway)