Elton John Revisits Rock of the Westies With Unreleased Session Tracks
By Cole Brennan
Elton John is going back to Rock of the Westies for a new 50th anniversary edition, and this one digs into the album before the paint was dry.
According to Ultimate Classic Rock, the expanded edition of John’s 1975 album is scheduled to arrive on November 20, 2026, with a two-CD version leading the way. The first disc features the 2017 remaster of the original album. The second disc gets to the interesting stuff: previously unreleased Piano & Vocal Versions from the album sessions.
That is the kind of archive release that can actually tell you something. Not just another repackaging with a new sticker on the front. These stripped-back versions can show where the songs started, before the full band muscle and studio decisions took over. For an album that Elton himself describes as a rocker, hearing the material in a more bare-bones form should give fans a different angle on the whole thing.
What is coming in the anniversary set
Ultimate Classic Rock reports that the collection will be released in several formats, so nobody has to pretend one format settles every argument.
The planned versions include:
- Two-CD edition with the remastered album and unreleased session material
- 2LP edition
- 1LP edition
- Digital release
A piano-and-vocal version of “Street Kids” has already been previewed from the upcoming set, according to Ultimate Classic Rock. That track choice makes sense for this kind of release, since it gives listeners a way into the anniversary edition without giving away the whole drawer of tapes at once.
Why Rock of the Westies still matters
Rock of the Westies was released in October 1975 and became Elton John’s sixth consecutive No. 1 album during his 1970s run, according to Ultimate Classic Rock. That detail matters because it places the record right in the middle of one of the busiest and most successful stretches of his career.
The title alone tells you this was not meant to be a delicate parlor-room exercise. In the press release announcing the anniversary set, John said, “It just rocks! I love it! It was a fun record to make.” That is a pretty clean summary. No footnotes needed.
For rock fans, the appeal here is the chance to hear a major 1970s album with some of the scaffolding exposed. The original album is still the main event, but the unreleased piano-and-vocal session tracks could show how much force was already in the songs before the final record took shape.
That is a solid reason for Coyote Rock 101.1 listeners to keep this one on the radar.
Source: Ultimate Classic Rock