Columbia Records and Legacy Recordings, the catalog division of Sony Music Entertainment, will release Billy Joel – Turnstiles 50th Anniversary Edition, a newly expanded 4CD + Blu-ray box set commemorating the 50th anniversary of the artist’s pivotal 1976 album. The collection presents a comprehensive portrait of a transformative period in Joel’s career, documenting the creative journey that led from Piano Man and Streetlife Serenade to the breakthrough era that would soon follow with The Stranger. Hear “James” (band demo, June 12, 1975) below, and preorder the collection here. Turnstiles – 50th Anniversary Edition will be available on December 11.
Originally released on May 19, 1976, Turnstiles marked Joel’s return to New York after several years in Los Angeles and introduced songs that would become central to his catalog, including “New York State Of Mind,” “Summer, Highland Falls,” “James,” “I’ve Loved These Days,” “Prelude/Angry Young Man,” and “Say Goodbye To Hollywood.”
The new 50th Anniversary Edition features 67 audio tracks, including 54 previously unreleased recordings, alongside 32 video performances, 24 previously unreleased, offering an unprecedented look at the album’s development through demos, studio sessions, live recordings, alternate mixes and archival film.
Among the set’s highlights are the previously unheard song “Oklahoma”, presented in both live and demo form, and the official audio debut of fan favorite “Handball.” The collection also includes newly released recordings from Billy Joel’s 1975 performances at San Francisco’s Great American Music Hall, rare piano-and-vocal demos, recordings from the abandoned sessions with producer James Guercio, and early performances featuring the emergence of the band that would become Joel’s classic touring lineup.
A centerpiece of the release is the complete Billy Joel Tonight concert film, newly transferred, edited, restored and mixed in HD from the original December 1976 performances filmed at Connecticut College in New London, Connecticut. Broadcast as a television special in 1977, the film captures Joel and his band at a crucial moment just before mainstream success arrived. The Blu-ray also includes rehearsal footage, production inserts, rare performances, and archival material that has remained largely unseen for nearly five decades.
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