By the time Turnstiles landed as Billy Joel’s fourth studio album, the artist was already clearly on the ascent toward superstardom. The collection debuted in May 1976 and boasted standout tracks such as “New York State Of Mind” and “Say Goodbye To Hollywood.” The project helped push him toward the major commercial breakthrough that would follow with The Stranger the next year. There now exists a fairly well-known Joel tribute outfit operating under Turnstiles; they recently performed a handful of shows with Vampire Weekend. (There is also a far more famous band named Turnstile, but that’s a different group.) Joel has just announced a 50th-anniversary edition of Turnstiles, packed with an astonishing 54 tracks that have never before seen the light of day.
That Turnstiles reissue will span four CDs and a Blu-Ray disc. It includes the Billy Joel Tonight concert film, shot at Connecticut College in 1976, along with a live-album version of that performance, another live set captured at New York’s Bottom Line, and a collection of demos, outtakes, and early iterations. The track “Oklahoma” is set to receive its first-ever release. Liner notes are penned by David Fricke and Billy Joel Archive Director John Jackson. In addition, Joel presents a full-band demo of the song “James” and a notably lengthy behind-the-scenes clip from the sessions for Billy Joel Tonight. Both previews can be seen below.
In other news, Billy Joel revealed just yesterday that he is selling his motorcycles. His Oyster Bay motorcycle shop, 20th Century Cycles, closed last fall, and Christie’s has his collection up for auction. Joel recently underwent brain surgery, and he returned to the stage for the first time afterward by joining Turnstiles at a Florida show earlier this year. On SiriusXM a few weeks ago, Joel discussed his health issues, and it’s easy to imagine that he won’t ride too many motorcycles after the surgery.
The 50th-anniversary edition of Turnstiles is slated for release on 12/11 via Legacy. Pre-order it here.
