Elton John’s ‘Captain Fantastic’ Gets 50th Anniversary Editions
by Best Classic Bands Staff
Half a century after it dominated charts around the world, Elton John’s album Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy will receive a 50th Anniversary Edition reissue, out on October 24, 2025, via UMe. The special reissue will be available on multiple formats, including 2-LPs and 2-CDs that feature session demos and live recordings. They’re available for pre-order in the U.S. here, in Canada here and in the U.K. here. [Also due is a single LP, Live At Midsummer Music, Wembley Stadium 1975, which marked the album’s live debut. Links coming.]
From the September 4 announcement: In 1975, Elton John was in the midst of a prolific run of unimaginable success, having broken into the mainstream in 1970 to become the biggest star on the planet. His ninth album in six years, Captain Fantastic would break new ground in numerous ways. A concept album devised with John’s longtime collaborator and lyricist Bernie Taupin, it told the chronological story of the early years of Elton (Captain Fantastic) and Bernie’s (the Brown Dirt Cowboy) musical careers in London as they struggled to break through.
Featuring the single “Someone Saved My Life Tonight,” the album went on to become the first in history to debut at #1 on the Billboard 200 and the first to be certified Gold upon its release due to the number of pre-orders. It sold 1.4 million copies in its first four days and remained at the top of the chart for seven weeks.
Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy was written aboard The SS France – at the time, the world’s longest passenger liner – as Elton was taking the leisurely route back to the U.S. for a breather in a very hectic year. With a sheaf of words already provided by lyricist Bernie Taupin, John wrote the music using downtime in the liner’s music room, the Salon Debussy, committing everything to memory as he didn’t have a tape recorder, before recording at Caribou Ranch with longtime producer Gus Dudgeon.
Despite lacking the mega hits of its predecessors, at its heart, it’s an album about the unbreakable kinship its writers shared, full of intense platonic love songs between the best of friends. Alan Aldridge’s iconic album artwork is one of the most instantly recognizable designs of the decade, placing Elton in the center of a fanciful imaginary landscape, escaping from his rainy suburban bubble and riding his piano through the many distractions of pop stardom.
Of the album, John says: “[It was the first] I’d ever made that was autobiographical, and it was the first time we’d gone into the studio with all the songs already written. We rehearsed it as a band, then went in and cut it more or less live. The band were at their absolute peak and you can hear it on the record. I think it’s the best thing we ever did. The songs were strong, Bernie’s lyrics were brilliant, and the atmosphere at Caribou was perfect. Seeing it go to Number One faster than anything I’d ever released felt like vindication, like the culmination of everything Bernie and I had fought for back in those bedsits in London.”
Related: Captain Fantastic was one of three #1 Elton John albums in 1975
Taupin says: “Of all our recorded output, Captain Fantastic has a very special place in my heart. Obviously it was emotionally rewarding as it chronicled a very special time in our lives. I’m not by nature one to wallow in nostalgia but hearing this album once again 50 years on reminds me of how very deep our bond of friendship and creativity ran.”
The 50th anniversary edition contains the 2016 remaster of the original album, previously unreleased session demos, plus John’s live performance of tracks from the album, recorded during 2005 for the album’s 30th anniversary. It also includes a 28-page booklet, containing sleeve notes and his never-before-seen 1974 diary entries.
The Midsummer Music Live At Wembley, 1975 performance, featuring the album’s 10 tracks, marked the first time Elton had played the album live, and is available for the first time on vinyl. With a stacked bill hand-picked by Elton that included Rufus with Chaka Khan, Joe Walsh, Eagles, and the Beach Boys, the 72,000 fans officially at Wembley Stadium (estimates put it closer to 100,000) were warmed up and ready to hear the hits. The decision, however, was made to play the newly released album in full from start to finish, and, despite a restless crowd, many of whom left, the result is a quite remarkable recording of what would become a firm fan favorite.
Elton John Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy (50th Anniversary Edition) Track Lists
2-LP
LP1:
Side A
1. Captain Fantastic And The Brown Dirt Cowboy
2. Tower of Babel
3. Bitter Fingers
4. Tell Me When the Whistle Blows
5. Someone Saved My Life Tonight
Side B
1. (Gotta Get A) Meal Ticket
2. Better Off Dead
3. Writing
4. We All Fall In Love Sometimes
5. Curtains
LP2:
Side A
1. Tell Me When The Whistle Blows (Session Demo)
2. Captain Fantastic Take 1 (Session Demo)
3. Writing (Session Demo)
4. We All Fall In Love Sometimes (Session Demo)
5. Captain Fantastic Take 2 (Session Demo)
6. Bitter Fingers (Session Demo)
Side B
1. Someone Saved My Life Tonight (Captain Fantastic Live / 2005)
2. (Gotta Get A) Meal Ticket (Captain Fantastic Live / 2005)
3. Better Off Dead (Captain Fantastic Live / 2005)
4. We All Fall In Love Sometimes / Curtains (Captain Fantastic Live / 2005)
2-CD
CD1:
1. Captain Fantastic And The Brown Dirt Cowboy
2. Tower Of Babel
3. Bitter Fingers
4. Tell Me When The Whistle Blows
5. Someone Saved My Life Tonight
6. (Gotta Get A) Meal Ticket
7. Better Off Dead
8. Writing
9. We All Fall In Love Sometimes
10. Curtains
11. Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds
12. One Day At A Time
13. Philadelphia Freedom
14. House Of Cards
CD2:
1. Tell Me When The Whistle Blows (Session Demo)
2. Captain Fantastic Take 1 (Session Demo)
3. Writing (Session Demo)
4. We All Fall In Love Sometimes (Session Demo)
5. Captain Fantastic Take 2 (Session Demo)
6. Bitter Fingers (Session Demo)
7. Captain Fantastic And The Brown Dirt Cowboy (Captain Fantastic Live / 2005)
8. Bitter Fingers (Captain Fantastic Live / 2005)
9. Tell Me When The Whistle Blows (Captain Fantastic Live / 2005)
10. Someone Saved My Life Tonight (Captain Fantastic Live / 2005)
11. (Gotta Get A) Meal Ticket (Captain Fantastic Live / 2005)
12. Better Off Dead (Captain Fantastic Live / 2005)
13. We All Fall In Love Sometimes / Curtains (Captain Fantastic Live / 2005)
LP: Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy – Live At Midsummer Music, Wembley Stadium 1975
Side A
1. Captain Fantastic And The Brown Dirt Cowboy
2. Tower Of Babel
3. Bitter Fingers
4. Tell Me When The Whistle Blows
5. Someone Saved My Life Tonight
Side B
1. (Gotta Get A) Meal Ticket
2. Better Off Dead
3. Writing
4. We All Fall In Love Sometimes
5. Curtains
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