Elton John was inundated with support from fans as he took to social media to announce the re-release of Live From the Rainbow Theatre, with Ray Cooper. The live album, recorded in 1977, took fans by storm and became one of his most celebrated performances. It will now be available on its first-ever CD and digital release.
It was initially released on a limited vinyl run for this year’s Record Store Day, and much to his fans’ pleasure, the live album now has a wider release. Taking to Instagram, the 78-year-old shared: “I’m excited to announce Live from the Rainbow Theatre with Ray Cooper, coming the 25th July on digital, CD and vinyl. “I am incredibly proud of this album. Listening back, I’m astounded by how great it sounds. The freedom I felt playing with just the two of us is something I will always remember.”
Elton continued: “These 1977 show at London’s Rainbow Theatre were unlike anything I had done before -just the two of us on stage with the songs we loved – that kickstarted over 230 Ray-and-I-only shows that we would go on to play.
“The CD and digital editions include a brand-new bonus track, ‘Goodbye’ plus personally curated original twelve-song tracklist and additional liner notes. I can’t wait for you to hear it!”
Fans quickly took to the comments with excitement, as one reminisced: “Can’t wait. I was in the front rows of all 4 of the concerts you performed with Ray at Melbourne’s Festival Hall. Just brilliant.”
Another echoed: “I won tickets from a radio station in 1974 – still remember the energy you gave – epic!.” A third commented: “Wow, such a historic event,” as one simply praised: “Absolutely stunning as always.”
Meanwhile, another shared: “Watching this performance on YouTube is what inspired me to play piano.”
In May 1977, Elton John took the stage at London’s iconic Rainbow Theatre with percussion legend Ray Cooper for a six-show residency.
These performances were the first of 233 Elton and Ray only shows that would follow, and featured the live debut of deep cuts; Roy Rogers, Cage The Songbird, Idol and I Feel Like A Bullet (In The Gun Of Robert Ford).
This comes just days after the legendary singer shared a heartbreaking health confession about the time he was diagnosed with prostate cancer.
The 78-year-old was diagnosed in 2017 but made a recovery after undergoing an operation, which eventually landed him back in the hospital, where he learned he had contracted a “major infection” while in South America and was just 24 hours from death.
This followed a heart-wrenching number of health woes, including Type 2 diabetes, knee and hip replacements, and a recent eye infection that caused significant vision loss.