Friday, September 29, 2017

Elton John's 'Diamonds' out Friday, November 10, 2017

With the holiday season on the way, this release (in any of its various versions) would make a great stocking stuffer for long-time or new fans of Elton John...

Elton John Announces ‘Diamonds’

Ultimate Greatest Hits Compilation Out November 10, 2017


       Available on four physical formats; 1CD, 2CD, 3CD limited edition boxset and 2LP gatefold vinyl, plus digital formats

       2CD format contains 34 tracks, and 10 page illustrated booklet

       3CD limited edition boxset contains 34 tracks over two discs, plus 17 bonus tracks of personal favorites curated by Elton himself. Also contains 72 page hardback book containing annotations for the stories from each song plus a set of 5 postcard illustrations of Elton

       2LP gatefold contains 21 tracks, pressed on 180 gram vinyl and gatefold artwork


Elton John today announces the forthcoming release of ‘Diamonds.’ Released on November 10, 2017 through UMe‘Diamonds’ is the ultimate greatest hits collection from Elton John and will be available on 1CD2CD3CD limited edition boxset2LP heavy-weight gatefold vinyl and digital formats.

Kicking off with the ever-stunning ‘Your Song,’ this definitive collection brings together all the landmark hits of one of the greatest song books of all time, including ‘Tiny Dancer,’ ‘Rocket Man (I Think It’s Going To Be A Long, Long Time),’ ‘Candle In The Wind,’ ‘Don’t Go Breaking My Heart,’ ‘Sacrifice,’ ‘Can You Feel The Love Tonight.’

‘Diamonds’ coincides with the 50th anniversary of Elton’s phenomenal song writing partnership with Bernie Taupin. Meeting in 1967 through a music magazine advert seeking songwriters, Elton and Bernie went on to become one of the most enduring song writing duos of all time, achieving a sustained level of success that puts them head and shoulders above the competition. Catapulted into the limelight as a song writing force in 1971 with ‘Your Song,’ the duo never stood still creatively, defining an era with their run of back-to-back classic 1970’s albums. While ‘Candle In The Wind’ topped the charts in three different decades and 2016’s critically acclaimed ‘Wonderful, Crazy, Night’ was a top ten hit in the US, their legacy is one that is unrivalled in terms of longevity, creativity and commercial success.

Speaking about their relationship, Elton says: ‘We are at 50 years, and our relationship is healthier than it’s ever been. There have been times in our relationship when we’ve written with other people, but it still didn’t stop the love. I love Bernie more than I’ve ever done and I think he probably feels the same way about me, because we’ve both led separate lives; we both write in separate rooms. We have an amazing respect and love for each other that’s only grown.’

Bernie Taupin says: ‘We still get a kick out of what we do; it’s what we do – when we come together and write something, it still has that magical quality to it – it doesn’t get any better than that. That feeling hasn’t aged.’

Available in the US to pre-order now on four physical formats (plus digital formats), the 1CD version of ‘Diamonds’  contains 17 songs, the 2CD version of ‘Diamonds’ contains 34 songs, a 10-page booklet with contemporary illustrations of iconic Elton looks, while the 2LP version is pressed onto heavy-weight 180 gram vinyl and contains gatefold artwork. Housed in an attractive lidded box, the 3CD limited edition boxset version of ‘Diamonds’ also contains a 72-page hardback book containing annotations for the stories behind each track plus a set of five postcards of illustrations of Elton. As well as a collection of some of the best loved songs of all time, all illustrations in these four formats are by contemporary artist Richard Kilroy.

The announcement of this definitive package comes at a time when Elton’s enduring legacy and relevance across the worlds of music, fashion and entertainment continues to burn as brightly as ever. Just last week Gucci unveiled their Spring Summer 2018 collection designed by Alessandro Michele and inspired by Elton’s inimitable style, referencing original items taken from the style icon’s archives. Elton also attended the world premiere of global box office number one sensation Kingsman: The Golden Circle, a film in which he appears as himself in a critically lauded, hilariously tongue-in-cheek role. Kingsman: The Golden Circle also features some of the classic tracks which can be found on ‘Diamonds,’ including ‘Saturday Night’s Alright (For Fighting.)

An unparalleled career that has forever changed the cultural landscape, Elton John and Bernie Taupin’s music continues to fill stadiums, top charts and win new fans across the generations.





DIAMONDS

1CD STANDARD (U.S. Only)

1.             Your Song
2.             Tiny Dancer
3.             Rocket Man (I Think It’s Going To Be A Long, Long Time)
4.             Crocodile Rock
5.             Daniel
6.             Saturday Night’s Alright (For Fighting)
7.             Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
8.             Candle In The Wind
9.             Bennie And The Jets
10.          Philadelphia Freedom
11.          Island Girl
12.          Don’t Go Breaking My Heart [Elton John and Kiki Dee]
13.          Mama Can’t Buy You Love
14.          I’m Still Standing
15.          I Guess That’s Why They Call It The Blues
16.          Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me [George Michael and Elton John]
17.          Can You Feel The Love Tonight

STANDARD (2CD, DIGITAL)

CD1        
1.             Your Song
2.             Tiny Dancer
3.             Rocket Man (I Think It’s Going To Be A Long, Long Time)
4.             Honky Cat
5.             Crocodile Rock
6.             Daniel
7.             Saturday Night’s Alright (For Fighting)
8.             Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
9.             Candle In The Wind
10.          Bennie And The Jets
11.          The Bitch Is Back
12.          Philadelphia Freedom
13.          Island Girl
14.          Someone Saved My Life Tonight
15.          Don’t Go Breaking My Heart [Elton John and Kiki Dee]
16.          Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word
17.          Little Jeannie

CD2        
1.             Song For Guy
2.             Blue Eyes
3.             I’m Still Standing
4.             I Guess That’s Why They Call It The Blues
5.             Sad Songs (Say So Much)
6.             Nikita
7.             I Don’t Wanna Go On With You Like That
8.             Sacrifice
9.             Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me [George Michael and Elton John]
10.          Something About The Way You Look Tonight
11.          I Want Love
12.          Can You Feel The Love Tonight
13.          Are You Ready For Love?
14.          Electricity
15.          Home Again
16.          Looking Up
17.          Circle Of Life


DELUXE (3CD, DIGITAL)
CD1        
1.             Your Song
2.             Tiny Dancer
3.             Rocket Man (I Think It’s Going To Be A Long, Long Time)
4.             Honky Cat
5.             Crocodile Rock
6.             Daniel
7.             Saturday Night’s Alright (For Fighting)
8.             Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
9.             Candle In The Wind
10.          Bennie And The Jets
11.          The Bitch Is Back
12.          Philadelphia Freedom
13.          Island Girl
14.          Someone Saved My Life Tonight
15.          Don’t Go Breaking My Heart [Elton John and Kiki Dee]
16.          Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word
17.          Little Jeannie


CD2        
1.             Song For Guy
2.             Blue Eyes
3.             I’m Still Standing
4.             I Guess That’s Why They Call It The Blues
5.             Sad Songs (Say So Much)
6.             Nikita
7.             I Don’t Wanna Go On With You Like That
8.             Sacrifice
9.             Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me [George Michael and Elton John]
10.          Something About The Way You Look Tonight
11.          I Want Love
12.          Can You Feel The Love Tonight
13.          Are You Ready For Love?
14.          Electricity
15.          Home Again
16.          Looking Up
17.          Circle Of Life

CD3        
1.             Skyline Pigeon
2.             Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds
3.             Pinball Wizard
4.             Mama Can't Buy You Love
5.             Part-Time Love
6.             Victim of Love
7.             Empty Garden (Hey Hey Johnny)
8.             Kiss The Bride
9.             That's What Friends Are For [Dionne Warwick with Elton John, Gladys Knight & Stevie Wonder]
10.          The One
11.          True Love [Elton John and Kiki Dee]
12.          Believe
13.          Live Like Horses [Elton John and Luciano Pavarotti]
14.          Written In The Stars [Elton John and LeAnn Rimes]
15.          This Train Don't Stop There Anymore
16.          Good Morning To The Night [Elton vs PNAU]
17.          Step Into Christmas

2LP
Side A    
1.             Your Song
2.             Tiny Dancer
3.             Rocket Man (I Think It’s Going To Be A Long, Long Time)
4.             Crocodile Rock
5.             Daniel

Side B    
1.             Saturday Night’s Alright (For Fighting)
2.             Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
3.             Candle In The Wind
4.             Bennie And The Jets
5.             Someone Saved My Life Tonight

Side C    
1.             Don’t Go Breaking My Heart [Elton John and Kiki Dee]
2.             Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word
3.             Song For Guy
4.             Blue Eyes
5.             I’m Still Standing
6.             I Guess That’s Why They Call It The Blues

Side D    
1.             Nikita
2.             Sacrifice
3.             Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me [George Michael and Elton John]
4.             Can You Feel The Love Tonight
5.             Are You Ready For Love?


Thursday, September 28, 2017

Kris Kristofferson & Willie Nelson Perform "Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down" at Taste of Country

Anyone who has seen Kris Kristofferson perform in concert or is familiar with his incredible songs will be excited to get details about the exciting tribute "The Life & Songs of Kris Kristofferson' coming to CMT next month. Get all the details on the TV special, as well as the concert film and audio recordings set to be released as well...

WATCH KRIS KRISTOFFERSON AND WILLIE NELSON PERFORM “SUNDAY MORNIN’ COMIN’ DOWN,” EXCLUSIVELY AT TASTE OF COUNTRY

CMT TO PREMIERE STAR-STUDDED CONCERT FILM AND RECORDING“THE LIFE & SONGS OF KRIS KRISTOFFERSON” OCTOBER 27, 2017 AT 10PM ET/PT

FULL LENGTH CONCERT FILM AND AUDIO RECORDINGS ARE AVAILABLE FOR IMMEDIATE PRE-ORDER AND WILL BE RELEASED ON OCTOBER 27, 2017 VIA BLACKBIRD PRESENTS RECORDS

THE BROADCAST PREMIERE AND CONCERT FILM INCLUDES PERFORMANCES BY
KRIS KRISTOFFERSON, LADY ANTEBELLUM, DIERKS BENTLEY, RYAN BINGHAM, ROSANNE CASH, ERIC CHURCH, EMMYLOU HARRIS, JAMEY JOHNSON, ALISON KRAUSS, MARTINA MCBRIDE, REBA MCENTIRE, WILLIE NELSON, JENNIFER NETTLES, DARIUS RUCKER, HANK WILLIAMS JR. AND MANY MORE

SEE THE OFFICIAL TRAILER


September 28, 2017, New York, NY — Blackbird Presents Records offers another sneak preview from the upcoming concert film and CD/DVD release, The Life & Songs Of Kris Kristofferson“Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down” features Kris Kristofferson joined by longtime friend Willie Nelson. Together they perform the Kristofferson-penned, 1970 No. 1 country hit for their fellow Highwayman, Johnny Cash. Watch it on TASTE OF COUNTRYKristofferson also performed the song last week at Nashville’s historic Ryman Auditorium for the Nashville Songwriters Association International’s 50th anniversary celebration, honoring each of the 50 Song Of The Year winners in its history.

“Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down” was the first of three NSAI Song Of The Year winners Kristofferson penned, and he is one of only two songwriters to ever write as many. The song is currently available to stream and download at most online outlets HERE.

As previously announced, CMT will premiere the 90-minute broadcast on Friday, October 27 at 10 PM ET and Blackbird Presents Records will release the full-length concert film as a CD/DVD combo on the same day. The Life & Songs Of Kris Kristofferson CD/DVD and official concert merchandise is available for immediate preorder via Blackbird Presents at http://songsofkristofferson.com
 
In addition to the CD/DVD release fans can get exclusive merchandise from PledgeMusic (http://pledgemusic.com/projects/songsofkristofferson) including a limited edition framed gig poster from the night of the show, color photo, and an Epiphone Ltd. Ed. 1963 J-45 guitar, all signed by Kris Kristofferson.

The Life & Songs Of Kris Kristofferson features captivating performances, in-depth interviews, and compelling behind-the-scenes footage with Kris Kristofferson, Jessi Alexander, Lady Antebellum, Dierks Bentley, Ryan Bingham, Rosanne Cash, Eric Church, Jessi Colter, Rodney Crowell, Larry Gatlin, Emmylou Harris, Jack Ingram, Shooter Jennings, Jamey Johnson, Alison Krauss, Martina McBride, The Travelin' McCourys, Reba McEntire, Buddy Miller, Willie Nelson, Jennifer Nettles, Jon Randall, Darius Rucker, Hank Williams Jr. and Lee Ann Womack. Performances include a range of Kristofferson classics, such as "Me And Bobby McGee" (performed by Reba McEntire), "Help Me Make It Through The Night" (Performed by Lady Antebellum), "To Beat The Devil" (Performed by Eric Church), a very special performance of "Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down" (performed by Willie Nelson and Kris Kristofferson), and an all- star grand finale performance of "Why Me."

Kristofferson, a Country Music Hall of Fame inductee, is considered a true poet who helped modernize the genre with songs such as "Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down," "Help Me Make It Through the Night," "Me and Bobby McGee" and "Lovin' Her Was Easier." These are the songs of heartbreak and despair, of love and loss, of yearning and hope. These are the songs so honest that we adopted them as our own. They are the songs of a life led unlike any other: An All-American athlete, Golden Gloves boxer, Army Ranger, helicopter pilot, singer-songwriter, social activist, humanitarian and movie star.

Keith Wortman is creator and executive producer of the show. GRAMMY® Award-winner Don Was served as music director alongside country music legend Buddy Cannon. An all-star band that included featured artist and GRAMMY® Award-winner Buddy Miller backed the performers at this incomparable concert event taping.

FOR COMPLETE DETAILS VISIT THE OFFICIAL WEBSITE:
#songsofkristofferson
 
###

About Blackbird Presents
Blackbird Presents is a global media company that produces premium content via a range of strategies including large-scale concert events and festivals, broadcast series and specials, and music releases featuring major music stars across all genres and demographics.

Blackbird's recent concerts, broadcast specials and releases include "Sing Me Back Home: The Music of Merle Haggard," "The Life & Songs of Kris Kristofferson," "Imagine: John Lennon 75th Birthday Concert," "Outlaw: Celebrating The Music of Waylon Jennings," "I'll Take You There: Celebrating 75 Years of Mavis Staples," "The Life and Songs of Emmylou Harris," "Lynyrd Skynyrd: One More For The Fans," "The Musical Mojo of Dr. John: Celebrating Mac and His Music," and "All My Friends: Celebrating The Songs and Voice of Gregg Allman," the latter of which earned a 2014 GRAMMY® Award nomination for Gregg Allman and Taj Mahal's awe- inspiring performance of "Statesboro Blues."

Blackbird Presents is also creator and producer behind the Outlaw Music Festival Tour, in partnership with Willie Nelson; the American Roots Music & Arts Festival, in partnership with Eric Church; and The Last Waltz 40 Tour.
Visit us at 
http://blackbirdpresents.com

About Kris Kristofferson
Kristofferson is a Country Music Hall of Famer who ranks among the most versatile of American talents. He's been a Golden Gloves boxer, a Rhodes scholar, a college football player, an acclaimed actor, a military officer, a helicopter pilot, a GRAMMY® winner, and an icon. It was the singing and the writing that called to him. He wound up penning classics including "Me and Bobby McGee," "Help Me Make It Through the Night," "Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down" and "For The Good Times," as well as a slew of other empathetic, incisive gems. Kristofferson— along with contemporaries Tom T. Hall, Mickey Newbury, Willie Nelson and John Prine— enhanced the scope of country music songwriting, focusing on layering, nuance, empathy and emotional truth. Once established, he quickly became one of music's most charismatic and intriguing figures. Kristofferson went on to a prolific acting career with roles in "A Star is Born," "Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore," "Blade" and many more films.

About CMT
CMT is the leading authority on country music and lifestyle, offering a mix of original series, music events and specials. CMT is everywhere its fans are including two cable channels (CMT and the 24-hour music channel, CMT Music), radio (CMT Radio), digital (CMT App, CMT.com) and social (CMT on Facebook, CMT on Instagram and CMT on Twitter). CMT is a unit of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB). For more information, please visit CMT Press.

2-CD TRACKLISTING:
  1. "Please Don't Tell Me How The Story Ends" Buddy Miller
  2. "Kristofferson" Jessi Alexander, Jon Randall & Larry Gatlin
  3. "Here Comes That Rainbow Again" Martina McBride
  4. "The Taker" Ryan Bingham
  5. "The Captive" Jessi Colter
  6. "Nobody Wins" Lee Ann Womack
  7. "Jesus Was A Capricorn (Owed to John Prine)" Jack Ingram
  8. "Worth Fighting For" Jennifer Nettles
  9. "Loving Her Was Easier (Than Anything I'll Ever Do Again)" Rosanne Cash
  10. "Chase The Feeling" Emmylou Harris & Rodney Crowell
  11. "The Pilgrim: Chapter 33" Emmylou Harris & Kris Kristofferson
  12. "From the Bottle to the Bottom" Dierks Bentley & The Travelin' McCourys
  13. "Help Me Make It Through The Night" Lady Antebellum
  14. "Under The Gun" Darius Rucker
  15. "For The Good Times" Jamey Johnson & Alison Krauss
  16. "Casey's Last Ride" Alison Krauss
  17. "If You Don't Like Hank Williams" Hank Williams Jr.
  18. "To Beat The Devil" Eric Church
  19. "Me And Bobby McGee" Reba McEntire
  20. "Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down" Willie Nelson & Kris Kristofferson
  21. "Why Me" Kris Kristofferson & Full Ensemble

Pre-Order: