Elton John’s 1977 BBC Concert Reissued on CD and Digital

Live from the Rainbow Theatre with Ray Cooper out now

August 24, 2025August 25, 2025 Ron Hart 0 Comments 1977, 2025, BBC, BBC One, Elton John, Live from the Rainbow Theatre with Ray Cooper, London, Ray Cooper, The Rainbow Theatre

Elton John at the Rainbow Theatre May 1977. (Image: UMe)

When you think of Elton John in concert, you likely imagine a bedazzled spectacle with ballyhoo, wild costume changes and the biggest hits played at maximum pomp.

However, some of the Rocket Man’s finest performances were also his most spare, namely the 233 shows the pianist played with only percussionist Ray Cooper as his accompaniment through the years.

Originally released as a Record Store Day exclusive, this excellent live album — originally recorded for the BBC — marks the pair’s first series of shows at London’s Rainbow Theatre, a six-night residency that found Elton diving super deep into this young catalog to play songs that would actually make their live debut during these shows.

And though distilled from 25 to 12 songs, this live LP is distinctive in that it showcases largely lesser-known cuts from the Elton songbook, including “Roy Rogers” from his 1973 masterpiece Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, “Cage The Songbird”, “Ticking” from 1974’s underrated Caribou, “I Feel Like A Bullet (In The Gun Of Robert Ford)” off 1975’s Rock of the Westies and “Idol” from the experimental 1976 double LP Blue Moves, which was still relatively new at the time this show was originally broadcast on June 11th of ’77.

“I really enjoyed the freedom to get up and play without having to worry about what the band was doing or to do any of the things expected of me,” Elton told Rolling Stone shortly after the Rainbow residency. “I thought it would be a good idea to do that again. It gives me a chance to do songs I’ve never done onstage before, like ‘Ticking’ and ‘Where To Now St. Peter?’ It’s good to perform without feeling you’re just going through the motions, which is what I felt I was doing toward the end of the last bout of touring.”

Live from the Rainbow Theatre with Ray Cooper is out now as a limited edition CD. (Image: UMe)

This CD and digital edition of Live from the Rainbow Theatre with Ray Cooper comes amended with a bonus track, which finds Elton moving the crowd with a beautiful reading of “Goodbye,” the closing number of 1971’s Madman Across The Water.

“I’m delighted that Live from the Rainbow Theatre with Ray Cooper will be available for my fans to enjoy,” John said of this reissue, the tracklist of which he personally curated. “It’s an album I’m incredibly proud of, and listening back to it, 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.”

Listen to the whole album below.

Elton John – Live from the Rainbow Theatre with Ray Cooper Track List:

The Greatest Discovery

Border Song

Cage The Songbird

Where To Now St. Peter?

Ticking

Better Off Dead w/Ray Cooper

Sweet Painted Lady

Tonight w/Ray Cooper

Idol w/Ray Cooper

I Feel Like A Bullet (In The Gun Of Robert Ford) w/Ray Cooper