ELTON JOHN WITH RAY COOPER : LIVE FROM THE RAINBOW THEATRE

1. The Greatest Discovery
2. Border Song
3. Cage The Songbird
4. Where To Now St. Peter?
5. Ticking
6. Better Off Dead
7. Sweet Painted Lady
8. Tonight
9. Idol
10. I Feel Like A Bullet (In The Gun Of Robert Ford)
11. Roy Rogers
12. Dan Dare (Pilot Of The Future)

Label : Rocket Entertainment

Venue : The Rainbow Theatre, Finsbury Park, London, UK

Recording Date : May 7, 1977

Release Date : Aprilk 12, 2025

Length : 52:50

Review (Record Store Day) : In May 1977, Elton John took the stage at London’s iconic Rainbow Theatre with Ray Cooper for a 6 show residency. These performances were the first Elton-and-Ray only shows and featured the first live debuts of tracks; “Roy Rogers”, “Cage The Songbird”, “Idol” and “I Feel Like A Bullet (In The Gun Of Robert Ford)”. Record Store Day 2025 marks the first-ever official vinyl release, featuring a selection of highlight tracks from the show curated by Elton John including “Sweet Painted Lady”, “Idol”, “Dan Dare” and more.

Review (Rock Cellar Magazine) : After an initial limited vinyl release for Record Store Day, an archival Elton John live show has been released digitally and on CD/LP today, July 25. Titled Live from the Rainbow Theatre with Ray Cooper, this performance dates back to 1977 at the iconic London venue and features a bounty of Elton’s beloved material from his career up to that point. As a news release lays it out: 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)”. May 1977 was the first time in five years that a full month had passed without an Elton LP or single appearing on the UK charts. It had also been eight months since his last performance, after averaging one show every four days throughout the previous seven years. Ticket holders expecting to see a typical Elton concert were in for a big surprise. The first half of the set would be Elton alone at the piano, the second half would see him accompanied by Ray Cooper, the two performers working together telepathically, harking back to the earliest days of Elton’s rise to superstardom. The stripped-back performances have since been regarded as some of the finest of his career. Said Elton John in a statement: “I’m delighted that Live from the Rainbow Theatre with Ray Cooper will be available for my fans to enjoy. 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.”

Review (Wikipedia) : Live from the Rainbow Theatre is a live album by English musician Elton John released in April 2025. It was recorded during John's 1977 performance at the Rainbow Theatre, when he played a series of shows accompanied by percussionist Ray Cooper. The live recordings were initially broadcast by BBC Radio 1 and were long available on bootleg albums. Footage was also televised. The official release, as a limited-edition LP, was issued for Record Store Day 2025. The album includes 12 of the 25 songs from John's 7 May concert at the Rainbow Theatre in London.