11-17-70 (17-11-70 in the UK) is Elton’s first live album and his fifth official album release and man, it’s good!

If you don’t already have this one, get it! The live recording is crazy good, even on my old used vinyl copy that I picked up somewhere. The sound is just crystal clear and Elton sounds amazing.

The album is from a live radio recording done on the date of the album’s title with about 100 to 125 people in the audience according to Dave Herman, the NYC DJ and announcer who introduces Elton on the album.

It was not intended to be an official album but bootlegged recordings were so popular that they decided to release it. At the time, Elton already had two full album releases and a movie soundtrack (Friends) when the live album came out. But it still landed in the Top 100 and was his 4th album to do so, making him the first act to accomplish that since The Beatles according to Wikipedia.

Here’s the Original LP track listing:

Side 1

Take Me to the Pilot
Honky Tonk Women (Rolling Stones cover)
Sixty Years On
Can I Put You On

Side 2

Bad Side of the Moon
Burn Down the Mission
This last song also includes a montage of “My Baby Left Me” and “Get Back”

But, seek out the recordings online from the full 80 minute concert when you have a chance or one of the three reissues. There are quite a few more songs out there including “Amoreena” which is really good. Here’s the full setlist:

I Need You to Turn To
Your Song
Country Comfort
Border Song
Indian Sunset
Amoreena
Bad Side of the Moon
Take Me to the Pilot
Sixty Years On
Honky Tonk Women
Can I Put You On
Burn Down the Mission (including My Baby Left Me & Get Back)
My Father’s Gun (encore)

Elton doesn’t mention this album much in the book but I read online that at some point during the concert he cut his finger and by the end the piano keys were covered in blood. This is also pointed out on Wikipedia.