Backstage Pass
Music, concerts, musicians and more.
Billy Joel opens vault of unreleased Russian performances
Billy Joel's 1987 tour of the former Soviet Union will be part of the new set "A Matter of Trust -- The Bridge to Russia." (Credit: Legacy Recordings)
Previously unreleased material from Billy Joel’s historic Russian concert tour in 1987 will be collected in a new set, “A Matter of Trust – The Bridge to Russia,” due out May 20.
The deluxe edition of the set will feature a remastered version of the Joel concert captured on his “Live in Leningrad, 1987” film, with additional performances, including previously unseen versions of “An Innocent Man” and “You May Be Right.” The two-CD album from the set adds 12 previously unreleased performances from the tour, originally released on the “Kohlept” album, including versions of “Piano Man” and a cover of The Beatles’ “She Loves You.” The set also features the recent Showtime documentary about the tour – the first made by a Western rocker in the then-Communist Soviet Union – on DVD, as well as a new book of photos and liner notes from journalists who were on the Russian tour, including former Newsday music critic Wayne Robins.
Columbia Records and Legacy Recordings will also release the concert film and the two-CD album separately.
Tags: Billy Joel , The Bridge to Russia , billy joel russia