Universal Music Group set release dates for 5 of Elton John’s classic albums in Super Audio CD Surround Sound this week. The record company also announced plans for SACD releases from John Fogerty, Keane and Nine Inch Nails. In addition, 5 Jazz Super Audio CD titles were promoted from the Coming Soon list to the SACD Release List and a Classical Music SACD received a new release date. Here are the highlights of this week’s SACD release news from Universal Music.

5 Elton John Albums Set for Release
The big news this week from Universal Music is that 5 of Elton John’s best known albums are now set for release in October. The albums were recently added to Universal Music’s SACD release list as coming in the months ahead. This week, the albums Captain Fantastic, Elton John, Honky Chateau, Madman Across the Water and Tumbleweed Connection were shown with a U.S. release date of October 26th on the company’s New Formats web site. While these five SACDs have yet to get official SACD catalog numbers assigned and have yet to appear on the Universal Music SACD Release List itself, music fans will hope those steps are coming in the weeks ahead.

• Elton John – Captain Fantastic (Island)
• Elton John – Elton John (Island)
• Elton John – Honky Chateau (Island)
• Elton John – Madman Across The Water (Island)
• Elton John – Tumbleweed Connection (Island)SACD Plans for 3 More Key Artists
  Also new to the New Formats web site this week are plans for Surround Sound Super Audio CDs by three of Universal Music’s key artists. This group of SACDs include the albums Deja Vu All Over Again by John Fogerty, Hopes and Fears by Keane and Downward Spiral by Nine Inch Nails. At the moment, all three are shown in the “U.S. Releases Coming Soon” section of the web site. We’ll keep an eye on these three titles to see if formal SACD release dates are forthcoming in the weeks ahead.
• John Fogerty – Deja Vu All Over Again (Geffen)
• Keane – Hopes and Fears (Interscope)
• Nine Inch Nails – Downward Spiral (Interscope)5 Jazz SACDs Set for Release
  Jazz fans will be pleased to hear that 5 of the Super Audio CD Jazz albums on the Coming Soon list have been promoted to the label’s formal SACD Release List this week. This means that albums by Chet Baker, John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman, Herbie Hancock, Joe Henderson and Shirley Horn are now slated for in store availability in the U.S. market on November 9th.

  Jazz fans will recall that these SACDs have been scheduled for in store release in the U.S. market before. We’ll have to wait and see if the November 9th date for this group of Super Audio CDs holds.

• Chet Baker – Baker’s Holiday: Chet Baker Plays & Sings The Billie Holiday Songbook (Verve)
• John Coltrane & Johnny Hartman – John Coltrane & Johnny Hartman (Impulse)
• Herbie Hancock – Gershwin’s World (Verve)
• Joe Henderson – Lush Life: The Music of Billy Strayhorn (Verve)
• Shirley Horn – Here’s to Live: Shirley Horn With Strings (Verve)Upcoming Universal Music SACD Release List
  In addition to the additions and changes noted above, an upcoming Classical Music Super Audio CD has also received a new release date. The SACD in question involves Music for San Rocco by the Gabrieli Consort which moves from October 12th to November 9th.

  Here’s the complete list of upcoming SACDs from Universal Music with the additions and changes mentioned above included:

  August 24, 2004 SACD Releases

• Allman Brothers Band – Live At Fillmore East (Mercury)
• Monica Mancini, Stevie Wonder, Kenny Rankin, Joey De Francesco, Tom Scott, Gary Burton, Take 6, Michael Lang & Plas Johnson – Ultimate Mancini (Concord Records)
• Snow Patrol – Final Straw (Interscope)
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  August 31, 2004 SACD Releases

• Toby Keith – Shock ‘n’ Ya’ll (Dreamworks Nashville)
• Lee Ann Womack – Greatest Hits (MCA Nashville)
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  September 14, 2004 SACD Releases

• Pierre Boulez, Berlin Philharmonic – Ravel: Bolero (Deutsche Grammophon)
• Ray Charles with Norah Jones, James Taylor, Diana Krall, Elton John, Natalie Cole, Bonnie Raitt, Willie Nelson, Michael McDonald, B.B. King, Gladys Knight, Johnny Mathis & Van Morrison – Genius Loves Company (Concord Records)
• Anne Sofie Von Otter, Thomas Quasthoff, Claudio Abbado, Chamber Orchestra of Europe – Schubert: Lieder With Orchestra (Deutsche Grammophon)
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  September 28, 2004 SACD Releases

• Nick Drake – A Collection [Greatest Hits] (Island)
• Marvin Gaye – The Marvin Gaye Collection (Motown)
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  October 12, 2004 SACD Releases

• Argerich & Pletnev – Cinderella Suite from the Ballet for 2 Pianos & La Mere (Deutsche Grammophon)
• Antal Dorati, Philharmonia Hugarica Orchestra – Respighi: Ancient Airs & Dances for Lute (Decca Classics)
• Antal Dorati, London Symphony Orchestra – Stravinsky: The Firebird (Complete); Tango; Scherzo а la Russe (Decca Classics)
• Byron Janis, Antal Dorati, London Sympohny Orchestra, Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra – Rachmaninov: Piano Concerti 2 & 3; 2 Preludes (Decca Classics)
• Paul Paray, Detroit Symphony Orchestra – Suppй: Overtures (+Auber) (Decca Classics)
• Janos Starker – Bach: Six Suites For Solo Cello (Philips)
• Bryn Terfel, Claudio Abbado, Chamber Orchestra Europe – Mozart: Don Giovanni (3 SACD Box Set) (Deutsche Grammophon)
• Jaap van Zweden, Residentie Orchestra – Beethoven: Complete Symphonies (5 SACD Box Set) (Philips)
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  October 26, 2004 SACD Releases

• The Carpenters – Singles: 1969-1981 (A&M Records)
• Elton John – Captain Fantastic (Island)
• Elton John – Elton John (Island)
• Elton John – Honky Chateau (Island)
• Elton John – Madman Across The Water (Island)
• Elton John – Tumbleweed Connection (Island)
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  November 9, 2004 SACD Releases

• Chet Baker – Baker’s Holiday: Chet Baker Plays & Sings The Billie Holiday Songbook (Verve)
• John Coltrane & Johnny Hartman – John Coltrane & Johnny Hartman (Impulse)
• Cotrubas, Domingo, Kleiber, Bayerischer, Staatsorchester – Verdi: La Traviata (2 SACD Set) (Deutsche Grammophon)
• Richard Croft, Minkowski, Les Musiciens du Louvre – Gluck: Orphee et Eurydice (Deutsche Grammophon)
• Paul Mc Creesh, Gabrieli Consort & Players – Music for San Rocco (Deutsche Grammophon)
• Herbie Hancock – Gershwin’s World (Verve)
• Joe Henderson – Lush Life: The Music of Billy Strayhorn (Verve)
• Shirley Horn – Here’s to Live: Shirley Horn With Strings (Verve)
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  SACD Releases Coming Soon

• Count Basie & His Orchestra – April In Paris (Verve)
• Dorati, Enescu, London Symphony Orch – Liszt: Hungarian Rhapsodies (Decca Classics)
• Frederick Fennell, Eastman Wind Ensemble – Sousa Marches (Decca Classics)
• Renee Fleming – Handel (Decca Classics)
• Juan Diego Florez – Great Tenor Arias (Decca Classics)
• John Fogerty – Deja Vu All Over Again (Geffen)
• Hilary Hahn, Colin Davis, London Symphony Orchestra – Elgar: Violin Concerto Op. 61 & Williams: The Lark Ascending (Deutsche Grammophon)
• Howard Hanson, Eastman Rochester Orchestra – Hanson: Symphonies No. 1 (Nordic) & 2 (Romantic); Song of Democracy (Philips)
• Tonu Kaljuste – Te Deum (ECM)
• Eleni Karaindrou – Soundtrack: Ulysses’ Gaze (ECM)
• Keane – Hopes and Fears (Interscope)
• Christina Milian – It’s About Time (Island)
• Motley Crьe – Greatest Hits (Hip-O Records)
• Anne Sofie Mutter, Andre Previn, London Symphony Orchestra – Tchaikovsky & Korngold: Violin Concertos (Deutsche Grammophon)
• Anna Netrebko, Claudio Abbado, Mahler Chamber Orchestra – Sempre Libera (Deutsche Grammophon)
• Nine Inch Nails – Downward Spiral (Interscope)
• Zimerman, Polish Festival Orchestra – Chopin: Piano Concertos No. 1 & 2 (Deutsche Grammophon)
• Linda Ronstadt – Humming to Myself (Verve)