To celebrate the milestone, Elton unveiled a visual for the final EP track 'Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer', taken from his iconic 'Christmas Party' concert at the Hammersmith Odeon on 22 November 1973, where, halfway through the set , a playful Elton led his band in an instrumental version of the celebration classic, to the delight of those in attendance.
To add to the seasonal celebrations, it's also been announced that next week's Rocket Hour show on Apple Music 1 on December 23rd will be a holiday special. Elton will plan an eclectic mix of songs for the show, from Christmas classics from The Ronettes, Elvis Presley and Greg Lake, to some of his favorite new Christmas songs from contemporary artists such as RAYE, Phoebe Bridgers and Sufjan Stevens, as well as some lesser known deep cuts. Go to Apple Music 1 at 5 p.m. GMT to watch it live or listen to it anytime.
Speaking about the upcoming Rocket Hour Festive tribute, Elton says: “It's going to be a great privilege to play you all this Christmas music. I had the most amazing year. 2023 has been very very good to me, and I hope it has been good to all of you. I want to say to everyone around the world – Merry Christmas and thank you for being so supportive throughout my career.”
Originally released on November 23, 1973, “Step Into Christmas” reached No. 1 on the US Billboard Christmas Singles chart and No. 24 during its initial seven-week run on the UK Singles Chart. Like many other Yuletide classics, “Step Into Christmas” has made a comeback over the past decade or so to become a seasonal favorite. It has spent a total of 44 weeks to date on the Billboard Holiday Airplay chart and, in the UK, has entered the charts every December since 2011. In the 2020–21 winter season, the single achieved its highest position to date when it peaked at No.8, three years after it was certified silver by the British Phonographic Industry (200,000 copies sold).