Rare Masters
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{more citations needed|date=November 2019}}
{{Infobox album
| name = Rare Masters
| type = Compilation
| artist = Elton John
| cover = Rare_masters.JPG
| alt =
| released = October 20, 1992 (US)
December 31, 1993 (UK)
| recorded = December 1967–July 1975
| venue =
| studio =
| genre = Rock
| length = 144 min.
| label = Polydor (US/Canada), DJM
| producer = Gus Dudgeon, Caleb Quaye, Steve Brown
| prev_title = Greatest Hits 1976–1986
| prev_year = 1992
| next_title = Duets
| next_year = 1993
}}
{{Album ratings
| rev1 = AllMusic
| rev1Score = {{rating|4|5}}{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/rare-masters-mw0000091268|title=Elton John - Rare Masters|website=AllMusic |access-date=2023-01-02}}
| rev2 = The Encyclopedia of Popular Music
| rev2score = {{Rating|2|5}}{{cite book|last=Larkin|first=Colin|chapter=John, Elton|title=The Encyclopedia of Popular Music|title-link=Encyclopedia of Popular Music|publisher=Omnibus Press|location=London|edition=5th concise|year=2011|isbn=978-0-85712-595-8|page=2,003}}
}}
Rare Masters is a compilation album by Elton John that was released in 1992.{{Cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/rocketmaneltonjo00bern|url-access=registration|quote=rocket man: elton john from a-z for collectors of obscure Elton John recordings,.|title=Rocket Man: Elton John From A - Z|last1=Bernardin|first1=Claude|last2=Stanton|first2=Tom|publisher=Praeger|year=1996|isbn=978-0-275-95698-1|edition=Paperback|pages=[https://archive.org/details/rocketmaneltonjo00bern/page/145 145]}} It includes all A-side and B-sides released by John between 1968 and 1975 that were not included on original studio albums or on Elton John's Greatest Hits Volume II. However, some of the tracks here previously appeared on the To Be Continued... box set released in 1990.
The album also includes five outtakes, recorded in the same time period, that had previously been unreleased. It is also the only place where the soundtrack to the 1971 movie Friends has been made available on CD.
When the Elton John back catalog from 1969 to 1975 was remastered and released in 1995, many of these songs were released on those albums as well, also in remastered form.
Track listing
All songs written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin, except where noted.
{{Track listing
| headline = Disc one
| extra_column = Recording date
| title1 = I've Been Loving You
| writer1 = John
| note1 = single, March 1968
| extra1 = December 1967
| length1 = 3:16
| title2 = Here's to the Next Time
| note2 = B-side to "I've Been Loving You"
| writer2 = John
| extra2 = December 1967
| length2 = 2:58
| title3 = Lady Samantha
| extra3 = December 1968
| note3 = single, January 1969
| length3 = 3:02
| title4 = All Across the Havens
| note4 = B-side to "Lady Samantha"
| extra4 = December 1968
| length4 = 2:51
| title5 = It's Me That You Need
| extra5 = April 1969
| note5 = single, May 1969
| length5 = 4:00
| title6 = Just Like Strange Rain
| extra6 = April 1969
| note6 = B-side to "It's Me That You Need"
| length6 = 3:44
| title7 = Bad Side of the Moon
| extra7 = January 1970
| note7 = B-side to "Border Song", March 1970
| length7 = 3:12
| title8 = Rock and Roll Madonna
| extra8 = September 1969
| note8 = single, June 1970
| length8 = 4:16
| title9 = Grey Seal
| extra9 = January 1970
| note9 = B-side to "Rock and Roll Madonna"
| length9 = 3:35
| title10 = Friends
| length10 = 2:33
| note10 = from Friends, March 1971
| extra10 = September 1970
| title11 = Michelle's Song
| note11 = from Friends
| extra11 = September 1970
| length11 = 4:20
| title12 = Seasons
| extra12 = September 1970
| note12 = from Friends
| length12 = 3:56
| title13 = Variation on Michelle's Song (A Day in the Country)
| writer13 = {{hlist|John|Taupin|Paul Buckmaster}}
| extra13 = September 1970
| note13 = instrumental) (from Friends
| length13 = 2:47
| title14 = Can I Put You On
| note14 = from Friends
| extra14 = September 1970
| length14 = 5:57
| title15 = Honey Roll
| extra15 = September 1970
| note15 = from Friends
| length15 = 3:07
| title16 = Variations on 'Friends{{'-}}
| writer16 = {{hlist|John|Taupin|Buckmaster}}
| extra16 = September 1970
| note16 = instrumental) (from Friends
| length16 = 1:43
| title17 = I Meant to Do My Work Today (A Day in the Country)
| writer17 = {{hlist|John|Taupin|Buckmaster}}
| extra17 = September 1970
| note17 = from Friends
| length17 = 1:36
| title18 = Four Moods
| writer18 = Buckmaster
| extra18 = September 1970
| note18 = instrumental) (from Friends
| length18 = 11:01
| title19 = Seasons Reprise
| note19 = from Friends
| extra19 = September 1970
| length19 = 1:39
| total_length = 69:33
}}
{{Track listing
| headline = Disc two
| extra_column = Recording date
| title1 = Madman Across the Water
| note1 = alternate version, outtake from Tumbleweed Connection
| extra1 = May 1970
| length1 = 8:50
| title2 = Into the Old Man's Shoes
| extra2 = June 1970
| note2 = B-side to "Your Song", January 1971
| length2 = 4:01
| title3 = Rock Me When He's Gone
| note3 = from Madman Across the Water sessions
| extra3 = August 1971
| length3 = 5:01
| title4 = Slave
| extra4 = January 1972
| note4 = alternate version, from Honky Château sessions
| length4 = 2:48
| title5 = Skyline Pigeon
| extra5 = June 1972
| note5 = B-side to "Daniel", January 1973
| length5 = 3:51
| title6 = Jack Rabbit
| extra6 = May 1973
| note6 = B-side to "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting", June 1973
| length6 = 1:51
| title7 = Whenever You're Ready (We'll Go Steady Again)
| note7 = B-side to "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting"
| extra7 = May 1973
| length7 = 2:51
| title8 = Let Me Be Your Car
| extra8 = Early 1973
| note8 = demo
| length8 = 4:52
| title9 = Screw You (Young Man's Blues)
| note9 = B-side to "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road", September 1973
| extra9 = May 1973
| length9 = 4:41
| title10 = Step into Christmas
| note10 = single, November 1973
| extra10 = November 1973
| length10 = 4:30
| title11 = Ho! Ho! Ho! (Who'd Be a Turkey at Christmas)
| note11 = B-side of "Step Into Christmas"
| extra11 = November 1973
| length11 = 4:03
| title12 = Sick City
| note12 = B-side to "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me", May 1974
| extra12 = January 1974
| length12 = 5:23
| title13 = Cold Highway
| extra13 = January 1974
| note13 = B-side to "The Bitch Is Back", August 1974
| length13 = 3:26
| title14 = One Day (at a Time)
| writer14 = John Lennon
| note14 = B-side to "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds", November 1974
| extra14 = July 1974
| length14 = 3:47
| title15 = I Saw Her Standing There
| writer15 = Lennon–McCartney
| note15 = with John Lennon) (B-side to "Philadelphia Freedom", February 1975
| extra15 = Recorded live at Madison Square Garden on November 28, 1974, Lennon's last concert appearance
| length15 = 3:51
| title16 = House of Cards
| extra16 = July 1974
| note16 = B-side to "Someone Saved My Life Tonight", May 1975
| length16 = 3:09
| title17 = Planes
| extra17 = July 1975
| note17 = outtake from Rock of the Westies
| length17 = 4:14
| title18 = Sugar on the Floor
| writer18 = Kiki Dee
| extra18 = July 1975
| note18 = B-side to "Island Girl", September 1975
| length18 = 4:33
}}