The first official book about prog-rock icons Emerson, Lake & Palmer will be released in 2021.

Drummer Carl Palmer helped create ELP with the families of keyboardist Keith Emerson and singer and bassist Greg Lake. (Both of the latter musicians died in 2016.) According to its official site, the illustrated title was created from "over a quarter of a million words spoken by the musicians in original and unpublished interviews, recordings and films." The project is illustrated with "classic, rare, private and recently discovered photos of the men, the band and the world they created."

The book, edited by Palmer, will be available in three deluxe editions: the Classic (a large format, 272-page, full-color hardback), the Signature (including a signed edition of the Classic, packaged in a "bespoke presentation box" and featuring "extra, rare items") and the Ultimate, which is "very limited in number and content." While an exact release date has yet to be announced, "publication is planned for 2021."

Fans can register to learn additional updates, have their name printed in the book and earn an "early-bird discount" for when pre-orders begin.

Palmer spoke about the "definitive Emerson, Lake & Palmer book" in a promotional video. You can watch the clip below.

"We put it together this year," he said. "I was involved with it from the beginning to the end with the Emerson family and with the Lake family. [There are] some photographs which I’ve never, ever seen before — can you imagine, after all this time? I was involved in all of the [text] editing, so I can tell you: This is the story as it happened, as the group told it, because this is our own words. What a fantastic book.”

 

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