Tom Petty originally envisioned 1994’s Wildflowers as a double album but was forced to cut out several songs when it came time to finalize the official tracklist. Some of them eventually ended up in later projects, like the Petty’s She’s the One soundtrack, however, most were kept in the archives for the next several decades. Now those “lost” recordings are being unearthed as part of a massive and long-awaited reissue of Wildflowers.
Officially titled Wildflowers & All the Rest, the entire multi-disc collection combines the original album with a plethora of bonus material that is sure to leave fans giddy. The “All the Rest” disc contains five previously unreleased tracks, while “Home Recordings” consists of home studio tracks. Another album called “Alternative Versions” (also known as Finding Wildflowers) comes with 16 alternative takes of Wildflowers songs, captured just as Petty, his bandmates, and producer Rick Rubin were nearing the end of completing the final album.
The upcoming re-release was curated by Petty’s daughters, Adria and Annakim, and his wife Dana, who described it as “many, many hours of pure sonic joy.” Petty’s Heartbreakers members Mike Campbell and Benmont Tench also participated in crafting the extensive effort, while engineer Ryan Ulyate oversaw production.
Wildflowers & All the Rest is out October 16 via Warner Records and will be available in multiple formats. The Super Deluxe Edition, distributed on five CDs and nine LPs, boasts the most benefits, including a 14-stage “Wildflowers Live” disc, an introduction written by Rubin and an essay by veteran music journalist David Fricke.
As a preview, check out the solo demo version of “Wildflowers.” The accompanying video features never-before-seen footage of Petty working on Wildflowers at his home. The clip was filmed by Mary Atkins and co-directed by Alan Bibby and Jonny Kofoed.