Tom Petty Estate opens 1982-83 vault to share unreleased music

The band’s third and final album with legendary rock producer Jimmy Iovine, who reflects, “Long After Dark, we thought we had it. Sounded like Positively Fourth Street, sounded like one of those records, you know. By the way, I think it is!”

Long After Dark features an edgy collection of rock ballads and guitar anthems backed by the unmistakable sound of The Heartbreakers with the new addition of Howie Epstein on bass and backing vocals.

The archive is delivering 44 minutes of new music that was lost in the debate over the album’s original direction. “There was some music recorded for Long After Dark that didn’t get on the record, that I thought would’ve made it a better album,” said Tom Petty. “I left off…four things that I liked quite a bit. And probably a few more written that never even got in the door.” One of those songs was The Everly Brothers inspired “Keeping Me Alive.”

A notable archival discovery is Petty’s haunting version of “Never Be You”—which was a #1 country hit for Rosanne Cash and was co-written by fellow Heartbreaker Benmont Tench. Also released for the first time ever are original songs “Don’t Make Me Walk the Line” and “One On One” as well as an up-tempo version of “Ways To Be Wicked.”

Last week, Petty’s family and bandmates got together with Cameron Crowe to celebrate Crowe’s Los Angeles premiere of TOM PETTY: HEARTBREAKERS BEACH PARTY—see highlights from the event here.

Originally airing only once on MTV in February 1983, this film has taken on a folklore all its own as a fan favorite.

A rowdy era-defining look at rock & roll in 1982, TOM PETTY: HEARTBREAKERS BEACH PARTY, takes place during the finalizing, promoting and touring of Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers’ Long After Dark. The cult classic, directed by Academy Award-winning director Cameron Crowe (Almost Famous, Jerry Maguire), is screening in cinemas worldwide in partnership with Trafalgar Releasing and the Tom Petty Estate this Sunday, October 20, on what would have been Tom Petty’s 74th birthday—get tickets here.

Long After Dark (Deluxe Edition) features the newly remastered original album from the original analog master tapes, plus 12 rediscovered bonus tracks newly mixed by Petty’s longtime engineer Ryan Ulyate and boasts packaging designed by Grammy Award-winning designer Jeri Heiden, liner notes by legendary rock journalist and Tom Petty Radio host David Fricke, with commentary from Jimmy Iovine and Cameron Crowe and iconic archival photographs by Dennis Callahan, Neal Preston and Aaron Rapoport. The set is available in a variety of configurations, highlighted by a limited edition TomPetty.com 2LP pressing on 180-gram red with black splatter color vinyl, housed in a numbered foil tip-on jacket with an exclusive lithograph; a 3-disc set featuring 2 CDs, and a Blu-ray audio disc with additional hi-res stereo and Dolby Atmos mixes of the album and bonus tracks, also mixed by Ulyate; a variety of additional vinyl options includes a 2LP on 180-gram black vinyl; a limited edition 1LP 180-gram turquoise color vinyl pressing (main album only) with double-sided lithograph of Blaze Brooks’ illustrations (available exclusively at indie record stores).

The album is also available at all streaming, download and HD audio download partners.

For more info, complete tracklisting and to order 2 LP versions and 3-disc set visit the official Tom Petty store.