Loretta Lynn Likely Has Many New Recordings Still to be Released

Country music lost one of its greatest songwriters, singers, and performers of all time when Loretta Lynn passed away on Tuesday, October 4th. Lynn leaves behind a massive catalog of hit singles and stellar albums that will be forever ensconced in the country music canon, and be enjoyed by generations of country music fans to come. But we may not be done hearing from Loretta Lynn just yet, including new original songs.
In 2014, Loretta Lynn signed a five album record deal with Sony Records imprint Legacy Recordings. This is the same imprint that has been releasing all of Willie Nelson’s most recent albums to great success, helping to elongate his career. As part of that Sony announcement, it was revealed that between 2007 and 2014, Loretta Lynn had been making regular visits to the Cash Cabin Studios in Hendersonville, TN originally built by Johnny Cash, and recording tracks with her daughter Patsy Lynn Russell and John Carter Cash acting as producers.
These sessions were said to net over 90 new song recordings. Some of the material was re-recordings of her old hits, some of it was older traditional material she wanted to sing in intimate performances like they might have sounded if they were recorded in the 30s and 40s, and some of it was new original songs.
“Me and Shawn Camp have been writing some songs together,” Lynn said in 2014. “He’s a good little writer, and I’ve been busy recording. I cut 90-some songs. I did all my biggest ones over again, and I cut some old-timey story songs like Mommy taught me when I was in Kentucky.”
Out of those 90+ songs and five Legacy Recordings albums, we’ve only heard 52 of them over four releases. Loretta Lynn released the 14-song album Full Circle in 2016, the 12-song Holiday album White Christmas Blue later that year, the 13-song Wouldn’t It Be Great in 2018, and the 13-song Still Woman Enough in 2021. That comes to a grand total of 52 songs released on Legacy Recordings, meaning there are likely at least another 38 songs swirling out there just from those original Cash Cabin sessions.
Loretta Lynn suffered a stroke on May 5th, 2017, which mostly ceased her ability to tour, though she continued to make appearances upon occasion, including helping to induct Alan Jackson into the Country Music Hall of Fame in October of 2017. Then on January 8th, 2018, Loretta suffered another health setback after falling and fracturing her hip. All of this delayed the release of Wouldn’t It Be Great for an extended period, and may have affected her ability to record new material.
But Loretta Lynn continued to write new songs, saying in a press conference in early 2019, “I’ve done quite a bit [of writing]. I want to get back into it real good though, like I used to write. I used to write all the time. Now, I’m just writing when I want to, which is not good. ‘Cause I don’t want to (laughing).”
We don’t know exactly how much unreleased Loretta Lynn material is swirling out there, but we do know there must be some. It’s very likely there is enough material for Loretta to fulfill her five album contract with Sony, if not more, especially if she participated in subsequent studio sessions after 2014.
Meanwhile, many people went to remember Loretta Lynn upon her passing by trying to play her 2004 comeback record produced by Jack White, Van Lear Rose. But they were sorely disappointed to find that the title has been removed via all streaming and download services, and is currently out-of-stock in vinyl. CDs are also selling at a premium, likely because they are final printings of remaindered stock.
As Saving Country Music reported in March of 2021, the title had been removed due to undisclosed reasons. Originally released on Interscope Records, which is a division of the Universal Music Group, Van Lear Rose went on to be nominated for five Grammy Awards, winning two of them for Best Country Album, and Best Country Collaboration with Vocals for “Portland, Oregon” with Jack White. Loretta Lynn was 72-years-old at the time, working with the 28-year-old Jack White.
Saving Country Music has once again made efforts to determine why Van Lear Rose is not available, but no explanation has been given. Often in these instances, the unavailability of music is due to a publishing dispute, and parties could be legally barred from speaking on the matter. Hopefully Loretta’s passing can stimulate the respective parties to resolve the issue, and allow the title to be heard by long time Loretta fans and future ones.
It’s also not uncommon for other unreleased recordings to be unearthed after an artist passes that have been accumulated from throughout their career. So even though Loretta Lynn is gone, it’s very unlikely we’ve heard the last from the Coal Miner’s Daughter.
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The Grand Ole Opry will be paying tribute to long time Grand Ole Opry member Loretta Lynn all week. It started with Kentucky native Carly Pearce playing her Loretta Lynn tribute song “Dear Miss Loretta” on the Grand Ole Opry Tuesday night (10-4).
October 5, 2022 @ 10:33 am
There is at least one duet with Conway Twitty still “in the can” with UMG from the late 1970’s. I am currently working with UMG to get it found for the 65th anniversary of Conway’s career coming up in 2023. Bill Anderson recently had one of his “in the can” songs mysteriously found by UMG. With the reality of “the fire” now exposed, hopefully we will see unreleased material from her Decca / MCA days discovered.
October 5, 2022 @ 2:19 pm
Loretta and Conway recorded a TON of songs together. I used to think they made a couple of albums together, but it’s a staggering amount. Admittedly I haven’t listened to them all. But I do like vault discoveries , so that’s cool.
October 9, 2022 @ 2:54 pm
Thank you, David. You’ve been a dedicated champion for Conway and country fans are richer for your efforts to get his catalog available again.
October 5, 2022 @ 11:24 am
I thought I heard that Loretta covered Amy Winehouse’s Rehab in one of the Cash Cabin Studio sessions. I would love to hear that.
October 5, 2022 @ 11:17 pm
Cool, hope it’s true. I can just hear Loretta singing Rehab with that twang. There is always a little blues in country and vice versa.
October 6, 2022 @ 5:44 am
I found a reference to it at the Los Angeles Times. Quotation below, link: https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-et-ms-loretta-lynn-20160303-story.html
(Not sure about the rules about posting links to other sites. I apologize if I shouldn’t have….)
From LA Times, March 3, 2016:
In the most recent record session last month, the woman who wrote and sang “Don’t Come Home A-Drinkin’ (With Lovin’ on Your Mind)” in 1966 put her spin on Amy Winehouse’s breakthrough hit “Rehab.”
“It’s really, really wild,” Cash said of the track. “When we first started recording, she would joke with me about that song, and go around singing ‘They tried to make me go to rehab/I said no, no, no.’ That was years ago. I said, ‘Why don’t we actually record it?’ It’s really something. Her interpretation is going to be mind-blowing, I truly believe it.”
That was prime example to Cash, as with the older Appalachian-rooted traditional songs, of what has made Lynn one of the most revered artists in country music history.
October 6, 2022 @ 7:00 am
Good find. This also seems to verify there were some recording sessions after the initial ones before 2014. It’s reminiscent of Jack White convincing Wanda Jackson to record Winehouse’s “You Know I’m No Good.”
October 6, 2022 @ 9:35 am
Not sure “Rehab” works with Loretta. Such a personal statement from AW, right down to referencing her love of “Ray” (Charles) and “Mr. (Donny) Hathaway”… Sometimes there’s a fine line between daring and ill-advised. But let’s see. Tammy pulled off “Justified and Ancient” with KLF and produced a late career highlight and hit pop record to boot.
October 5, 2022 @ 12:17 pm
Yeah I went to listen to van Lear rose yesterday and I had forgotten it wasn’t available. I really hope that becomes available again soon it’s a great album
October 5, 2022 @ 1:00 pm
Saw Carly Pearce sing that song last year at the Opry and she said she hadn’t met Loretta. Was hoping Loretta would appear but obviously she physically was unable. I am sure Loretta enjoyed that performance from the best seats ever!!
October 5, 2022 @ 1:26 pm
You going to be able to badge your way in to see Billy tomorrow night?
October 5, 2022 @ 1:36 pm
I don’t step foot on the grounds of corporate-owned multi-genre megafestivals, especially ones that are owned by LiveNation at 51% or more, regardless of the lineup. I’d love to see Billy Strings, but there will be other opportunities. If I can get away, I’ll be in Luckenbach for the unveiling for the Jerry Jeff Walker statue this weekend.
October 5, 2022 @ 2:09 pm
Don’t blame you.
Had no idea.
Went to the ticket window to try and get a seat for the Jeff Beck/Johnny Depp show, Oct 19th.
Corporate had eaten up most of the tickets for resale at astronomical bucks.
Shook my head.
Of course, if i had purchased a ticket a few weeks back, could have gotten a great seat for $65. That was before Depp was added.
Liked him strumming the guitar in the movie Chocolat.
Love that blue guitar.
Hope you are able to be at the JJW unveiling.
Safe travels.
October 5, 2022 @ 6:57 pm
Happy to say I picked up a copy of Van Lear Rose at Goodwill last year! To the computer, to my ipod, to my ears! I love it when people get rid of those useless cd’s!!! I have been building a steller collection of music for the last several years, at bargain prices!!
October 6, 2022 @ 7:46 am
I normally am not affected by a celebrity’s death but this one hit hard. I think it’s because her music brings back fond memories of when I was a child staying at my grandparent’s house out in the country. We would sit on the wraparound and listen to her sing at the Grand Ol’ Opry on this cheap little AM radio they had. Grandaddy had a fiddle and sometimes would play along with her. There are several female singers who could wear the Queen of Country Music crown but in my mind Loretta Lynn is the true Queen.
October 6, 2022 @ 9:29 pm
I suspect Van Lear Rose will be rereleased within the next year given Loretta’s passing. I forgot to check yesterday on Amazon but today one of her hits packages is the #3 seller across the board for cds. It is deplorable how MCA has released very few of her vintage LPS on cd over the last twenty years.
Still devastated by Loretta’s death, I was saddened once again to hear one of her most talented contemporaries, Jody Miller, passed away a few hours ago. Jody had over two dozen country hits in the 60’s and 70’s and was a Grammy winner for “Queen of the House” and also nominated for “He’s So Fine” as well as Top Female Vocalist by the Academy of Country Music. She didn’t quite get her due though as she was at her peak the same years Loretta, Tammy, Lynn Anderson, and Donna Fargo were at theirs. She had one of the most powerful female country voices of alltime.
October 7, 2022 @ 8:33 am
What ever happened to all those songs Merle Haggard recorded specifically for posthumous release? I haven’t heard a peep about those.
October 7, 2022 @ 3:15 pm
Good question…one wonders….what’s the holdup?
October 9, 2022 @ 2:52 pm
The most repeated explanation is that his widow has held up their release for reasons unknown. Such a shame because there is no such thing as too much Merle.