New, Never-Before-Heard Gary Stewart Songs On The Way
Everyone try to look cool. Don’t act too excited or go apoplectic and draw too much attention to yourself. But there is new, unheard music on the way from the King of the Honks Tonks himself, Gary Stewart. And no, this is not some AI gimmick. Scout’s honor.
It’s just been revealed that a new collection of unheard Gary Stewart songs and rare recordings is coming from the Delmore Recording Society called One Track Mind on July 17th. The 16 previously-unheard recordings and 20 total songs on digital and CD versions are taken from Gary Stewart’s early career between 1967 and 1972. It comes from an era when Stewart was known more as a songwriter than a performer, but was still at the peak of his creative form.
The tracks range from fully fleshed-out recordings, to some songwriting demos and work tapes, along with an acetate recording. They were preserved and readied for release by producer Mark Linn and Stewart’s close friend Tommy Schwartz. The vinyl version will come on 140-gram, “Okeechobee purple” vinyl. The CD/digital version comes with Motown demos of the Four Tops’ “Baby I Need Your Loving” and “I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)” and Stevie Wonder’s “Yester-Me, Yester-You, Yesterday” that Stewart recorded for $30 a pop.
Several songs on the collection are familiar from other performers like Del Reeves (“One Track Mind”), Cal Smith (“You Can’t Housebreak a Tomcat”), Jack Greene (“There’s a Whole Lot About a Woman (A Man Don’t Know)”) and Nat Stuckey (“The Snuff Queen”). But this will be the first time you can hear these Gary Stewart versions. The version of “The Snuff Queen” on this collection is different from the one Gary released as a single by Kapp in 1970.
Ahead of the release, you can hear the previously-unheard Gary Stewart song “Iron Bar Motel” (listen below).
The new collection of unheard songs comes during a bevy of classic country archive releases, and a renewed push to reignite the legacy of Gary Stewart. Waylon Jennings and Don Williams have also been the beneficiaries of archive releases. And in April, the definitive biography, Gary Stewart: I Am From the Honky-Tonks, was published from writer Jimmy McDonough.
Whether you revere him as the King of the Honky Tonks, or just remember him for his iconic country hits like “She’s Actin’ Single (I’m Drinkin’ Doubles),” anyone who knows their way around a vintage country music record collection will tell you that Gary Stewart has to be perhaps the most underrated musician in country music history. Hopefully this new collection of songs helps revitalize discussions about Gary Stewart’s impact and influence.
Gary Stewart’s One Track Mind is now available for pre-save/pre-order.
TRACK LIST:
1. One Track Mind
2. Kings and Queens
3. Woman Will Tear the Heart Right Out of a Man
4. Big Bad Train
5. Living the Life of a Dog
6. Don’t Put a Poor Hand on Me
7. Her Apple Pie
8. My Mind is on You
9. Iron Bar Motel
10. The Bottom of the Pile
11. There’s a Whole Lot About a Woman (A Man Don’t Know)
12. If You Come Back Darling
13. You Can’t Housebreak a Tomcat
14. The Snuff Queen
15. Beautiful River
16. Williamson County
17. Morbid the Great *
18. Baby I Need Your Loving (released on Delmore Recording Society 7″ single DE028, 2018) *
19. Yester-Me, Yester-You, Yesterday (released on Delmore Recording Society 7″ single DE028, 2018) *
20. I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch) *
May 14, 2026 @ 11:20 am
I was exited when I ordered the previously unreleased “soul”-recordings he did during that time, so of course, it felt like a letdown when I finally heard them. Not good at all, he didn’t even sound like himself. Certainly not worth the hype.
Same with his first album, nowhere close to what he delivered on those three legendary RCA albums in the mid-70’s.
I suspect that these recordings will be a mish-mash of cleaned-up demos and subpar recordings in the vein of his Kapp/Decca releases. If we’re lucky, the cut of “Williamson County” is the one where it’s just him and his piano (I heard it during a wild night many moons ago, it’s haunting).
But hey, anything by Gary is better than whatever being pushed today. He also did some living room recordings with a hobby band named Blue Jay & The Hawks just before he shot himself. The versions of Wild Horses and No Expectations leaves the original Stones recordings in the dust. It’s all on YouTube.
May 14, 2026 @ 1:41 pm
I agree with your assessment of Gary Stewart’s golden recording era being the first three RCA records (personally, l would include his fourth – “Little Junior” – in that group). Maybe these new recordings will be for completists and hardcore Stewart freaks only. The embedded “Iron Bar Motel” gives me hope that the appeal will be further reaching. I’m sure you have read the Jimmy McDonough “I Am From The Honky Tonks” by now. For all Stewart fans, l say this – the book is unbelievably good. Undoubtedly one of the finest music biographies l have read, on par with Peter Guralnick’s and Robert Palmer’s work and Joe Nick Patoski’s epic Willie Nelson bio. A good time to be a Stewart lover indeed!
May 14, 2026 @ 11:27 am
What great titles. Can’t wait to hear these.
May 14, 2026 @ 11:29 am
Thank you. If ever the world needed unexpected good news, it’s now. God bless Gary Stewart, even in death a honkytonk hero for the ages.
May 14, 2026 @ 11:46 am
This is exciting news……for me one of the greats and most under rated singers.
May 14, 2026 @ 4:30 pm
I was just listening to Out of Hand today and thinking about how great he was at delivering a song. That, and there’s a vocal line that runs from Jerry Lee, to Gary, and then to Tanya Tucker. She clearly picked a few vocal mannerisms from him. Anywho
May 15, 2026 @ 9:58 am
Tanya ran around with Gary and Dean Dillon in those wild 70’s days, that’s how she met and hooked up with Haggard for a brief period. She eventually settled for Glen Campbell.
Considering the life she led (and the older company she kept) during her very early years, it’s a wonder she’s still around and relatively sane.
May 14, 2026 @ 4:30 pm
On a different note, I am a George Strait fan from Texas and l want to wish George and wife Norma Strait’s gifted and talented country song writer son, affectionately called “Bubba” Strait a happy birthday today. May you have many more birthdays to come. God bless.
May 14, 2026 @ 6:59 pm
Looking forward to this , Live at Billy Bob’s is great, Steve Palousek on steel is fabulous. Yes Gary is one of the best!
May 15, 2026 @ 7:06 pm
“…Gary Stewart has to be perhaps the most underrated musician in country music history.” Eliminate the word “perhaps.”
May 15, 2026 @ 9:25 pm
Most unheard tracks were unheard for a reason. The fact that these are coming out now, so many years after Stewart’s death, is suspect.
May 17, 2026 @ 9:30 am
Or they’re unheard because the artist recorded more material than their label got around to releasing.