Unreleased Waylon Jennings “The Lost Nashville Sessions” Coming
For those who can’t get enough Waylon Jennings, or make a habit of buying anything that involves the Outlaw country music legend, there is a new collection of rare, never-released recordings on the way.
From Country Rewind Records, The Lost Nashville Sessions features 14 tracks recorded at Scotty Moore’s Music City Recorders in Nashville on July 13, 1970—before Waylon commenced the Outlaw era of his career in earnest. It features different versions of many of the songs that defined Waylon’s early career, songs such as “Only Daddy That’ll Walk The Line,” “Love Of The Common People,” and “MacArthur Park.” It also includes cover songs, like Chuck Berry’s “Brown Eyed Handsome Man,” and Kris Kristofferson’s “Sunday Morning Coming Down.”
The recordings have also been “enhanced” by steel guitar player and producer Robby Turner, who produced Waylon’s final 10 albums, including the last official LP release from Waylon, Goin’ Down Rockin: The Last Recordings. Turner is said to have added some new instruments and background voices, “while still maintaining the pure and authentic Waylon Jennings sound.”
The Lost Nashville Sessions is scheduled for release on September 2nd.
***Pre-Order The Lost Nashville Sessions
The Lost Nashville Sessions TRACK LIST:
Only Daddy That’ll Walk The Line- The Choking Kind
- Stop The World And Let Me Off
- Anita, You’re Dreaming
- Just To Satisfy You
- Green River
- Singer Of Sad Songs
- Love Of The Common People
- MacArthur Park
- Brown Eyed Handsome Man
- Mental Revenge
- Time To Bum Again
- Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down
- Young Widow Brown
August 8, 2016 @ 8:39 am
Amazon.com US link:
https://www.amazon.com/Lost-Nashville-Sessions-Waylon-Jennings/dp/B01HCEBIMU/
August 8, 2016 @ 8:42 am
I don’t know how I feel about these recordings being added to. I’d kind of want it but that almost ruins the appeal.
I don’t know every song Waylon ever recorded, but I’m assuming there are no new songs here?
August 8, 2016 @ 9:10 am
No new song titles, but I’m definitely interested in hearing the different takes of them. Although not as popular as the Honky Tonk Heroes and beyond era, I feel that a lot of Waylon’s greatest songs were from the mid 60s-early 70s period during which the albums that contain the originally released versions of these songs came out. A few of these albums have been released on CD for a discounted price over the years (still hoping for the rest of them to see release) and can also be scooped up on download for reasonable prices. Definitely worth checking out.
August 8, 2016 @ 10:09 am
Normally I would not like the idea of tinkering with original recordings either, but Robby Turner did such a good job with the much-underrated “Final Recordings” from Waylon, I feel like he deserves the benefit of the doubt, at least until we hear it. If anyone fundamentally understands Waylon’s sound, it’s Robby.
August 8, 2016 @ 10:16 am
If it was just a one day session, there’s probably no solos or instrumental breaks on the original tape. Just the rhythm section and Waylon’s “scratch” or guide vocal that was gonna be replaced when they did overdubs. So the guide vocals must be good or they wouldn’t put it out. And sometimes the overdubed lead vocals lack the feeling of the scratch vocal anyway, and you end up keeping that. That’s my experience anyway.
August 8, 2016 @ 9:57 pm
I can understand why you would think that but that is not the case. You are describing a typical recording experience and that is not how Waylon did it that day as this was never meant to be an album at all. It was recorded for “The Navy Hoedown” radio show. Canned applause was to be put between each track and Waylon would be interviewed about the next song. Then they would talk about how you should join the Navy (which may get you sent to Vietnam?). Then next Waylon song. It was going to be a fake concert in a way. I’ve never heard the Waylon broadcast but I know it exists on vinyl. Google: Navy Hoedown Waylon. Only a few of the songs were used.
These recordings were all done completely live on July 13, 1970 at “Music City Recorders” which was owned by Scotty Moore (first guitarist for Elvis that recently passed).
The 2 track mixes were done by Mack Evans. Three of the songs from the sessions were released on BCR Records as a Black Friday RSD release on white vinyl. A few copies are still available on their website. The songs were “Louisiana Man (incomplete, only about 1:30 and every Waylon fan knows it does not appear on any other album…but it was on the radio show) meshed with “Kentucky Woman” on Side A. Side B had “Sunday Morning Comin Down”. Shooter Jennings who was Executive Producer of the vinyl single was not interested in changing the instrumentation and felt that it was a snapshot into a moment in 1970 and he thought it was already perfect. This was relayed to me by his manager and my friend, Jon Hensley who passed away last year. The reason I know what I know about these sessions are because of the conversations he and I had trying to conclude who “The Waylors” were because clearly Richie Albright was not the drummer. After consulting Richie it was found that he was touring with Goose Creek Symphony at the time. The other thing that made this session unlike any Waylon session was the fact that there was an incredible piano and B3 player instead of Ralph Mooney on steel. If one YouTube’s “Hee Haw Waylon Kentucky Woman” they will see the incarnation of “The Waylors” that Waylon had at that time. I’m still not positive of the drummer and keyboard player’ names. Rolling Stone dot com did a story on this interviewing Shooter, and had “Sunday Morning Comin Down” as a track to hear. Google it and you will find it. Of the 17 tracks I have heard, these performances are among Waylon’s greatest. The vibe of the session is more raw and walking the line of country and rock. The drummer’s style and that B3 seemed to be bringing something else out of Waylon. Finally, let me say that Waylon’s guitar playing is nothing short of amazing!! The way it was explained to me was that BCR/Country Rewind was going to release two different versions of this. One would be the original untouched masters, which is what I have a copy of. The other would be an updated version…I heard a lot of different ideas, one being making a duets album…not a bad one with new country artists but having people Waylon had actually sang with in life. Only the single was released and the album project never came to fruition for maybe a few reasons, but the main one, I won’t go into. Historically, Country Rewind Records has done a few releases at Cracker Barrel Stores on Faron Young, Connie Smith (produced by Marty Stuart, so probably kills) and Mickey Gilley. I also know there is a Bob Luman release in the works. I’ve only bought the Mickey Gilley one. On that release, they had changed the instrumentation and left the original vocal. It was well done, but not hearing Mickey’s piano would be like not hearing Waylon’s guitar. I heard a very small piece of the new “Stop The World And Let Me Off” being mastered. It is hard for me to tell you if the drums had been changed. It sounds like the same part at least. I know I heard Waylon’s guitar, Robby’s steel (which was new), and it seemed like the harmony was sitting better in the mix. Im not sure if that’s because it is a new harmony vocal or if the mastering and maybe the combo of the compression of the phone was doing it. You can Google that clip as well by Typing L. Nix Mastering Waylon the lost sessions. It is a 30 sec video or so made with a camera phone. I didn’t hear the B3, but he just might not have been playing in that spot. From what I can tell, it sounded like it had been done well. As Trigger said, Robby does understand the Waylon sound. I’m going to pre-order the vinyl version even though I have a copy of the entire session, so I would encourage Waylon fans to buy it. It is impossible for it to be bad, no matter how you look at it.
August 8, 2016 @ 10:11 pm
Let me add: My description of what The Navy Hoedown radio show sounded like is because I have heard and own a copy of two: Bob Luman and Hank Williams Jr. Both of them were conducted exactly the same, so I am assuming the Waylon one would be the same.
August 9, 2016 @ 5:58 am
Wow. Interesting. Thanks for that post. I have a Time Life Opry DVD box. Waylon closes a disc with a medley of Daddy/Brown Eyed/Loving Her Was Easier. From about the same period.
I bought that Faron CD from Cracker Barrel. When I saw it was finished posthumously, I chickened out. It’s still in the shrink wrap.
August 9, 2016 @ 4:28 am
Oh thank you very,very much for that info… 🙂
And thank you Trigger for the article…. 🙂
August 9, 2016 @ 5:25 am
“…I would encourage Waylon fans to buy it. It is impossible for it to be bad, no matter how you look at it…”
I hope that’s true…Now I’ve also preordered but From Amazon.uk. since It’s much cheaper than buying from Amazon.com.
I recently bought “The Winding stream” a DVD documentary about The Carter Family from US And the price of the DVD was $ 22 but the shipping, Customs and taxes was another $30..
August 9, 2016 @ 10:49 am
I own that bcr 7 inch. I read the liner notes and was curious if it was the same Navy Broadcast those came from. Ive also always wanted to hear the entire show, glad to finally get to. Thanks for info.
August 8, 2016 @ 8:42 am
HOSS Is Still The King!
August 8, 2016 @ 9:12 am
I still have yet to check out all of his songs, but I should get this one. That way I would have more songs of his to check out on iTunes.
August 8, 2016 @ 9:20 am
Always loved his version of MacArthur Park. Not too many songs he didn’t improve by singing them.
August 8, 2016 @ 10:34 am
I do too …Both versions. and I wouldn’t mind hearing a third…
August 8, 2016 @ 12:27 pm
This sounds like a neat project. Hopefully the tinkering wont have an overproduced sound. Im glad its someone very familiar with Waylons sound overseeing things. Interesting era too, this sounds similar to Kristoffersons last sessions album he did with alternate takes on originals. This along with Dwights new bluegrass takes, seems like a possible trend starting with traditionalists. Im always up for new Waylon! I dig it. Nearly have wore out my Live in Concert Vol. 2 record.
August 8, 2016 @ 5:11 pm
I too am curious to see how the production of this compilation turns out.
Robby Turner does give me reason for optimism either way. His respect for Waylon Jennings has long been made clear, as has also been the case for Tanya Tucker and Mark Chestnutt.
August 10, 2016 @ 6:17 pm
I don’t understand why they can’t just do a double CD: one of the discs would be the new mix and the other would be the original mix. Given JD’s description above, it sounds like the original mix would be in good shape (probably just some minor tweaks here and there to tighten the mix and to master). I don’t have a lot of experience with the addition of new recordings to country records but I can say that almost every Reggae record I’ve heard that has made such a move, sounds horrible. The additions are always very cheesy sounding.
September 3, 2016 @ 1:51 am
Now that I have had ALL DAY to live with this album, I really believe that the fans deserve this album untouched as well. The trouble with the overdub version, is it takes it out of the 1970 sound in several instances and we don’t get to hear this in its proper historical context. Waylon was changing and this session although it was just for an Armed Services radio broadcast, it shows the change that is happening inside. When it is covered up by some of these overdubs, this is lost and it bothers me.
August 10, 2016 @ 7:43 pm
Can’t wait to hear this!
August 13, 2016 @ 3:18 am
GREAT INFO Triggerman! “…I’ve been too long time gone”. tHANKS!!!
September 7, 2016 @ 3:43 pm
Thanks first and foremost to my beloved Waylon Jennings!!!!! Then to my dear friend Robby Turner. You’re the best!!!! And to all of Waylon’s loving fans, all of whom Waylon lived and died for.
September 11, 2016 @ 6:02 pm
In case anyone is interested, the cd version of this was just recently made available at Cracker Barrel. Wasnt aware but just happened to see it there waiting to eat lunch. Its quite an enjoyable listen but as like others, i do wish this could have been available untouched as well. Dont know if possible but would love to have heard the actual Navy Broadcast, interviews and all. Similar to The Garden Spot Programs with Hank.