On March 7, TVZ Records will issue a new album of previously unreleased Townes Van Zandt songs called Sky Blue.
Recorded in 1973, the album, which is being released in conjunction with Fat Possum Records, features two original songs from Van Zandt that have never been heard before, “”Sky Blue” and “All I Need,” the latter of which you can hear below. The album also includes early versions of “Pancho And Lefty” and “Rex’s Blues,” as well as a cover of “Hills Of Roane County,” a 19th-century murder ballad that was made somewhat popular by Tony Rice.
Van Zandt recorded the tracks in Atlanta at the home studio of his friend William Hedgepeth, a journalist and fellow musician whom the songwriter would visit and stay with on occasion.
The idea for Sky Blue came from Van Zandt’s wife and literary executor Jeanene, along with his children, J.T., Will, and Katie Bell.
“Townes always said that his measure of success was how many learning institutions were studying his work 100 years from now,” Jeanene told American Songwriter recently. “So my obligation is that there’s stuff there left to study, to preserve his music. That’s my duty.”
Listen to “All I Need” and see the album’s tracklist below.
Sky Blue Tracklist
1. All I Need
2. Rex’s Blues
3. Hills of Roane County
4. Sky Blue
5. Forever For Always For Certain
6. Blue Ridge Mountain Blues (Smoky Version)
7. Pancho and Lefty
8. Snake Song
9. Silver Ships of Andilar
10. Dream Spider
11. The Last Thing On My Mind