Jeff Buckley, the remarkable and influential troubadour who left us too soon, will be celebrated with a posthumous release of newly unearthed early studio recordings.
The new album, You and I, is loaded with covers from Bob Dylan, the Smiths, Led Zeppelin and others and is scheduled to drop on March 11, 2016 through Columbia/Legacy Recordings.
You and I is comprised of 10 tracks said to be the first studio recordings made by Buckley for Columbia Records, and they wouldn’t have seen the light of day were it not for a research team digging into the archives for the 20th anniversary edition of Buckley’s Grace album.
Most of the precious works were cut in Steve Addabbo’s Shelter Island Sound studio in February 1993, and few have heard the recordings in the decades since.
Buckley’s broad palate of musical tastes is laid out in the tracklist. The covers on the album include interpretations of Dylan’s “Just Like a Woman”; Sly & the Family Stone’s “Everyday People,” Joe Green’s “Don’t Let the Sun Catch You Cryin'” (recorded by Louis Jordan, Ray Charles and others), Bob Telson’s“Calling You” (recorded by Jevetta Steele), the Smiths’ “The Boy with the Thorn in His Side” and “I Know It’s Over” and Led Zeppelin’s “Night Flight”.
The set also features two pieces of original music: the first-ever studio recording of the title track from Buckley’s debut, “Grace,” and the haunting song “Dream of You and I.”
“As we began to explore how we might celebrate the 20th anniversary of Jeff Buckley’s Grace, the vault — as it still occasionally and unexpectedly will — presented us with an unbelievable gift: this “lost” cache of studio recordings from the period,” explains Adam Block, president, Legacy Recordings in a statement. “We quickly realized how remarkable they were. They offer an incredible, rare glimpse of an artist, alone, in the sacred space that is the studio. There’s an intimacy and an honesty to the performances that’s literally breathtaking. You & Iis an important addition to Jeff’s recorded legacy and will be a thrill for both his devoted longtime fans and newcomers alike.”
Buckley seemingly inherited the talents of singer-songwriter Tim Buckley, the father he hardly knew. Though the younger artist had talent and star power which seemed destined to outshine any other performer on the planet. Jeff Buckley’s Grace from 1994 is considered one of the greatest debuts of all time, its songs “Lover, You Should’ve Come Over,” “Last Goodbye,” “Lilac Wine” and his cover of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” stamping the album as a classic, his soaring vocals inspiring countless copycats.
Buckley never got the chance to build on his illustrious beginnings. He accidently lost his life in the Wolf River Harbor, Memphis on May 29, 1997, aged 30, leaving Grace as his only completed studio album. A collection of unfinished works, Sketches for My Sweetheart the Drunk, arrived in 1998, just months after his death.
Buckley’s recording of You and I album track “Everyday People” will be made available for Record Store Day as a limited edition 7″ with the B-side featuring the original recording by Sly & the Family Stone.
You and I is available for preorder on Amazon and as a digital download on iTunes. Buckley’s mother, Mary Guibert, has overseen the project.
You and I Tracklist:
1. Just Like A Woman (Bob Dylan cover)
2. Everyday People (Sly & The Family Stone cover)
3. Don’t Let The Sun Catch You Cryin’ (First recorded by Louis Jordan)
4. Grace (original)
5. Calling You (Jevetta Steele cover)
6. Dream Of You And I (original)
7. The Boy With The Thorn In His Side (The Smiths cover)
8. Poor Boy Long Way From Home (traditional blues song, Bukka White cover)
9. Night Flight (Led Zeppelin cover)
10. I Know It’s Over (The Smiths cover)
