Bruce Hornsby Shares Three More Unreleased Tracks From Forthcoming 25th Anniversary Edition Of 'SPIRIT TRAIL'
Bruce Hornsby's 25th Anniversary Edition of his iconic double album, Spirit Trail, is coming October 27th.
By: Michael Major Oct. 09, 2023
In celebration of the lead up to the release of legendary musician Bruce Hornsby's 25th Anniversary Edition of his iconic double album, Spirit Trail, coming October 27th via Zappo Productions/Thirty Tigers, Hornsby has released three more previously unreleased songs from the edition's additional material.
You can hear a 2023 remaster of “Line in the Dust,” the newly-discovered and previously unreleased song, “Evening Sun” and a live version of “Shadow Hand.” The additional tracks on the reissue come from what has been referred to as Hornsby's “lost album,” the one that he shelved in favor of the more “modern-sounding” Big Swing Face.
He says, “These were not just demos with a drum machine or solo piano demos. They featured my band playing. There was mostly piano, bass and drums on a lot of them but there was also guitar on a couple, and I'd thrown some organ on one of them. So I felt it was fairly far along. These were rough mixes but they were fairly close, at least in conception, to me. I'm glad these songs are coming out because they're fun to play and I think a certain fan of mine will go, ‘Why doesn't he do this more?'”
The 25th Anniversary Edition will be released digitally and in two physical formats, a 3-CD set and a 3-LP set. Originally released in 1998, his sixth album spanned twenty tracks. Describing the record to Rolling Stone, Hornsby called it “...very Southern so there's a lot of songs about race, religion, judgment and tolerance… And sort of my own personal struggles with some of these issues -- or observing others with the issues.”
The 3-CD set contains the original double album, 4 previously unreleased songs, and over 70 minutes of previously unreleased live performances. The collection is housed in a clamshell box and includes a 36 page book featuring new liner notes by Bruce, lyrics, and photography by Danny Clinch.
The 3-LP set contains the original double album and the four previously unreleased songs packaged in a tri-fold jacket with a 4-page insert featuring lyrics & liner notes from Bruce. The original album and bonus material is all mastered by Bob Ludwig. Lacquers for the LP set were cut by Chris Muth. Pre-order for the special edition HERE.
The three new tracks join previously the previously unreleased “Living In The Sunshine,” a live version of “Swan Song” and a newly remastered “Sunflower Cat.”
Reflecting on why he has chosen to reissue the album Hornsby says, “that for my true fans - devotees who've followed me through this crazy and stylistically peripatetic journey I've taken - this record is their favorite.”
Plus, he continues, “It's the record from my more distant past that personally holds up best for me. It's the first record where I thought the singing has aged well, and I'm still very proud of the songwriting on it. We're trying to get the word out again, shine a light now on something we thought was pretty special.”
Hornsby recently chatted with Parke Puterbaugh for a Q&A about the 25th Anniversary Edition. Read it HERE. And find Parke Puterbaugh's essay on the album HERE.
Hornsby and his full band, The Noisemakers, just wrapped up a US tour He will kick off his solo Spirit Trail Tour dates on October 17th at Milwaukee's Pabst Theater and continue through November. A full list of tour dates are below.
Tracklisting
ORIGINAL ALBUM:
- King Of The Hill
- Resting Place
- Preacher In The Ring Pt. I
- Preacher In The Ring Pt. II
- Song C
- Sad Moon
- Pete & Manny
- Fortunate Son
- Sneaking Up On Boo Radley
- Great Divide
- Line In The Dust
- See The Same Way
- Shadow Hand
- Sunlight Moon
- Listen To The Silence
- Funhouse
- Sunflower Cat (Some Dour Cat) (Down With That)
- Song D
- Swan Song
- Variations On Swan Song & Song D
LOST AND FOUND ON THE SPIRIT TRAIL:
- Living In The Sunshine
- Groove Infatuation
- Evening Sun
- Clown's Tambourine
LIVE TRAIL
- King Of The Hill [Live]
- Resting Place [Live]
- Preacher In The Ring (Part 1)/Variation 2 (Webern)/Catenaires (Carter) Excerpt [Live]
- Fortunate Son [Live]
- Sneaking Up On Boo Radley [Live]
- See The Same Way [Live]
- Shadow Hand [Live]
- Funhouse [Live]
- Sunflower Cat [Live]
- Swan Song [Live]
Tour Dates
Solo:
Oct 17 - The Pabst Theatre - Milwaukee, WI
Oct 18 - The Pablo Center at the Confluence - Eau Claire, WI
Oct 20 - The Uptown - Minneapolis, MN
Oct 22 - Tower Theatre - Oklahoma City, OK
Oct 24 - Paramount Theatre - Austin, TX
Oct 25 - The Heights Theatre - Houston, TX [SOLD OUT]
Oct 28 - Charline McCombs Empire Theatre - San Antonio, TX
Nov 09 - Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall - Sarasota, FL
Nov 11 - The Lyric Theatre - Stuart, FL [SOLD OUT]
Nov 12 - Parker Playhouse - Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Nov 15 - Steinmetz Hall - Phillips Center for the Performing Arts - Orlando, FL
Nov 16 - Seminole Casino Immokalee - Immokalee, FL
Nov 18 - Capitol Theatre - Clearwater, FL
Nov 19 - Ponte Vedra Concert Hall - Ponte Vedra Beach, FL [SOLD OUT]
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