New York, NY (Top40 Charts/ Legacy Recordings) On March 11, 2016, Columbia/Legacy Recordings, will release You and I, the very first studio recordings made by
Jeff Buckley for Columbia Records.
You and I, on CD and LP, is available for preorder on Amazon (https://smarturl.it/youandi_amznCD) and as a digital download on iTunes (https://smarturl.it/youandi_itunes)
Jeff Buckley's recording of "
Everyday People" will also 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.
The songs on You and I reveal, in part, the eclectic scope of Jeff Buckley's extraordinary musical tastes and talent. The covers on the album include Jeff's highly personal interpretations of songs written by
Bob Dylan ("Just Like a Woman"); Sylvester Stewart ("Everyday People," recorded by Sly & the Family Stone); Joe Green ("Don't Let the Sun
Catch You Cryin'," recorded by Louis Jordan,
Ray Charles and others); Bob Telson ("Calling You," recorded by Jevetta Steele for the 1987 film Bagdad Cafe);
Morrissey and
Johnny Marr ("The Boy with the Thorn in His Side" and "I Know It's Over," recorded by the Smiths); Booker T. Washington "Bukka" White ("Poor Boy Long Way from Home," from a 1939 "field" recording made by John Lomax) and John Paul Jones/Jimmy Page/Robert Plant ("Night Flight," recorded by Led Zeppelin).
"Any time I take a cover and wear it on my sleeve, it's because it had something to do with my life and still marks a time in my life when I needed that song more than anything ever." Jeff Buckley, Plane Truth fanzine interview from 1994
Rounding out You and I are two pieces of original music: the first-ever studio recording of his signature song, "
Grace" and "Dream of You and I," a mysterious and haunting piece which informs the deeply intimate and profoundly personal mood of the album.
Long rumored to exist, but previously unheard outside the studio, the performances on You and I have never been bootlegged or released to the public in any form. These seminal recordings are a fan's Holy Grail, a rare opportunity to hear
Jeff Buckley in peak form, developing his artistry through a series of spellbinding solo performances, each one captured in pristine sonic detail.
"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," said Adam Block, President, Legacy Recordings. "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 & I is an important addition to Jeff's recorded legacy and will be a thrill for both his devoted longtime fans and newcomers alike."
You and I is simply that, just
Jeff Buckley and the listener alone together in the studio while he plays and sings the music that means the most to him in that moment.
The newly found solo tracks on You and I showcase Jeff Buckley's otherworldly once-in-a-lifetime voice, transcending technique, making a direct connection between the earthly and the divine. Named One of Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest Singers of All Time, Buckley was also an accomplished electric guitarist, the 6-string accompaniments on these recordings adding astounding depth and sublime emotional dimensions to these unforgettable performances.
Born November 17, 1966,
Jeff Buckley worked for several years as a session guitarist in Los Angeles. Moving to New York City in the early 1990s, he gathered a rabid following playing tiny venues, notably Sin-e in the East Village. His repertoire incorporated folk, rock, R&B, blues and jazz.
Buckley's extraordinary live shows launched one of the fiercest bidding wars of the 1990s before the artist decided to sign with Columbia Records, the home of many of his musical heroes, in October 1992. In February 1993, he went into the studio to lay down the newly uncovered tracks on You and I, which includes a never-before-heard original composition and studio versions of his Sin-e repertoire. Opting for the opportunity to capture Jeff's live performance magic, the focus pivoted from these experimental tracks to the Live At Sin-e recording sessions.
Jeff Buckley only completed one studio album, 1994's Grace, before his life and career ended tragically with his accidental drowning in
Memphis on May 29, 1997.
Though scant, the
Jeff Buckley discography has received universal critical accolades and continues to create new fans and followers drawn to the music of a singular visionary artist whose voice, guitar work, songwriting and interpretative skills defied all attempts at categorization.
The newly discovered studio recordings on You and I represent an essential addition to the discography of one of the great American musical artists of the 20th century, a significant look into the creative process of a developing genius.
The Columbia/Legacy release of Jeff Buckley's You and I has been overseen by the artist's mother, Mary Guibert.
Jeff Buckley
You and I
Tracklist:
Just Like A Woman (Bob Dylan cover)
Everyday People (Sly & The Family Stone cover)
Grace (original)
Dream Of You And I (original)
The Boy With The Thorn In His Side (The Smiths cover)
Poor Boy Long Way From Home (traditional blues song, Bukka White cover)
Night Flight (Led Zeppelin cover)
I Know It's Over (The Smiths cover)
