Marking the celebration of the 30th anniversary of Wildflowers, one of Tom Petty’s most beloved and enduring albums, the all-time classic will see a special two LP One-Step vinyl release with Because Sound Matters, set for October 10 via Warner Records. Limited to 6000 numbered copies, the first pressing has been cut directly from the original master tapes by engineer Chris Bellman, overseen by Petty’s longtime audio engineer Ryan Ulyate and cut for a true all-analog presentation with exceptional clarity and depth. Housed inside a top quality, uniquely designed and numbered slipcase, the enclosed LP packaging will feature a double-pocket gatefold tip-on jacket; preorder HERE.
Wildflowers joins the ranks of essential One-Step releases including Joni Mitchell’s Blue, Eagles’ Hotel California, Miles Davis’ Bitches Brew and Stevie Nicks’ Bella Donna. The One-Step process is highly regarded among audiophiles and collectors for its unparalleled sound fidelity.
In further celebration of the anniversary, as a special gift to Petty’s loyal fans, the estate has opened the Wildflowers vault to share a trove of footage with hours of performances from the Wildflowers tour and tour rehearsals. The never-before-seen footage can be accessed via Tom Petty’s free exclusive fan club, Tom Petty Nation over the next few months—join the fan club HERE. The first video, “Crawling Back To You” from Petty’s 1995 Dogs With Wings tour is available today—watch/share HERE.
In addition, the critically acclaimed documentary Tom Petty, Somewhere You Feel Free: The Making of Wildflowers will see its first-ever release in a physical format on Blu-ray out September 12. The Blu-ray edition will include a 30-minute intimate interview with Petty, as well as outtakes from the film and four music videos from the 2020 release of Wildflowers & All The Rest. Watch the trailer HERE and pre-order it on Blu-ray HERE.
he uplifting 89-minute documentary offers a look into the creative mastery and turbulent personal life of the legendary rock star between 1993-1995. An unvarnished look at Petty, the film features a collection of 16mm film that was discovered in Tom Petty’s archive in 2020, including unseen footage captured during the making of Wildflowers. Directed by Mary Wharton (Jimmy Carter: Rock and Roll President, Sam Cooke: Legend, Elvis Lives! The Beatles Revolution), the film includes interviews with Rubin, Heartbreakers Mike Campbell and Benmont Tench, Petty’s daughter Adria and many more.
The film first debuted at SXSW 2021, winning the festival’s Audience Award, and went on to garner Best Documentary Film at the Boulder Film Festival, Outstanding Producer of Televised or Streamed Motion Picture at The PGA Awards, and was AFI Docs’ Official Selection and received widespread critical acclaim throughout the film festival season.
Originally released in November 1994, the Wildflowers sessions were the first collaboration with legendary producer Rick Rubin. The sessions produced volumes of personal music. Wildflowers was Petty’s fastest selling album and was certified Triple Platinum by the RIAA only nine months after its release. It charted at #8 on the Billboard 200 and was recently included on Rolling Stone’s list of the “500 Greatest Albums of All Time.”
Over his 40-year career, Tom Petty became a beloved American rock & roll icon, world renowned for his songwriting and his incredible band the Heartbreakers. In addition to the 13 studio albums he made with the Heartbreakers, Petty recorded three solo albums, including the acclaimed Full Moon Fever, Wildflowers and Highway Companion. Petty was also a member of the supergroup Traveling Wilburys and in the pre-Heartbreakers band Mudcrutch.
Hailed as one of the greatest rock music artists of all time, Petty’s honors include Songwriters Hall of Fame, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and multiple Grammy Awards. He has sold over 85 million records, amassed over five billion streams and performed to over 140 million fans worldwide. Widely recognized and remembered for his philanthropy and service, Petty is the recipient of some of the highest honors in philanthropy including Midnight Mission’s Golden Heart Award in 2011, and MusicCares ‘Person of the Year’ in 2017. The Petty Estate aims to extend the late artist’s legacy, both musically and in spirit, by supporting philanthropic and social issues that were close to Petty’s heart. Earlier this year the Estate provided financial support to 10 families in partnership with GoFundMe, as well as MusiCares and Healthcare for Homeless Animals in the aftermath of the Los Angeles Wildfires. Additionally, the Estate were sponsors for this year’s NYC Pride as well as LGBTQIA+ nonprofit youth organization It Gets Better.
Tom Petty passed away in 2017 shortly after completing his 40th anniversary tour, leaving behind a massive archive of unreleased material. His music continues to reach fans, both new and old, around the world today.
Because Sound Matters One-Step Details:
Audio Source: Original Analog Master Tapes
Vinyl Compound: Neotech VR900-D2 180g High Performance Vinyl
Vinyl Mastering: Chris Bellman at Bernie Grundman Mastering
One-Step Process: Dorin Sauerbier at Record Technology, Inc.
Pressing: Record Technology, Inc.
Packaging & Print: Stoughton Printing Company
WILDFLOWERS – BECAUSE SOUND MATTERS ONE-STEP TRACKLIST
A1: Wildflowers
A2: You Don’t Know How It Feels
A3: Time To Move On
A4: You Wreck Me
B1: It’s Good To Be King
B2: Only A Broken Heart
B3: Honey Bee
B4: Don’t Fade On Me
C1: Hard On Me
C2: Cabin Down Below
C3: To Find A Friend
C4: A Higher Place
D1: House In The Woods
D2 Crawling Back To You
D3 Wake Up Time
Tom Petty: Somewhere You Feel Free: The Making of Wildflowers
Runtime: 89 minutes
Directed by Mary Wharton
Available on Blu-ray September 12
Shot on 16mm Film
Includes 30 minutes of bonus content,
featuring outtakes and 4 music videos.
