1997 Tom Petty Fillmore concerts to be released as a live album
The Tom Petty estate and guitarist Mike Campbell will release a new live album composed of performances from six concerts of the 20-show Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers’ residency at the Fillmore in San Francisco in 1997.
Live at the Fillmore (1997) will come in various formats, including a three-LP version simulating one of the legendary concerts and a comprehensive box set with 58 songs and 14 spoken-word interludes by Petty. The album, the band’s first live album to be released in 13 years, will arrive on Nov. 25 on Warner Records. It’s available to pre-order now.
A new video for a live version of “Listen To Her Heart” directed by Peter Sluszka was released on Wednesday.
“Playing the Fillmore in 1997 for a month was one of my favorite experiences as a musician in my whole life,” Mike Campbell said in a written statement. “The band was on fire and we changed the setlist every night. The room and the crowd was spiritual… AND… we got to play with some amazing guests. I will always remember those nights with joy and inspiration.”
The album includes classic Petty songs like “Mary Jane’s Last Dance” and “It’s Good To Be King,” but contains a higher ratio of covers of musicians who Petty grew up listening to and who shaped his own musical journey.
The track list includes Bob Dylan’s “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door,” J.J. Cale’s “Crazy Mama,” The Rolling Stones’ “Time is On My Side,” as well as more by The Kinks, Everly Brothers, Bill Withers, The Byrds, Chuck Berry and Booker T. & the M.G.’s.
The Byrds’ frontman Roger McGuinn and blues legend John Lee Hooker make appearances on the album.
The songs were handpicked by Campbell, Ryan Ulyate and Benmont Tench, as well as Adria, Annakim and Dana Petty. The liner notes were written by San Francisco music critic Joel Selvin.
This will be the second posthumous album released by the Petty estate, following 2020’s Wildflowers & All The Rest. Petty played the Fillmore for the final time in 2016 with Mudcrutch.