Previously Unreleased Waylon Jennings Album Announced, Includes Cover of Fleetwood Mac’s “Songbird”

​More than two decades after his passing, the music of country legend Waylon Jennings continues to resonate. Today, Son of Jessi/Thirty Tigers has announced the release of Songbird, a previously unheard Jennings album set for release on October 3rd. The record’s first single a heartfelt cover of Fleetwood Mac’s “Songbird”
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Jennings’ rendition of “Songbird” puts a honky-tonk spin on Fleetwood Mac’s original tune. Complete with wailing (or Waylon-ing) pedal steel lines, a plotting rhythm section, and rich harmonies, Jennings’ powerhouse voice ultimately brings the whole thing together. Watch the music video for the newly released song below.

Songbird features material recorded between 1973 and 1984, with all sessions produced by Jennings alongside his longtime drummer and collaborator Richie Albright. The recordings also include performances from his iconic backing band, The Waylors. The album was compiled and mixed by Jennings’ son, Shooter Jennings, a three-time Grammy Award winner.

“What became very apparent to me was that my dad was recording constantly with his band The Waylors between tours,” Shooter shared in a statement. “Just having won the David-and-Goliath battle against RCA for creative control and artistic freedom, Waylon was awarded the ability to record his music on his terms in his own studios, with his touring band, and without label oversight and without any outside influence… These weren’t demos—these were songs that were cut with the intention of releasing.”

Despite their intended release, many of the tracks didn’t make it onto Jennings’ albums at the time, leaving a treasure trove of unreleased material that’s only now coming to light.
Songbird marks the first installment in a planned trilogy of newly unearthed Waylon Jennings albums. While details about the remaining two releases have yet to be announced, Shooter promises more surprises ahead.

“Songbird is the beginning of Waylon’s return to the modern world,” he said. “This is the first of three gifts from me to you: the fans who have kept my father’s voice, songs, and legacy alive all these years. The next few years are going to be full of some of the most exciting musical moments that the world never knew they were going to hear.”
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