Gillian Welch is reviving her 20-year old album Revival with Boots No. 1: The Official Revival Bootleg, which is scheduled to reach the ears of the pubic November 25th.
The forthcoming album, which was organized and recorded by Welch and David Rawlings, with the help of archivist Glen Chausse, will be a two-disc set featuring 8 previously unreleased songs, 21 outtakes, alternate versions and demos recording during the production of this album back in 1996. Of these is the earliest recorded home version of “Orphan Girl”, which was recorded on a four track back in 1994.
In a recent press release regarding the album Welch had this to say about it:
“I’m happy that the songs hold up. That’s probably the thing I’m most proud of. There is that interesting moment in any writer’s first batch of songs or any writer’s first novel or anything, a filmmaker’s first movie that always seems to have something that is different from what comes after. Something happens in that first push. Maybe because you’re usually up against more resistance. But there is a purity or a diamond hardness to the first batch that doesn’t seem to happen again. And so Revival has that when I look at it. Maybe it’s lack of ego. You know, there really was no me. You know, the artist Gillian Welch didn’t really exist. And then after that, I did.”
The archival treasure will be available in digital, CD, and cassette form on November 25th, but is available for pre-order through iTunes, Apple Music, Spotify, and Amazon. Check out the track list below:
Boots No 1: The Official Revival Bootleg Tracklist
Disc One
1.Orphan Girl (Alternate Version)
2.Annabelle (Alternate Version)
3.Pass You By (Alternate Version)
4.Go On Downtown (Revival Outtake) *
5.Red Clay Halo (Revival Outtake)
6.By The Mark (Alternate Mix)
7.Paper Wings (Demo)
8.Georgia Road (Revival Outtake) *
9.Tear My Stillhouse Down (Home Demo)
10.Only One and Only (Alternate Version)
Disc Two
1. Orphan Girl (Home Demo)
2. I Don’t Want to Go Downtown (Revival Outtake) *
3. 455 Rocket (Revival Outtake) *
4. Barroom Girls (Live Radio)
5. Wichita (Revival Outtake) *
6. One More Dollar (Alternate Version)
7. Dry Town (Demo) *
8. Paper Wings (Alternate Mix)
9. Riverboat Song (Revival Outtake) *
10. Old Time Religion (Revival Outtake) *
11. Acony Bell (Demo)
As of recently, Gillian Welch has been performing live, including habitual appearances at festivals like Newport Folk Festival. She is currently touring with Dave Rawlings Machine, and has confirmed tour dates in this upcoming December.