It’s been seven years since the world lost rock legend Tom Petty, and while his loss is still felt by many, fans may take comfort in the recent release of seven previously unheard songs he’d recorded in the late 70s and early 80s. These seven tracks were included in a deluxe edition of his 1982 album Long After Dark, aptly named Long After Dark Deluxe. Upon its release on October 19th, the album landed a spot on Billboard’s Top Ten Album list, proving there’s still much love out there for Tom Petty and his legacy.
The album’s lead single, “Never Be You,” was a song that Petty was particularly gunning to be a part of Long After Dark’s initial release, yet it never came to be. Three years later, country artist Rosanne Cash received permission from Petty and his team to use the song herself, resulting in a prominent success on her part. Forty years later, the version recorded by Petty has been released, and now, so has an accompanying music video.
The video’s director, Jeff Scher, is highly respected in the art scene for his animated works, including videos for Bob Dylan, Graham Nash and Paul Simon. “Never Be You”’s animation incorporates the style Scher has been perfecting since the 70s: a sketchy, frame-by-frame series of illustrations comparable to a-ha’s famous video for “Take On Me.” Unlike “Take On Me,” though, Scher uses every colored pencil in the box, expressing the complexity of memory through the fluctuation of color in each frame.
Other flourishes in the animation include the occasional post office stamp posted in the corner of the screen, as well as stickers and drawn stars to seemingly add flair. Interestingly, the subjects of the drawings are often drawn with what appears to be several artistic tools at once, so any given frame could contain a mixture of colored pencils, markers, watercolor paints or oil pastels. The result is a visually-rich project that highlights the beauty of Petty’s music.
You can view the video for yourself below. Godspeed, Muddy Wilbury.
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