Gary Stewart LP Of Rare Unreleased Tunes, ‘One Track Mind,’ Due In July

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Gary Stewart fans can discover an untold chapter of his incredible story more than two decades after his passing on One Track Mind, a collection of rare and previously unreleased recordings from Delmore Recording Society which will be released July 17.

The first preview track from the album, “Iron Bar Motel,” is available now. The songs on One Track Mind showcase the roots of Stewart, a musician born well outside the realm of Nashville’s Music Row who became one of the singular voices of the country genre in the 1970s. The CD/streaming versions of the project include four bonus tracks and rare country covers of Motown favorites.

One Track Mind finds Stewart toward the beginning of his career as a songwriter, newly arrived in Nashville, signing first with Cedarwood and then Forrest Hills publishing. These songwriting demos, an informal home tape, and even a lone acetate have been preserved from archival sources by producer Mark Linn and Stewart’s close friend Tommy Schwartz. Working primarily with early songwriting partner Bill Eldridge, several songs on the collection were cut, including Del Reeves (“One Track Mind”), Cal Smith (“You Can’t Housebreak a Tomcat”), Jack Greene (“There’s a Whole Lot About a Woman (A Man Don’t Know)”) and Nat Stuckey (“The Snuff Queen”).

Fans who know Stewart through his near-decade run as a recording artist for RCA Victor in the ‘70s and ‘80s will find unique and revealing detours on One Track Mind. The version of “The Snuff Queen” features just Stewart’s voice and guitar, digging into a dark country-blues groove. “Beautiful River” is an unfinished ballad recorded in the trailer he shared with Mary Lou, his beloved wife of more than 40 years, with fingerpicked guitar and a soft, drifting whistle throughout. The vinyl album’s closing track “Williamson County” is a ghostly murder ballad with the singer’s voice stretched into an anguished howl.

Last month, a definitive biography, Gary Stewart: I Am From the Honky-Tonks, was published from writer Jimmy McDonough.

One Track Mind Track List: (previously unreleased except where noted)
* denotes CD/streaming bonus track
1. “One Track Mind”
2. “Kings and Queens”
3. “Woman Will Tear the Heart Right Out of a Man”
4. “Big Bad Train”
6. “Living the Life of a Dog”
7. “Don’t Put a Poor Hand on Me”
8. “Her Apple Pie”
9. “My Mind is on You”
10. “Iron Bar Motel”
11. “The Bottom of the Pile”
12. “There’s a Whole Lot About a Woman (A Man Don’t Know)”
13. “If You Come Back Darling”
14. “You Can’t Housebreak a Tomcat”
15. “The Snuff Queen”
16. “Beautiful River”
17. “WIlliamson County”
18. “Morbid the Great” *
19. “Baby I Need Your Loving” (released on Delmore Recording Society 7″ single DE028, 2018) *
20. “Yester-Me, Yester-You, Yesterday” (released on Delmore Recording Society 7″ single DE028, 2018) *
21. “I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)” *

Lorie Hollabaugh
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