In January 1972 a newly formed grassroots band The Flatlanders (comprised of the nucleus of Joe Ely, Jimmie Dale Gilmore and Butch Hancock) travelled to Tommy Allsup’s Odessa, TX studio at the urging of a local radio DJ. The 14 songs recorded on reel-to-reel tape arguably marked the birth of alternative country music. In celebration of their 40th anniversary together, the esteemed founding fathers of Americana will release a collection of these recordings as The Odessa Tapes. Thought lost for nearly 4 decades, The OdessaTapes pristine recordings capture without any polish the special blend of country, folk, roots and cosmic energy The Flatlanders pioneered. A DVD featuring a candid new interview with The Flatlanders discussing the myths of the early days of their career and booklet with unreleased archival photos will round out this deluxe package. The Odessa Tapes features 14 songs four of which were previously unreleased. The record is rounded out by original versions of the 10 songs that were eventually re-recorded when the band was signed to Shelby Singleton’s Plantation Records. The subsequent album, All American Music, was barely released on 8-track in late 1972 and The Flatlanders shortly went their separate ways.
