Overview
Hank Williams Revealed: The Unreleased Recordings
At the peak of his career in 1951, Hank Williams recorded 143 songs for the Mother's Best Flour Company, Hank sang with his regular studio band and recorded his hits as well as songs he never recorded commercially anywhere else. From this amazing legacy, Time Life is proud to release the second 3-disc set Hank Williams: Revealed, another historic 3-CD, 54-track collection drawn from the Mother's Best recordings. It's a rare, informal glimpse into the heart and soul of country music's greatest star who passed away on New Year's Day 1953, at age 29.
This second three-CD set drawn from the Mother's Best shows includes a little more conversation, and each disc also includes a complete show. The highlights are many. On one of the earliest surviving shows, Hank plays the just-released Cold, Cold Heart without any idea of what it will do for his career. On one of the later shows, his back pain is so crippling he has to sing sitting down. The spinal problems he'd had since birth had been aggravated by the year's punishing itinerary. In the songs and chatter, Hank Williams takes us back to his world. These days, we count ourselves lucky if we find an alternate take or two by any late giant of American music. To find eighteen hours of music and talk is truly without precedent. Set the time machine for 1951.
These recordings give us a deeper insight into Hank's life and music, showing a personality that had never been revealed previously. It showcases his humor as he jokes with his band and the emcee, his love of music as he talks unguardedly about his favorite songs, and captures him in his prime. The shows are not just unreleased Hank Williams music; they're an amazing three-dimensional portrait of one of the giants of American music.
The performances were recorded on acetate discs (meant to be played only once or twice) that were shelved in 1951 and they gradually faded from common memory. In the 1970s the acetates were saved from the trash by a WSM employee and eventually given to Hank's daughter, Jett. On behalf of the estate, Jett fought an eight-year battle to establish ownership, finally winning the right to release these recordings in partnership with Time Life. From the Label
