Every music making artist has their own creative process. One of my favorite things to hear as a music fan, is how a song evolves from its inception to what is released on the record and played on the radio.
The family of Tom Petty recently uncovered a demo version of his hit “You Don’t Know How It Feels,” and there are some distinct differences between this recording done in his home studio and the version we all know and love.
Read More A re-release of Petty’s 1994 masterpiece album Wildflowers is the works and this track very well may be part of the expanded package.
Petty studio producer RIck Rubin stated in 2018, during the recording of Wildflowers , Petty recorded between 26 and 28 songs during their sessions. However, the record label only gave his 15 tracks on the album.
Rubin told the podcast Broken Record , Petty “knew that the second half of Wildflowers was an important statement. His issue was [that] he didn’t want to put it out as a new Tom Petty album, ‘cause it’s not a new Tom Petty album -- it was recorded 25 years ago -- and he didn’t want to release it as an old catalog album because he thought it deserved more than being a catalog album. He felt like it was too good to just put out and was sort of looking for the right story where it would have the exposure that it deserved. And he never came up with it. ”
Below is the official video for “You Don’t Know How It Feels,” so you can compare it with the home recording.
The death of Tom Petty in October 2017 left an immediate void in the world of music. Here’s a photo gallery of him through the years.
NEW YORK: Tom Petty from Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers posed in New York in 1976 (Photo by Richard E. Aaron/Redferns)
LOS ANGELES - JULY 15: Rock group Tom Petty (third from left) and the Heartbreakers pose for a portrait on July 15, 1976 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Ed Caraeff/Getty Images)
Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers 1977 at the Whisyi in Los Angeles (Photo by Chris Walter/WireImage)
SAN FRANCISCO - 1978: Tom Petty performs live at The Winterland Ballroom in 1978 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Richard McCaffrey/ Michael Ochs Archive/ Getty Images)
SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE -- Episode 4 -- Pictured: Musical guest Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers perform on November 10,1979 -- (Photo by: Alan Singer/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers perform at the Aragon Ballroom, Chicago, Illinois, November 23, 1979. (Photo by Kirk West/Getty Images)
SANTA CRUZ, CA - 1980: Singer Tom Petty, backed by his band, The Heartbreakers, prances onstage during a 1980 Santa Cruz, California, concert at the Civic Auditorium. (Photo by George Rose/Getty Images)
DALY CITY, CA - JUNE 26: Stevie Nicks and Tom Petty perform together at the Cow Palace on June 26, 1981 in Daly City, California. (Photo by Larry Hulst/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty
Tom Petty and Robert Plant during Live Aid Concert - July 13, 1985 at JFK Stadium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. (Photo by Paul Natkin/WireImage)
CHAMPAIGN - SEPTEMBER 1985: Musicians and songwriters Bob Dylan and Tom Petty pose at Farm Aid on September 22, 1985 in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Deborah Feingold/Getty Images)
Tom Petty portrait taken at his home on April 28, 1985. (Photo by George Rose/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
Tom Petty and Bob Dylan during Bob Dylan and Tom Petty in Concert - July 22, 1986 at Poplar Creek Music Theater in Chicago, Illinois, United States. (Photo by Paul Natkin/WireImage)
Tom Petty, Bob Dylan and Ron Wood perform on stage, United States, 1986. (Photo by Mark Weiss/Getty Images)
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM - OCTOBER 14: Tom Petty of Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers joins Bob Dylan on stage during his concert at Wembley Arena, on October 14th, 1987 in London, England. (Photo by Peter Still/Redferns)
(L-R) Tom Petty and Dolly Parton on 'Dolly' in 1987. (Photo by Julie Fineman/ABC via Getty Images)
Tom Petty on stage for a sound check in Burbank, California during in May, 1987. (Photo by Ellen Jascol/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
LONDON - MARCH 23: Tom Petty of Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers performs live on stage at Wembley Arena in London on March 23 1992. (Photo by Ian Dickson/Redferns)
Musician Tom Petty waves to the crowd during his performance at the Troubadours of Folk Festival on the UCLA campus. Roger McGuinn is behind him, to the left. (Photo by Henry Diltz/Corbis via Getty Images)
Tom Petty during 1994 MTV Video Music Awards at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, New York, United States. (Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic)
MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA - APRIL 30: Tom Petty of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers performs in support of the bands' Playback release at Shoreline Amphitheatre on April 30, 1995 in Mountain View California. (Photo by Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images)
Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers during Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers Honored with a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California, United States. (Photo by SGranitz/WireImage)
MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA - AUGUST 27: Tom Petty of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers performs at Shoreline Amphitheatre on August 27, 1999 in Mountain View, California. (Photo by Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images)
George Harrison & Tom Petty & Brian Setzer during 2000 Billboard Music Awards in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States. (Photo by KMazur/WireImage)
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, inductees during 17th Annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony at Waldorf Astoria in New York City, New York, United States. (Photo by Bill Davila/FilmMagic)
THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH JAY LENO -- Episode 2371 -- Pictured: (l-r) Actor Adam Sandler, actor Rupert Grint, host Jay Leno, and singer Tom Petty on November 13, 2002 -- (Photo by: Paul Drinkwater/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)
Tom Petty and his wife Dana at the premiere of "Concert for George" a new documentary film celebrating the music of George Harrison through performances by legendary musicians. (Photo by L. Cohen/WireImage)
Inductees ZZ Top - Dusty Hill (L), Frank Beard (C) and Billy Gibbons (R) backstage with Tom Petty and Jeff Lynne (Photo by KMazur/WireImage)
Dave Mason of Traffic (left), Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top (2nd from left), Keith Ricahards (center) and Tom Petty (2nd from right) (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/WireImage)
Tom Petty, Dhani Harrison and inductee Prince during The 19th Annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony - Show at Waldorf Astoria in New York City, New York, United States. (Photo by KMazur/WireImage)
John Mellencamp and Tom Petty during The 19th Annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony - Backstage and Audience at Waldorf Astoria in New York City, New York, United States. (Photo by Theo Wargo/WireImage)
Carrie Fisher, Tom Petty and Wife during UCLA Names Elizabeth Taylor Endowment Fund for Long Time AIDS Advocate Taylor and Friends Set to Cut Ribbon for New Center at UCLA Clinical Aids Research and Education CARE Center in Los Angeles.
Stevie Nicks (center) with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers (Photo by Hal Horowitz/WireImage)
Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters performs with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers (Photo by Theo Wargo/WireImage for Manning, Selvage and Lee)
Eddie Vedder, left, performs with Tom Petty, right, and the Heartbreakers (Photo by Paul Warner/WireImage)
In this Oct. 2, 2007 file photo, singer Tom Petty arrives at the world premiere of the documentary "Runnin' Down a Dream: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers" in Burbank, Calif. Petty has died at age 66.
Musicians Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers perform during the 'Bridgestone Halftime Show' at Super Bowl XLII between the New York Giants and the New England Patriots on February 3, 2008 at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.
NEWPORT, UNITED KINGDOM - JUNE 22: Tom Petty of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers performs on the main stage on day 2 of The Isle of Wight Festival at Seaclose Park on June 22, 2012 in Newport, Isle of Wight. (Photo by Samir Hussein/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - SEPTEMBER 06: Regina Spektor and Tom Petty arrive at the 2012 MTV Video Music Awards at Staples Center on September 6, 2012 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/WireImage)
MANCHESTER, TN - JUNE 16: Tom Petty performs during the 2013 Bonnaroo Music And Arts Festival on June 16, 2013 in Manchester, Tennessee. (Photo by Douglas Mason/Getty Images)
Tom Petty and wife Dana York attend the 31st annual ASCAP Pop Music Awards at The Ray Dolby Ballroom at Hollywood & Highland Center on April 23, 2014 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic)
CINCINNATI, OH - JUNE 03: Mike Campbell and Tom Petty perform with Mudcrutch at the Bunbury Festival on June 3, 2016 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Timothy Hiatt/Getty Images,)
LOS ANGELES, CA - JUNE 25: Singer Tom Petty performs onstage with Mudcrutch at The Fonda Theatre on June 25, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Scott Dudelson/Getty Images)
Tom Petty of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers appears at KAABOO 2017 in San Diego, Calif. Spokeswoman Carla Sacks says Petty died Monday night, Oct. 2, 2017, at UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles after he suffered cardiac arrest.