Tom Petty Origins 1971-1978 Box Set and Unheard Song

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, a comprehensive new box set titled Origins 1971-1978 is set to arrive on November 6th via UMe. The collection explores the foundational chapter of the band’s career before their mainstream breakthrough with 1979’s Damn the Torpedoes.

The release features collaborations with Al Kooper, Leon Russell, Jim Gordon, and Emory Gordy, exploring country, folk, punk, reggae, rock, and soul originals. It will be available in three physical formats: a 5LP box set, a 4CD box set, and an uber deluxe edition, each accompanied by a Blu-ray and DVD.

Unearthing the Vaults

At the center of the collection is No Sleep Til LA, described as a 12-track document tracing Petty’s evolution from Mudcrutch’s earliest recordings to the formation of the Heartbreakers. To tease the drop, the Petty estate has released the previously unreleased 1978 track ‘Parade of Loons,’ accompanied by a video directed by Peter Sluszka and starring Iain Armitage of Young Sheldon.

The box set also features 50th-anniversary editions of the band’s first two albums—Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and You’re Gonna Get It!—newly mixed and remastered from original multi-track tapes by Ryan Ulyate. Eleven tracks feature extended versions, including “American Girl” and “Breakdown.”

Box Set Contents and Live Performances

Along with the studio albums, the package includes Live From the Record Plant 1977, the five-track The Cut Out Bin, and a recording of the band’s 1978 performance on the BBC’s The Old Grey Whistle Test.

Reflecting on the iconic BBC set, former host Bob Harris recalled, “One of the greatest performances we had ever seen by a band at the top of their game. They played music from another planet to a room packed with manic fans, in one of the most iconic venues in the world.”

Vinyl editions will also include an 88-page fanzine featuring liner notes by David Fricke and Bud Scoppa, track-by-track annotations, complete album credits, archival photos, polaroids, and postcards.