Tom Petty’s previously unreleased song “For Real” has been released as part of the campaign to promote The Best of Everything, an upcoming compilation of the late rocker’s career-defining songs. Unlike some other Petty’s works that have surfaced recently, this song didn’t appear on bootlegs and was previously unheard.
According to The Rolling Stone, “For Real” was recorded in August of 2000 at Bill Bottrell’s music studio in Mendocino, California. The song was done as part of the session in which Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers recorded a new version of 1979’s “Surrender.” Hear it below.
The Best of Everything will be the second Tom Petty posthumous release after An American Treasure from 2018. The previous collection was focused more on the previously unreleased and lesser-known tracks, while the new one will lean more towards hits and more popular tunes. It will contain 38 tracks and is scheduled for release on March 1st.
“Rather than chronological order, the special cross-label collection was sequenced as a hard-hitting playlist giving the entire catalog equal prominence,” said Geffen Records/UMe in a press release while adding that The Best of Everything will contain “songs from his solo projects, songs with world-class musicians the Heartbreakers, as well as essentials from the reformed Mudcrutch.”
Besides these collections, there are numerous other Tom Petty-related projects in works including the musician’s 1997 live performance at the Fillmore West and Wildflowers box set.
