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Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers’ fifth studio album is getting a deluxe makeover.  On October 18, Geffen/UMe will revisit 1982’s oft-overlooked Long After Dark, originally released on Backstreet Records, in various formats including 1LP, 2LP, and 2CD+Blu-ray.

Petty was joined by Mike Campbell (lead guitar), Benmont Tench (keyboards), Stan Lynch (drums), and new recruit Howie Epstein (bass/backing vocals) as well as co-producer Jimmy Iovine for Long After Dark.  The third and final of Petty’s three LPs on MCA imprint Backstreet, it followed 1979’s landmark Damn the Torpedoes and 1981’s Hard Promises, the final album to feature the original Heartbreakers lineup.  Bolstered by “You Got Lucky” (No. 20 on the Billboard Hot 100, No. 1 on the Top Tracks chart, and an early MTV favorite) as well as the single “Change of Heart” (No. 21, Hot 100) – the third single “Straight into Darkness” failed to chart – Long After Dark was assessed by Petty in an interview with Paul Zollo, shared in the press release for this reissue.  He called it “a good little rock and roll record” but also “a tough record because I never knew if we were making the right decisions about songs.”  The non-LP B-side of “Change of Heart,” “Heartbreakers Beach Party,” didn’t appear on CD until the box set Playback.

In addition to a remastered version of the original album sourced from master tapes, the expanded Long After Dark features a dozen bonus tracks, including songs that were discarded as Petty struggled to hit upon the right direction for the album.  Among these is his version of “Never Be You,” a 1985 Country chart-topper for Rosanne Cash; the pop-flavored “Don’t Make Me Walk the Line;” and an uptempo treatment of Petty and Campbell’s “Ways to Be Wicked,” covered by Lone Justice on the band’s 1985 debut LP.  An extended version of “Heartbreakers Beach Party” has also been discovered, as well as a number of tracks originally recorded by the band for French television.  The bonus tracks have been mixed by Petty’s longtime associate Ryan Ulyate.  The Blu-ray Disc in the 2CD/1BD package contains high-resolution stereo and new Dolby Atmos mixes of the original album and bonus tracks, also mixed by Ulyate.

The Deluxe Edition of Long After Dark has been designed by Jeri Heiden, with liner notes by rock journalist and Tom Petty Radio host David Fricke, commentary from Jimmy Iovine and Cameron Crowe; and rare archival photographs by Dennis Callahan, Neal Preston, and Aaron Rapoport.  In addition to the 3-disc (2CD/1BD) set and black vinyl versions of the 1LP (remastered album only) and 2LP sets, vinyl variants include a 2LP pressing on 180-gram red-with-black-splatter vinyl (with a numbered, foil tip-on jacket) exclusive to TomPetty.com and a 1LP 180-gram turquoise pressing with a double-sided lithograph of Blaze Brooks’ illustrations, exclusive to indie record stores.

The Petty Legacy archives have been opened to share newly remastered video and audio from 1982-1983 to coincide with this release.  The French TV performance of “Straight Into Darkness,” directed by Alan Bibby, is streaming now.  The video (which aired on French television) captures the band performing at The Record Plant.

Look for Long After Dark: Deluxe Edition on October 18 from Geffen/UMe.  You’ll find pre-order links and the track listing below.  As an Amazon affiliate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

Long After Dark (Deluxe Edition) (Geffen/UMe, 2024)

2CD/Blu-ray Audio: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
2CD/Blu-ray Audio (with Amazon-exclusive stickers): Amazon U.S.
2LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Tom Petty Store (Exclusive)
1LP: Links TBD

CD/LP 1: Original album (originally released as Backstreet BSR-5360, 1982)

1. A One Story Town
2. You Got Lucky
3. Deliver Me
4. Change of Heart
5. Finding Out
6. We Stand a Chance
7. Straight Into Darkness
8. The Same Old You
9. Between Two Worlds
10. A Wasted Life

CD/LP 2: Rediscovered Tracks

1. Stories We Could Tell (French TV)
2. Never Be You
3. Turning Point (Original Drums Version)
4. Don’t Make Me Walk the Line
5. I’m Finding Out (French TV)
6. Heartbreakers Beach Party (Extended Version)
7. Keeping Me Alive (French TV)
8. Straight Into Darkness (French TV)
9. Ways to Be Wicked (Denver Sessions)
10. Between Two Worlds (French TV)
11. One on One
12. Wild Thing

Blu-ray Audio: Atmos Mix of original album and all audio in hi-res stereo