THE ARCHIVE

Wildflowers

'The fans are the ones that you do it for. If you weren't making anything, you'd still want to do it. And you'd still hope that somebody wanted to hear you. You mustn't forget that's really what it's about.' – Tom Petty

Wildflowers presents rare ephemera from the Petty archives—much of it previously unpublished—and brings together, for the first time in one volume, handwritten lyric sheets, setlists, guitar notes, recording track sheets, and studio documentation, many shown in facsimile. This material is complemented by newly commissioned photography of Tom Petty's personal items from the era, including his Gibson Firebird Sunburst, Blonde 'Toru' Telecaster, Martin D-41, and the iconic Gibson SJ-200 Acoustic built for him during the Wildflowers sessions. Wardrobe pieces from the 'You Don't Know How It Feels' music video and his Rolling Stone magazine cover shoot are also featured, along with much more—all photographed at the Clubhouse, the recording studio that served as the creative base for the making of Wildflowers.

Building on this wealth of archival material, Wildflowers also features a rich collection of rare and previously unseen images. Photographer Robert Sebree, who was present throughout the sessions, captures the creative energy of the studio environment. His work is complemented by film stills from Martyn Atkins, taken during his time documenting the making of the album, and by photography from Mark Seliger, who shot Tom Petty for his Rolling Stone cover story that accompanied the album’s release. Together, these images offer an intimate portrait of an artist deeply immersed in the act of creation.

THE AUTHOR

Wildflowers

'I’m so lucky to be doing what I do. If I didn’t get paid to do this, I would still be trying to fit it in around whatever I had to do to get money. I meet a lot of people who wish they were doing this – it’s a hell of a job to have, rock and roll star.' – Tom Petty

Tom Petty (1950-2017) was a Grammy-winning singer-songwriter, producer, and defining voice in American rock and roll. For over five decades, he crafted unforgettable songs as the leader of the Heartbreakers, a solo artist, and a founding member of the Traveling Wilburys.

His acclaimed album Wildflowers was released in November 1994, featuring 15 songs that marked a deeply personal and creative high point in his career. Originally conceived as a double album, Petty had written and recorded 25 songs, with the unreleased tracks becoming a subject of fascination among fans. These songs were finally unveiled in the 2020 release Wildflowers & All the Rest, and the album's creation was further celebrated in the 2021 documentary Somewhere You Feel Free, which presented rare, behind-the-scenes footage and interviews with Petty. Now, the story of Wildflowers is being documented for the first time in print as an official signed limited edition book, entitled Wildflowers—to be published in the year of Tom Petty's 75th birthday.

With more than 80 million records sold and a place in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Tom Petty's legacy lives on through the albums, lyrics, and melodies that continue to resonate with fans around the world.

THE COLLECTOR COPIES

Wildflowers

'The thing that Tom and I had – and I really miss this about him – was whatever record we were making, whoever the producer was, we would show up and go for greatness.' – Mike Campbell

Wildflowers is published in a limited edition of only 1,500 numbered copies worldwide, each hand signed by Mike Campbell and Benmont Tench.

Numbered 351 to 1,500, the Collector copies are quarter-bound in red vegan leather, featuring a debossed Wildflowers emblem and spine lettering. The cover is screen-printed with a photograph of Tom Petty taken during the Wildflowers recording sessions, with foil-stamped lettering, and gold page edging. The limited edition is presented in a red clamshell box, die-stamped with the Wildflowers emblem and finished with white and gold foiling. The interior lining is screen-printed with a design based on the grill cloth of Tom Petty's VOX amp.

The edition includes exact replicas of the following items from the Tom Petty archives: a Wildflowers guitar sticker, as featured on Tom Petty's 'Torucaster', three guitar picks, and one satin and one laminate pass from the Dogs With Wings tour.

Two art prints are additionally included: a reproduction of the original Dogs With Wings sketch, and a photographic print of Tom's Martin D41 guitar and jacket, pictured at the Clubhouse. The prints are individually numbered, stamped, and are suitable for framing (size: 203mm x 254mm / 8" x 10").

Collector: 1,150 copies
Page size: 220mm x 280mm / 8 ⅔" x 11"
Signed by: Mike Campbell and Benmont Tench
Binding: Quarter-bound in red vegan leather with gold page edging
Box: Red clamshell, featuring gold foiling and the Wildflowers embossed emblem
Extras: A guitar sticker, three guitar picks, one satin pass, one laminate pass
Prints: Two 8" x 10" photographic prints on archival paper