Searching for Heritage explained

Searching for Heritage
Type:live
Artist:the John Butler Trio
Cover:Searchingforheritage.jpg
Released:1996, 2016
Recorded:1996
Genre:Alt, Roots
Label:Independent
Producer:John Butler
Next Title:John Butler
Next Year:1998

Searching for Heritage is an album that John Butler recorded and sold on cassette tapes while he was busking on the streets of Fremantle[1] in 1996.[2] It is a collection of instrumental songs, some of which ("Ocean" and "Valley") were re-recorded on the debut self-titled album John Butler. During this time, Butler was usually playing on his own. Completely self-funded,[3] it sold three and a half thousand copies and enabled Butler to fund his first CD recording.[4]

The tape is highly sought-after by collectors since it was out of print of many years, with some copies only found second-hand at music stores. The tape was never reissued after the initial release.

To celebrate the Searching for Heritage's 20th anniversary in 2016, the album was reissued in a vinyl edition, which sold out in 36 hours, and also in several downloadable 24-bit lossless audio formats.[5]

Track listing

All tracks written and performed by John Butler.

Original Cassette Tape

Side One

  1. River Song
  2. Valley
  3. Desert Snow
  4. Some Place Familiar
  5. Newd
  6. Chicken

Side Two

  1. River Song (Busk version)
  2. Desert Snow (8 Track)
  3. Valley (DAT)
  4. Long Trek
  5. Ocean

2016 Vinyl Reissue

Side One
  1. River Song
  2. Valley
  3. Desert Snow
  4. Some Place Familiar
  5. Newd
  6. Chicken
Side Two
  1. River Song (busk version)
  2. Desert Snow (8 track)
  3. Valley (dat)
  4. Long Trek
  5. Ocean

2016 Digital Reissue

  1. River Song
  2. Valley
  3. Desert Snow
  4. Some Place Familiar
  5. Newd
  6. River Song (busk version)
  7. Desert Snow (8 track)
  8. Valley (dat)
  9. Long Trek

Notes and References

  1. Web site: John Butler. ABC TV (Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC)). Enough Rope. Denton. Andrew. transcript. 7 August 2006. 17 February 2011.
  2. Web site: John Butler - Discography. https://web.archive.org/web/20030903102451/http://hem.passagen.se/honga/database/b/butlerjohn.html. dead. 3 September 2003. Australian Rock Database. Holmgren. Magnus. 23 November 2011.
  3. Web site: Composer Profile: John Butler: Writing from His Roots. Krueger. Debra. Debbie Kruger. APRAP. Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). December 2001. 21 February 2011.
  4. Spencer et al, (2007) John Butler Trio entry. Retrieved 23 November 2011
  5. Web site: Searching For Heritage (24-bit Lossless Download). MusicPlug.com.au. en. 2018-07-18.