Jimmy Webb Marks 80th Birthday With Career Retrospective ‘Found Songs’: ‘I’m Always 18 on the Inside’

14 Aug at 13:30 Comment Views: 0

Songwriter Jimmy Webb — Jimmy Webb. *Photo: Kitty Williams / Shore Fire Media*

When a composer possesses a catalog as vast, influential, and enduring as Jimmy Webb’s, a lifetime of creativity inevitably leaves behind a treasure trove of overlooked masterworks tucked away in the archives.

Marking his milestone 80th birthday on August 15, the revered tunesmith—the third-youngest inductee in the history of the Songwriters Hall of Fame—has announced an archival yet fresh studio venture: Yours For the Taking: The Found Songs of Jimmy Webb, arriving October 23 via Sun Records. Listeners received an early preview on August 14 with the release of the original vintage demo for “Winter Clothes,” a piece originally tailored for Frank Sinatra.

“Essentially, this collection gathers unrecorded, overlooked, or unfinished pieces that my wife [executive producer Laura Savini Webb] and the younger generation around me urged me to revisit,” Webb explained. The legendary auteur behind perennial Billboard Hot 100 classics like “Wichita Lineman,” “MacArthur Park,” “Galveston,” and “Up, Up and Away” shared that his family rekindled his belief in these dormant works. “The core essence of this project is artistic rejuvenation—reclaiming that youthful spark rather than abandoning these compositions to gather dust. Turning 80 doesn’t diminish that creative drive. Chronologically I may be 80, but musically and spiritually, I’m perpetually 18.”

Reviving Classic Collaborations and Missed Encounters

The three-time Grammy Award winner noted that “Winter Clothes,” which appears on the project both as a raw vintage demo and a pristine contemporary duet featuring Graham Nash, traces back to the early 1970s. “Mr. Sinatra expressed interest in cutting it, but felt it needed further refinement,” Webb reflected. “When someone of his stature offers creative counsel, you take note. While I never ended up submitting a revised version back to him, the tune stayed with me. This retrospective felt like the ideal moment to give it new life.”

Produced by Webb’s perennial studio collaborator Fred Mollin across Nashville, Los Angeles, and New York, the 13-song anthology captures a fascinating mosaic of creative history. “If I Ever Get to Talk to You Again”—showcased both in archival form and as a modern cut alongside Beth Nielsen Chapman—was inspired by witnessing a Joni Mitchell performance at West Hollywood’s Troubadour. Other tracks, like “Almost Alright Again” and “Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea,” circulated Nashville publishing houses, while the title cut was originally presented to Linda Ronstadt during sessions for Webb’s 1993 LP Suspending Disbelief.

Yours For the Taking Album Cover — Artwork for *Yours For the Taking: The Found Songs of Jimmy Webb*. *Courtesy of Shore Fire Media*

Webb similarly pitched “Farther Than Eyes Can See” to Barbra Streisand across several decades. “I presented that composition to her four distinct times over a 20-year span, constantly rearranging it in different sonic garments hoping she’d bite,” he recalled with a laugh. “She never took it, but I’ve always believed in its strength.”

A Fellowship of Legendary Voices and Upcoming Shows

Alongside contributions from Nash and Chapman, the record boasts guest appearances from a cadre of esteemed musical peers, including Michael McDonald (“Farther Than Eyes Can See”), Marc Cohn (“The Man in the Moon”), Amy Grant (“As Long as Life Goes On”), and Del Amitri’s Justin Currie (“Yours For the Taking”). The country-laced “I Miss the Mistakes”—initially intended for Dolly Parton—evolved into a multigenerational affair featuring Webb’s son Cornelius Webb and Glen Campbell’s son Cal Campbell contributing musicianship, vocals, and co-production.

Webb will support the album on stage this autumn with headlining performances across the East Coast, including dates in New York City (Nov. 1), Boston (Nov. 7), and Roslyn, New York (Nov. 21). An official 80th birthday gala concert is slated for February 4 at the Palm Springs Cultural Center in California.

“People frequently ask why I continue to tour and record,” Webb shared. “The reality is pure passion. Delivering my own songs to an audience remains deeply fulfilling. It’s an honor that listeners still turn up, and my goal remains simple: to celebrate life, melody, and longevity together.”