WATCH: Lyle Lovett, “Teach Me About Love” (From ‘Austin City Limits,’ 1997)

Artist: Lyle Lovett
Hometown: Klein, Texas
Song: “Teach Me About Love”
Album: Mighty Fine: An Austin City Limits Tribute to Walter Hyatt
Release Date: October 1, 2021
Label: Omnivore Recordings

Editor’s Note: This Lyle Lovett performance of Walter Hyatt’s “Teach Me About Love” was filmed in 1997 for Austin City Limits as part of a tribute to Hyatt, who was killed in a 1996 plane crash. Cut from the episode due to time constraints, the performance has been unseen until now, coinciding with the release of the full concert on CD and digital, titled Mighty Fine: An Austin City Limits Tribute to Walter Hyatt. Four unheard Hyatt recordings also appear on the album.

In Their Words: “Walter Hyatt is one of the most creative souls to come out of the Austin music scene in the past two decades. Although raised in Spartanburg, S.C., and spent his last years in Nashville, he represented the spirit of Austin. An artist of personal vision, original style and artistic integrity. During the late ‘70s and ‘80s, Uncle Walt’s Band developed a strong loyal following in Austin thanks to their expressive blend of music styles, songs that were street smart, energetic, honest, and inspirational to a lot of younger singer-songwriters like me. Walter Hyatt explored many styles – New Orleans jazz, country honky-tonk, with a bit of Elvis and course Bob Wills. His dry sense of humor made him very special in the eyes of fans and critics. His death was a personal loss for those of us who knew him, and for anyone who ever heard his music. This program is a celebration of extraordinary music by an extraordinary man with a gift for reaching hearts and minds of so many people.” — Lyle Lovett

LISTEN: Uncle Walt’s Band, “Your Father’s Frown”

Artist: Uncle Walt’s Band
Hometowns: Spartanburg/Austin/Nashville
Song: “Your Father’s Frown”
Album: Uncle Walt’s Band
Release Date: March 29, 2019
Label: Omnivore

In Their Words: “This Walter Hyatt tune shows the band’s folk roots with its acoustic picking and three-part harmony. This song was one of the first ever recorded by the band on their original 1970 demo recordings.” — Mark Michel, executive reissue producer

“A real favorite that we played live for a while. I remember us talking about this song and the line ‘the moon comes up in the west.’ He (Walter Hyatt) used words to capture the feeling, which he did very well in his songs. Great lyrics as always.” — David Ball


Photo courtesy of Omnivore Records