In total, the album contains 47 unreleased tracks that came about during Dylan's work with the albums John Wesley Harding and the Nashville skyline, both of which were recorded during his years in Nashville, 1967 to 1969.

Johnny Cash visited Dylan in the studio while working on the Nashville skyline and they recorded a number of duets, of which only Girl from the north country joined the album. Several of the other duets have leaked over the years, but not all and so it is these recordings that will finally be released.