![]() ![]() The b-side of ‘Rebels’ was the title track of Southern Accents – it adds some strings, but it feels natural and heartfelt. He broke a hand punching the wall in frustration during the recording of ‘Rebels’. And the next thing we know, it’s the single.” Deep cut ‘Deliver Me’ would have made a much better lead single, a punchy rocker with a strong riff – instead it stands as one of Petty’s best deep cuts.Īfter five albums of southern-tinged rock and roll with The Heartbreakers, Petty strove to break free from the band’s formula with Southern Accents. Petty later said that “ was almost a throwaway. ‘Draggin” was Nicks’ first solo single, reaching #3 on the charts.ġ982’s Long After Dark featured the lead single ‘You Got Lucky’, a smug synth-pop song that’s a misfire from the usually reliable Petty. That something else was ‘Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around’ – a bluesy rocker written by Petty and Campbell. So I said, “Stevie, I can’t give you this.” And she said, “Well, I can relate to that. And it really hurt me when I did the track and the vocals. But, as he told American Songwriter, “I was really attached to it. She also implored him to write a song for her – Petty came up with the gentle ‘Insider’. When she asked him to produce her first solo album, he instead recommended Jimmy Iovine. It makes sense – it’s fast-paced, and like some of Petty’s material from his early period there’s more than a hint of power-pop. According to setlist.fm, the album track ‘Shadow of a Doubt (A Complex Kid)’ often served as the opener on the Damn the Torpedoes tour. It’s just us jamming together.” Tom Petty, ĭamn the Torpedoes was Petty’s commercial breakthrough – signed to MCA Records and produced by Jimmy Iovine, he sounded bigger and bolder than before on hits like ‘Refugee’ and ‘Even the Losers’. You hear all these weird stops and little licks. And I made up on the spot, and we cut it with me playing the organ and Stan playing the drums.” He goes on to note that “it’s very improvised, especially the ending. … But there was a Hammond organ and some drums. “‘Hey,’” Tom Petty remembers Shark saying to him, “‘why don’t you guys fly down and we’ll cut a track before we take the gear out? Because no one’s around and we can do it for free.’ So Stan and I, just on a lark, flew to Tulsa. The result was ‘Luna’, an odd track in the band’s catalogue, built out of a studio jam between Lynch on drums and Petty on Hammond organ. They invited their new signing Tom Petty to take advantage of free studio time. But the engineers sent to retrieve the equipment from the Oklahoma studio had a great idea. When Russell and Cordell fell out, they closed down their Tulsa studio. Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers were originally signed to Shelter Records, run by Leon Russell and producer Denny Cordell. Contrary to the usual tradition on this site, these ten songs are presented chronologically. ![]() Taken together, they present an alternate history of Petty’s evolution, a talented and likeable songwriter. Some of these tracks are relatively well-known, popping up on compilations or racking up respectable streaming numbers, but none of them was released as a single in the US. ![]() When I reviewed Petty’s catalogue a few years ago I kept a note of my favourite deep cuts. Ably supported by ace musicians like guitarist Mike Campbell, keyboardist Benmont Tench, and bassist/backing vocalist Howie Epstein, his songs were always beautifully presented. Petty had so many enjoyable hits through the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s that my list of favourite Tom Petty songs is largely predictable. The late Tom Petty was a great singles artist – tracks like ‘The Waiting’, ‘Refugee’, and ‘Free Fallin” sound terrific blasting from cars and on classic rock radio. ![]()
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