Last Tuesday Was a Year Since We Lost Tom Petty
October 2 was a very sad day for America. First, the nation's biggest shooting on record at the Route 91 Country Fest in Vegas in which 58 people were killed. Second, and more related to rock, October 2 was the day that Tom Petty died at age 66 the result of cardiac arrest. As such, this blog post will be dedicated to him.
He was born Thomas Early Petty on October 20, 1950 in Gainsville, Fla. Petty's first group was called Mudcrutch and consisted of future Heartbreakers Mike Campbell (lead guitar) and Benmont Tench (keyboards). The group continued until 1975 when the threesome relocated to L.A.
It was here that Tom Petty founded the Heartbreakers and added Stanley Lynch (drums) and Ron Blair (bass guitar). The quintet's self-title debut album came out the following year with its lead single, Breakdown. The single was most successful in the UK but did not get much rotation in the US instead American radio opted to play Anything That's Rock'n'Roll. The other single from their debut album was American Girl. Petty often closed his concerts with that one, but in my opinion,that makes a good opener! Petty's good friend, Phil Seymour, sang backing vocals on both singles.
In 1978 the band released You're Gonna Get It, and established themselve as one of the pioneers of the so-called Heartland Rock scene (made popular by the likes of Bruce Springsteen and John Mellancamp). The record featured two more hits, Listen to Her Heart and I Need to Know while the title cut also got heavy rotation.
The Heartbreakers' third record was the 1979 record Damn The Torpedoes. It would be their last one for ABC records (which shortly thereafter would be brought out by MCA and all its members would have to transfer). This record helped the Heartbreakers come to life featuring hits such as Refugee, Don't do me LIke That, Even the Losers, and Here Comes my Girl.
After the Torpedoes tour ended in 1980, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers began recording their next record, Hard Promises, which hit stores in 1981, featured the hits The Waiting and A Woman in Love (It's Not Me). That very year, Petty collaborated with Stevie Nicks of Fleetwood Mac fame, on her hit Stop Draggin' my Heart Around which was released on her solo debut Belladonna.
During the recording of the 1982 record, Long After Dark, Ron Blair left the Heartbreakers and was succeeded by Howie Epstein. This would be the Heartbreakers' lineup for the rest of the decade. Long After Dark generated the hit You Got Lucky, and honestly that synthesizer almost makes me think of my alarm going off :)
Frustration ensued during recording of the next record, Southern Accents released in 1985. The record generated the hits Rebels and Don't Come Around Here no More. That year the Heartbreakers went on tour again where in the Los Angeles Wilson Theatre, they recorded the live album Pack up The Plantation (1986).
The band's 1987 record Let me Up I've Had Enough was not well received and featured the hit Jammin' Me. The same year, Petty hooked up with George Harrison, Electric LIght Orchestra's Jeff Lyne, and Roy Orbison to form the Traveling Wilburys. They had hits like Handle with Care and End of The Line.
That same year, on the morning of May 17, 1987, an arsonist set fire to Tom Petty's Encino area house. The house was totally destroyed and LAFD only managed to save the basement. Petty took his household on tour and later built another house with fireproof material. It was likely this event that prompted Petty to write his signature solo hit I Won't Back Down.
Petty's 1989 solo debut, Full Moon Fever features contributions from several Heartbreakers as well as Jeff Lyne of ELO fame. The other two singles from the record were Runnin' Down a Dream and Free Fallin', one of his most memorable songs.
The Heartbreakers reunited in 1990 for their next record this time expanding to a sextet with guitarist/multi instrumentalist Scott Thurston joining the party. In this line-up the band recorded their 1991 album Into The Great Wide Open which featured hits Learning to Fly (NOT a cover of the Pink Floyd song), as well s the title track.
In 1993 Tom Petty released a Greatest Hits package. It featured sixteen songs (including his first three solo singles) as well as two new songs. Mary Jane's Last Dance was a song Petty originally wrote in 1989 calling it Indiana Girl and a cover of the Thundercap Newman 1969 hit Something in The Air. Petty's second studio album Wildflowers (1994) featured the hits You Wreck Me and You Don't Know How it Feels.
The Heartbreakers remained rather active throughout the 1990s and 2000s. In 1996 they recorded Music From She's The One for the movie of the same name and released an album, Playback in 1999.
Tom Petty released his third solo album in 2002. In 2003, Howie Epstein died and Ron Blair was called back to replace him. The Heartbreakers retained that lineup for the remainder of their career.
Their last concert was on September 25, 2017 at the Hollywood Bowl.
As for the future? Mike Campbell has been chosen as one of the guitarists to replace Fleetwood Mac's Lindsay Buckingham (the other being Neil Finn of Crowded House fame). A current internet search suggests that the four remaining members had split the band.
He was born Thomas Early Petty on October 20, 1950 in Gainsville, Fla. Petty's first group was called Mudcrutch and consisted of future Heartbreakers Mike Campbell (lead guitar) and Benmont Tench (keyboards). The group continued until 1975 when the threesome relocated to L.A.
It was here that Tom Petty founded the Heartbreakers and added Stanley Lynch (drums) and Ron Blair (bass guitar). The quintet's self-title debut album came out the following year with its lead single, Breakdown. The single was most successful in the UK but did not get much rotation in the US instead American radio opted to play Anything That's Rock'n'Roll. The other single from their debut album was American Girl. Petty often closed his concerts with that one, but in my opinion,that makes a good opener! Petty's good friend, Phil Seymour, sang backing vocals on both singles.
In 1978 the band released You're Gonna Get It, and established themselve as one of the pioneers of the so-called Heartland Rock scene (made popular by the likes of Bruce Springsteen and John Mellancamp). The record featured two more hits, Listen to Her Heart and I Need to Know while the title cut also got heavy rotation.
The Heartbreakers' third record was the 1979 record Damn The Torpedoes. It would be their last one for ABC records (which shortly thereafter would be brought out by MCA and all its members would have to transfer). This record helped the Heartbreakers come to life featuring hits such as Refugee, Don't do me LIke That, Even the Losers, and Here Comes my Girl.
After the Torpedoes tour ended in 1980, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers began recording their next record, Hard Promises, which hit stores in 1981, featured the hits The Waiting and A Woman in Love (It's Not Me). That very year, Petty collaborated with Stevie Nicks of Fleetwood Mac fame, on her hit Stop Draggin' my Heart Around which was released on her solo debut Belladonna.
During the recording of the 1982 record, Long After Dark, Ron Blair left the Heartbreakers and was succeeded by Howie Epstein. This would be the Heartbreakers' lineup for the rest of the decade. Long After Dark generated the hit You Got Lucky, and honestly that synthesizer almost makes me think of my alarm going off :)
Frustration ensued during recording of the next record, Southern Accents released in 1985. The record generated the hits Rebels and Don't Come Around Here no More. That year the Heartbreakers went on tour again where in the Los Angeles Wilson Theatre, they recorded the live album Pack up The Plantation (1986).
The band's 1987 record Let me Up I've Had Enough was not well received and featured the hit Jammin' Me. The same year, Petty hooked up with George Harrison, Electric LIght Orchestra's Jeff Lyne, and Roy Orbison to form the Traveling Wilburys. They had hits like Handle with Care and End of The Line.
That same year, on the morning of May 17, 1987, an arsonist set fire to Tom Petty's Encino area house. The house was totally destroyed and LAFD only managed to save the basement. Petty took his household on tour and later built another house with fireproof material. It was likely this event that prompted Petty to write his signature solo hit I Won't Back Down.
Petty's 1989 solo debut, Full Moon Fever features contributions from several Heartbreakers as well as Jeff Lyne of ELO fame. The other two singles from the record were Runnin' Down a Dream and Free Fallin', one of his most memorable songs.
The Heartbreakers reunited in 1990 for their next record this time expanding to a sextet with guitarist/multi instrumentalist Scott Thurston joining the party. In this line-up the band recorded their 1991 album Into The Great Wide Open which featured hits Learning to Fly (NOT a cover of the Pink Floyd song), as well s the title track.
In 1993 Tom Petty released a Greatest Hits package. It featured sixteen songs (including his first three solo singles) as well as two new songs. Mary Jane's Last Dance was a song Petty originally wrote in 1989 calling it Indiana Girl and a cover of the Thundercap Newman 1969 hit Something in The Air. Petty's second studio album Wildflowers (1994) featured the hits You Wreck Me and You Don't Know How it Feels.
The Heartbreakers remained rather active throughout the 1990s and 2000s. In 1996 they recorded Music From She's The One for the movie of the same name and released an album, Playback in 1999.
Tom Petty released his third solo album in 2002. In 2003, Howie Epstein died and Ron Blair was called back to replace him. The Heartbreakers retained that lineup for the remainder of their career.
Their last concert was on September 25, 2017 at the Hollywood Bowl.
As for the future? Mike Campbell has been chosen as one of the guitarists to replace Fleetwood Mac's Lindsay Buckingham (the other being Neil Finn of Crowded House fame). A current internet search suggests that the four remaining members had split the band.
Comments
Post a Comment