Tag: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

TP and Rock ‘n Grohl

~ Robin Bannks

November 19, 1994 ~ The Heartbreakers fire Stan Lynch in October but had been booked for SNL. Petty calls Grohl who jumps at the offer …

It was the first time I looked forward to playing the drums since Nirvana …

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“Everybody’s had to fight to be free … “

~ Robin Bannks

October 19, 1979 ~ Following a vicious legal battle with MCA Records, the third Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers album, Damn The Torpedoes, is released on the label’s new subsidiary, Backstreet Records.

damn the torpedoes

After releasing two albums, the band’s label, Shelter Records, was sold to MCA. Petty refused to go along, leading to a spate of lawsuits that played out while the band was recording the album. After Petty declared bankruptcy, he and the label came to an agreement where the band recorded for Backstreet, which would be dedicated to Petty.

Produced by Jimmy Iovine, it’s a breakthrough album, selling over 3 million copies in America and reaching #2 on the Albums chart.

Tom Petty: 50 Greatest Songs – Rolling Stone

~ Robin Bannks

I prefer to celebrate birthdays rather than “death days.”  But this one — unlike others — hurt for a long time. Days went by and the funk was real. It’s been two years and it still lingers a little. Especially on October 2.

We count down Tom Petty’s 50 greatest songs, from his Seventies classics to his Nineties hits.

Source: Tom Petty: 50 Greatest Songs – Rolling Stone

Hard Promises

~ Robin Bannks

Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers release #4 on May 5, 1981. The album cover pic with TP in a record store is sweet because of his fight for keeping record prices accessible for fans.

The album’s release was delayed while Petty and his distributor MCA Records argued about the list price. The album was slated to be the next MCA release with the new list price of $9.98. The so-called “superstar pricing” was $1.00 more than the usual list price of $8.98 and it pissed TP off to the point where it hurt not only his pocketbook but the rest of the band’s, too. Petty voiced his objections to the price hike in the press, the band stood behind him and the issue became a popular cause among music fans. Non-delivery of the album or naming it Eight Ninety-Eight were considered, but eventually MCA decided against the price increase.

The album also was the reason I got back into the radio business. At least for while longer.

Previously unreleased Tom Petty song “For Real” surfaces on greatest hits collection: Stream

~ Robin Bannks

Last fall brought Tom Petty fans An American Treasure , an extensive posthumous box set featuring songs culled from the rock icon’s extensive catalog. Next month, the late legend will be further celebrated with The Best of Everything , a new greatest hits collection.

Source: Previously unreleased Tom Petty song “For Real” surfaces on greatest hits collection: Stream