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Hard Promises

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For the film, see Hard Promises (1992 film).
Untitled
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Blender[2]
Chicago Tribune[3]
Robert ChristgauB[4]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music[5]
The Essential Rock Discography6/10[6]
MusicHound5/5[7]
Music Story[8]
Rolling Stone(favorable)[9]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[10]

Hard Promises is the fourth album by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers released on May 5, 1981 on Backstreet Records.

History

Its original working title was Benmont's Revenge, referring to the band's keyboard player, Benmont Tench.[11] The album features guest vocals from Stevie Nicks of Fleetwood Mac on the duet "Insider". The Heartbreakers also recorded the hit "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around" for Nicks' album Bella Donna around the time Hard Promises was recorded.

This was the second Tom Petty album on the Backstreet Records label. 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, following Steely Dan's Gaucho and the Olivia Newton-John/Electric Light Orchestra Xanadu soundtrack. This so-called "superstar pricing" was $1.00 more than the usual list price of $8.98.[12] Petty voiced his objections to the price hike in the press and held the master tapes of the completed album in his possession. 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.[13]

The album's title comes from a line in the chorus of "Insider".

Hard Promises was the last album to feature bassist Ron Blair until The Last DJ. He was replaced by Howie Epstein, who continued to play with the band until his termination in 2002 (Epstein died of a heroin overdose the following year).

John Lennon tribute

Album etch tribute to John Lennon

During the recording of the album, John Lennon was scheduled to be in the same studio at the same time. Petty was looking forward to meeting him when he came in. The meeting never occurred, as Lennon was murdered before making it into the studio. Petty and the band paid tribute to the slain former Beatle by etching "WE LOVE YOU J.L." in the runout deadwax on early U.S. and Canadian pressings of Hard Promises.[14][15]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Tom Petty, except where noted

Side one
No.TitleLength
1."The Waiting"3:58
2."A Woman in Love (It's Not Me)" (Petty, Mike Campbell)4:22
3."Nightwatchman" (Petty, Campbell)3:59
4."Something Big"4:44
5."Kings Road"3:27
Side two
No.TitleLength
6."Letting You Go"3:24
7."A Thing About You"3:33
8."Insider"4:23
9."The Criminal Kind"4:00
10."You Can Still Change Your Mind" (Petty, Campbell)4:15
Total length:39:33

Personnel

The Heartbreakers

  • Tom Petty – lead vocals, 12 & 6 string guitar electric & acoustic guitars, bass guitar & electric piano on "Something Big"
  • Mike Campbell – 12 & 6 string guitar electric guitars, auto-harp, accordion, harmonium, bass guitar
  • Benmont Tench – organ, piano, background vocals
  • Ron Blair – bass guitar
  • Stan Lynch – drums, background vocals

Additional musicians

  • Phil Jones – percussion on all tracks
  • Donald "Duck" Dunn – bass guitar on "A Woman in Love"
  • Alan "Bugs" Weidel – piano on "Nightwatchman"
  • Stevie Nicks – harmony vocal on "Insider", background vocal on "You Can Still Change Your Mind"
  • Lori Nicks - background vocal on "Insider"
  • Sharon Celani – background vocal on "You Can Still Change Your Mind"

Charts

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[23] Platinum 100,000^
United States (RIAA)[24] Platinum 1,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ^ AllMusic review
  2. ^ "Tom Petty: Hard Promises". Blender. Archived from the original on June 15, 2008. Retrieved November 5, 2017. {{cite magazine}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  3. ^ Kot, Greg (1991-09-01). "Through The Years With Tom Petty". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2014-04-04. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  4. ^ Robert Christgau review
  5. ^ Larkin, Colin (ed.) (2011). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th edn). London: Omnibus Press. p. 2005. ISBN 978-0-85712-595-8. {{cite book}}: |first= has generic name (help)
  6. ^ Strong, Martin C. (2006). The Essential Rock Discography. Edinburgh, UK: Canongate. p. 816. ISBN 978-1-84195-827-9.
  7. ^ Graff, Gary; Durchholz, Daniel (eds) (1999). MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Farmington Hills, MI: Visible Ink Press. p. 870. ISBN 1-57859-061-2. {{cite book}}: |first2= has generic name (help)
  8. ^ "Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers Hard Promises". Acclaimed Music. Retrieved November 4, 2017.
  9. ^ Rolling Stone review
  10. ^ Rolling Stone Album Guide
  11. ^ Goldstein, Patrick. "Pop Eye" Los Angeles Times Sept. 21, 1980: T80.
  12. ^ Goldstein, Patrick. "Petty Battling MCA Over Record Price Hike" Los Angeles Times February 1, 1981: N72.
  13. ^ Marsh, Dave. "Tom Petty" Musician July 1981: 43.
  14. ^ Conversations with Tom Petty by Paul Zollo
  15. ^ http://www.discogs.com/Tom-Petty-And-The-Heartbreakers-Hard-Promises/master/74338?sort=country&sort_order=
  16. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970-1992. St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  17. ^ "Top Albums/CDs - Volume 35, No. 4" (PHP). RPM. 1981-07-04. Retrieved 2014-05-01.
  18. ^ "charts.org.nz — Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers - Hard Promises". Recording Industry Association of New Zealand. Retrieved 2014-05-01.
  19. ^ "swedishcharts.com Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers - Hard Promises" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved 2014-05-01.
  20. ^ "Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers: Artist: Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved 2014-04-08. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  21. ^ "Allmusic: Hard Promises : Charts & Awards : Billboard Albums". allmusic.com. Retrieved 2014-03-01.
  22. ^ "RPM Top 100 Albums of 1981". RPM. 1981-12-26. Retrieved 2014-05-01. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  23. ^ "Canadian album certifications – Tom Petty – Hard Promises". Music Canada.
  24. ^ "American album certifications – Tom Petty – Hard Promises". Recording Industry Association of America.
Preceded by New Zealand Chart number-one album
June 28, 1981 – July 5, 1981 		Succeeded by
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