Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers guitarist Mike Campbell is preparing to release the third album by his current group, The Dirty Knobs, Vagabonds, Virgins & Misfits, this Friday, June 14.
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The new record features guest appearances by Graham Nash, Chris Stapleton, and Lucinda Williams, and Campbell revealed in a new interview with Ultimate Classic Rock that another well-known artist made an important, albeit indirect, contribution to the project.
[Buy Mike Campbell and The Dirty Knobs Concert Tickets]
The Ultimate Classic Rock interviewer pointed out that in the Vagabonds, Virgins & Misfits credits, Campbell thanked Stevie Nicks for the “cool dulcimer,” then noted that the album’s cover features a photo of him holding a dulcimer.
“Yeah, I hope she sees the cover, ’cause I think she will appreciate it,” Campbell said. He then told a story about how Nicks had given him the instrument as a gift.
“When I was doing the [Fleetwood] Mac project we were at rehearsal one day, and Mick Fleetwood came in with one of those customized dulcimers, just beautiful,” the 74-year-old Rock & Roll Hall of Famer shared. “And I was talking to him about it and saying ‘Oh, this is really a nice instrument.’ I guess [Stevie] overheard the conversation and a week later, I walk in and she says ‘Here, this is for you.’ She went and bought one just like it for me. I was blown away.”
Campbell Used the Dulcimer to Write a New Song
Campbell said he got good out of the dulcimer, writing the song “Innocent Man” from the new album with it. Mike then shared a funny follow-up story that happened a couple weeks after she gave him the dulcimer.
“[Stevie] came up [to me and] said, ‘You probably never even play it, do you?’” Campbell recalled, laughing. “I said ‘I play it all the time!’ You know, that’s so Stevie. So I hope that she sees the cover and knows that I … used it.”
About Campbell’s Collaborative Relationship with Nicks
Campbell, of course, has had a long collaborative relationship with Nicks. He and Petty co-wrote “Stop Dragging My Heart Around,” Tom and Stevie’s hit 1981 duet. Campbell also co-wrote many songs with Nicks for her various solo albums, and played guitar on many tracks.
Then, he was invited to join Fleetwood Mac for the band’s 2018-2019 tour after Lindsey Buckingham was fired from the group.
More About Vagabonds, Virgins & Misfits
Vagabonds, Virgins & Misfits can be pre-ordered now. The song “Dare to Dream,” which features guest vocals by Nash, was released as an advance single from the album.
Campbell and The Dirty Knobs will celebrate the record’s release by making a special in-store appearance at Amoeba Hollywood in Los Angeles on Tuesday, June 18, at 5 p.m. PT.
Mike and the group will play an acoustic mini-set, chat a bit about Vagabonds, Virgins & Misfits, and sign copies of the album.
The performance is free to the public. To attend the signing portion of the event, you must purchase a vinyl copy of the album at the start. LPs will be available starting on June 14.
Campbell and The Dirty Knobs’ 2024 Tour Plans
Campbell and The Dirty Knobs have a series of 15 North American summer tour dates scheduled this year. The trek kicks off June 21 in Skokie, Illinois, and runs through a July 16 concert in Toronto.
Tickets for The Dirty Knobs’ tour dates are available now via various outlets, including StubHub.
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