3 Iconic Guitar Moments by Mike Campbell

Mike Campbell recently announced his memoir Heartbreaker is due out March 18.

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Under the threat of being drafted and sent to Vietnam, the young guitarist enrolled at the University of Florida. Then he met a 20-year-old songwriter named Tom Petty. From Gainesville to Los Angeles, Petty and Campbell would go on to change rock history.

Said Campbell in a statement, “It’s the story of a poor kid from Jacksonville, Florida, who realized a dream through music. It’s a long journey through hard work, dedication, and luck. Playing guitar and writing songs has been my inspiration and purpose. It’s a story of hope, redemption, and gratitude, a testimonial that dreams can come true if you believe in yourself and follow your truth. It took two years to write and it’s a labor of love. I hope you enjoy the ride!”

Distilling Campbell’s extraordinary playing into only a few tracks is impossible. Any number of Petty songs could have made this list: “Breakdown,” “Refugee,” or “Runnin’ Down a Dream.” Or Don Henley’s “The Boys of Summer,” in which one of the greatest guitarists on the planet wrote a hit on a drum machine.

This list attempts to point you toward a few iconic guitar moments from Campbell you might have missed.

“One More Day, One More Night” from Echo (1999)

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers end their 10th studio album with a tear-jerking ballad. Campbell punctuates Petty’s despair with layers of lonesome chords and Bakersfield country licks. The solo break is the sound of a guitar gently weeping. Arguably rock and roll’s greatest sidekick, Campbell finishes the song with cascading guitars, simulating the mounting sorrows that accumulate over one’s life.

“It’s Good To Be King” from Wildflowers (1994)

This track is positively stunning. Though it’s a Petty “solo” album, the Heartbreakers—minus drummer Stan Lynch—backed the singer on Wildflowers. Steve Ferrone, who became a Heartbreaker, replaced Lynch. The track builds upon Michael Kamen’s orchestration, which breaks for Campbell’s stirring solo. Indeed, Petty is the king of hooks, and the Heartbreakers create the song’s triumphant moment following each chorus. Campbell learned the art of saying a lot with very few notes. When he sustains string bends, you can feel the heat from the glowing tubes in his amplifier, cranked.

“I Should Have Known It” from Mojo (2010)

So Campbell is famous for minimalism. But on this jam, Campbell trades his usual jangly single-coil pickups for the thick sound of a Gibson. He tunes the guitar down and channels Jimmy Page and all the black “magick” he can muster. The riff is mean and only Campbell knows if he had to sell his soul to play like this. Suddenly, the track shifts into another dimension where Campbell is let loose to shred as the Heartbreakers bash away behind him. It’s also one of Petty’s best late-career vocal performances. This nasty little number may be the peak grievance anthem from a songwriter who’s spent his career writing songs with a chip on his shoulder.

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Photo by Allen Berezovsky/WireImage