Tom Petty elevated from critically acclaimed roots rocker to crossover superstar on Damn The Torpedoes. The 1979 album, his third with The Heartbreakers, churned out several hits and cemented him as one of rock’s leading lights.
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The hits from the album are now evergreens. Even the album tracks have achieved exalted status. But what about the little-known stories behind those songs? We’ve got five of them for you.
Campbell’s Impact
Petty generally wrote words and music to his songs. But now and again, Mike Campbell, his ace guitarist, would come to him with the music for a song, allowing Petty to simply write the lyrics. In some cases, Campbell would have a fully fleshed-out demo that Petty wouldn’t need to change much. Other times, he’d give Petty a series of chord changes. On Damn The Torpedoes, “Refugee” and “Here Comes My Girl”, the first two songs on the album and a pair that would become classic rock staples, both featured music by Campbell.
Earl Petty’s Lingo
Tom Petty enjoyed a loving relationship with his mother. When she passed away, Petty paid tribute to her in the most touching way possible. He included lines referencing a dream that he had about her in his incredible song “Southern Accents”. Petty’s relationship with his father, Earl, was a bit more complicated. Nonetheless, Earl also found a way to influence his song’s work. The phrase “Don’t Do Me Like That” was something that Petty’s father used now and again. Tom made it the basis of his breakthrough hit single.
Darn That Washing Machine!
Like many musicians, Mike Campbell often had the tapes running while he was at home noodling and looking for song ideas. As mentioned above, those ideas often turned into Petty classics. One day, those tapes picked up a conversation he was having with his wife. Campbell was complaining about the noise of a washing machine. His wife, Marcie, responded, “It’s just the normal noises in here.” Petty and company thought there was something humorous about the exchange and included Marcie’s line at the beginning of “Even The Losers”.
Lawyers, Songs and Money
It’s quite amazing that Petty was able to produce a classic like Damn The Torpedoes considering what he was encountering in his professional life. He was being sued by his original label as he tried to escape what he thought was an unfair contractual situation. Lawsuits mean lawyers, and Petty spent more time than he would have liked in their presence. Those lawyers were located in Century City, California. Tom decided to make something good out of the situation, writing the song “Century City” for inclusion on the album.
Iovine Digs Deep
Producer Jimmy Iovine made quite an impact on the sound of Damn The Torpedoes. He notoriously put drummer Stan Lynch through the ringer in an effort to get the ideal drum sound. Iovine also played a huge role in song selection. When he agreed to produce the record, he asked Petty to hear every unreleased recording in his vault. That batch included “Don’t Do Me Like That” and “Louisiana Rain”. The latter song, written and first attempted back in Petty’s Mudcrutch days, became the album’s stirring closer.
Photo by Richard McCaffrey/ Michael Ochs Archive/ Getty Images
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