The Tom Petty (and the Heartbreakers) Appreciation Thread

[aimeeandbeatles]

Ok so I asked. General consensus is that its one of the Heartbreakers "significant others." So take it from there.

Took a break from the Archives today. Was so sick the last few days and stuck in the house with nothing better to do than work on them... I was even too sick to sit up for more than about 20 minutes at a time so I couldnt play any games real well.

Been immersing myself in the Wilbury albums the last few hours. Id forgot how hilarious the lyrics are!

I think I found my new favorite version of "The Waiting." if you can find it, it was performed 1983-02-19 on Saturday Night Live and is terribly beautiful. Ive not seen it on YouTube and Im leery of linking to my copy of it unless a mod ok's it.

 

[sophie]

Been immersing myself in the Wilbury albums the last few hours. Id forgot how hilarious the lyrics are!

All two of them?

 

[rugbyLEAGUEfan]

I think you can immerse yourself in just 2 albums . It's not like aimee said " immersed myself in ALL the Wilbury albums "

It's still odd though . I can immerse myself in dark side of them moon . But "it's alright , take it to the end of the line " ??? Well I can hum it

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

All two of them?

Yeah. What I meant ive been listening & picking them apart. But the pickingapart doesnt work cos I end up laughing too hard.

More on the "normal noises" thing: a new source says it was a woman from another band who happened to be in the studio at the same time as the 'breakers.

 

[Whomp]

Thanks for heads up. She sounds like she has a New Yawk accent.

Do you know if they're touring this summer? I plan on forcing bringing Hygro, Downtown and Godwynn to Summerfest with me if they are.

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

Theres a lot of rumors about it but as of yet they're unconfirmed unfortunately.

EDIT: Though you could always load up the Bogdanovich documentary without telling them what it is ahead of time. Its terribly immersive I think although 4 hours is a stretch.

Or maybe just one of the concert videos....

 

[SuperJay]

I plan on forcing bringing Hygro, Downtown and Godwynn to Summerfest with me if they are.

I might actually be in Chicago for the 2nd week of Summerfest this year too, depending on how other concert plans shake out. If I do make it down, I'll keep an eye out for CFC nerds in the crowd

 

[Whomp]

I might actually be in Chicago for the 2nd week of Summerfest this year too, depending on how other concert plans shake out. If I do make it down, I'll keep an eye out for CFC nerds in the crowd

Keep us up to date. I've gone up there going on near 10 years in a row regardless of whether TP is there. Some of my college buddies live in Milwaukee, one is kind of the unofficial mayor of Milwaukee so to speak, and it always gets a little interesting at the bars.

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

Which years of Summerfest were the best? I forgot how many times TP was there though.

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

I was joking to someone about my temporary hearing loss and I said that maybe Id be the first deaf TP&HB fan.... Apparently theres already one!

Weird.

 

[Whomp]

Which years of Summerfest were the best? I forgot how many times TP was there though.

Well, that's tough to call since a lot of things blend together. There's 2005 concert when both Pearl Jam and TP&H played 2 1/2 hour sets. That was also really memorable because we were drinking "waterfalls" with a professional football player who was sitting next to us. He didn't make it through the Petty concert. What was really memorable and incredible about that, on top of two great bands, was Eddie Vedder playing with the band. He has great reverence for the work TP& the Hearbreakers have accomplished.

However, my recollection is that I also saw them in 1986 or '87 when they were touring with Bob Dylan. I think it was at either Summerfest or Alpine Valley that I saw them though I can't remember which venue. Pretty extraordinary to say the least.

This was the start of their relationship with Bob Dylan and likely the downfall of their relationship with Howie Epstein. Here's the thing...Howie was from the Milwaukee area and went to the same high school a few of my college mates went called Nicolet.

Because Howie was from Milwaukee, right or wrong, I feel the band always had a special kind of relationship with the city. You can feel it in the way they play in that town versus Chicago or LA where I've also seen the band.

What's strange is last year at Summerfest the band sang a song off the new album called "Running Man's Bible" which is purportedly about Howie which really struck a chord with the crowd. The next night the band didn't play the song and I wonder why. I think his death is pretty personal for the band and personal for Milwaukee. Live music is quite a bit different than listening to albums. Quite a different feeling for me I must admit...

Anyhow those would be the two I would say were most memorable at Summerfest.

 

[downtown]

Is the Summerfest lineup out yet? I certainly intend on going for at least one day this year. My boys Robert Randolph and the Family Band usually make an appearance...

 

[Whomp]

Is the Summerfest lineup out yet? I certainly intend on going for at least one day this year. My boys Robert Randolph and the Family Band usually make an appearance...

There's only a few bands added to the lineup so far. I've seen Kid Rock at Marcus twice and really am not interested in seeing him again.

http://www.summerfest.com/flash2011/#

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

Well, that's tough to call since a lot of things blend together. There's 2005 concert when both Pearl Jam and TP&H played 2 1/2 hour sets. That was also really memorable because we were drinking "waterfalls" with a professional football player who was sitting next to us. He didn't make it through the Petty concert. What was really memorable and incredible about that, on top of two great bands, was Eddie Vedder playing with the band. He has great reverence for the work TP& the Hearbreakers have accomplished.

However, my recollection is that I also saw them in 1986 or '87 when they were touring with Bob Dylan. I think it was at either Summerfest or Alpine Valley that I saw them though I can't remember which venue. Pretty extraordinary to say the least.

This was the start of their relationship with Bob Dylan and likely the downfall of their relationship with Howie Epstein. Here's the thing...Howie was from the Milwaukee area and went to the same high school a few of my college mates went called Nicolet.

Because Howie was from Milwaukee, right or wrong, I feel the band always had a special kind of relationship with the city. You can feel it in the way they play in that town versus Chicago or LA where I've also seen the band.

What's strange is last year at Summerfest the band sang a song off the new album called "Running Man's Bible" which is purportedly about Howie which really struck a chord with the crowd. The next night the band didn't play the song and I wonder why. I think his death is pretty personal for the band and personal for Milwaukee. Live music is quite a bit different than listening to albums. Quite a different feeling for me I must admit...

Anyhow those would be the two I would say were most memorable at Summerfest.

On June 27, 1986 they did Alpine Valley. Im pretty sure they didnt do a Summerfest in 1986 or 1987 although I'd have to check that more in depth later. I do know they done a Summerfest in 1989 (it was mentioned in at least three articles I have).

About the Dylan thing: It was the 1985 Farm Aid which really kicked things off and led to the tour. But before that Benmont, I think, had played on one of Dylan's albums. And then in October 1987 was the infamous London meeting which sort of led to the Wilburys....

Speaking of Howie Epstein, there's a bit of a funny story regarding the recording of Long After Dark .... Howie came in, did the tracks for a few days and he thought he was just auditioning. Then one day he had come in and drummer Stan Lynch was gone (either fired or left the band) and there was another drummer, and he was thinking "am I next?" Then Stan came back and nobody thought to tell poor Howie that he was in the band.

Last year was published in Milwaukee Magazine a pretty long article about him, it took me over a half-hour to read it. It's too long to post but I can link to it:
http://www.milwaukeemagazine.com/currentIssue/full_feature_story.asp?NewMessageID=25977

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

And this whole thing actually reminds me of something funny -- there were two Jewish Heartbreakers, Howie and Stan Lynch. (About T.P., Im not sure although its been said somewhere that hes a Southern Baptist. Not sure if he takes it). But anyways, in an article I found somewhere, it said that during the Dylan tour in Israel, they were staying in a kosher hotel. And T.P. threw a tantrum because he couldn't have bacon and eggs for breakfast and embarrassed Stan

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

And theres also the story about Stan Lynch stalking Sammy Davis Jr. in Las Vegas but for now its back to the music --

I did get up a review for one of the Summerfest's:
http://thepettyarchives.squareserve...ers-2005/2005-07-02-milwaukeejournalsentinel/

 

[Whomp]

OK so I realized I was at the 2005 concert too but it was fronted by Black Crowes and 2006 was Pearl Jam. Thanks for posting them...great memories.

 

[Dendrow]

Free Falling has to be one of my most favorite song of all time.

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

Thats one of those songs I find a bit overrated (hell, it isnt even the Heartbreakers), though I still can't figure out how he managed to hit those high harmonies in concert. (Every few months or so on the official BBS pops up a "discussion" about whether he uses backing tracks. I personally wouldnt be surprised though Ive got a feeling its real.)

This also reminds me, on the Into The Great Wide Open album theres a song, I think "All The Wrong Reasons." I have to double-check later (this cold really wiped my memory). But I read that some of the Heartbreakers took to calling it "Refallin'."

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

"Two singles written by Heartbreakers keyboard player Benmont Tench are hits at the moment -- one for Feargal Sharkey, and the other written with Petty, Never Be You, for Rosanne Cash, which is the number one country song in the US."