Damn the Torpedoes (album)
Encyclopedia
Damn the Torpedoes is the third album by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
released in 1979
. This was the first of three Petty albums originally released by the Backstreet Records
label, distributed by MCA Records
. It built on the commercial success and critical acclaim of his two previous albums and peaked at #2 on the Billboard 200
album chart. In 2003, the album was ranked number 313 on Rolling Stone
magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time
.
and its distributor ABC Records
when ABC was sold to MCA in 1979. Petty was furious about the change in label and struggled to legally detach himself from MCA, resulting in his bankruptcy. In the end the record company backed down, and he negotiated a deal that allowed him to release his recordings on the new Backstreet Records label, manufactured and distributed by MCA. The album was recorded at Sound City in Van Nuys and Cherokee Studios
in Hollywood. The title is a reference to a famous quote by Admiral David Farragut
: "Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!". All of Petty's Backstreet recordings were re-issued by MCA in the late 1980s.
's The Wall
) on the Billboard albums chart. It yielded two songs that made the top 15 on the Billboard Hot 100
singles chart, "Don't Do Me Like That" (#10) and "Refugee" (#15). Thanks to the new co-producer Jimmy Iovine, Damn the Torpedoes proved to be a major leap forward in production.
Critical reception generally reflected the commercial success of the album. The original review in Rolling Stone
raved that it was the "album we've all been waiting for — that is, if we were all Tom Petty fans, which we would be if there were any justice in the world". Subsequent reviews have continued this trend calling it "one of the great records of the album rock era" and culminating in its placement in Rolling Stones list of the 500 greatest albums of all time
.
On November 9, 2010, a deluxe edition of the album was released on three formats, a 2xCD set, a 2xLP (180g) deluxe package and a Blu-Ray Audio disc package. All the tracks (original and unreleased) were remastered from the original analog master tapes by Chris Bellman at Bernie Grundman Mastering Studios in Hollywood, CA.
Tracks 5-7 were recorded live at Hammersmith Odeon, London, England on March 6, 1980 and featured the same mix and production team as The Live Anthology
. "Nowhere", "Surrender", "Casa Dega" (Demo) and "Refugee" (alternate take) were mixed by Mike Campbell and Ryan Ulyate in late 2009/early 2010, while "Casa Dega" and "It's Rainin' Again" were the same versions featured on the Playback box set.
Additional credits:
Tom Petty
Thomas Earl "Tom" Petty is an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He is the frontman of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and was a founding member of the late 1980s supergroup Traveling Wilburys and Mudcrutch. He has also performed under the pseudonyms of Charlie T...
released in 1979
1979 in music
See also:Record labels established in 1979* 1979 in music This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1979.-January–February:*January 1...
. This was the first of three Petty albums originally released by the Backstreet Records
Backstreet Records
Backstreet Records was an MCA Records subsidiary label founded in 1979 by Danny Bramson, who at the time was executive director of MCA's Universal Amphitheatre. The name was derived from the Bruce Springsteen song "Backstreets". The label's first release was the self-titled debut album by Tears...
label, distributed by MCA Records
MCA Records
MCA Records was an American-based record company owned by MCA Inc., which later gave way to the larger MCA Music Entertainment Group , of which MCA Records was still part. MCA Records was absorbed by Geffen Records in 2003...
. It built on the commercial success and critical acclaim of his two previous albums and peaked at #2 on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
album chart. In 2003, the album was ranked number 313 on Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time
The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time
"The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time" is the title of a 2003 special issue of American magazine Rolling Stone, and a related book published in 2005.Related news articles:...
.
Background and Recording
Petty's recording contract was re-assigned to MCA from his previous label Shelter RecordsShelter Records
Shelter Records was a U.S. record label started by Leon Russell and Denny Cordell that operated from 1969 to 1981. The company established offices in both Los Angeles and Tulsa, Russell's home town, where the label sought to promote a "workshop atmosphere" with a recording studio in a converted...
and its distributor ABC Records
ABC Records
ABC Records was an American record label, founded in New York City in 1955 as ABC-Paramount Records. It originated as the main popular music label operated the Am-Par Record Corporation, the music subsidiary of the American Broadcasting Company . ABC-Paramount Records' first president was Samuel H....
when ABC was sold to MCA in 1979. Petty was furious about the change in label and struggled to legally detach himself from MCA, resulting in his bankruptcy. In the end the record company backed down, and he negotiated a deal that allowed him to release his recordings on the new Backstreet Records label, manufactured and distributed by MCA. The album was recorded at Sound City in Van Nuys and Cherokee Studios
Cherokee Studios
Cherokee Studios was a recording facility in Hollywood, founded in 1972 and closed in August 2007 to make way for a new building, after 35 years of operation under the Cherokee name as a well-renowned studio...
in Hollywood. The title is a reference to a famous quote by Admiral David Farragut
David Farragut
David Glasgow Farragut was a flag officer of the United States Navy during the American Civil War. He was the first rear admiral, vice admiral, and admiral in the United States Navy. He is remembered in popular culture for his order at the Battle of Mobile Bay, usually paraphrased: "Damn the...
: "Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!". All of Petty's Backstreet recordings were re-issued by MCA in the late 1980s.
Release and Reception
The album was a breakthrough for Petty and the Heartbreakers. It was their first top 10 album rising to #2 (for seven weeks and kept from #1 by Pink FloydPink Floyd
Pink Floyd were an English rock band that achieved worldwide success with their progressive and psychedelic rock music. Their work is marked by the use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Pink Floyd are one of the most commercially...
's The Wall
The Wall
The Wall is the eleventh studio album by English progressive rock group Pink Floyd. Released as a double album on 30 November 1979, it was subsequently performed live with elaborate theatrical effects, and adapted into a feature film, Pink Floyd—The Wall.As with the band's previous three...
) on the Billboard albums chart. It yielded two songs that made the top 15 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
singles chart, "Don't Do Me Like That" (#10) and "Refugee" (#15). Thanks to the new co-producer Jimmy Iovine, Damn the Torpedoes proved to be a major leap forward in production.
Critical reception generally reflected the commercial success of the album. The original review in Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
raved that it was the "album we've all been waiting for — that is, if we were all Tom Petty fans, which we would be if there were any justice in the world". Subsequent reviews have continued this trend calling it "one of the great records of the album rock era" and culminating in its placement in Rolling Stones list of the 500 greatest albums of all time
The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time
"The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time" is the title of a 2003 special issue of American magazine Rolling Stone, and a related book published in 2005.Related news articles:...
.
Re-releases
The album was digitally remastered by Joe Gastwirt and reissued in 2001.On November 9, 2010, a deluxe edition of the album was released on three formats, a 2xCD set, a 2xLP (180g) deluxe package and a Blu-Ray Audio disc package. All the tracks (original and unreleased) were remastered from the original analog master tapes by Chris Bellman at Bernie Grundman Mastering Studios in Hollywood, CA.
Side one
- "Refugee" (Petty, Mike Campbell) – 3:22
- "Here Comes My GirlHere Comes My Girl"Here Comes My Girl" is the title of a song written by Tom Petty and Mike Campbell, and recorded by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, their third single from their breakthrough hit 1979 album, Damn the Torpedoes. It peaked at #59 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in mid-1980.-Content:Petty remembers...
" (Petty, Campbell) – 4:27 - "Even the Losers" – 4:01
- "Shadow of a Doubt (A Complex Kid)" – 4:25
- "Century City" – 3:45
Side two
- "Don't Do Me Like ThatDon't Do Me Like That"Don't Do Me Like That" is the title of a song written by Tom Petty and recorded by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. It was released in November 1979 as the first single from the album Damn the Torpedoes...
" – 2:44 - "You Tell Me" – 4:35
- "What Are You Doin' in My Life?" – 3:27
- "Louisiana Rain" – 5:54
Deluxe Edition Disc 2
- "Nowhere"
- "Surrender"
- "Casa Dega" (Petty, Campbell)
- "It's Rainin' Again"
- "Shadow of a Doubt (A Complex Kid)"
- "Don't Do Me Like That"
- "Somethin' Else" (Eddie CochranEddie CochranEddie Cochran , was an American rock and roll pioneer who in his brief career had a small but lasting influence on rock music through his guitar playing. Cochran's rockabilly songs, such as "C'mon Everybody", "Somethin' Else", and "Summertime Blues", captured teenage frustration and desire in the...
) - "Casa Dega (Demo version)" (Petty, Campbell)
- "Refugee (early version)" (Petty, Campbell)
Tracks 5-7 were recorded live at Hammersmith Odeon, London, England on March 6, 1980 and featured the same mix and production team as The Live Anthology
The Live Anthology
The Live Anthology is a live box set by American rock band Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. The box set was released by Reprise Records on November 23, 2009, in a number of formats, with the standard CD and download formats, composed of 48 tracks .The album's cover artwork and packaging was...
. "Nowhere", "Surrender", "Casa Dega" (Demo) and "Refugee" (alternate take) were mixed by Mike Campbell and Ryan Ulyate in late 2009/early 2010, while "Casa Dega" and "It's Rainin' Again" were the same versions featured on the Playback box set.
Personnel
- Tom PettyTom PettyThomas Earl "Tom" Petty is an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He is the frontman of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and was a founding member of the late 1980s supergroup Traveling Wilburys and Mudcrutch. He has also performed under the pseudonyms of Charlie T...
– 6 & 12 string guitars, lead vocals and harmonica - Mike Campbell – 6 & 12 string guitars, slide guitar, keyboards, accordion, bass guitar
- Benmont TenchBenmont TenchBenjamin Montmorency Tench, III is an American keyboardist best known as a founding member of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.-Early years:...
– piano, organ, harmonium and vocals - Ron BlairRon BlairRon Blair is the original bassist for Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. He was the band's bassist from 1976 to 1981. In 2002, he returned to the group after a 21-year hiatus, replacing his own replacement, the late Howie Epstein.His father was a Navy man, so the family relocated every few years...
– electric bass guitar - Stan LynchStan LynchStanley Joseph "Stan" Lynch is an American songwriter and record producer. He was the original drummer for Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers for 18 years until his departure in 1994.- Early years :...
– drums and vocals - Donald "Duck" Dunn – bass on "You Tell Me"
- Phil Jones (uncredited) – percussion
- Jim KeltnerJim KeltnerJames Lee "Jim" Keltner is an American drummer known primarily for his session work. He has contributed to the work of many well-known artists...
(uncredited) – shaker on "Refugee"
Additional credits:
- Greg Calbi – mastering
- Lynn GoldsmithLynn GoldsmithLynn Goldsmith is an American recording artist, a film director and a celebrity portrait photographer. Her work has appeared on the covers and in publications in many countries for the past 35 years. She has done over 100 album covers...
– photography - Shelly YakusShelly YakusShelly Yakus is considered as one of the best engineers and mixers in the music industry. Formerly chief engineer and vice president of A&M Records, Yakus' engineering work has help sell in excess of one hundred million records, equaling over one billion dollars in sales...
– engineer - John Mathias – assistant engineer
- Thom PanunzioThom PanunzioThom Panunzio grew up in River Edge, New Jersey not too far from Manhattan. He began his career as an audio engineer originally working at Record Plant Studios in New York. There he met, Jimmy Iovine, and started his career working with John Lennon...
– assistant engineer - Gray Russell – assistant engineer
- Skip Saylor – assistant engineer
- Tori Swenson – assistant engineer
- Tommy Steele – art direction
- Aaron Rapoport – photography
- Glen Christensen – photography (front cover)
- Dennis Callaghan – photography
Charts
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1979 | US Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
2 |