Mike Campbell’s favourite Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers song
While Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers boast the name of their frontman in the group’s name, they were never a one-man band. Mike Campbell was a member since day one and played a crucial role in their growth, from playing the club scene to conquering global arenas. Without his presence, they simply wouldn’t have been the same outfit.
Although Petty was The Heartbreakers’ chief lyricist, he needed the rest of the band to bring his vision to life and turn them into full-blooded songs. It’s all good and well to be a talented songwriter, but without the help of accomplices, the songs are of little use. Even the great Petty would have been the first to admit that his right-hand man was responsible for much of their shared success.
However, the same can be said for Campbell’s career. He’s now a member of Fleetwood Mac and has played as a session musician for some of the most prestigious acts on the planet. Yet, there’s a strong chance he’d have never tasted these victories if not for his path crossing with Petty, leading to a telepathic musical relationship.
Damn The Torpedoes is the album responsible for changing the course of their lives and finally making the mainstream wake up to their immense talent. Notably, the record spawned iconic hits including ‘Don’t Do Me Like That’, ‘Here Comes My Girl’, and Campbell’s all-time favourite Heartbreakers song ‘Refugee’, which opened the LP.
The song’s creation epitomises the dynamic partnership between the two musicians and how they spectacularly played to each other’s strengths. During a discussion with Vulture, Campbell explained how it was made and why it’s his favourite: “It’s so universal and it’s one of the first big hits we wrote together. I had a four-track reel-to-reel tape recorder and a record that had some drum beats on it.”
He continued: “I played that on the machine and I made up some chords because I wanted to practice lead guitar, and those chords became ‘Refugee’ as we know it. I gave the music to Tom and he wrote the words. It was a lucky moment for us.”
Meanwhile, Petty once explained the meaning behind his lyrical contribution to the track and how ‘Refugee’ was his attempt to hit back at the music industry. The Heartbreakers frontman said: “This was a reaction to the pressures of the music business. I wound up in a huge row with the record company when ABC Records tried to sell our contract to MCA Records without us knowing about it, despite a clause in our contract that said they didn’t have the right to do that.”
“I was so angry with the whole system that I think that had a lot to do with the tone of the Damn the Torpedoes album,” Petty added. “I was in this defiant mood. I wasn’t so conscious of it then, but I can look back and see what was happening”.
Watch the official video for ‘Refugee’ below.
