Inseparable artists: The song Tom Petty called “an imitation” of the Heartbreakers
It can be easy to become a pastiche of yourself when reaching a certain point of esteem. The desire to dive back into the good old days of your upward trajectory can sometimes swallow up an artist approaching the midway point of their career. While some may actively avoid such a move, Tom Petty was one musician who deliberately sought to sound a little like his former band, the Heartbreakers.
When Tom Petty cracked the collective consciousness with his band The Heartbreakers in 1976, he bucked the trend. As the world began to look forward to new and progressive forms of rock and roll, with David Bowie leading a uniquely shaped charge in Britain and The Stooges and Ramones shaping New York into their punk mould, Petty seemed to harken back to the days of classic rock. Their eponymous debut album may have garnered a comparatively small amount of attention, but it was enough to label him a worthy horse to bet on for record executives.
Two more albums would quickly follow, with You’re Gonna Get It landing in the top 40 and Damn The Torpedoes arguably defining the group’s sound. It went platinum and was buoyed by mammoth singles ‘Don’t Do Me Like That’ and ‘Here Comes My Girl’. Things continued to grow for Petty and the Heartbreakers; the 1981 record Hard Promises was another hit, and so was 1985’s Southern Accents. However, soon enough, Petty found a desire to move away from the group, and in 1998, he decided to fly the nest.
The move would not only allow him to achieve his dream and work alongside some of the most inspiring influences of his life, as he joined George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Roy Orbison and Jeff Lynne to form The Traveling Wilburys but also release one of the best records of his career. Away from his band, he unleashed his first solo project to prove that he alone was worth his weight in gold. Full Moon Fever is arguably one of the defining rock albums of the decade. The album made Petty a pop star.
In truth, the record is all about the songwriter’s striking connection with Jeff Lynne. The musician-turned-producer had an affinity with Petty’s sound, which always managed to add gloss without cheapening it, bringing his downtrodden sonics to a new decade. Lyrically, it is one of Petty’s finest works and was another note of commendation for his growing iconography.
But while songs like ‘I Won’t Back Down’ and ‘Free Fallin” have gone on to cement the late Petty’s legacy and set him apart from the group, one track on the LP was deliberately positioned back towards the band. Written alongside Heartbreakers guitarist Mike Campbell, ‘Love Is A Long Road’ was inspired by Campbell’s motorbike and, with the help of Howie Epstein, was meant to be indicative of the Heartbreakers.
With Full Moon Fever, Petty never tried to reject the group; he simply found his own path. On this track, he allowed the band to find their way back into his work, with Campbell helping pen the song and Epstein providing backup vocals. Petty said of the song to BAM: “That’s really just us kind of doing an imitation of the band.”
With the vibrance of the group seemingly inescapable., Petty leaned into the idea: “I just said, ‘Sounds to me like Howie should do that, so let’s get him.’ I wanted to have at least one song on the record that sounded like the Heartbreakers.”
The album would go on to shape Petty’s career forever. He would soon rejoin The Heartbreakers and deliver Into the Great Wide Open and play an extensive tour with the group following their Greatest Hits released in 1993. However, in truth, Petty and the Heartbreakers never really separated. Whether it was writing with Campbell or simply penning songs to sound like his band, the two factions were always making music together, one way or another.
