Tom Petty’s final studio recording
Tom Petty‘s final studio album came in 2014 with Hypnotic Eyes, a record with The Heartbreakers, which ultimately proved to be his last outing. Although he wasn’t working on his own material before his death, Petty kept himself busy with a friend’s project, which took up a considerable part of his last year on Earth.
Petty’s death on October 16th, 2017, was a heartbreaking accident. After suffering a hip injury, which left him suffering from crippling pain, the singer-songwriter became over-reliant on painkillers to take him out of his misery, leading to an accidental overdose. In a statement, his family said it “is our feeling that the pain was simply unbearable and was the cause for his overuse of medication. We feel confident that this was, as the coroner found, an unfortunate accident.”
Despite suffering an injury, which should have resulted in him taking time off to undergo hip surgery and make a recovery, Petty tried to fight through the pain. He embarked upon a lengthy tour with The Heartbreakers and produced an album by The Byrds’ Chris Hillman, released a month before Petty’s passing.
Petty and Hillman had been friends for many decades, and the project was a labour of love. Hillman knew he needed to be on top form. Otherwise, The Heartbreakers leader would have found a way to depart from the project.
Speaking to Ultimate Classic Rock before Petty’s passing, Hillman said of the album: “Tom was on board and I really had to get it together. I just wasn’t thinking that way. But maybe that was a good thing, just approaching it without pressure. I don’t know where that pressure would come from at my age after all of these years. I figured if Tom wasn’t hearing it or it wasn’t what he thought it would be, he probably would have gotten out of it ever so graciously.”
Hillman explained that they approached the recording sessions with a calmness they lacked in their youth. Rather than painstakingly working through the night on Bidin’ My Time, they stuck to the daytime and only recorded for a few hours each day, which Hillman said “worked great”.
They were both at a similar stage in their careers in which commercial success was no longer a major concern, and instead, they’d focus on enjoying the experience. In the same interview, Hillman gratefully expressed: “It was just so much fun. Bottom line is that I’m not chasing a career. I’m not getting on the charts, but it was a great time making this record. If it’s the last one I make, that’s fine. I couldn’t ask for a better last hurrah.”
While Hillman is still alive and kicking, he’s yet to release another album since his collaboration with Petty. While the project largely flew under the radar, the record helped these two close associates cement their bond and spend valuable time together before it was too late. Following Petty’s death, Hillman stated: “I loved Tom so much. He was such a blessing in my life. Tom touched everyone with his beautiful music. I am praying for his family, bandmates and friends.”
Listen to Bidin’ My Time below.
