Tom Petty

A World Class Outfit

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers are recognized as one of rock's premiere bands, a world class outfit whose members are able to blend an array of musical styles and create their own distinctive sound in the process.

Frontman Tom Petty is known for his solo work, his work with the Heartbreakers and input with other bands including The Traveling Wilburys, under the names of Charlie T. Jnr and Muddy Wilbury. As an award-winning musician Tom Petty received the 1994 MTV Video Music Award for "Best Male Video" and the "Video Vanguard" award for longtime contributions in the field. As a songwriter, Tom Petty was acknowledged in May of 1996 with the prestigious "Golden Note Award" from ASCAP. This award was given to Tom Petty in honor of his vast array of best-selling and critically-acclaimed songs. In April 1996, Tom Petty received UCLA's "George and Ira Gershwin Award For Lifetime Musical Achievement." Previous recipients of the award include Ray Charles and Ella Fitzgerald. Tom Petty was the first artist of the rock era to earn this distinction.

Beyond Mike Campbell's role as the Heartbreakers' guitarist, Campbell writes songs with Tom Petty and co-produced the She's The One album. He also co-produced the Heartbreakers' albums Southern Accents, Pack Up The Plantation Live!, Let Me Up (I've Had Enough) and Into The Great Wide Open as well as Tom Petty solo albums Full Moon Fever and Wildflowers. Outside of the Heartbreakers, Mike Campbell has co-written an array of songs including "The Boys of Summer" and "Heart of the Matter" (both with Don Henley). Other songwriting credits include songs for Roger McGuinn and Stevie Nicks. He also produced four songs on Roy Orbison's Mystery Girl album.

Benmont Tench is recognized as one of rock's most valuable keyboardists. Other artists whose songs he's played on include Mary Chapin Carpenter, Carlene Carter, Elvis Costello, Bob Dylan, Don Henley, Waylon Jennings, Alanis Morissette, Roy Orbison, John Prine, Bonnie Raitt, The Ramones, The Rolling Stones, U2 and X. Benmont Tench also co-wrote Roseanne Cash's #1 hit "Never Be You," with Tom Petty.

Howie Epstein, one of rock's most noted bassists, joined Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers in 1982. Beyond his role in the group, as a musician and a backing vocalist whose harmonies with Tom Petty are a Heartbreakers' trademark, the born-and-bred Milwaukee musician has earned acclaim as a songwriter and producer. He produced two albums for John Prine, including 1991's The Missing Years, which won a Grammy for "Best Contemporary Folk Recording." Howie Epstein also produced two albums for Carlene Carter: Little Love Letters and I Fell In Love, the latter of which features his co-written title cut, nominated for "Best Female Country Vocal Performance." As a player, Howie Epstein has been featured on songs by such artists as Bob Dylan, John Hiatt, Stevie Nicks, Roy Orbison and Del Shannon.

The latest album by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers is Songs And Music From The Motion Picture SHE'S THE ONE. It contains 15 selections, 10 of which are featured in the film - a wry romantic comedy from The Brothers McMullen writer/director/star Edward Burns - and five that are exclusive to the album. Tom Petty explains that he "actually wound up having more songs than I could fit into the movie, so I included them all on the album." The songs were written by Petty, except for "Climb That Hill" (Tom Petty/Mike Campbell), "Asshole" (Beck) and "Change The Locks" (Lucinda Williams).

The songs featured on the album and in the film are: Walls (Circus)," "Grew Up Fast," "Angel Dream (No. 4)," "Hope You Never," "California," "Walls (No. 3)," "Angel Dream (No. 2)" and "Hung Up And Overdue." The titles of the two score selections are "Hope On Board" and "Airport." Petty, in fact, has written the whole instrumental score for the film, marking the first time he has written music expressly for a motion picture. In creating the score, Petty says, "We just played. We didn't use computers and click tracks and stuff. The whole score was done live with no overdubs."

The compositions found only on the album are: "Zero From Outer Space," "Climb That Hill," "Change The Locks," "Asshole" and "Supernatural Radio."

The album was produced by Rick Rubin, Tom Petty and Mike Campbell, the same team behind Petty's 1994 triple-platinum solo album, Wildflowers, and "Mary Jane's Last Dance," featured on 1993's quadruple-platinum Greatest Hits album. It was engineered by Jim Scott, one of the engineers who won a Grammy this year for his work on Wildflowers, except for "Climb That Hill," which was engineered by Sylvia Massy.

The drummers on the album are Curt Bisquera, Steve Ferrone (who toured with Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers in 1995) and Ringo Starr, who plays on "Hung Up And Overdue."

Guest backing vocalists on the album are Beach Boy Carl Wilson ("Hung Up And Overdue") and Lindsey Buckingham, who sings on "Walls (Circus)," "Climb That Hill" and "Asshole."

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