Hard Promises

• Release Date: Tuesday, May 5, 1981 (45 years ago)
• Trivia:
  • fourth studio album
  • Its original working title was Benmont’s Revenge, referring to the band’s keyboard player, Benmont Tench
  • the album title comes from the song “Insider” (duet with Stevie Nicks)
  • The Heartbreakers also recorded the hit “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around” for Nicks’ album Bella Donna around the time Hard Promises was recorded
  • the second Tom Petty album on the Backstreet Records label
  • The album’s release was delayed while Petty and his distributor MCA Records argued about the list price. The album was slated to be the next MCA release with the new list price of $9.98, following Steely Dan’s Gaucho and the Olivia Newton-John/Electric Light Orchestra Xanadu soundtrack. This so-called “superstar pricing” was $1.00 more than the usual list price of $8.98.[12] Petty voiced his objections to the price hike in the press and the issue became a popular cause among music fans. Non-delivery of the album or naming it Eight Ninety-Eight were considered, but eventually MCA decided against the price increase.
  • Hard Promises was the last full album to feature bassist Ron Blair until Mojo, although he would make guest appearances on Long After Dark and Southern Accents and, after rejoining the band in 2002, played on select tracks on The Last DJ. He was replaced by Howie Epstein, who continued to play until his removal in 2002 due to deteriorating health.
  • During the recording of the album, John Lennon was scheduled to be in the same studio at the same time. Petty was looking forward to meeting him when he came in. The meeting never occurred, as Lennon was murdered
• Performers: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
• Producers:
  • Jimmy Iovine
  • Tom Petty
• Record Label:
  • Backstreet Records
• Recording Studio:
  • Cherokee Studios (Hollywood, CA)
  • Goodnight L.A. Studios (Los Angeles, CA)
  • Sound City Studios (Van Nuys, CA)