Hard Promises

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title: "Hard Promises" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["tom-petty-albums", "1981-albums", "albums-produced-by-jimmy-iovine", "albums-produced-by-tom-petty", "backstreet-records-albums", "albums-recorded-at-sound-city-studios"] topic_path: "arts/music" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hard_Promises" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::data[format=table title="Infobox album"]

FieldValue
nameHard Promises
typeAlbum
artistTom Petty and the Heartbreakers
coverPettyHardPromises.jpg
altA photo of Petty standing in a record store and staring off to the side.
released
recorded1980–81
studio
genre* Heartland rock
* power pop{{Cite weblast
length39:33
labelBackstreet
producer
prev_titleDamn the Torpedoes
prev_year1979
next_titleLong After Dark
next_year1982
misc{{Singles
nameHard Promises
typestudio
single1The Waiting"/"Nightwatchman
single1dateApril 20, 1981
single2A Woman in Love (It's Not Me)
single2dateJune 29, 1981
single3Something Big"/"Letting You Go
::

| name = Hard Promises | type = Album | artist = Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers | cover = PettyHardPromises.jpg | alt = A photo of Petty standing in a record store and staring off to the side. | released = | recorded = 1980–81 | studio = | genre = * Heartland rock

Hard Promises is the fourth studio album by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers released on May 5, 1981, on Backstreet Records.

History

Its working title was Benmont's Revenge, referring to keyboard player Benmont Tench. The album features guest vocals from Stevie Nicks of Fleetwood Mac on the duet "Insider". The Heartbreakers also recorded the hit "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around" for Nicks' album Bella Donna around the time Hard Promises was recorded.

This was 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. 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. The final title comes from a line in the chorus of "Insider."

Hard Promises is the last full album to feature the original Heartbreakers lineup, as bassist Ron Blair left after the album's release. He returned on Mojo, and 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.

In 2000 it was voted number 968 in Colin Larkin's All Time Top 1000 Albums.

John Lennon tribute

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0f/We_love_you_J.L..jpg" caption="Album etch tribute to John Lennon"] ::

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 before the date of his planned visit to the studio. Petty and the band paid tribute to the slain former Beatle by etching "WE LOVE YOU J.L." in the runout deadwax on early U.S. and Canadian pressings of Hard Promises.

Track listing

| all_writing = Tom Petty, except where noted. | headline = Side one | title1 = The Waiting | length1 = 3:58 | title2 = A Woman in Love (It's Not Me) | writer2 = | length2 = 4:22 | title3 = Nightwatchman | writer3 = | length3 = 3:59 | title4 = Something Big | length4 = 4:44 | title5 = Kings Road | length5 = 3:27

| headline = Side two | title6 = Letting You Go | length6 = 3:24 | title7 = A Thing About You | length7 = 3:33 | title8 = Insider | length8 = 4:23 | title9 = The Criminal Kind | length9 = 4:00 | title10 = You Can Still Change Your Mind | writer10 = | length10 = 4:15 | total_length = 39:33

Personnel

Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers

Additional musicians

  • Stevie Nicks – backing vocals on "Insider" and "You Can Still Change Your Mind"
  • Lori Nicks – backing vocals on "Insider"
  • Sharon Celani – backing vocals on "You Can Still Change Your Mind"
  • Donald "Duck" Dunn – bass guitar on "A Woman in Love"
  • Phil Jones – percussion
  • Alan "Bugs" Weidel – piano on "Nightwatchman"

Production

  • Brad Gilderman – assistant engineer
  • Jimmy Iovine – producer
  • Tom Petty – producer
  • Tori Swenson – assistant engineer
  • Shelly Yakus – engineer

Charts

Weekly charts

::data[format=table title="Weekly chart performance for ''Hard Promises''"] | Chart | Position | Australian Albums Chart | Canadian RPM Albums Chart{{cite magazine|url=http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?&file_num=nlc008388.0359&type=1&interval=50&PHPSESSID=c6btf3r8hs459qqt5ln3o3dcv5|title=Top Albums/CDs - Volume 35, No. 4 | New Zealand Albums Chart | Swedish Albums Chart | UK Albums Chart | United States Billboard 200 | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | 21 | | | | | | | | | format=PHP|date=1981-07-04|access-date=2014-05-01}} | 3 | | | | | | | | 1 | | | | | | | | | 22 | | | | | | | | | 32 | | | | | | | | | 5 | | | | | | | | ::

Year-end charts

::data[format=table title="Annual chart performance for ''Hard Promises''"]

Chart (1981)PositionCanadian Albums ChartNew Zealand Albums (RMNZ)US Billboard Pop Albums
28
27
49
::

Certifications

References

References

  1. Bryan, Jon. (February 20, 2015). "Not Forgotten: Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers – Hard Promises".
  2. Wawzenek, Bryan. (March 18, 2016). "Tom Petty Albums Ranked Worst to Best".
  3. [{{AllMusic
  4. "Tom Petty: Hard Promises".
  5. Kot, Greg. (1991-09-01). "Through The Years With Tom Petty". Chicago Tribune.
  6. "Robert Christgau: CG: tom petty and the heartbreakers".
  7. (2011). "The Encyclopedia of Popular Music ''(5th edn)''". Omnibus Press.
  8. Strong, Martin C.. (2006). "The Essential Rock Discography". Canongate.
  9. (1999). "MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide". Visible Ink Press.
  10. (23 July 1981). "Hard Promises".
  11. (14 July 2011). "Tom Petty: Album Guide - Rolling Stone Music".
  12. Goldstein, Patrick. "Pop Eye" ''Los Angeles Times'' Sept. 21, 1980: T80.
  13. Goldstein, Patrick. "Petty Battling MCA Over Record Price Hike" ''Los Angeles Times'' February 1, 1981: N72.
  14. Marsh, Dave. "Tom Petty" ''Musician'' July 1981: 43.
  15. Colin Larkin. (2000). "[[All Time Top 1000 Albums]]". [[Virgin Books]].
  16. Conversations with Tom Petty by Paul Zollo
  17. Kent, David. (1993). "[[Kent Music Report". Australian Chart Book.
  18. "charts.nz — Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers - ''Hard Promises''". [[Recording Industry Association of New Zealand]].
  19. "swedishcharts.com Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers - ''Hard Promises''". [[Sverigetopplistan]].
  20. "Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers: Artist: Official Charts". [[UK Albums Chart]].
  21. "Allmusic: ''Hard Promises'' : Charts & Awards : Billboard Albums". allmusic.com.
  22. (1981-12-26). "RPM Top 100 Albums of 1981".
  23. "Top Selling Albums of 1981 — The Official New Zealand Music Chart". [[Recorded Music New Zealand]].
  24. (December 6, 1982). "Billboard Vol. 94, No. 23: Majors Flight Economics with Quirky Rock Originals".

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