Damn the Torpedoes (album)

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Damn the Torpedoes
Studio album by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
Released	October 19, 1979 (1979-10-19)
Recorded	Sound City, Van Nuys Cherokee Studios, Hollywood 1978-79
Genre	Rock
Length	36:40
Label	Backstreet Records/MCA
Producer	Jimmy Iovine, Tom Petty
Professional reviews
All Music Guide link Robert Christgau (B+) link Rolling Stone link
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers chronology
You're Gonna Get It! (1978) Damn the Torpedoes (1979) Hard Promises (1981)

Damn the Torpedoes is an album by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers released in 1979 (see 1979 in music). The title is a reference to a famous quote by Admiral David Farragut. The album was recorded at Sound City in Van Nuys and Cherokee Studios in Hollywood.

This album, the band's third, was their first for MCA Records. Their old label, ABC Records, had been sold to MCA; Petty struggled to legally detach himself from MCA, but in the end was forced to settle. He negotiated a deal that allowed him to release his recordings on the new Backstreet Records label, manufactured and distributed by MCA. Damn the Torpedoes ended up being the band's breakthrough hit, and includes many of their best reviewed songs and favorite concert standards today, including "Here Comes My Girl" (the third single release, charting at #59), "Even the Losers" and "Shadow of a Doubt (A Complex Kid)".

Damn the Torpedoes was a #2 hit (for seven weeks and kept from #1 by Pink Floyd's The Wall) on the Billboard's Pop Albums chart, and yielded two songs that made the top-fifteen on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, "Don't Do Me Like That" (#10) and "Refugee" (#15), both in early 1980.

In 2003, the album was ranked number 313 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.

Contents 1 Track listing 1.1 Side one 1.2 Side two 2 Personnel 3 External links

[edit] Track listing

[edit] Side one

1. "Refugee" (Tom Petty, Mike Campbell) – 3:22
2. "Here Comes My Girl" (Petty, Campbell) – 4:27
3. "Even the Losers" (Petty) – 4:01
4. "Shadow of a Doubt (A Complex Kid)" (Petty) – 4:25
5. "Century City" (Petty) – 3:45

[edit] Side two

1. "Don't Do Me Like That" (Petty) – 2:44
2. "You Tell Me" (Petty) – 4:35
3. "What Are You Doin' in My Life?" (Petty) – 3:27
4. "Louisiana Rain" (Petty) – 5:54

[edit] Personnel

• Tom Petty - 6 & 12 string guitars, lead vocals and harmonica
• Mike Campbell - 6 & 12 string guitars, slide guitar, keyboards, accordion, bass guitar
• Benmont Tench - piano, organ, harmonium and vocals
• Ron Blair - electric bass guitar
• Stan Lynch - drums and vocals
• Donald "Duck" Dunn - bass on "You Tell Me"

Additional Credits:

• Greg Calbi - Mastering
• Lynn Goldsmith - Photography
• Shelly Yakus - Engineer
• John Mathias - Assistant Engineer
• Thom Panunzio - Assistant Engineer
• Gray Russell - Assistant Engineer
• Skip Saylor - Assistant Engineer
• Tori Swenson - Assistant Engineer
• Tommy Steele - Art Direction
• Aaron Rapoport - Photography
• Glen Christiansen - Photography (front cover)
• Dennis Callaghan - Photography

[edit] External links

• Damn The Torpedoes Lyrics

v • d • e Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers Tom Petty • Mike Campbell • Scott Thurston • Ron Blair • Benmont Tench • Steve Ferrone • Howie Epstein • Stan Lynch Studio albums Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers • You're Gonna Get It! • Damn the Torpedoes • Hard Promises • Long After Dark • Southern Accents • Let Me Up (I've Had Enough) • Into the Great Wide Open • Songs and Music from "She's the One" • Echo • The Last DJ Tom Petty solo albums Full Moon Fever • Wildflowers • Highway Companion Tom Petty with Traveling Wilburys Traveling Wilburys Vol. 1 • Traveling Wilburys Vol. 3 Tom Petty with Mudcrutch Mudcrutch Compilations Greatest Hits • Playback • Anthology: Through the Years Live albums Official Live 'Leg • Pack up the Plantation: Live! • Live at the Olympic: The Last DJ Production Jimmy Iovine • David A. Stewart • Robbie Robertson • Jeff Lynne • Rick Rubin • George Drakoulias Related articles Discography • Runnin' Down A Dream (film)