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latebloomer

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keefriff99
It's very eye opening and scary that this could happen to a man like Tom with so many resources at his disposal. He wasn't overweight and was obviously cleared by physicians for extensive touring, and yet he's gone suddenly at a relatively young age.

Life is so tenuous...don't take tomorrows for granted.

Happens more than most realize...cardiologist once told me that a major symptom of heart problems is often times sudden death. The heart is a mysterious and fragile thing.

Chainsmoking doesn't help either...that article [www.rollingstone.com] in RS this summer had made me "uneasy" :-(

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IORR Links : Essential Studio Outtakes CDs : Audio - History of Rarest Outtakes : Audio

Hasn't looked well recently but this was a big shock.
He was and he remains the real deal.

His heart is broken...

[twitter.com]

What a shock!!!! He was already a legend when he came out with Full Moon Fever, which is one of my all time favourite albums by any artist. And I remember waiting desperately for the follow up, which turned out to be a different monster, but still a great album, another classic. I always thought that 1986-1990 was an amazing period with so many artists coming back again, and reintroducing themselves to a whole new generation of kids including me. And the last time rock and roll was still well and alive.

He was a saviour of rock and roll, a guy who kept the flame burning of all those great British Invasion bands and of course, of Roger McGuinn and The Byrds!!!! Oh, my God! This is so sad!

Petty’s Traveling Wilburys bandmate Bob Dylan tells Rolling Stone: “It's shocking, crushing news. I thought the world of Tom. He was a great performer, full of the light, a friend, and I’ll never forget him."

Great lost. Have a nice trip Tom.

Tom Petty was also an "artist rights" man, he stood up to the record companies and their bs contract saying based of this contract we can never come out ahead, we are bankrupt, we are done, see ya... Or something like that. In the end the label gave in and renegotiated.

Then later when the company wanted to start raising prices beginning WITH HIS next album, Tom Petty said nope Nope Nope!!!

And the company noped out.

TOM PETTY WAS THE MAN!!!

best explanation I could find was... [www.history.com]

The music industry is notorious for its creative accounting practices and for onerous contracts that can keep even some top-selling artists perpetually in debt to their record labels. In a typical recording contract, a record label advances an artist a certain sum of money against future earnings from royalties. But because the cost of things like studio time, marketing support and tour expenses must be “recouped” by the label before an artist earns any royalties, many artists who sign recording contracts never sell enough records to “earn out” their advance.

At the time of Tom Petty’s bankruptcy filing, he had little to show financially for the two hit albums already behind him: 1976’s Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers (featuring the hit singles “Breakdown” and “American Girl”) and 1978’s You’re Gonna Get It! Unhappy with the terms of his contract with Shelter Records, Petty seized upon the sale of Shelter by ABC to industry giant MCA as justification to declare himself, in effect, a free agent.

In his own words, he would not be “bought and sold like a piece of meat.” (Never mind the fact that the deal was actually a re-acquisition, since Shelter—and with it Petty’s contract—had actually been owned by MCA before being acquired by ABC.) Petty refused to allow his next album to be released, even going so far as to bear the cost of recording it personally, leaving him some $500,000 in debt. This was when he filed for bankruptcy, hoping to gain leverage in the brewing legal dispute by having the bankruptcy court declare null and void an extremely unfavorable contract that Petty felt he had signed under duress.

Ultimately, MCA blinked, agreeing to release Petty from his existing contract but immediately re-signing him to a $3 million contract with a brand-new subsidiary label created especially for this purpose.

The album that Petty had held back, Damn The Torpedoes (featuring the singles “Refugee” and “Don’t Do Me Like That”), would go on to be certified Double Platinum and make Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers into true superstars.

But if MCA thought that its squabbles with Petty were behind them at that point, they were sorely mistaken. In 1981, Petty once again threatened to withhold his new album, Hard Promises, when MCA announced its intention to sell it for $9.98—a full dollar more than the typical retail price at the time. Said Tom Petty at the time, “If we don’t take a stand, one of these days records are going to be $20.” And once again, MCA finally agreed, selling the album at retail for the then-customary $8.98


A couple of the reasons from the legend of Tom Petty that makes me so sad to hear he died

Oh no - that's a real thunderbolt from a blue sky, and a dreadful shock for his family and friends.

A fine musician and songwriter who ran a great band - I got to know of him at the time of Full Moon Fever and then discovered his earlier albums, and have been a fan ever since.

I remember hearing an interview with him where he talked about a time when he had injured his hand, and was considering what else he could do with his life if he couldn't be a musician: "And the list was real short!" In the best possible way, he was right - his life was in music.

There's something good waiting down this road...


Safe journey, Tom.

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Green Lady
....
I remember hearing an interview with him where he talked about a time when he had injured his hand, and was considering what else he could do with his life if he couldn't be a musician: "And the list was real short!" In the best possible way, he was right - his life was in music......

That hand injury tale is a great story with a a couple of good morals...

It went something like (if it is the one I heard too) they were rich and recording in a fancy studio and partying and had tons of (too many) people around the process and it went on and on and on... they would lay down track and then mess with the tracks and mess with them for a very very long time...

Anyone who has ever recorded tracks and created songs knows it can be an odd process of trying to make it better, but sometimes it was fine to start with, but then was made too complicated and lots of extra people and partying cna really get things off track.

So after a month or two of spending tons of money and time trying to get the songs all sounding perfect.... Tom went back and listened to the original idea tracks and they sounded 100 times better than they did after messing with them tweeking them for months and doing tons of partying in a big mess... and it made him so mad that he stormed out of the studio and punched a wall destroying his hand.

I guess over time it healed and he was fine... but I always remembered that story for 2 reasons/morals I could use 1) Stay on track, stay focused and get the job done without a lot of nonsense, no matter what the job is. 2) If/when you do get side tracked and the job goes sideways and filled with lots of nonsense, and turns into a mess... do not punch a wall making everything worse.

That advice, even if it was not really meant as advice, from him has served me well... many times.

Another reasons Tom Petty is special.

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Leonioid

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Green Lady
....
I remember hearing an interview with him where he talked about a time when he had injured his hand, and was considering what else he could do with his life if he couldn't be a musician: "And the list was real short!" In the best possible way, he was right - his life was in music......

That hand injury tale is a great story with a a couple of good morals...

It went something like (if it is the one I heard too) they were rich and recording in a fancy studio and partying and had tons of (too many) people around the process and it went on and on and on... they would lay down track and then mess with the tracks and mess with them for a very very long time...

Anyone who has ever recorded tracks and created songs knows it can be an odd process of trying to make it better, but sometimes it was fine to start with, but then was made too complicated and lots of extra people and partying cna really get things off track.

So after a month or two of spending tons of money and time trying to get the songs all sounding perfect.... Tom went back and listened to the original idea tracks and they sounded 100 times better than they did after messing with them tweeking them for months and doing tons of partying in a big mess... and it made him so mad that he stormed out of the studio and punched a wall destroying his hand.

I guess over time it healed and he was fine... but I always remembered that story for 2 reasons/morals I could use 1) Stay on track, stay focused and get the job done without a lot of nonsense, no matter what the job is. 2) If/when you do get side tracked and the job goes sideways and filled with lots of nonsense, and turns into a mess... do not punch a wall making everything worse.

That advice, even if it was not really meant as advice, from him has served me well... many times.

Another reasons Tom Petty is special.

that's close to the story. it was just 1 song that caused the issue. it was the song "rebels"


The track was recorded in 1984. It was during the recording of this track that Petty broke his hand. Petty remembers being so high on drugs that he couldn't get an arrangement he liked. Petty went into the control room, and put the original demo tape on, which featured just him and a Rickenbacker 12-string guitar. He believed that they had yet to record an arrangement better than this demo, which made him so furious that he stormed up the stairs into his house, and punched the wall, causing severe damage to his left hand

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keefriffhard4life
that's close to the story. it was just 1 song that caused the issue. it was the song "rebels"

The track was recorded in 1984. It was during the recording of this track that Petty broke his hand. Petty remembers being so high on drugs that he couldn't get an arrangement he liked. Petty went into the control room, and put the original demo tape on, which featured just him and a Rickenbacker 12-string guitar. He believed that they had yet to record an arrangement better than this demo, which made him so furious that he stormed up the stairs into his house, and punched the wall, causing severe damage to his left hand

Cool, thanks.
I told my thing straight from memory and I am happy I have it mostly correct. Helluva good song too...

This is such sad news. I saw Tom playing at Wembley Arena in London in October 1987 when he supported Bob Dylan who, in my opinion, struggled to follow the blistering set of TP and The Heartbreakers.
Earlier that month, I was flying back from a holiday in LA and whilst waiting at LAX we spotted Tom and wondered where he may be going. Lo and behold, he was on our BA flight back to London. The Heartbreakers were with us in business class whilst Tom was up front in first.

A first class act indeed who will be greatly missed. RIP.

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Leonioid

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keefriffhard4life
that's close to the story. it was just 1 song that caused the issue. it was the song "rebels"

The track was recorded in 1984. It was during the recording of this track that Petty broke his hand. Petty remembers being so high on drugs that he couldn't get an arrangement he liked. Petty went into the control room, and put the original demo tape on, which featured just him and a Rickenbacker 12-string guitar. He believed that they had yet to record an arrangement better than this demo, which made him so furious that he stormed up the stairs into his house, and punched the wall, causing severe damage to his left hand

Cool, thanks.
I told my thing straight from memory and I am happy I have it mostly correct. Helluva good song too...

pretty good for doing it from memory. I only remember it was the song "rebels" because that's one of my top 5 petty tunes

Love and light to him, and thanks and praises.
A sincere artist and a nice man - love and light

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keefriffhard4life

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Leonioid

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keefriffhard4life
that's close to the story. it was just 1 song that caused the issue. it was the song "rebels"

The track was recorded in 1984. It was during the recording of this track that Petty broke his hand. Petty remembers being so high on drugs that he couldn't get an arrangement he liked. Petty went into the control room, and put the original demo tape on, which featured just him and a Rickenbacker 12-string guitar. He believed that they had yet to record an arrangement better than this demo, which made him so furious that he stormed up the stairs into his house, and punched the wall, causing severe damage to his left hand

Cool, thanks.
I told my thing straight from memory and I am happy I have it mostly correct. Helluva good song too...

pretty good for doing it from memory. I only remember it was the song "rebels" because that's one of my top 5 petty tunes

I love that song too, but didn't know that was the song, but when I heard that story back whenever I heard it, it hit home with me because I was actually messing around recording music on a multi track thing and it was insightful/useful. And I really have abided by the advice/moral I took away from his telling.

I had kind of forgotten the roots of it until greenlady told it

The bottom line is - note to self- "Don't punch walls" even when you are pretty sure (and it is/can be a lot of fun if/when) it will just be drywall (no studs)... but still... DON'T!... at least keep it to a minimum.

R.I.P. Tom Petty - Thanks for the music

Picture of me & Tom circa Full Moon Fever. RIP.

Sat next to him in the balcony at The Wiltern for the Willie and Friends show Keith played at. Just a fan that night, listening to good music.

Saw him back up Fleetwood Mac at the LA Forum in about 1980 and he played the next night headlining the Whisky and was so good at the Forum we want to the Whisky, where he was backed by The Fabulous Poodles. Some really good music played in those shows..

He was a great artist and wrote and created some great tunes.... Prayers to his family and friends.

CHELSKEITH

very sad. Times are a changing....losing so many musicians/icons of a generation...sincere sympathies to his friends and family.

[www.theguardian.com]

In addition to being a great songwriter and band leader, he was a great singer. His phrasing was the best.

Some might not want to hear or read it, but drug use. A person might not O.D. from it, but extended use of coke, heroin, pills, etc. over time, even if you eventually quit it all, wracks your body and eventually gets you anyway at a relatively young age.

Johnny Cash and his lifelong adult use of pills comes to mind. Cash seemed old and ancient but he was only 72 went he left. More recently, Glenn Frey. He used coke and Lord knows what else for years and years, leaving him with all manner of internal issues that eventually overtook him at 67 and now Petty. His coke use is legendary through the decades and the man STARTED to use heroin in his 50's. If people don't think all that abuse doesn't weaken your heart, liver, kidneys, stomach, etc., they're sadly mistaken. Someone in this thread earlier made a post that said Peter Wolf mentioned Petty needed hip surgery. If you watch a video of Petty walking offstage after his last song a week ago Monday night at the Hollywood Bowl, he's most definitely got a limp.

Using usually will make you a shell of your former self. See Richards, Keith. Old age is bad enough. Using, however, even if one quit years ago, still comes back to visit you in the form of a bad heart, malfunctioning kidneys, ulcers, (Frey), bone degeneration, poor memory, arthritis, you name it. All those things can happen anyway, but it makes no sense to hurry them along. Malcolm Young might have developed dementia anyway, but don't kid yourself that using didn't clear the way for an early arrival.

Using isn't glamorous, it isn't pretty, it isn't cool and being elegantly wasted is NOT a great long term strategy. It IS usually, sadly, fatal.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2017-10-03 14:59 by Long John Stoner.

I saw him with The Heartbreakers as support act for Bob Dylan in 1987. He was so much better as the Headliner.

RIP Tom Petty

I loved his music; however, one of my most salient memories of him was when he and his band stayed at The Sagamore Resort in upstate NY when they were on tour many..too many summers ago. They partied very heartily throughout the night much to the dismay of the resort guests. Fair enough. It's a very expensive family-oriented resort. Had to deal with many complaints the next morning. Rock 'n Roll!! Another artist gone too soon. RIP.

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Long John Stoner
Some might not want to hear or read it, but drug use. A person might not O.D. from it, but extended use of coke, heroin, pills, etc. over time, even if you eventually quit it all, wracks your body and eventually gets you anyway at a relatively young age.

Johnny Cash and his lifelong adult use of pills comes to mind. Cash seemed old and ancient but he was only 72 went he left. More recently, Glenn Frey. He used coke and Lord knows what else for years and years, leaving him with all manner of internal issues that eventually overtook him at 67 and now Petty. His coke use is legendary through the decades and the man STARTED to use heroin in his 50's. If people don't think all that abuse doesn't weaken your heart, liver, kidneys, stomach, etc., they're sadly mistaken. Someone in this thread earlier made a post that said Peter Wolf mentioned Petty needed hip surgery. If you watch a video of Petty walking offstage after his last song a week ago Monday night at the Hollywood Bowl, he's most definitely got a limp.

Using usually will make you a shell of your former self. See Richards, Keith. Old age is bad enough. Using, however, even if one quit years ago, still comes back to visit you in the form of a bad heart, malfunctioning kidneys, ulcers, (Frey), bone degeneration, poor memory, arthritis, you name it. All those things can happen anyway, but it makes no sense to hurry them along. Malcolm Young might have developed dementia anyway, but don't kid yourself that using didn't clear the way for an early arrival.

Using isn't glamorous, it isn't pretty, it isn't cool and being elegantly wasted is NOT a great long term strategy. It IS usually, sadly, fatal.

Its true. so many friends are dying.

I lost my guy to vodka at age 50.

I am so sad about Tom Petty. just because of my early years

Seemed a genuinely sincere musician living his dream by all accounts. I saw him in Hyde Park earlier this year and it was a great experience. Yet another major loss on the music scene.

RIP Tom - a True Rebel

His daughter (Annakim Violette Petty) said: “@rollingstone my dad is not dead yet but your f***ing magazine is,” she wrote. “your slim [surprised emoji] has been pieces of tabloid dog s***. You put the worst artists on your covers do zero research. How dare you report that my father has died just to get press because your articles and photos are so dated.” "This is my father not a celebrity,” she added. “An artist and a human being.”

This past weekend I watched the 2011 Martin Scorsese documentary film on George Harrison called "Living in the Material World." Tom Petty had a bit part talking about George and the Traveling Wilburys. For the first time I really took notice of him and thought man this guy has got it together. That image of him stuck with me until I heard the news yesterday.

I was never a real fan of his, but heard his mainstream music quite often on the radio. A most unexpected loss. RIP Tom Petty.

Just love his voice at "End of the line"

[www.youtube.com]

TE
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