1977 april – JUNE

—- MELODY MELODY MAKER MAKER JUNE JUNE 25 —- tT didn’tDIDN'T seemSEEM right right somehow,somehow, sandwiching TomTom PettyPetty betweenbetween the Muppets andand Kenny Kenny Rogers,Rogers, butbut stranger things have happened on the setset of of Top Of The PopsPops.. 1 Petty, prettypretty exhaustedexhausted by the time 112:I.1161P Ithe dress rehearsal is takingtaking placeplace andand withwith no sleep for twotwo days,days, isis bemused bemused by thethe wholewhole carrycarry-on, -on, butbut stillstill maintains maintains control. I mean,mean, it isis expectedexpected thatthat he shouldshould be onon hishis kneesknees VETT! “We’re"We'reprofessionals": professionals”: thanking producer producer Robin Robin Nash Nash for for the MUMS (l–r)(I-r)Benmont Benmont Tench, Tench, exposure. He shouldn’tshouldn't be stopping in the MikeMikeCampbell,Tom Campbell, , Ron BlairBlairand and middle of thethe song,song, complainingcomplaining that the Stan LynchLynch backstagebackstage backing track isn'tisn’t loud enough. He does. in LA,LA,Augusti977 August 1977 Any respectablerespectable band, according to to Petty'sPetty’s Island Records'Records’ press officer, isis embarrassed embarrassed at participating in in the the TO TOTP TP charade, charade, thoughthough theythey frustrating me me now. now. I'mI’m not ableable toto control control everythingeverything won'twon’t bluntly admit to to it. Petty seems a littlelittle that’sthat's happenin'happenin’ around around me me because because we've we’ve been so frustrated about about it it all, andand onon returningreturning to thethe overwhelmed since since coming coming to to England. England. Since Since I Igot got off off the dressing room, immediately heads heads for for the whiskybwhisky bottle ottle for consolation.consolation. plane, the insanityinsanity hasn’thasn't stopped…stopped... thoughthough I I like insanity.insanity. When the show isis finally finallyrecorded, recorded, PettyPetty andand thethe HeartbreakersHeartbreakers actually “I"I mean,mean, I’mI'm insane.insane. This is likelike goin’goin' toto Disneyland,Disneyland, you know.know. It’sIt's an an look asas ifif they’re they're enjoying enjoying itit all. all. Whisky Whiskyrock'n'rollers. rock’n’rollers. E-couponE -coup on ride. ride. Mr Mr Toad’s Toad's Wild Wild Ride. Ride. That’s That's what what I I think think itit is: is: into into the the bus, bus, The appearance on on Top Top Of TheThe PopsPops,, important important though it it is in into the dressing room,room, ontoonto thethe stage,stage, backback to the studio. determining the the fate fate of of thethe single, single, "Anything“Anything That'sThat’s Rock'n'Roll",Rock’n’Roll”, seemsseems “After"After thethe Rainbow,Rainbow, we’rewe're justjust takin’takin' a week off,off, to to get get things things togethertogether how trivial when placed alongside the catalogue ofof eventsevents thatthat have whiskedwhisked we want to do ’em.'em. We were were just just a a little little band, band, you you know, know, before before this, this, just just Tom PettyPetty && The The Heartbreakers Heartbreakers from from being being an an unknown unknownAmerican American band trying to rock’n’rollrock'n'roll- – and and now now it's it’s a a bit more pushy. We’reWe're gratefulgrateful andand allall a couple of monthsmonths agoago to one that is is on the lips of most people in the that, that people digit,dig it, but I'mI’m justjust concernedconcerned that it staysstays underunder control.control. music business and quicklyquicklywinning winning popularity among the masses. “We"We justjust wanna wanna get onon andand play.play. If Ifyou you hire hire thisthis band,band, you’llyou'll get aa Backed only byby aa debut debut albumalbum and very little feedback from their own rock’n’rollrock'n'roll show.show. This is aa realreal thing.thing. II get get slightly slightlyput put offoff by by the the theatre theatre country, Petty and hishis band dallied dallied in in a a couple ofof months agoago to a supportsupport groups, orwhateveror whatever they they are. are. A A lot ofof rock rock bands bands try tryto to actact likelike theatre theatre spot on the prestigious NilsNils Lofgren tour.tour. Lofgren’sLofgren's successsuccess patternpattern is groups, and itit just ain’tain't real at all. It’sIt's justjust aa big big stance. stance. II don’t don't think think thatthat similar to Petty’sPetty's build-up,build-up, withwith minimal minimalAmerican American recognition and you shouldshould do anythinganything thatthat you you can'tcan’t back back up.up. A stancestance shouldn’tshouldn't be quite the opposite here. taken unless it'sit’s determineddetermined byby the music.music. Petty, historyhistory now hashas it,it, went went down down thethe proverbialproverbial stormstorm on thethe LofgrenLofgren “There’s"There's a lotlot thatthat isis 8080 percent percent stancestance and 20 percentpercent music. It'sIt’s like, cancan tour, and Island Records sussedsussed out thatthat they hadhad aa winnerwinner onon theirtheir the music catchcatchup up on on the the stance? stance? I've I’ve thought thought about about it it a a lot lot and it'sit’s not hands, backing up their optimism with Petty'sPetty’s right. The musicmusic shouldshould determinedetermine the stance, own headlining tour tour as as soon soon as as his his Lofgren know what I I mean? You You are what you are. commitment had had ended. ended. It It was, was, I think, an “I"I wannawanna be good. We’reWe're professionals.professionals. I don’tdon't unprecedented move, move, a virtually unknown act “When"When I was think that'sthat’s a a bad word. It’sIt's justjust guaranteeing guaranteeing turning fromfrom support to headline literally people their money's money’s worth. worth. You You can'tcan’t say, say, overnight, but the optimism of of the record ‘Well,`Well, I’ve I've been been out out forfor 14 14 nights nights and and thisthis isis thethe company and promoter waswas borne out, with anan 14,14, me me andand 15th, so fuck it.'it.’ enthusiastic response response from from fans fans whowho recalled “You"You havehave to go outout and kick it. It’sIt's a little bit of Petty'sPetty’s performance as as support support to to Nils. Nils. Mike used toto a tricktrick stayin’stayin' inin thatthat frameframe of mindmind wherewhere youyou Petty and the HeartbreakersHeartbreakers got together can kick it atat will.will. Really,Really, it’sit's just just aa matter matter of about 18 18 months ago ago in in LosLos Angeles. He hadhad stayin’stayin' aware ofof what’swhat's goin'goin’ on."on.” known the band (Stan (, Lynch, , play inin those Accepting, then, that PettywasPetty was aware of the andand BenmontBenmont Tench) from his days dramatic incidents surrounding him him since since his back home in Florida, from whichwhich theythey hadhad topless bars” British arrival, did he think that that he he was was re ready ady to all departed toto seek fame and fortune in topless bars" go outout onon aa headlining headlining tour so soon after greener fields. supportingsupporting Lofgren?Lofgren? TheThe boyboyis is confident.confident. Petty had come to LALAwith with a a band band called called Mudcrutch andand whenwhen theythey “Yeah,"Yeah, II did, did, II knew knewwe we were. This is a goodgood band. We We know it'sit’s a good broke up, his timetime was spentspent working in thethe studio,studio, fulfilling his band. When wewe came on the Nils tour, we had a nearnear riot goin’goin' on atat thethe recording contract contract with with Shelter. Shelter. Pettyjust Petty just had had to to get get out out of of the South. first giggig withinwithin 1515 minutes. minutes. II could could tell tell what what was was happenin’ happenin' andand itit The legendary “Southern"Southern boogie"boogie” wasn'twasn’t quite his bag. happened every night. “Nothin’"Nothin"gainst ’gainst it," it,” Petty mutters from behind his sleepysleepyhaze. haze. “It"It stillstill hasn’thasn't gotgot artificial,artificial, but I don’tdon't wantwant to staystay onon thethe roadroad muchmuch "I“I thoughtthought the Allmans were good, but I didn’tdidn't digdig thethe imitations.imitations. I mean,mean, longer withoutwithout havin’havin' a chancechance to stopstop andand thinkthink about all this,this, getget somesome I livedlived inin thethe SouthSouth forfor years years and and notnot everybodyeverybodyplayed played that that way. way. II more songs, keep evolving andand keep raisingraising the standards. I I don'tdon’t like the remember seein'seein’ thethe AllmansAllmans when theytheywere were playin'playin’ Beatles songs andand music business and I refuserefuse becomebecome aa businessman, businessman, althoughalthough I knowknow wearin'wearin’ collarless collarless jackets. jackets. Theywere They were one one of of the the first first bands bands I Iever ever saw. saw. you’veyou've got toto dealde al with with it. it. I Ijust just want want to to entertain. entertain. IfIfwe we allall getget toto be be great great “Then"Then they gotgot thisthis newnew kinda kinda thingthing andand everybodyeverybodyjust just jumped over over to musicians, we we won'twon’t all just stand there there and and say, say, 'Hey, ‘Hey, dig my hands, dig it, andand thenthen everybody else naturallynaturally assumed that that it it hadhad beenbeen goin'goin’ onon mymyfingers, fingers, or dig my throat.’throat.' for years.years. ItIt was was like, like, ‘Hey 'Heyman, man, there’sthere's aa record record companycompany openedopened up in “We"We ain’tain't thatthat way. We’reWe're cruisers. cruisers. I’dI'd rather rather havehave aa few few drinks drinks and and dancedance Macon [Capricorn] and and all all ya ya gotta do is playplaylike like this and you you get a around, but but still still play. play. All thethe peoplepeople II always always liked liked did did that. that. TheyTheyplayed. played. contract.'contract.’ But But it just wasn’twasn't the kinda thing wewe were IfIfyou you went to seesee thethe RollingRolling Stones,Stones, youyou actually actually sawsaw into. We werewere moremore English-influenced.English -influenced. I I got my firstfirst something. You You saw thethe band play. ThereThere was moremore guitar afterafter I I heard The and Stones. Stones. I I always to itit thanthan what your ears got andand there waswas more toto dug that stuff…”stuff..." it thanthan what your eyes got. He goes off onon aa tangent, tangent, as is hishis wont.wont. “I’ve"I've seenseen instancesinstances where the image takestakes “I"I digdig rock rock bands bands thatthat areare rockrock bands bands thatthat are over everything.everything. WhatWhat wewe are is a workingworking

Michael Ochs archives/getty Ochs Michael complete entities. That'sThat’s one of thethe thingsthings that’sthat's rock’n’rollrock'n'roll band.”band."

76 I| HISTORY OF ROCKROCK 19771977