There was a time when I wasn’t much of Tom Petty fan. But then he joined a band with George Harrison, Bob Dylan and Roy Orbison, and I took notice. So did a lot of other people. Petty proved he was more than just a Heartbreaker, although being a Heartbreaker isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Clearly, without the Heartbreakers, Tom Petty wouldn’t be the star he is today. According to the fantastic documentary Runnin’ Down A Dream, Petty got a solo deal when he came to Hollywood. He then proceeded to put the Heartbreakers together. But when he originally came to Hollywood, he came from Florida with another band called Mudcrutch.
Why the rich and famous Tom Petty, along with his Heartbreaker band mates Mike Campbell and Benmont Tench, would take a step back and regroup Mudcrutch is anyone’s guess. It apparently had a lot to do with the participation of the two guys who didn’t go on to become world famous rock stars — drummer Randall Marsh, who actually brought in Campbell, and Petty’s high school buddy, guitarist Tom Leadon (whom also happens to be the brother of Bernie Leadon, an original member of the Eagles).
Petty has to be one of the most gracious and sincere musicians in the biz. He hasn’t let the whole fame trip change his attitude about how he makes music. And apparently, he hasn’t forgotten his roots either. Can you imagine Paul McCartney calling up Pete Best and suggesting they record a record together? Well, that’s almost what this is like. A couple days ago, Mudcrutch dropped their 14-track debut album, over 30 years after their break-up.
You can hear 6 of the songs here:
http://www.imeem.com/mudcrutch/playlist/Z1jSQJpl/mcpl_music_playlist/
The Mudcrutch Story
http://www.amazon.com/gp/mpd/permalink/m7BRNMTPCG048:m1L3KXXSHMULY7
There’s also some audience-shot videos of recent Mudcrutch shows floating around. Check these out:
Lover of the Bayou
Scare Easy
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