Hard Promises

For the 1992 American romantic comedy film, see Hard Promises (film).

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

Hard Promises
Studio album by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
Released	May 5, 1981 (1981-05-05)
Recorded	1980–81
Studio	Sound City (Van Nuys) Cherokee (Hollywood) Goodnight (Los Angeles)
Genre	Heartland rock[1] power pop[2]
Length	39:33
Label	Backstreet
Producer	Jimmy Iovine Tom Petty
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers chronology
Damn the Torpedoes (1979) Hard Promises (1981) Long After Dark (1982)
Singles from Hard Promises
"The Waiting"/"Nightwatchman" Released: April 20, 1981 "A Woman in Love (It's Not Me)" Released: June 29, 1981 "Something Big"/"Letting You Go"

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[3]
Blender	[4]
Chicago Tribune	[5]
Christgau's Record Guide	B[6]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music	[7]
The Essential Rock Discography	6/10[8]
MusicHound Rock	[9]
Music Story	[citation needed]
Rolling Stone	(favorable)[10]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide	[11]

History

Its working title was Benmont's Revenge, referring to keyboard player Benmont Tench.^[12] 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.^[13] 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.^[14] 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.^[15]

John Lennon tribute

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.^[16]

Track listing

Side one

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"The Waiting"		3:58
2.	"A Woman in Love (It's Not Me)"	Tom Petty Mike Campbell	4:22
3.	"Nightwatchman"	Petty Campbell	3:59
4.	"Something Big"		4:44
5.	"Kings Road"		3:27

All tracks are written by Tom Petty, except where noted.

Side two

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
6.	"Letting You Go"		3:24
7.	"A Thing About You"		3:33
8.	"Insider"		4:23
9.	"The Criminal Kind"		4:00
10.	"You Can Still Change Your Mind"	Petty Campbell	4:15
Total length:			39:33

Personnel

Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers

• Tom Petty – lead and backing vocals, guitar (acoustic; 12 and 6-string electric), bass and electric piano on "Something Big"
• Mike Campbell – guitars (acoustic, electric, 12-string), bass, auto-harp, accordion, harmonium
• Benmont Tench – organ, piano, backing vocals
• Ron Blair – bass guitar
• Stan Lynch – drums, backing vocals

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 Weekly chart performance for Hard Promises Chart Position Australian Albums Chart[17] 21 Canadian RPM Albums Chart[18] 3 New Zealand Albums Chart[19] 1 Swedish Albums Chart[20] 22 UK Albums Chart[21] 32 United States Billboard 200[22] 5

Year-end charts Annual chart performance for Hard Promises Chart (1981) Position Canadian Albums Chart[23] 28 New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[24] 27 US Billboard Pop Albums 49

Certifications

Certifications for Hard Promises

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[25]	Gold	20,000^
Canada (Music Canada)[26]	Platinum	100,000^
United States (RIAA)[27]	Platinum	1,000,000^
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.