Pages

Monday, April 2, 2012

The #39 Guitarist of the Rock Era: Mike Campbell

We have heard already from Scotty Moore and the Edge, two guitarists who excel because they don't try to become the focal point of songs.  Although this guy can play a heck of a guitar solo, he is cut from the same mold:
#39:  Mike Campbell, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers
39 years as an active guitarist

Michael Wayne "Mike" Campbell was born February 1, 1950 in Panama City, Florida. He is famous for being the lead guitarist for Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers.
 
Campbell bought his first guitar, a Harmony, at a pawnshop in Jacksonville, Florida.  Campbell was influenced by Bob Dylan and the Byrds, and he observed guitarists Jimmy Page, George Harrison, Scotty Moore, Keith Richards and Neil Young, among others.  

Campbell graduated from Jean Ribault High School in Jacksonville in 1968.  He formed a band called Dead or Alive but they did not last long.  Campbell then met Tom Petty and formed a group with drummer Randall Marsh and keyboardist Benmont Tench called Mudcrutch.  


Mudcrutch scored a recording contract with Shelter Records and moved to Los Angeles.  The group released a single, "Depot Street" and then disbanded.  The group then re-formed as Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers with Petty, Campbell, Tench, Ron Blair on bass and drummer Stan Lynch.
 

The Heartbreakers recorded their self-titled album on ABC Records, which did not catch on in the United States, but found airplay in the U.K.  "Breakdown" and "American Girl" received airplay, which led the record company to re-release the former.  That became a minor hit in 1978.  The group's follow-up, You're Gonna' Get It! went gold and, after a legal dispute when ABC Records sold to MCA, the band marched on.


The group's third album was Damn the Torpedoes, which was their breakthrough.  That LP yielded their first Top 10 song, "Don't Do Me Like That", another Top 15, "Refugee", as well as the top tracks "Here Comes My Girl" and "Even the Losers". The latter three are among The Top Unknown/Underrated Songs of the Rock Era*.


In 1981, Petty & the Heartbreakers released Hard Promises, which contained "The Waiting", but it wasn't near as successful as Damn the Torpedoes.  The album Long After Dark followed, with Howie Epstein replacing Blair on bass.  "You Got Lucky" and "Change of Heart" were minor hits.  Southern Accents in 1985 included "Don't Come Around Here No More", another Top 15 song, that was produced and co-written with Dave Stewart of the Eurythmics.  The group also performed in the charity concert called Live Aid.
 

A successful tour followed and produced the live album Pack Up the Plantation:  Live!, which showed the abilities of Campbell and the rest of the group.  Bob Dylan invited the group to join him on his tour of Australia, Japan, the United States and Europe in 1986-87.  The group released Let Me Up (I've Had Enough), which included a song Campbell wrote with Petty & Dylan called "Jammin' Me".


In 1991, the Heartbreakers released Into the Great Wide Open, their best album in years.  Multi-instrumentalist Scott Thurston had joined the band for the new album, produced by Jeff Lynne of ELO, which included the great track "Learning to Fly".  In 1993, the group's Greatest Hits compilation was released with a new single, "Mary Jane's Last Dance".  


In 1994, Lynch was fired and replaced briefly by Dave Grohl before Steve Ferrone was added to the Heartbreakers.  Petty's solo releases and work with the Traveling Wilburys followed before the new Heartbreakers album Echo in 1999, which reached the Top 10.  The group performed in the concert 2001 America: A Tribute to Heroes, organized to help victims of the September 11th attacks in New York City and Washington, D.C.


In 2002, the group released The Last DJ, which put into song the group's frustrations with the music industry and the major record companies.  Ron Blair came back into the fold on the album and subsequent tour as Epstein fell into the abyss of drugs and eventually died.


In 2007, a four-hour documentary of the group called Runnin' Down a Dream was released.  In 2008, the Heartbreakers performed at halftime of Super Boxl XLII and the members of Mudcrutch, including Petty, Campbell and Tench, recorded a new album.


In 1999, the group was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and in 2002, Petty and the Heartbreakers were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.  In 2006, the group received the keys to the city of Gainesville, Florida, where members of the group either lived or grew up.  


Campbell has produced most of the Heartbreakers albums as well as Petty's solo albums Full Moon FeverWildflowers and Highway Companion.  Campbell also played on every track on Petty's solo albums, which included great guitar work on "Runnin' Down a Dream" as well as "Free Fallin'" and "I Won't Back Down".


Campbell has also co-written songs for other artists, including "The Boys of Summer" and "The Heart of the Matter" with Don Henley, and songs for Fleetwood Mac, Johnny Cash, Stevie Nicks, John Prine, Brian Setzer, J.D. Souther and Roger McGuinn.  Campbell also helped produce Roy Orbison's album Mystery Girl and Mike played guitar on "Sixth Avenue Heartache" by the Wallflowers.  Campbell has also worked with Dylan, George Harrison, Jackson Browne, Warren Zevon and Tracy Chapman.

Campbell still tours and works with the Heartbreakers and also works with his side-band, called the Dirty Knobs.  


Campbell plays a style that works into each song with the group, rather than dominate a song by overplaying.  Guitar World


Campbell plays the 1950's Fender Broadcaster, a 1956 Gretsch Fire Jet, a 1964 Stratocaster, a 1968 Gibson Les Paul goldtop, a 1970's Les Paul Custom and Les Paul Jr. a lot through his career.  Duesenberg Guitars recently released the Heartbreakers 30th Anniversary Mike Campbell Signature Model.  It is bright blue, complete with Shelby racing stripes with stunning chrome hardware and a hollow body look. 


Mike prefers the early 1960's Vox AC30 and blackface Fender Princeton amplifiers.  He also used mid-60's Vox Super Beatles, late 1950's Fender Tweed Deluxe, the Fender Super Six, the Ampeg Rocket, the early 1960's Fender Bassman and the Kustom 200.
 

If you've heard Campbell go off on a great solo such as on "Runnin' Down a Dream", you know he has the talent to do so.  Clearly, he knows when the guitar should dominate and when it should accompany the song.  There was a time when he wasn't recognized as one of the great guitarists but that day is long gone.  Mike Campbell ranks #39 for the Rock Era*...

No comments:

Post a Comment

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.