It was the first time Petty had done that, but it wasn’t the first time he had intended to do it. When Petty began making the 1985 album Southern Accents, he meant it to be a double-album that also followed a concept through to its conclusion, but things didn’t work out that way.
Thanks to Petty’s great songwriting and some interesting stylistic twists and turns, Southern Accents ended up a big hit and holds up as a classic today. But one still can’t help but wonder what might have been. Let’s look back at what took place to drastically transform this record.
Time to Kill - Petty formed a plan to record an album in his L.A. home studio. And, excitingly enough, he went to work with a concept brimming in his mind. Having previously driven through the South writing down potential song titles based on what he saw (“Apartment,” “Trailer,” etc.), he envisioned a double-album that would grapple with the complexities of the American South that he, a Florida native, knew well.
Yet not too long into these home-studio sessions, Petty met Dave Stewart of Eurythmics. Petty admired Stewart’s work and the two hit it off. They began working on an inventive track with programmed drums, female backing vocals, and quirky sounds. It deviated from Petty’s tried-and-true rock formula, but he was looking for a bit of a change anyway. “Don’t Come Around Here No More,” replete with a wild and woolly video, would introduce the new album, even thought it didn’t quite hew to the preordained concept.
Related: Dave Stewart recalls his fling with Stevie Nicks and how it led to a hit with Tom Petty
Remnants of the original idea behind Southern Accents can still be found on the album. “Rebels,” even if it wasn’t quite recorded to Petty’s approval, still stands out as a powerhouse.
Speaking of the concept, Petty intended to use the song “Rebels,” about a ne’er-do-well who blames the ghosts of the South for his own struggles, as the centerpiece. He had a demo of the song that he loved, but all his attempts to record a version with the band seemed to pale in comparison. Frustrated one day about the struggles with “Rebels,” he punched a wall and did major damage to his left hand. He required surgery and extensive rehabilitation before he could play again.
Excerpt from Americansongwriter, to read the full article click here
