Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
Retro Rock Radio Broadcast
February 22, 1982

This upload is a bittersweet one, as Tom Petty passed away earlier today. This recording is something I don’t think anyone has ever heard since its initial noted broadcast in February of 1982. This particular recording featured selections from one of Tom’s live performances on his 1979 tour – as to which show in particular, I am uncertain – interspersed with station bumpers and pre-recorded advertisements. Further, I’m not actually sure for which station it was produced. This was acquired at a garage sale around 2005-2006 with no establishing or identifying info whatsoever, other than that it was for “Retro Rock”. I have been unable to locate any info on such a show in any markets, so any historical/geographical context would be appreciated.

This was transferred around 11-12 years ago from a 12″ LP that wasn’t in the best of shape. The equipment used to carry out the transfer wasn’t the best either; you can throw the blame on an inexperienced young music lover who just got into this hobby. 🙂 The LP wound up going to a lady friend who loved Tom Petty a heck of a lot more than me.

Interestingly, the record this was transferred from included sponsor spots for Budweiser and Lee Jeans; they are included, as are the program bumpers. Below the break is the text from the typewritten track-list and notes that came with the LP.

I never intended to share this and have long since forgotten the means by which it was transferred, so the lineage can be best approximated as follows:

LP >> Hitachi HT-324 Turntable >> PC >> 16-bit/96kHz FLAC

It’s not pretty, but it is Petty. Hope you enjoy.

TOM PETTY – FACT SHEET

Today we have four albums from Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, but in 1979 we only had the first three. Success hasn’t been easy for Tom. He has had several law suits that kept him from easily releasing records as he would like. From the movement of his label from ABC to MCA (with the sale of ABC records to MCA records), to keeping “Hard Promises” at an $8.98 list price, Tom’s seen more lawyers and judges than the National Enquirer. While the price dispute over “Hard Promises” has been chronicled in every rock publication and trade magazine printed in the United States, it would be remiss not to mention that Tom held firm on his stand in the aforementioned “Hard Promises” not being released at $9.98 and that the album was released at $8.98.

So here is Stan Lynch, Benmont Tench, Mike Campbell, Ron Blair, and Tom Petty. . . Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, live from 1979, just a few weeks before Tom had a tonsillectomy.

Tom, like Don Felder and Bernie Leadon, is from Gainesville, Florida.

SIDE ONE