Mike Campbell, author: Heartbreaker: A Memoir (book)

Growing up, Tom Petty was always part of my life’s soundtrack. Into adulthood (especially when the Wildflowers LP came out), I began to appreciate his music more; the deceptively simple arrangements, awesome harmonies, and catchy hooks. Many of those catchy hooks were courtesy of Tom’s longtime guitarist and collaborator, Mike Campbell [Tape Op #150], with whom he worked for almost 50 years. Written with Ari Surdoval, the first half of the book digs into Campbell’s early life in bands with Petty in Gainesville, Florida, including Mudcrutch and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. The second half covers Petty’s solo records, Traveling Wilburys, tours backing Bob Dylan, and more. It’s easy to forget that much of this was pre-internet, which means there is less historical content available to the public. Lucky for us, Campbell shares his personal experiences throughout this book – I had forgotten how many fabulous songs Mike Campbell co-wrote with Tom Petty and others! Readers get some insight into the ups and downs a band can go through, both in the studio and on the road, however, Heartbreaker is not a tell-all exposé. Campbell shares details of the studios where various demos, tracks, and albums were recorded, including the process of making those recordings. Did you know that one of Petty’s best-selling albums, Full Moon Fever, was mostly recorded in Campbell’s garage studio? Petty’s passing in 2017 was devastating to Campbell and many others, but he eventually found his way to other projects, including his band, The Dirty Knobs. I thought Heartbreaker was an excellent read, and I also recommend catching a Dirty Knobs performance!