Song: “The Boys of Summer”
This 1984 classic helped one songwriter avoid foreclosure
In 1983, Mike Campbell, the guitarist for Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, was facing foreclosure on his home. The band had been idle so no money was coming in from touring, and previous record deals had not yielded the kind of steady income he and his wife needed, despite owning a modest home in LA.
Years prior, Campbell’s wife had urged him to buy an 8-track mixer and recorder so he could capture and share song ideas. While he didn’t see the value at first, it did allow him to present some of his musical sketches to Petty for songs like “Refugee” and “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around,” Stevie Nicks’ first major solo hit.
The basic drum pattern, synths, and guitar riffs for “Boys of Summer” were offered to Petty, but in a lower key and in what Campbell called “a slightly inferior version” of the song. It had one chord that made producer Jimmy Iovine cringe — “Eh, it sounds like jazz.” Campbell was deflated.
However, Iovine knew Don Henley was looking for a new song to complete his first solo album, which was due in short order, so he made a call. Campbell drove over to Henley’s house, played the track for him, minus the “jazzy” chord, and Henley said, “OK, maybe I can do something with that.”
Campbell left the cassette behind and went home to worry about making his mortgage.
Weeks later, Campbell received a call from Henley, who told him, “Oh, I just wrote the best song of my life to your music.” He asked if Campbell could come back and record the full track with him. The only condition? Henley had raised the key of the song so it suited his high tenor better, meaning every instrument needed to be transposed to the new key.
Campbell worked like a dog to bring everything up to suit the higher key, including his guitar work, and they recorded the song in just a few days. Henley’s new album was due, so they had to work fast.
“The Boys of Summer” was released in 1984. It became a smash hit for Henley. It reached #5 on the US charts and was an instant classic. Campbell recalled hearing it “everywhere” that summer — as cars drove by, in stores and malls, on the beach, and in restaurants, often out of two sources at once.
Petty later told Campbell, “Boy, you know, you were really lucky with that. I wish I would have had the presence of mind to not let that get away.”
Before long, a check arrived at Campbell’s home for his first share of songwriting royalties for “The Boys of Summer.” Not only did the sum ensure his family would avoid foreclosure, the issue suddenly seemed unlikely to ever arise again.
Enjoy!