The 1979 classic, featured on the band's breakthrough album, pushed the group to its limits in the studio and nearly caused internal fractures before becoming a major radio hit.
The song’s success came despite a recording process that tested the patience of everyone involved.
Mike Campbell, the band’s lead guitarist and co-writer of the song, originally developed the music at home using a four-track recorder. Inspired by guitarist Mick Taylor’s playing and experimenting with a new Gibson guitar, Campbell created the foundation that would eventually become “Refugee.”
Tom Petty and Ron Blair from Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers perform live on stage at the Hammersmith Odeon before their concert on May 14, 1977.Photo by Ian Dickson/Redferns
Tom Petty quickly connected with the music. According to the singer, the lyrics came together in about 10 minutes after hearing Campbell’s demo.
While writing the song came naturally, recording it proved to be a different story.
“We just had a hard time getting the feel right. We must have recorded that 100 times,” Campbell said in a later interview, according to Far Out Magazine.
At one point during the sessions, Lynch was temporarily dismissed as frustrations boiled over.
The pressure affected the entire group. Campbell became so frustrated that he walked away from the sessions altogether.
Despite the setbacks, the band refused to abandon the song.
By some accounts, more than 100 takes were recorded before the group finally captured the version that appeared on the album.
More than four decades later, “Refugee” remains a staple of classic rock radio and is widely regarded as one of the greatest songs in Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers’ catalog. Billboard ranked it among Petty’s greatest songs, while Rolling Stone later placed it near the top of its list of the singer’s best recordings.
Related: 1973 Rock Song With Zero Chart History Remains a Classic 53 Years Later
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