Rebels (song)

"Rebels" is a song by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. It

"Rebels"
appeared on the 1985 album Southern Accents and was released as
a single in the same year. Although it only reached #74 on the
Billboard Hot 100 pop chart, it fared much better on the Billboard
Album Rock Tracks chart, where it peaked at #5.

Contents
"Rebels" and Petty's broken hand
Reception
Personnel
Cover versions Single by Tom Petty and the
Charts Heartbreakers
References from the album Southern
Accents
B-side "Southern Accents"
"Rebels" and Petty's broken hand
Released March 25, 1985

The track was recorded in 1984. It was during the recording of this Recorded 1984
track that Petty broke his hand. Petty remembers being so high on Genre Heartland rock
drugs that he could not get an arrangement he liked. Petty went
Length 5:21 (4:12 single
into the control room, and put the original demo tape on, which
featured just him and a Rickenbacker 12-string guitar. He believed version)
that they had yet to record an arrangement better than this demo, Label MCA
which made him so furious that he stormed up the stairs into his Songwriter(s) Tom Petty
house, and punched the wall, causing severe damage to his left
hand. After taking time off for his hand to heal, Petty called Jimmy Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
Iovine in to help him finish "Rebels" along with some other tracks singles chronology
on Southern Accents. Alan "Bugs" Weidel, Tom's roadie, "Don't "Rebels"
"Make It
considers "Rebels" a least favorite of his due to Petty's broken Come (1985) Better
hand.[1] Around (Forget
Here No About Me)"
Reception More"
(1985)
(1985)
Cash Box said that it's "another strong outing from Petty And The
Heartbreakers" and highlighted "Petty’s urgent vocal and lyrics of alienation."[2]

Personnel
Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers
 Tom Petty – 12-string guitar, lead vocals
Mike Campbell – guitars, bass, keyboards
Benmont Tench – keyboards, backing vocals
Stan Lynch – drums, backing vocals
Howie Epstein – backing vocals

Additional musicians

William Bergman – horn, tenor saxophone, backing vocals

John Berry Jr. – trumpet, horn
Dick Braun – trumpet, horn, backing vocals
Jim Coile – horn, tenor saxophone, backing vocals
Kurt McGettrick – horn, backing vocals
Molly Duncan – saxophone
Dave Plews – trumpet
Bobbye Hall – percussion

Cover versions
The Drive-By Truckers released a cover version of Rebels on their compilation The Fine Print: A
Collection of Oddities and Rarities in 2009.

Charts
Peak

Chart (1985)
position
U.S. Billboard Album Rock Tracks 5
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 75

References
1. Zollo, Paul. Conversations With Tom Petty (2005): 95-97
2. "Single Releases" (https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/80s/1985/CB-
1985-08-17.pdf) (PDF). Cash Box. August 17, 1985. p. 11. Retrieved 2022-08-01.

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This page was last edited on 1 August 2022, at 18:09 (UTC).

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