@slaw: Sorry Steve, I’ve been suffering a little with some kind of illness. Really sore and achy all over. No fever or trouble breathing, plus I’m fully vaccinated, so it’s not Covid.
Anyway, Leon didn’t choose Tom over Twilley; both were signed to Shelter, Twilley first. And it wasn’t that Shelter didn’t put a push behind Twilley---they promoted the band, and the debut album and single ("I’m On Fire") did pretty well. But Tom & The Heartbreakers, for whatever reason, just found a much bigger audience.
The first Dwight Twilley Band album is an amazing melding of early Elvis and The Beatles, Petty’s first an updated Byrds (both over-simplifications, of course). I saw the second line up of the DTB (after Phil Seymour left) live, and they were fantastic. TP & The Heartbreakers are just an average Rock band imo. Petty’s not one of my favorite writers or singers, Mike Campbell not a favorite guitarist. Twilley’s guitarist Bill Pitcock IV was (R.I.P.) amazing! But then my taste is not in line with that of most people.
But there’s another matter, one I hesitate to bring up (I don’t like being negative ;-): I have an old friend whose band opened for TP & THB’s in Anaheim (Campbell is a fan of theirs), and he related to me the band’s encounter with Petty before the show. The story is not flattering to Petty, let’s just say. And then there is this: In the documentary on George Harrison, Petty is being interviewed, and he describes George thusly: "He liked to surround himself with people who are good at what they do." A big smile then crosses his face, and you realize: Tom wants you to know he is one of those people. I find that embarrassing, don’t you?
But a music career like Tom’s is a rarity, so good for him. I’m looking forward to hearing Lucinda perform his songs.
