Hard Promises is the fourth studio album by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers released on May 5, 1981, on Backstreet Records.

History

Its working title was Benmont's Revenge, referring to keyboard player Benmont Tench.^[10] The album features guest vocals from Stevie Nicks of Fleetwood Mac on the duet "Insider". The Heartbreakers also recorded the hit "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around" for Nicks' album Bella Donna around the time Hard Promises was recorded.

This was the second Tom Petty album on the Backstreet Records label. The album's release was delayed while Petty and his distributor MCA Records argued about the list price. The album was slated to be the next MCA release with the new list price of $9.98, following Steely Dan's Gaucho and the Olivia Newton-John/Electric Light Orchestra Xanadu soundtrack. This so-called "superstar pricing" was $1.00 more than the usual list price of $8.98.^[11] Petty voiced his objections to the price hike in the press and the issue became a popular cause among music fans. Non-delivery of the album or naming it Eight Ninety-Eightwere considered, but eventually MCA decided against the price increase.^[12]

The final title comes from a line in the chorus of "Insider".

Hard Promises is the last full album to feature the original Heartbreakers lineup, as bassist Ron Blair left after the album's release. He returned on Mojo, and he would make guest appearances on Long After Darkand Southern Accents and, after rejoining the band in 2002, played on select tracks on The Last DJ. He was replaced by Howie Epstein, who continued to play until his removal in 2002 due to deteriorating health.