Wild-Eyed Southern Boys is the fourth studio album by American Southern rock band .38 Special, released on January 3, 1981, by A&M Records.[1][2] The album spawned the hit single "Hold On Loosely", which remains a staple track of classic rock, as well as the group's discography.[3][4] The album reached No. 23 on the Canadian charts.[5] A remastered CD, with four bonus live tracks, was reissued by Rock Candy Records in September 2023.
| Wild-Eyed Southern Boys | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | January 3, 1981 | |||
| Recorded | September 1979 – July 1980 | |||
| Studio |
| |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 39:30 | |||
| Label | A&M | |||
| Producer | Rodney Mills | |||
| 38 Special chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [6] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide |  [7] |
Track listing
edit- "Hold On Loosely" (Don Barnes, Jim Peterik, Jeff Carlisi) – 4:39
- "First Time Around" (Barnes, Carlisi, Larry Steele, Donnie Van Zant) – 3:59
- "Wild-Eyed Southern Boys" (Peterik) – 4:18
- "Back Alley Sally" (Carlisi, Van Zant) – 3:11
- "Fantasy Girl" (Carlisi, Peterik) – 4:06
- "Hittin' and Runnin'" (Barnes, Peterik) – 4:55
- "Honky Tonk Dancer" (Barnes, Steele, Van Zant) – 4:59
- "Throw Out the Line" (Barnes, Carlisi, Van Zant) – 3:45
- "Bring It On" (Carlisi, Steele, Van Zant) – 5:38
Personnel
edit- Donnie Van Zant – lead vocals (2–4, 7–9), backing vocals
- Don Barnes – rhythm and lead guitar, piano (3), lead vocals (1, 3, 5, 6), backing vocals
- Jeff Carlisi – lead and rhythm guitar, steel guitar
- Larry Junstrom – bass
- Steve Brookins – drums
- Jack Grondin – drums
Additional personnel
edit- Steve McRay – piano (4, 6, 7)
- Terry Emery – percussion
- Carol Bristow – backing vocals
- Lu Moss – backing vocals
- Carol Veto – backing vocals
Production
edit- Rodney Mills – producer, engineer
- Greg Quesnel – engineer
- Bob Ludwig – mastering at Masterdisk (New York City, New York)
- Chuck Beeson – art direction, design
- Mick McGinty – illustrations
- Willardson & White, Inc. – illustrations
- Paddy Reynolds – sleeve photography
Charts
edit| Chart (1981) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)[8] | 23 |
| US Billboard 200[9] | 18 |
Certifications
edit| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United States (RIAA)[10] | Platinum | 1,000,000^ |
|
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
References
edit- ^ Strong, M. C. (1996). The Great Rock Discography, 3rd Ed. Omnibus Press. p. 831. ISBN 086-241-541-1.
- ^ "38 Special - 40 years ago today, January 3, 1981, 38 Special released the album Wild-Eyed Southern Boys. It became their first Platinum selling album. For those who are posting 39 years....... Remedial math classes are available near you LOL | Facebook". www.facebook.com.
- ^ Anderson, Skip (2017-05-09). "10 Essential 38 Special Songs". ClassicRockHistory.com. Retrieved 2023-05-11.
- ^ "The Greatest Songs From .38 Special". I Love Classic Rock. 19 July 2019. Retrieved 2023-05-11.
- ^ "RPM Top 50 Albums - July 4, 1981" (PDF).
- ^ Wild-Eyed Southern Boys at AllMusic
- ^ The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. p. 702.
- ^ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 0359". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved December 11, 2024.
- ^ "38 Special Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved December 11, 2024.
- ^ "American album certifications – 38 Special – Wild-Eyed Southern Boys". Recording Industry Association of America.
