Not really, they sold millions and millions of records, head liners and were all over the radio and MTV. Hell, they still play Hold on loosely, wild eyed southern boys, fantasy girl, what if I'd been the one and rockin into the night.
I was 18 years old in 1977. Driving down the road in my 70'Dodge Super bee, the 383 Magnum sending the sound of the V8 through dual glass pack rumbling on a back road,8 track playing, speakers blasting 38 SPECIAL, LYNARD SKYNARD, BOSTON..GREAT TIMES.
.38 Special was my favorite band in the 80s. As a young guitar player I was greatly influenced by Jeff Carlisi. The first song I ever sang on stage was “Hold On Loosely”. Amazingly, my current band is opening for .38 Special next month at a local county fair. To say I’m excited is an understatement!
Just got home from our opening show with .38 Special. Got to play in front of about 5,000 people. The best part was standing in the very front watching .38 Special. It was magical. Don Barnes’ voice was as good as ever, and the band just flat out rocked. I loved the fact that they played every song exactly as it should be, without indulging in needless solos or arrangements. They were so tight and sounded powerful. They played every song from the heart and were having a wonderful time doing it. I caught myself tearing up a few times as all the memories of my youth came rushing back. If you haven’t seen .38 Special, you must see them soon! They are one of the few remaining legendary groups from back in the day…even if Don is the only remaining original member…you would never know it by how great they sound!
Just heard "Hold On Loosely" this morning on a tape that I made in the 1980's. Yea, the Walkman still runs, and you can walk out the miles, 45 minutes at a side. Those cassettes that I made so long ago are like a snapshot in time and just as portable as it was in 1983. It reminds me of being a Sr in Highschool and moving on to College. And yes, I am on my 5th Walkman.
I really love when the guest says “you have really done your homework” to the host. I have only seen it with Professor of Rock and Shaun Evans on Hot Ones. They both just let the guest tell their stories. Late Night could learn from both of these guys.
@@galactor123 Before I saw your comment I was gonna add: And that goofy lookin' dweeb who's always interviewing the "rappers." He's a veritable FONT of wisdom!
I saw .38 Special in 1980, and I was floored when I saw TWO drummers and THREE lead guitars. Unbelievable sound and like none other, even Lynyrd Skynyrd.
Now this is a crazy story for the Professor so I'm living / working in Birmingham AL my hometown & Im doing some work downtown & I roll up on Boutwell Auditorium. I then go inside to give these guys a quote & end up meeting the drum tech & the band. I hung out with the guys, had a little fun & drink then ended up playing drums on a few songs in the warmup / sound check ! Boom 💥Awesome concert obviously & stayed there till they pulled out @ 2am. Btw; I had to help setup & tear down both sets of drums with the drum tech in order to get to play on the sound check which was the highlight of my musical life in the 80's
“The Cars meets Skynyrd”. That is a perfect description for this song. I grew up down South, and love new wave, but adding some blues flavor never hurts!
Never thought of that riff's relationship to The Cars, and I've heard this song a thousand times! Great song, great story... I still never tire of listening to it and it exemplifies the excellent diversity of 80s music
The way Adam digs into the history of the bands is so enlightening. His sit downs with the members discussing how their songs came about, the meaning behind the lyrics, and who the other artists were that inspired them. Loving The Professor of Rock more and more ❣️
Don has to be the most down to earth people I've ever seen interviewed. Being knee deep in my teens from 1980-1990, 38 Special was at the top of my mix tape lists. Everytime I hear any .38 Special song I sing along to it. Loud and proud! Keep 'em coming professor! Your the best !
I met him in the 80s at the height of their fame, backstage in a little cover band bar on the square in Marietta Georgia, totally down to earth. If i remember correctly, the bar as called Masquerade. He was hilarious, cutting up, laughing, his limo driver was Johnny Memphis. Not pretentious just having fun with us
Adam, You bring a comfortable reality out of all these iconic musicians you speak with. Nothing feels forced. It's just natural conversation with someone that seemed unreachable growing up. Very cool! Keep up the best interviews on all media!
If MTV...as a music channel...was relevant in 2022, Adam should be on it doing his thing. Same production, no changes, except for the MTV stingers at the beginning and the end of the show. And most definitely no one telling him who or who not to interview.
I was playing in a bar band in the 80"s and for several years Hold On Loosely and Caught Up In You were without question the crowd favorites! One of the most underrated groups of our time.
38 Special was the most prevalent band when I was playing guitar at a young age and Don Barnes and Jeff Carlisi were and always have been my biggest influences and I still play along with their music at my 66 years of age. Thanks for all the memorable moments recalled in your interviews and rockumentaries.
Awesome! Thank you for giving 38 Special a cover. They're my all time favorite band. I had the great pleasure of getting to meet Don after a show of theirs. The show was delayed by thunderstorms, so it ran late, and he was still gracious enough to set aside some time for me and my daughter (she's 8). One of the absolute nicest guys you'd ever want to meet. Was so blessed to get to share that with my daughter and pass down my enjoyment of their music. He joked around with her...made a fan for life. She asked immediately after "When can we see them again?". Going to see them has become "our thing". We've managed to get 3 or 4 shows of theirs in a year. Anyhow...again...thanks for giving these guys some love! Encourage anyone who has a chance to check out one of their shows, to do so, you won't be disappointed.
I love 38Special & was fortunate enough to meet them in September of 1986 in Atlanta when I won tickets from 96Rock radio station. I attended a pre-concert bbq with the band & the guys were so nice. The concert was wonderful & the opening band was Bon Jovi. I love all of their songs. I would love to see them again. Thank you for this video, so much.
Don is my uncle, lol and now you know how I got all the drumming gigs with rock and metal bands in the 80,s and was a roadie and back up player, tuner for the bands I was. Iron maiden, killer dwarfs, dokken, ronnie James dio, and several other, my book about it all comes out August 6th. I'm gonna send you some copies for everyone at p.o.r. we all miss ronnie van zant something awful , he was a awesome person, just being in his presence made you feel better ya know, he was that kind of person. see ya Thanksgiving uncle donnie
That is cool! I've been a fan for 40 some odd years. Been taking my daughter to their shows since she was 4 (she's 8 now). If they're in a 4-5 hour range of us...we hit the road and go! We got chance to chat with him after a show about a month ago. He was the best. My daughter brings him up all the time...when are we going again?...etc. Heading to see them again in a couple weeks. I hope your Uncle Don keeps Rockin' Into The Night because we love seeing them live and the opportunity it gives my daughter and I to do something "just us 2".
@@ProfessorofRock, they had just hit it big with Hold On Loosely. I had a friend who had just broken up with his girlfriend and I said that song was for him. He was young and very possessive. He had to know what she was doing 24/7. Naturally, this turned his girlfriend off and they broke up. After more relationships than he’d like to admit, and way far into his adult life, he did finally learn to hold on loosely.
I saw them at a local city festival. I was invited by a friend who had VIP tickets. We were literally 3-4 feet from the band on stage. It was unbelievable cool!!
Don is such a great songwriter, great vocalist and masterful guitarist - SO underrated as other posters have commented. I saw them back in 2012 in NC (with Donnie) and they were just fantastic and had so many great songs I had forgotten about. These guys need to be in the Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame - it's just ridiculous!
.38 Special was the last of the really great "Southern Rock" bands, in my opinion (for what that's worth). When you hear "Hold on Loosely" there is no doubt as to who you are listening too. That line from the tune is something every relationship should be built upon. Don't let go, but don't stifle your partner. Allow that person to be who they are. not what YOU think they should be. This goes with your children too. Influence them, but don't make them into little YOU's. This was a neat interview.
They never sounded like Southern Rock to me, though. I mean, they rock, and they are from the South, but this song is more like arena rock than anything else.
@@brucetucker4847 Still, they were from below the Mason Dickson line, so they were a "southern" rock band, with members from both southern and northern places. ;-)
On my way home from work last night, I was blasting "Rockin' into the Night". It was so difficult to maintain a speed that the local authorities would be happy about. "Hold on Loosely", "Caught up in You" and "Fantasy Girl" are all songs that force you to increase the volume on the stereo and press down a little harder on the gas pedal. I envy that you get to sit with so many legends from rock. You have the best job anyone could want. Keep up the great work!
38 special is the best. Have seen them almost 40 times in concert since 1982. Got to meet the band a few times along the way. Great guys. Hold on loosely still gives me goosebumps. Just love to crank it up loud. Beautiful song.
First time live, in 1981 I was living in Germany they played the 4th Golden Summernight Festival along with Kansas, Iron Maiden, Foreigner, Motorhead, Blue Oyster Cult and Blackfoot. I've never come across another bill again to top that one.
Wow that must have been something. I think I saw the videos on RUclips of that 38 Special concert. My wife and I are going to see them next Friday at the Four Winds casino in New Buffalo, MI and a few weeks later up north in Charlevoix michigan. Should be a rocking July!
Great video! I love .38 Special. You should do a video about “What If I’d Been The One?” It doesn’t get talked about enough, and Don’s voice REALLY shines and soars on that one. I already thought that and he really made me want to mention it when he mentioned how loud he used to sing in the studio. I always thought his voice was so powerful, and it’s beautiful on that song as well.
Love this song. Was 4 years into a relationship with the women who I am with now many decades later. We had a hot and somewhat fiery 16-21 year old on and off relationship. This song made sense to me. Hold her if want her, but loosely. Don't strangle her. Let her have her own friends and not need to crowd her 24/7. Over the years we always ended up back together. Then, we broke up in college, still friends (holding on loosely), but I moved 3000 miles away to California and built a career, a family and a life out there. HS GF and I were still pen pals. We were never enemies. Respect was always there. We were each married and raised kids. Then tragedy struck in my life. My wife died of a terminal illness. It was a long time coming but the end was sudden. I now was a single father of a 15 y/o teenage girl. As friends I had talked a lot about my loss and fears with HS GF. She listened and helped me. She always knew what to say. She mentioned nothing of her own approaching singleness. She was in the process of an amicable divorce. I had not seen her in person for 20+ years. She made me kind of crazy when I saw her (in a good way) and felt it was unwise to tempt fate. But now we were as single as we were when we met at 16 years old. For the last 17 years we have lived together happily near where we grew up. Two strategies that are important: Hold on loosely (stay friends, don't burn bridges) and trust your instincts. When we met at 16 we both knew something special was happening. When I saw the mature, working, mother of 3, adult woman my knees were weak and I almost fell over. My skinny HS GF was still my dream girl with the fine improvements that come with age and life experience. How do we stay together through Covid and 20 years apart, we hold of loosely, but we don't let go.
When this song came out my brother played drums and I played guitar. We both learned the song together. We never played it together other than when we played the record. But it was fun anyway. Such a great song!
Never fails to amuse me: Professor of Rock is a man called Adam Reader, and a Reader in a UK university is of similar rank to a non-tenured professor in a US university! :D And, since A. Reader knows his stuff well, the 'title' is pretty appropriate!
.38 Special's "Strength In Numbers" is one of my ALL-TIME favourite LPs!!! Highly underrated and underappreciated, I could listen to it everyday and never get tired of it.
Definitely one of my favorite bands growing up. I was lucky enough to see them probably 10 times at Disney at the Eat to the Beat concert series over the years. Got to see Donnie a bunch of times from the front row before he retired (maybe one of his last shows). There was a young man in a wheelchair beside me who loved the show. Donnie came over to him and gave him a pick and a drum stick at the end of the show and gave him a hug. Such a great band!!!
Loved 38 Special! My favorite band when I was in High School in the 80s. I was lucky enough to meet Don, Donnie and L.J. backstage in Columbia, SC around 99 or 2000. Great down to earth genuine guys. Funny story, we used to play the Tour de Force tape all the time in my 1968 Chevelle SS I had in high school. My steady girlfriend at the time loved that tape and she borrowed it. When we broke up, she gave me back my class ring and a couple of things she had of mine, but not my 38 Special tape. I had to go over to her house and demand she return it....lol. I got it back.
Aw...man. .38 Special will always hold a very "special" place in my heart. I was 13 when Hold on Loosely came out. It was the early days of MTV and I was playing freshman basketball with my buddies. Bus rides to away games, going to friends houses between the end of school and practice, Saturday night dances....38 Special was an essential part of the soundtrack. As we all got older in high school, .38 Special was still vital to our play list...but as girls, along with the introduction of alcohol, drugs, sex and parties...it was the 80's after all, and the quest for status and popularity, impacted our friendships, the innocence of that freshman year as kids evaporated. I loved .38 Special throughout the 80's...and still love them, but the songs of the early 80's, Hold on Loosely, Caught Up In You, What If I'd Been The One, Teacher, Teacher, etc...will always remind of those glorious days of innocence, boyhood friendships, and wholesome, optimistic fun. God bless, .38 Special...rock on!!!
Ah, 38 Special... The 80's were a hard time for a lot of Southern-Rock bands (for example: The Allman Brothers Band, Point Blank during the early 80's, then Blackfoot, Molly Hatchet during the era 1983/84), but 38 Special managed to combine their Southern-Rock roots with a fine AOR touch and it worked. There was also a band called Duke Jupiter who mixed Southern-Rock with AOR (I still have in my head "Little Lady"), but they didn't sell plenty records and were one of the underdogs. The guys of 38 Special were able to pull their weight during this decace, so kudos to them.
Love Duke Jupiter. Particularly the song, "I'll Drink To You." I believe that song is a tribute to bass player George Barajas who died of a brain tumor. I was a college student at Cornell University when this song came out. Duke Jupiter wad from Rochester, NY. I saw them live in Cortland my senior year.
Johnny Van Zant band combined the two with their 1985 album Van Zant but it got no traction. It was sad for Blackfoot, my buddies and I would never miss a show when they came to CT. They would play small clubs and each time the audiences would get smaller and smaller. 500 to 400 to 300 to 200 people. Rick`s first solo album show was a kick ass with Doug Bare on keys, wizard on bass and Harold on drums. Silent type, wild romance and R&R tonight were killer! High energy. Last time I saw Medlocke/blackfoot at Toads for after the reign right before he joined LS.
@@johnsmith-ug5tp It's interesting that in most histories of Skynyrd and Johnny they treat that album like it doesn't exist. One says Johnny quit and drove truck for a while rather than make music he didn't like. It's not a bad album though. Even had a video with Marvin Hageler the boxer. Here in a drawer somewhere I have an original promo copy of that on VHS.
@@CR7659 Yes, I`m a fighter. In one of JVZ CD`s liner notes or I read online he didn't like this album because he had very little writing input on it. He also mentioned the brickyard road album at the time was the first album he was happy with and proud of. Van Zant album songs she's out with a gun, 2+2, midnight sensation, heart to the flame and does a fool ever learn are awesome songs. I know most hate em because they are too poppy. I bought the album when it was released, then the cassette and I recently replaced my lost CD.
Daring to follow your dream...personified! The Van Zants, Barnes, Carlisi, Junstrom, Hatchet boys, Blackfoot...all the guys from my hometown Jacksonville Florida. So proud of you guys. Yall truly made the world a better place. Thank you.
Heard them first with my dad, but was the first concert I took my wife to, they performed with Styx and REO. Great somgs, great times, and great bands.
Hats off to whoever set up the shot for the interview with Jim Peterik! That rack of tapes in the foreground frames and contextualizes the interview so well. Really kickass. Hands up if you paused and zoomed to see what titles were there.
One of my all time favorite bands. These guys are still out there doing it and Don still sounds great. I've seen them live 3 times in the last 3 years and was able to take two of my sons this last time. They loved every minute of it.
Damn! This is definitely your best interview. You really got the story and this great band, that music critics at the time overlooked, wrote songs that stand the test of time and provide the backdrop to some of the best times of the eighties for me. I remember hearing the chorus to Fantasy Girl coming out of the speakers of my cheap Sony Phono/FM Radio/8-track stereo at the time, and being blown away by how cool it sounded. That was the moment I fell in love with the electric guitar that I still play to this day. .38 Special is indeed a very special band.
I had Flashback on cassette as a kid which was one of the best Greatest Hits I had at that time. Was really cool to know that their record label also ran their own movie company, which totally makes sense now with Teacher, Teacher and Back to Paradise. 38 Special to me was to the 80’s what Lynard Skynard was to the 70’s. Fantastic band.
Always LOVED this song especially amongst their whole catalog!!! It came out in my sophomore year in high school and it never fails to bring me back to that great summer of ‘81!!! 🍻
A great band and interviews with Don and Jeff! Recently I bought all my 38 Special CD`s again that were stolen 2 years ago. Been a fan since I was a kid and heard rockin into the night on the radio back in 1979. Ya know a band and their songs are great when you listen to them 20+ years later and they still sound great and don't sound dated and cheesy.
Wow, this has shined some light for me. When Ronnie died, I didn’t care when his brother took over, actually I felt that way about a lot of bands, something about the original members I was drawn to and hard to let go, but his brother didn’t just jump in there, he paid his dues, must’ve been extremely emotional for him to do this
Ronnie, Donnie, and Johnny. All the sons of Lonnie. Johnny took over for Ronnie many years after the plane crash. Donnie stayed with 38 Special. Donnie and Johnny also had success on a project called Van Zant.
Man I love .38 Special. this was my youth since I was in High School at the time it came out. So cool that they share these great stories on writing one of the most recognized songs from the 80s.
Being from Atlanta, Southern Rock was king when I grew up in the 70's and 80's. Back in '86, I got tickets to .38 at the Omni. They were HUGE at the time. Their opening act was a "hair band" that had a song just beginning to get popular on the radio. The crowd was a mix of bikers, rednecks, good ol' southern boys and girls as well as a LOT of teenage girls. Why the teenage girls? Well, that little known opening band was Bon Jovi. Just imagine THAT concert and crowd.
Another great interview. I hadn't listened to The Cars in a long time, and I just happened to pull up their greatest hits album while taking my boy to drum lessons. Then I came home and watched this. What a hoot. Love .38 Special.
Love.38 Special! As I listened to all the bands that influenced this song and the collaboration that went on, once again I’m just stunned by the embarrassment of riches my generation has had with so many great bands and artists and musicians and lyricists and just big personalities, in a word my generation was simply BLESSED!
Hey man thank you for bringing me back to high school on a regular basis. The 70s were great for me. Being a Southern boy I loved me some Skynyrd, brother Johnny Van Zant band before he took over Skynyrd, and Donnie with .38 Special. Hell they all bout looked alike. I got to see all 3 and met Johnny. He was cool. I miss great music like this. Late 60s, 70s and early 80s was the greatest music of any generation. That is why it is still playing in every city and town in th USA.
I think this is one of the most underrated bands, this is a song people will be singing 50 years from now. I saw them about 15 years ago with Styx and REO, such a great time. I also love Caught up in you and another personal favorite is Chain Lightnin'.
Definitely my favorite song of all time, I could and have listened to this great song for almost 45 years and never get tired of it.Don Barnes is one hell of a vocalist just love the dudes voice and hard to imitate that tone. I have seen them about 6 times but never in Canada too bad but they sound stellar every time🎉
Good morning Sunshine pants! .38 Special and Hold on Loosely is such a great song. We almost got to see them in concert, but the stage broke! It was supposed to be Styxx, .38 Special, and REO Speedwagon. We were so bummed that the stage broke, this was in May of 2009. Thank you for another great show Adam! ~Mimi 💜
Absolutely love 38. Special. I first heard them at 10 years old. My dad had hired a young man with a 70 Chevelle. Primer gray, Kraco tape deck and 6X9's and an amp from JC Whitney catalog. He put on Hold On Loosely and hit the gravel road with me screaming like a little girl. There is barely a day that goes by I do not play a lick from that song on my guitar.
That is a painted picture from a lot of our childhood. I was a teenager in the 70''s. The BEST TIME IN LIFE TO BE ALIVE.. GREATEST ROCK AND ROLL, GREATEST MUSSEL CARS.Men in America were strong.
.38 Special has always been one of my favorite bands. I listened to them a lot when I was in the Navy in the 1980’s. Im very glad that I finally got a chance to see them this year (2023) at a small venue in MA.
Great band for sure,Hold on loosely is a great song ,But i really like the song "Chain Lightning "!Great interviews,glad you created this youtube channel.Can't wait too see whats next.🎸🙂👍
They played Chained Lightning as part of their encore tonight. It kicked ass! I had forgotten about that song until they started and was blown away at how killer it sounded!
Ditto with so many commenters...one of my favorite bands. Never get tired of hearing Hold On Loosely. Chain Lightning another of my favorite tunes. Jeff Carlisi is a very underrated guitarist.
Whenever I hear .38 Special, I always remember seeing them in July 1986 at Pine Knob Music Theater, wsg Honeymoon Suite. The sky opened up during the show, and we got drenched! However, me and my friends still look back at that show as one of our favorites, and laugh about driving home soaking wet. 😄
Great post again!! Love 38 Special, Survivor, and Ides Of March. Guess I’m a Peterik junkie. Could be worse things I guess. There’s just a hook that gets you in all of these great songs. I really love how songs become songs and how these great writers talk of their creations. Like how we talk of our children.
Southern Rock is probably the music genre I miss the most. I was born in 67 so I was too young to really go to concerts when it was at it's height of popularity. Also, living in a smaller town in central GA didn't help. But I listened on the radio and bought the albums. Atlanta Rhythm Section with Charlie Daniels and Johnny Van Zant in Macon, GA was my first concert. Southern Rock always brings me back to my middle and high school days and the memory of my first boyfriend that took me to that concert at 14. Such great memories. I miss the great musicians of that time. Thank you for those trips down memory lane 38 Special. (And to the POR). Caught up in You and Hold on Loosely will always hold a special place in my heart.
Love this track! I put it in a category I call "Instructional Rock", where the lyrics offer nuggets of life wisdom to the listener (other tracks include. Kenny Rogers - The Gambler and Coward of the County, Eddie Rabbit - Step by Step, Lynyrd Skynyrd - Simple Man, John Mellencamp - Minutes to Memories, Rush - Freewill, etc.). To this day, I both heed and proffer the words, "Hold on loosely, but don't let it go. If you cling too tightly, you're gonna lose control". So good.
I absolutely LOVE 38 Special! Such a great band and I feel like they kind of fly under the radar a bit these days. Everyone remembers them but forgets that these guys had around twenty Top 40 hits between 1979 and 1991. Not many bands that can call on those numbers. Don Barnes is an amazing vocalist with a distinctive voice and Jeff Carlisi May well be one of the most underrated guitarists of all time. His leads and solos are always fantastic and engaging. And what riffs! Thanks for covering such an under appreciated group!
This song is definitely the definition of rock ear candy. Great riff and vocal melody, universal lyrics, and a melodic and inventive outro solo by Jeff Carlisi. I've heard this song a million times since the early '80s, and like "Hotel California" or "Kid Charlegmagne", I never turn the radio off or change the channel before the song is over. Thanks Professor.
No wonder I love this song so much with influences from The Cars :You’re just What I Needed and The Doobie Brothers :What a Fool Believes! You can’t help but crank up the volume and belt it out!
Thanks professor! I had this DVD of 38 Special Live at Surges that I watched over and over. After that I picked up some 38 Special CDs and I've been a huge fan ever since. They put on a superb show and I'm always cranking up their songs while cruising down the freeway! 👍😁
Professor, you could do a couple of weeks on 70s and 80s Southern Rock and I'd be in heaven. I even joined a country band in 82 because they promised me they'd switch over to Country/Southern Rock, and I hated Country. Gotta admit, even that grew on me.
This was great! Growing up in Mississippi 38 Special was the soundtrack of my high school years for sure. So damn nostalgic! They had so many great tunes! You could listen to a 38 album or cassette front to back
Great Interview and Episode! Love me some southern fried rock especially 38 special! I know Don said they were trying to get away from the southern rock sound you can still hear it's influences in their songs. You are right their songs are always uplifting with their music and message. Great collaboration between Don and Jim the lyrics are fantastic! I can't tell you how many times I heard girls say " hold on loosely " after this song. Did you get a chance to talk about So Caught up In You or Rocking Into the Night?
@@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 _Caught..._ was the first .38 Special song that I remember hearing and got totally hooked on. I still have the tape from when I recorded it off of the radio. Since I was raised on country music in the 70's and made the switch to Top 40 in 1980, their sound fit in nicely with my taste.
In 1982, a band that I was already a big fan of released an album that had a song on it that very quickly became my all time favorite song and they became my favorite band. 40 years later, 38 Special is still my favorite band and "Caught Up In You" is still the best song I've ever heard.
One of my favorite things and one of the primary reasons I subscribe to your videos happened while watching this video. During your interview with Jim Peterik, Jim mentions they see a picture of the band, The Idols Of March saying he loves Vehicle. I remember hearing this song over the years and liking it, but realizing I have not heard any other songs by this band. So after the video, I jump over to Spotify and give the entire album Vehicle a listen. Not only did I discover a few “new” songs to add into my rotation, specifically their version of Wooden Ships and Symphony for Eleanor, amazing! It took me back to a much simpler time when I would buy a new album because of one song or just because I liked the cover art, rush home and drop the needle, getting lost in the music. Thanks for doing these videos, this music really takes me back. You certainly are celebrating the greatest music from the greatest artist from the greatest era of Rock.
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Poll: What is your pick for the best guitar riff of the early 80s?
Edge of Seventeen
Shoot To Thrill
And the Cradle Will Rock
Wheels of Steel
Phantom of the Opera
Rush - Limelight
Hard to top the beginning of "When Doves Cry." It just sets the whole song up perfectly....
AC/DC - Back in Black; Rush- Limelight;
Dire Straits- Money For Nothing;
Late 79 actually, but close enough; Comfortable Num
The best relationship advice song ever recorded! Thank God I finally used it when I met my wife!
38 Special is sooo under-rated. I've always enjoyed their music.
Me too. They got some earworms!
Not really, they sold millions and millions of records, head liners and were all over the radio and MTV. Hell, they still play Hold on loosely, wild eyed southern boys, fantasy girl, what if I'd been the one and rockin into the night.
The range. This is the same band that made second chance. Imo the best ballad of all time.
@@johnsmith-ug5tp True, but I rarely hear them on the radio anymore.
@@DaveCosley Where I live i still do.
I was 18 years old in 1977. Driving down the road in my 70'Dodge Super bee, the 383 Magnum sending the sound of the V8 through dual glass pack rumbling on a back road,8 track playing, speakers blasting 38 SPECIAL, LYNARD SKYNARD, BOSTON..GREAT TIMES.
.38 Special was my favorite band in the 80s. As a young guitar player I was greatly influenced by Jeff Carlisi. The first song I ever sang on stage was “Hold On Loosely”. Amazingly, my current band is opening for .38 Special next month at a local county fair. To say I’m excited is an understatement!
Man I would be so nervous!
I hope everything is even better than you expect!
Slay them Jeff 👍🎶
How'd the gig go?
Just got home from our opening show with .38 Special. Got to play in front of about 5,000 people. The best part was standing in the very front watching .38 Special. It was magical. Don Barnes’ voice was as good as ever, and the band just flat out rocked. I loved the fact that they played every song exactly as it should be, without indulging in needless solos or arrangements. They were so tight and sounded powerful. They played every song from the heart and were having a wonderful time doing it. I caught myself tearing up a few times as all the memories of my youth came rushing back. If you haven’t seen .38 Special, you must see them soon! They are one of the few remaining legendary groups from back in the day…even if Don is the only remaining original member…you would never know it by how great they sound!
@@jeffwheaton1257 Excellent, excellent, I'm very glad you got to do it! Thanks for the update!
@@jeffwheaton1257 Bad-ass. Rock on!
I love "If I'd Been The One" too. Awesome band!
My favorite 38 special song
I remember when the video premiered on MTV. It became known with my friends as the "horses video".
My favorite of theirs!
My favorite also.
Whenever 38 special is on the radio it's a must listen. You need to crank it up and jam. It's the rules.
Kids get in the car we're going for a drive. Don't worry about you seatbelt, just hold on loosely, but don't let go. Cranks 38 special up.
Just heard "Hold On Loosely" this morning on a tape that I made in the 1980's. Yea, the Walkman still runs, and you can walk out the miles, 45 minutes at a side. Those cassettes that I made so long ago are like a snapshot in time and just as portable as it was in 1983. It reminds me of being a Sr in Highschool and moving on to College. And yes, I am on my 5th Walkman.
Oh dear, this comment makes me wish I lived in the 80s!
@@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 the best era. Best music, world was a better place but the fashion was very questionable 😉😉
@@gaetanoflorio6277 Oh no, I loved the fashion as well!
Just curious-what other songs were on it? ♥️💋
How cool !
I really love when the guest says “you have really done your homework” to the host. I have only seen it with Professor of Rock and Shaun Evans on Hot Ones. They both just let the guest tell their stories. Late Night could learn from both of these guys.
Only other one that I know of would be Nardwuar.
@@galactor123 Before I saw your comment I was gonna add: And that goofy lookin' dweeb who's always interviewing the "rappers." He's a veritable FONT of wisdom!
Watch Rick Beato interview Sting. He literally sets the standard.
I saw .38 Special in 1980, and I was floored when I saw TWO drummers and THREE lead guitars. Unbelievable sound and like none other, even Lynyrd Skynyrd.
Now this is a crazy story for the Professor so I'm living / working in Birmingham AL my hometown & Im doing some work downtown & I roll up on Boutwell Auditorium. I then go inside to give these guys a quote & end up meeting the drum tech & the band. I hung out with the guys, had a little fun & drink then ended up playing drums on a few songs in the warmup / sound check ! Boom 💥Awesome concert obviously & stayed there till they pulled out @ 2am. Btw; I had to help setup & tear down both sets of drums with the drum tech in order to get to play on the sound check which was the highlight of my musical life in the 80's
“The Cars meets Skynyrd”. That is a perfect description for this song. I grew up down South, and love new wave, but adding some blues flavor never hurts!
I totally agree with this description! It’s spot on! Now, can you imagine if Ric and his buddies actually did record this song?
Still working on this comparison. I agree, but it is SUCH a good comparison that I'm struggling with it!!!
some of the new songs are good but nothing beats the 70s for rock and 80s for metal!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
@@FiddleFreak 95% of new music is crap. One of the few real talents today is Chris Stapleton, who also is a brilliant blues/rock/country musician.
💯
Never thought of that riff's relationship to The Cars, and I've heard this song a thousand times! Great song, great story... I still never tire of listening to it and it exemplifies the excellent diversity of 80s music
It really does sound like The Cars.
Now you'll never hear it the same way! Ha ha.
Caught Up In You also has that Cars-y riff a la Just What I Needed
@@blebhan8213 It kinda reminds me of the intro to Def Leppard’s Photograph too.
@@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 That would mean Leppard and Mutt Lange copied .38 Special, I guess it's possible. ;)
The way Adam digs into the history of the bands is so enlightening. His sit downs with the members discussing how their songs came about, the meaning behind the lyrics, and who the other artists were that inspired them. Loving The Professor of Rock more and more ❣️
I've met Donnie a few times and he was so generous and polite, great guy
Don has to be the most down to earth people I've ever seen interviewed. Being knee deep in my teens from 1980-1990, 38 Special was at the top of my mix tape lists. Everytime I hear any .38 Special song I sing along to it. Loud and proud! Keep 'em coming professor! Your the best !
38 Special has some insanely catchy songs! I enjoy them a whole lot!
I met him in the 80s at the height of their fame, backstage in a little cover band bar on the square in Marietta Georgia, totally down to earth. If i remember correctly, the bar as called Masquerade. He was hilarious, cutting up, laughing, his limo driver was Johnny Memphis. Not pretentious just having fun with us
Jeff called him nothing +
Adam, You bring a comfortable reality out of all these iconic musicians you speak with.
Nothing feels forced. It's just natural conversation with someone that seemed unreachable growing up. Very cool! Keep up the best interviews on all media!
Thanks so much. Made my day!
Love watching Adam interview different musicians!
Definitely a different approach than Eddie Trunk
If MTV...as a music channel...was relevant in 2022, Adam should be on it doing his thing. Same production, no changes, except for the MTV stingers at the beginning and the end of the show. And most definitely no one telling him who or who not to interview.
I think they are comfortable with him in interviews because they can tell he does the homework and isn't going to ask anything stupid.
I was playing in a bar band in the 80"s and for several years Hold On Loosely and Caught Up In You were without question the crowd favorites! One of the most underrated groups of our time.
38 Special was the most prevalent band when I was playing guitar at a young age and Don Barnes and Jeff Carlisi were and always have been my biggest influences and I still play along with their music at my 66 years of age. Thanks for all the memorable moments recalled in your interviews and rockumentaries.
Awesome! Thank you for giving 38 Special a cover. They're my all time favorite band. I had the great pleasure of getting to meet Don after a show of theirs. The show was delayed by thunderstorms, so it ran late, and he was still gracious enough to set aside some time for me and my daughter (she's 8). One of the absolute nicest guys you'd ever want to meet. Was so blessed to get to share that with my daughter and pass down my enjoyment of their music. He joked around with her...made a fan for life. She asked immediately after "When can we see them again?". Going to see them has become "our thing". We've managed to get 3 or 4 shows of theirs in a year.
Anyhow...again...thanks for giving these guys some love! Encourage anyone who has a chance to check out one of their shows, to do so, you won't be disappointed.
He really does seem like such a nice guy! It’s cool that you actually got to meet him!
I love 38Special & was fortunate enough to meet them in September of 1986 in Atlanta when I won tickets from 96Rock radio station. I attended a pre-concert bbq with the band & the guys were so nice. The concert was wonderful & the opening band was Bon Jovi. I love all of their songs. I would love to see them again. Thank you for this video, so much.
Love .38 Special! My favorite one of theirs is "If I'd Been the One," best break-up tune ever.
That is a really great tune. Good call.
My favorite as well!
Agree!
I agreed with that until I heard Kid Rock's F.O.A.D. which I promptly dedicated to someone.
Had the privilege of meeting Don Barnes at a music festival we warmed up for 38 special. Don was polite and was a amazing to talk too, a class act
He kind of reminds me of Kansas drummer Phil Ehart.
Don is my uncle, lol and now you know how I got all the drumming gigs with rock and metal bands in the 80,s and was a roadie and back up player, tuner for the bands I was. Iron maiden, killer dwarfs, dokken, ronnie James dio, and several other, my book about it all comes out August 6th. I'm gonna send you some copies for everyone at p.o.r. we all miss ronnie van zant something awful , he was a awesome person, just being in his presence made you feel better ya know, he was that kind of person. see ya Thanksgiving uncle donnie
OMG…he’s your uncle? So cool!
@@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 yea. Everyone in my family has played in well known bands from the 60,s and still goin. Thanks for the reply, god bless
@@joebarnes3178 That is so cool! You were born to a family of legends!
That is cool! I've been a fan for 40 some odd years. Been taking my daughter to their shows since she was 4 (she's 8 now). If they're in a 4-5 hour range of us...we hit the road and go! We got chance to chat with him after a show about a month ago. He was the best. My daughter brings him up all the time...when are we going again?...etc. Heading to see them again in a couple weeks. I hope your Uncle Don keeps Rockin' Into The Night because we love seeing them live and the opportunity it gives my daughter and I to do something "just us 2".
@@nelrock3641 that's awesome
I saw 38 Special when I was in high school. They played at our state fair. It was a great concert.
I'll bet! They are a really good live group.
That’s super cool!
@@ProfessorofRock, they had just hit it big with Hold On Loosely. I had a friend who had just broken up with his girlfriend and I said that song was for him. He was young and very possessive. He had to know what she was doing 24/7. Naturally, this turned his girlfriend off and they broke up. After more relationships than he’d like to admit, and way far into his adult life, he did finally learn to hold on loosely.
I saw them at a local city festival. I was invited by a friend who had VIP tickets. We were literally 3-4 feet from the band on stage. It was unbelievable cool!!
Don is such a great songwriter, great vocalist and masterful guitarist - SO underrated as other posters have commented. I saw them back in 2012 in NC (with Donnie) and they were just fantastic and had so many great songs I had forgotten about. These guys need to be in the Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame - it's just ridiculous!
Great segment by the Professor of Rock 🎉🎉🎉
.38 Special was the last of the really great "Southern Rock" bands, in my opinion (for what that's worth). When you hear "Hold on Loosely" there is no doubt as to who you are listening too.
That line from the tune is something every relationship should be built upon. Don't let go, but don't stifle your partner. Allow that person to be who they are. not what YOU think they should be. This goes with your children too. Influence them, but don't make them into little YOU's.
This was a neat interview.
If not for Dinah Shore this legendary song would have never existed!
They never sounded like Southern Rock to me, though. I mean, they rock, and they are from the South, but this song is more like arena rock than anything else.
@@brucetucker4847 Still, they were from below the Mason Dickson line, so they were a "southern" rock band, with members from both southern and northern places. ;-)
Love, love, love 38 Special. What a pleasure to watch this segment.
On my way home from work last night, I was blasting "Rockin' into the Night". It was so difficult to maintain a speed that the local authorities would be happy about.
"Hold on Loosely", "Caught up in You" and "Fantasy Girl" are all songs that force you to increase the volume on the stereo and press down a little harder on the gas pedal.
I envy that you get to sit with so many legends from rock. You have the best job anyone could want.
Keep up the great work!
And shout along with the lyrics too!
@@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 I sang the entire song. I was in such a great mood, and it's all because of that song!
@@KevinConlon69 Same! It gets stuck in your head for hours at a time.
Carlisi's solo fading out "Fantasy Girl" is just brilliant, truly one of rock's most underrated guitarists.
"............. maintain a speed that the local authorities would be happy about." Lol, brilliant!
38 special is the best. Have seen them almost 40 times in concert since 1982. Got to meet the band a few times along the way. Great guys. Hold on loosely still gives me goosebumps. Just love to crank it up loud. Beautiful song.
First time live, in 1981 I was living in Germany they played the 4th Golden Summernight Festival along with Kansas, Iron Maiden, Foreigner, Motorhead, Blue Oyster Cult and Blackfoot. I've never come across another bill again to top that one.
Wow that must have been something. I think I saw the videos on RUclips of that 38 Special concert. My wife and I are going to see them next Friday at the Four Winds casino in New Buffalo, MI and a few weeks later up north in Charlevoix michigan. Should be a rocking July!
Great video! I love .38 Special. You should do a video about “What If I’d Been The One?” It doesn’t get talked about enough, and Don’s voice REALLY shines and soars on that one. I already thought that and he really made me want to mention it when he mentioned how loud he used to sing in the studio. I always thought his voice was so powerful, and it’s beautiful on that song as well.
Yes, that's a good one. Heard it in the pet supply store the other day.
Love this song. Was 4 years into a relationship with the women who I am with now many decades later. We had a hot and somewhat fiery 16-21 year old on and off relationship. This song made sense to me. Hold her if want her, but loosely. Don't strangle her. Let her have her own friends and not need to crowd her 24/7. Over the years we always ended up back together. Then, we broke up in college, still friends (holding on loosely), but I moved 3000 miles away to California and built a career, a family and a life out there. HS GF and I were still pen pals. We were never enemies. Respect was always there. We were each married and raised kids. Then tragedy struck in my life. My wife died of a terminal illness. It was a long time coming but the end was sudden. I now was a single father of a 15 y/o teenage girl. As friends I had talked a lot about my loss and fears with HS GF. She listened and helped me. She always knew what to say. She mentioned nothing of her own approaching singleness. She was in the process of an amicable divorce. I had not seen her in person for 20+ years. She made me kind of crazy when I saw her (in a good way) and felt it was unwise to tempt fate. But now we were as single as we were when we met at 16 years old. For the last 17 years we have lived together happily near where we grew up. Two strategies that are important: Hold on loosely (stay friends, don't burn bridges) and trust your instincts. When we met at 16 we both knew something special was happening. When I saw the mature, working, mother of 3, adult woman my knees were weak and I almost fell over. My skinny HS GF was still my dream girl with the fine improvements that come with age and life experience. How do we stay together through Covid and 20 years apart, we hold of loosely, but we don't let go.
This song does really teach you an important message! It was entertaining hearing your story!
I grew up on 38 Special one of my favorite bands. Congrats on doing the research and getting the interviews together, Prof.
I love 38 Special. Always have.
How can a man with that kind of depth in his speaking voice sing with that range? What a legendary band. Great interview.
He’s great!
For sure one of rock's finest voices ever, it's both smooth and rough at the same time.
Love 38 Special's music. Really takes me back. Some sorta sad memories and some great memories.
When this song came out my brother played drums and I played guitar. We both learned the song together. We never played it together other than when we played the record. But it was fun anyway. Such a great song!
It is a fun song!
Never fails to amuse me: Professor of Rock is a man called Adam Reader, and a Reader in a UK university is of similar rank to a non-tenured professor in a US university! :D
And, since A. Reader knows his stuff well, the 'title' is pretty appropriate!
.38 Special's "Strength In Numbers" is one of my ALL-TIME favourite LPs!!! Highly underrated and underappreciated, I could listen to it everyday and never get tired of it.
Definitely one of my favorite bands growing up. I was lucky enough to see them probably 10 times at Disney at the Eat to the Beat concert series over the years. Got to see Donnie a bunch of times from the front row before he retired (maybe one of his last shows). There was a young man in a wheelchair beside me who loved the show. Donnie came over to him and gave him a pick and a drum stick at the end of the show and gave him a hug. Such a great band!!!
Wow, so amazing!
Epcot rocks!!
This is my all time favorite song.The lyrics, the vocals, guitars, drums..all of it. 🤘🏼
Loved 38 Special! My favorite band when I was in High School in the 80s. I was lucky enough to meet Don, Donnie and L.J. backstage in Columbia, SC around 99 or 2000. Great down to earth genuine guys. Funny story, we used to play the Tour de Force tape all the time in my 1968 Chevelle SS I had in high school. My steady girlfriend at the time loved that tape and she borrowed it. When we broke up, she gave me back my class ring and a couple of things she had of mine, but not my 38 Special tape. I had to go over to her house and demand she return it....lol. I got it back.
Thank you again Professor for making me go back in time to younger years ! Now I have to crank up my favorite 38 Special song.....CHAIN LIGHTNING
Aw...man. .38 Special will always hold a very "special" place in my heart. I was 13 when Hold on Loosely came out. It was the early days of MTV and I was playing freshman basketball with my buddies. Bus rides to away games, going to friends houses between the end of school and practice, Saturday night dances....38 Special was an essential part of the soundtrack. As we all got older in high school, .38 Special was still vital to our play list...but as girls, along with the introduction of alcohol, drugs, sex and parties...it was the 80's after all, and the quest for status and popularity, impacted our friendships, the innocence of that freshman year as kids evaporated. I loved .38 Special throughout the 80's...and still love them, but the songs of the early 80's, Hold on Loosely, Caught Up In You, What If I'd Been The One, Teacher, Teacher, etc...will always remind of those glorious days of innocence, boyhood friendships, and wholesome, optimistic fun. God bless, .38 Special...rock on!!!
Ah, 38 Special...
The 80's were a hard time for a lot of Southern-Rock bands (for example: The Allman Brothers Band, Point Blank during the early 80's, then Blackfoot, Molly Hatchet during the era 1983/84), but 38 Special managed to combine their Southern-Rock roots with a fine AOR touch and it worked. There was also a band called Duke Jupiter who mixed Southern-Rock with AOR (I still have in my head "Little Lady"), but they didn't sell plenty records and were one of the underdogs. The guys of 38 Special were able to pull their weight during this decace, so kudos to them.
Love Duke Jupiter. Particularly the song, "I'll Drink To You." I believe that song is a tribute to bass player George Barajas who died of a brain tumor. I was a college student at Cornell University when this song came out. Duke Jupiter wad from Rochester, NY. I saw them live in Cortland my senior year.
Johnny Van Zant band combined the two with their 1985 album Van Zant but it got no traction. It was sad for Blackfoot, my buddies and I would never miss a show when they came to CT. They would play small clubs and each time the audiences would get smaller and smaller. 500 to 400 to 300 to 200 people. Rick`s first solo album show was a kick ass with Doug Bare on keys, wizard on bass and Harold on drums. Silent type, wild romance and R&R tonight were killer! High energy.
Last time I saw Medlocke/blackfoot at Toads for after the reign right before he joined LS.
@@johnsmith-ug5tp It's interesting that in most histories of Skynyrd and Johnny they treat that album like it doesn't exist. One says Johnny quit and drove truck for a while rather than make music he didn't like. It's not a bad album though. Even had a video with Marvin Hageler the boxer. Here in a drawer somewhere I have an original promo copy of that on VHS.
I loved the Allman Brothers! They struck gold with “Ramblin’ Man”.
@@CR7659 Yes, I`m a fighter. In one of JVZ CD`s liner notes or I read online he didn't like this album because he had very little writing input on it. He also mentioned the brickyard road album at the time was the first album he was happy with and proud of. Van Zant album songs she's out with a gun, 2+2, midnight sensation, heart to the flame and does a fool ever learn are awesome songs. I know most hate em because they are too poppy. I bought the album when it was released, then the cassette and I recently replaced my lost CD.
Daring to follow your dream...personified! The Van Zants, Barnes, Carlisi, Junstrom, Hatchet boys, Blackfoot...all the guys from my hometown Jacksonville Florida. So proud of you guys. Yall truly made the world a better place. Thank you.
always loved this song
Underrated band! Brings me back to stickball in the street during long childhood summers
Heard them first with my dad, but was the first concert I took my wife to, they performed with Styx and REO. Great somgs, great times, and great bands.
There are dozens to 100s of great guitar players but Jeff Carlisi has his signature flair sound ..He knew how to paint like an artists with it ..
My favorite guitar player, so melodic and interesting his playing is like a great singer phrasing...
Hats off to whoever set up the shot for the interview with Jim Peterik! That rack of tapes in the foreground frames and contextualizes the interview so well. Really kickass. Hands up if you paused and zoomed to see what titles were there.
Ha ha. Thanks my friend.
That's Adam's "set piece" that he travels with for his interviews. It is now as iconic as his Zenni glasses, Sinatra hat, and 50's era shirts.
One of my all time favorite bands. These guys are still out there doing it and Don still sounds great. I've seen them live 3 times in the last 3 years and was able to take two of my sons this last time. They loved every minute of it.
Personally, one of my favorite .38 Special songs is "Second Chance," which was a big hit in 1989, but "Hold on Loosely" is definitely a classic.
Good song.. Different singer, but ya I really like that one as well.
....Just pulled out "Rock & Roll Stragety" with "Second.." on it...GOOD Adult Rock, Lady Janet....
My girlfriend at the time liked the Bone against steel CD. The only song I liked from it was rebel to rebel. Donnie's song for Ronnie.
That was a weird era for them.
They were "Thirty-Eight Special" at that time
That is the easy nice one with another vocalist, I like it but for 38 it is my least fav popular tune they have ..
Damn! This is definitely your best interview. You really got the story and this great band, that music critics at the time overlooked, wrote songs that stand the test of time and provide the backdrop to some of the best times of the eighties for me. I remember hearing the chorus to Fantasy Girl coming out of the speakers of my cheap Sony Phono/FM Radio/8-track stereo at the time, and being blown away by how cool it sounded. That was the moment I fell in love with the electric guitar that I still play to this day. .38 Special is indeed a very special band.
I had Flashback on cassette as a kid which was one of the best Greatest Hits I had at that time. Was really cool to know that their record label also ran their own movie company, which totally makes sense now with Teacher, Teacher and Back to Paradise. 38 Special to me was to the 80’s what Lynard Skynard was to the 70’s. Fantastic band.
The song outlived the movie for sure.
I saw them 5 Times , great Band
Always LOVED this song especially amongst their whole catalog!!! It came out in my sophomore year in high school and it never fails to bring me back to that great summer of ‘81!!! 🍻
You could not choose a better man than Don for an interview!! Amazing !!
A great band and interviews with Don and Jeff! Recently I bought all my 38 Special CD`s again that were stolen 2 years ago. Been a fan since I was a kid and heard rockin into the night on the radio back in 1979. Ya know a band and their songs are great when you listen to them 20+ years later and they still sound great and don't sound dated and cheesy.
Absolutely love me some .38 Special. If I'd Been The One, one if my all-time favorite tunes.
Wow, this has shined some light for me. When Ronnie died, I didn’t care when his brother took over, actually I felt that way about a lot of bands, something about the original members I was drawn to and hard to let go, but his brother didn’t just jump in there, he paid his dues, must’ve been extremely emotional for him to do this
Ronnie, Donnie, and Johnny. All the sons of Lonnie. Johnny took over for Ronnie many years after the plane crash. Donnie stayed with 38 Special. Donnie and Johnny also had success on a project called Van Zant.
Man I love .38 Special. this was my youth since I was in High School at the time it came out. So cool that they share these great stories on writing one of the most recognized songs from the 80s.
Being from Atlanta, Southern Rock was king when I grew up in the 70's and 80's. Back in '86, I got tickets to .38 at the Omni. They were HUGE at the time. Their opening act was a "hair band" that had a song just beginning to get popular on the radio. The crowd was a mix of bikers, rednecks, good ol' southern boys and girls as well as a LOT of teenage girls. Why the teenage girls? Well, that little known opening band was Bon Jovi. Just imagine THAT concert and crowd.
Wow! Now that would be a great one to see. thanks for sharing.
Bon Jovi concert would have been fun!
Im not a fan of 38 Special but they were one of the best concerts I went to in the 1980’s. Great performers.
Great to see this interview, 38 Special is one of the best live bands ever.
Another great interview. I hadn't listened to The Cars in a long time, and I just happened to pull up their greatest hits album while taking my boy to drum lessons. Then I came home and watched this. What a hoot. Love .38 Special.
Love.38 Special! As I listened to all the bands that influenced this song and the collaboration that went on, once again I’m just stunned by the embarrassment of riches my generation has had with so many great bands and artists and musicians and lyricists and just big personalities, in a word my generation was simply BLESSED!
FINALLY!!! YESSSS
Enjoy!
Hey man thank you for bringing me back to high school on a regular basis. The 70s were great for me. Being a Southern boy I loved me some Skynyrd, brother Johnny Van Zant band before he took over Skynyrd, and Donnie with .38 Special. Hell they all bout looked alike. I got to see all 3 and met Johnny. He was cool. I miss great music like this. Late 60s, 70s and early 80s was the greatest music of any generation. That is why it is still playing in every city and town in th USA.
I think this is one of the most underrated bands, this is a song people will be singing 50 years from now. I saw them about 15 years ago with Styx and REO, such a great time. I also love Caught up in you and another personal favorite is Chain Lightnin'.
Ya, I agree. The super melodic southern rock band!.
Today’s music just cannot compete with awesome stuff like this!
I had honestly forgotten how many hits these guys had!!! I'll say it again, completely underrated....
Definitely my favorite song of all time, I could and have listened to this great song for almost 45 years and never get tired of it.Don Barnes is one hell of a vocalist just love the dudes voice and hard to imitate that tone. I have seen them about 6 times but never in Canada too bad but they sound stellar every time🎉
Good morning Sunshine pants! .38 Special and Hold on Loosely is such a great song. We almost got to see them in concert, but the stage broke! It was supposed to be Styxx, .38 Special, and REO Speedwagon. We were so bummed that the stage broke, this was in May of 2009. Thank you for another great show Adam! ~Mimi 💜
Oh no, that really sucks! You were robbed of seeing one of the best early 80s bands!
Thanks for always watching Mimi!
@@ProfessorofRock you’re welcome! I’m still sad about that concert. It would have been amazing!
@@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 yes indeed! We did get to see Def Leppard with Styxx opening for them later that year! It was a great concert venue.
@@mza2195 Both legendary rock bands!
I play guitar and 38 Special has always been one of my favorites! Hold on loosely, Fantasty Girl, Caught up in you…brilliant…awesome.
Absolutely love 38. Special. I first heard them at 10 years old. My dad had hired a young man with a 70 Chevelle. Primer gray, Kraco tape deck and 6X9's and an amp from JC Whitney catalog. He put on Hold On Loosely and hit the gravel road with me screaming like a little girl. There is barely a day that goes by I do not play a lick from that song on my guitar.
That is a painted picture from a lot of our childhood. I was a teenager in the 70''s. The BEST TIME IN LIFE TO BE ALIVE.. GREATEST ROCK AND ROLL, GREATEST MUSSEL CARS.Men in America were strong.
.38 Special has always been one of my favorite bands. I listened to them a lot when I was in the Navy in the 1980’s. Im very glad that I finally got a chance to see them this year (2023) at a small venue in MA.
Meaning; trust and support her, don’t smother her. Adam, your interviews and depth of facts is pure gold. Thank you for whatcha do man!
Great band for sure,Hold on loosely is a great song ,But i really like the song "Chain Lightning "!Great interviews,glad you created this youtube channel.Can't wait too see whats next.🎸🙂👍
They played Chained Lightning as part of their encore tonight. It kicked ass! I had forgotten about that song until they started and was blown away at how killer it sounded!
Ditto with so many commenters...one of my favorite bands. Never get tired of hearing Hold On Loosely. Chain Lightning another of my favorite tunes. Jeff Carlisi is a very underrated guitarist.
There's also Johnny VanZant who wrote an amazing tribute to Ronnie called Brickyard Road. I still get chills occasionally when I hear it.
That was a great song too!
@@smc1942 thanx! So glad I'm not the only one who knows about it!
Whenever I hear .38 Special, I always remember seeing them in July 1986 at Pine Knob Music Theater, wsg Honeymoon Suite. The sky opened up during the show, and we got drenched! However, me and my friends still look back at that show as one of our favorites, and laugh about driving home soaking wet. 😄
Great post again!! Love 38 Special, Survivor, and Ides Of March. Guess I’m a Peterik junkie. Could be worse things I guess. There’s just a hook that gets you in all of these great songs. I really love how songs become songs and how these great writers talk of their creations. Like how we talk of our children.
Peterik is genius!
Billy Joel is always saying the same thing. His songs are like his children!
Southern Rock is probably the music genre I miss the most. I was born in 67 so I was too young to really go to concerts when it was at it's height of popularity. Also, living in a smaller town in central GA didn't help. But I listened on the radio and bought the albums. Atlanta Rhythm Section with Charlie Daniels and Johnny Van Zant in Macon, GA was my first concert. Southern Rock always brings me back to my middle and high school days and the memory of my first boyfriend that took me to that concert at 14. Such great memories. I miss the great musicians of that time. Thank you for those trips down memory lane 38 Special. (And to the POR). Caught up in You and Hold on Loosely will always hold a special place in my heart.
Love this track! I put it in a category I call "Instructional Rock", where the lyrics offer nuggets of life wisdom to the listener (other tracks include. Kenny Rogers - The Gambler and Coward of the County, Eddie Rabbit - Step by Step, Lynyrd Skynyrd - Simple Man, John Mellencamp - Minutes to Memories, Rush - Freewill, etc.). To this day, I both heed and proffer the words, "Hold on loosely, but don't let it go. If you cling too tightly, you're gonna lose control". So good.
Styx! I dubbed it lecture rock. "Why must you be such an angry young man?"
@@MegaByrds That title makes sense given the lyric you pulled. Would fit the lyrics of Billy Joel’s “Vienna” perfectly.
I absolutely LOVE 38 Special! Such a great band and I feel like they kind of fly under the radar a bit these days. Everyone remembers them but forgets that these guys had around twenty Top 40 hits between 1979 and 1991. Not many bands that can call on those numbers.
Don Barnes is an amazing vocalist with a distinctive voice and Jeff Carlisi May well be one of the most underrated guitarists of all time. His leads and solos are always fantastic and engaging. And what riffs!
Thanks for covering such an under appreciated group!
Love 38 Special! So cool to see them featured here!
I think you'll dig this one.
.38 Special was my favorite band throughout high school and college, even beyond! I loved all their albums, songs.
This was a really enjoyable interview. I'm going to listen to their greatest hits CD tonight while remembering the good ol' days!!
This song is definitely the definition of rock ear candy. Great riff and vocal melody, universal lyrics, and a melodic and inventive outro solo by Jeff Carlisi. I've heard this song a million times since the early '80s, and like "Hotel California" or "Kid Charlegmagne", I never turn the radio off or change the channel before the song is over. Thanks Professor.
You're exactly right. It's up there with the best of them. Such a great riff.
Whenever I hear that riff, my ears get happy!
No wonder I love this song so much with influences from The Cars :You’re just What I Needed and The Doobie Brothers :What a Fool Believes! You can’t help but crank up the volume and belt it out!
It's definitely one of those!
It’s like they fused new wave and power pop with southern country rock!
Thanks professor! I had this DVD of 38 Special Live at Surges that I watched over and over. After that I picked up some 38 Special CDs and I've been a huge fan ever since. They put on a superb show and I'm always cranking up their songs while cruising down the freeway! 👍😁
I love 38 special I played them to death in my old ride going out on weekends and to high school. Bring back memories of the good old days.
There is NO bad .38 special song. Period. Favorites are "What if I'd been the one" and "Fantasy Girl." What great episode this was. Thanks
Professor, you could do a couple of weeks on 70s and 80s Southern Rock and I'd be in heaven. I even joined a country band in 82 because they promised me they'd switch over to Country/Southern Rock, and I hated Country. Gotta admit, even that grew on me.
Actually, if he did a whole series on country music from the late 80's to mid 90's it would be great.
Wow! How cool is that? What was the most fun part of being in that band?
@@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 Ha, girls of course. Actually, any chance to play live music is special.
@@kenlee5015 Bands like those made girls wanna scream!
This was great! Growing up in Mississippi 38 Special was the soundtrack of my high school years for sure. So damn nostalgic! They had so many great tunes! You could listen to a 38 album or cassette front to back
Great Interview and Episode! Love me some southern fried rock especially 38 special! I know Don said they were trying to get away from the southern rock sound you can still hear it's influences in their songs. You are right their songs are always uplifting with their music and message. Great collaboration between Don and Jim the lyrics are fantastic! I can't tell you how many times I heard girls say " hold on loosely " after this song. Did you get a chance to talk about So Caught up In You or Rocking Into the Night?
We did get a chance to talk about those two. Coming soon!
“I’m so caught up in you, little girl!” was all that I had in my head for about an hour after this video was released. That’s how good 38 Special is.
@@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 it is a fantastic song. So catchy and a good feel
@@MyName-pl7zn Yes, and I first heard it when I was younger so I actually thought they were addressing me as “little girl”.
@@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 _Caught..._ was the first .38 Special song that I remember hearing and got totally hooked on. I still have the tape from when I recorded it off of the radio. Since I was raised on country music in the 70's and made the switch to Top 40 in 1980, their sound fit in nicely with my taste.
In 1982, a band that I was already a big fan of released an album that had a song on it that very quickly became my all time favorite song and they became my favorite band. 40 years later, 38 Special is still my favorite band and "Caught Up In You" is still the best song I've ever heard.
I think 38 Special's Bone Against Steel is one of the all round best albums ever. There's not a bad song on that album
Just saw 38 Special live in concert. The show was so good. New Buffalo, MI 07/08/2022. Thanks for keeping the music alive!
One of my favorite things and one of the primary reasons I subscribe to your videos happened while watching this video. During your interview with Jim Peterik, Jim mentions they see a picture of the band, The Idols Of March saying he loves Vehicle. I remember hearing this song over the years and liking it, but realizing I have not heard any other songs by this band. So after the video, I jump over to Spotify and give the entire album Vehicle a listen. Not only did I discover a few “new” songs to add into my rotation, specifically their version of Wooden Ships and Symphony for Eleanor, amazing! It took me back to a much simpler time when I would buy a new album because of one song or just because I liked the cover art, rush home and drop the needle, getting lost in the music. Thanks for doing these videos, this music really takes me back. You certainly are celebrating the greatest music from the greatest artist from the greatest era of Rock.
Played the heck out of Hold On Loosely in cover bands back in the 80s when it first came out. Fun song.......