Special Forces is the fifth studio album by American rock band 38 Special, released in 1982 by A&M Records.[3][4] The band embarked on the Special Forces Tour to support the album.
| Special Forces | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1982 | |||
| Recorded | 1981 | |||
| Studio |
| |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 39:57 | |||
| Label | A&M | |||
| Producer |
| |||
| 38 Special chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide |  [2] |
Special Forces peaked at number 10 on the Billboard 200, making it the band's highest-charting studio album in the United States. Three of the four charted singles from the album were co-written with Survivor's Jim Peterik, including "Caught Up in You", the band's first Top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100. A remastered CD, with three live bonus tracks, was reissued by Rock Candy Records in September 2023.
Track listing
edit- "Caught Up in You" (Don Barnes, Jeff Carlisi, Jim Peterik) - 4:37
- "Back Door Stranger" (Carlisi, Larry Steele, Donnie Van Zant) - 4:38
- "Back on the Track" (Carlisi, Steele, Van Zant) - 4:45
- "Chain Lightnin'" (Barnes, Peterik, Van Zant) - 5:01
- "Rough-Housin'" (Barnes, Steele, Van Zant) - 4:08
- "You Keep Runnin' Away" (Barnes, Carlisi, Peterik) - 3:56
- "Breakin' Loose" (Carlisi, Jack Grondin, Steele, Van Zant) - 3:32
- "Take 'Em Out" (Barnes, Carlisi, Steele, Van Zant) - 4:07
- "Firestarter" (Barnes, Steele, Van Zant) - 5:01
Personnel
edit- Donnie Van Zant - lead vocals (2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 9), backing vocals
- Don Barnes - guitar; lead vocals on tracks 1, 4, 5, 6, 8; backing vocals
- Jeff Carlisi - guitar, steel guitar
- Larry Junstrom - bass guitar
- Steve Brookins - drums
- Jack Grondin - drums
Additional Personnel
edit- Terry Emery - percussion, piano
- Steve McRay - keyboards
- Jimmy Barnes - harmonica, harp
- Carol Bristow - vocals, backing vocals
- Lu Moss - vocals, backing vocals
Production
edit- Producers: Don Barnes, Jeff Carlisi, Rodney Mills
- Engineers: Rodney Mills, Greg Quesnel
- Art direction: Jeffrey Kent Ayeroff
- Design: Philip Gips
- Cover art concept: Philip Gips
- Cover art painting: Larry Gerber
- Mastering: Bob Ludwig
Charts
editAlbum - Billboard (United States) RPM Magazine (Canada)
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1982 | Pop Albums | 10 |
| 1982 | Pop Albums [5] | 40 |
Singles - Billboard (United States)
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | "Back on the Track" | Mainstream Rock | 56 |
| 1982 | "Caught Up in You" | Mainstream Rock | 1 |
| 1982 | "Caught Up in You" | Pop Singles | 10 |
| 1982 | "Chain Lightnin'" | Mainstream Rock | 9 |
| 1982 | "You Keep Runnin' Away" | Mainstream Rock | 7 |
| 1982 | "You Keep Runnin' Away" | Pop Singles | 38 |
References
edit- ^ "Special Forces Review by Mike DeGagne". AllMusic. Retrieved 14 July 2023.
- ^ The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. p. 702.
- ^ ".38 Special Biography by Stephen Thomas Erlewine". AllMusic. Retrieved 14 July 2023.
- ^ Banister, C. Eric (2016). Counting Down Southern Rock: The 100 Best Songs. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. p. 113.
- ^ "RPM Top 50 Albums - June 19, 1982" (PDF).