# Did Tom Petty ever do the guitar solo?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-tom-petty-ever-do-the-guitar-solo/809676>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [February 27, 2018, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-tom-petty-ever-do-the-guitar-solo/809676 "2018-02-27T15:32:36Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\
**Post date:** [February 27, 2018, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-tom-petty-ever-do-the-guitar-solo/809676/1 "2018-02-27T15:32:36Z")

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Tom Petty fronted and played rhythm guitar for his band, the Heartbreakers, delegating lead guitar to virtuoso Mike Campbell. Rather unusually, Campbell coaxed him into recording the guitar solo for [“Mary Jane’s Last Dance”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aowSGxim_O8). (At least, that’s what I remember reading in the interview booklet from the _Playback_ boxed set. ) And I know that Petty would occasionally play solos to other songs in live performances—for example, here he is in 1982 doing a solo for [“Refugee”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2h6CaSCVcU).

Did Tom Petty play a guitar solo on any other studio tracks he recorded with the Heartbreakers?

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**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\
**Post date:** [February 27, 2018, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-tom-petty-ever-do-the-guitar-solo/809676/2 "2018-02-27T15:39:29Z")

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No clue myself. I assume no - Petty is a bassist (Mudcrutch) and rhythm guitarist. And why take a lead when Mike Campbell is on your team? 😉

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**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\
**Post date:** [February 27, 2018, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-tom-petty-ever-do-the-guitar-solo/809676/3 "2018-02-27T16:43:54Z")

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No help for Tom playing lead on studio tracks, but he and Mike have a nice extended duet on this live version of [It’s Good To Be King](https://youtu.be/6aogOR8c8Q4)