Playback is a box set compilation by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, released in 1995. It contains popular album tracks, B-sides, previously unreleased outtakes, and early songs by Petty's previous band Mudcrutch.
The first three discs of this collection are arranged in rough chronological order. Disc One covers the years 1976–81, Disc Two covers 1982–87 and Disc Three covers 1989–93.
Disc four brings together 15 B-sides that were never officially released on Tom Petty or Heartbreakers albums. Some of these seem like throwaways, while others are miscellaneous live tracks usually found on singles' flipsides.
Discs five and six offer 27 recordings that include tracks previously unreleased or unavailable on CD, dating back to Petty's early days with his pre-Heartbreakers band Mudcrutch.
A companion VHS home video, later released on DVD, featured the band's most popular music videos.
Contents
Track listing
All tracks written by Tom Petty except where noted.
Notes
In 2015, both Through the Cracks and Nobody's Children were released on digital purchasing and streaming platforms as standalone releases. As of 2020, only Nobody's Children is still available to digitally purchase and stream.
Personnel
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
Ron Blair (most tracks 1976–81, plus "The Best of Everything") – bass guitar, acoustic guitar ("Baby's a Rock 'n' Roller"), backing vocals ("Heartbreakers Beach Party" and "It's Rainin' Again")
Mike Campbell (all tracks) – lead guitar, rhythm guitar, bass guitar, squeeze box, mandolin, backing vocals ("Heartbreakers Beach Party", "It's Rainin' Again" and "Learning To Fly"), keyboard bass ("Don't Come Around Here No More"), Dobro ("Southern Accents"), koto ("It'll All Work Out"), percussion ("Mike's Life/Mike's World"), keyboards ("All or Nothin'")
Howie Epstein (most tracks 1982–93) – bass guitar, backing vocals, acoustic lead guitar ("Big Boss Man"), spoken word vocal (via telephone) ("Peace in L.A.")
Steve Ferrone – drum overdub ("Ways to Be Wicked")
Stan Lynch (most tracks) – drums, percussion, backing vocals, lead vocal ("Psychotic Reaction")
Tom Petty (all tracks except disc 2 track 14) – lead vocals, backing vocals, spoken word vocals, whistling, rhythm guitar, lead guitar ("Mary Jane's Last Dance" and "Peace in L.A."), bass guitar, piano, electric piano, harmonica, percussion
Benmont Tench (most tracks) – piano, electric piano, keyboards, backing vocals, crash cymbal ("It's Rainin' Again"), string synthesizer ("Don't Come Around Here No More")
Scott Thurston – six-string bass guitar (disc 3 track 13), guitar (disc 4 tracks 5, 7 and 15), slide guitar (disc 4 track 6)
Additional musicians
Phil Jones – percussion (disc 1 tracks 16–21, disc 2 tracks 1–4 and 8, disc 3 tracks 1–2, 4–5 and 13, disc 4 tracks 2 and 8 and disc 5 tracks 8 and 10), drums (disc 3 tracks 1–2 and 4–5, disc 4 track 10), backing vocal (disc 4 track 2)
VHS/DVD
"Here Comes My Girl" (1979)
"Refugee" (1979)
"The Waiting" (1981)
"A Woman in Love (It's Not Me)" (1981)
"Insider" (1981)
"You Got Lucky" (1982)
"Change of Heart" (1982)
"Don't Come Around Here No More" (1985)
"Jammin' Me" (1987)
"I Won't Back Down" (1989)
"Runnin' Down A Dream" (1989)
"Free Fallin'" (1989)
"A Face in the Crowd" (1990)
"Yer So Bad" (1990)
"Learning to Fly" (1991)
"Into the Great Wide Open" (1991)
"Mary Jane's Last Dance" (1993)