Wild-Eyed Southern Boys

For the song, see Wild-Eyed Southern Boys (song). For the professional wrestling tag team, see Southern Boys.
Wild-Eyed Southern Boys
Studio album by
38 Special
ReleasedJanuary 3, 1981
RecordedSeptember 1979 – July 1980
Studio
Genre
Length39:30
LabelA&M
ProducerRodney Mills
38 Special chronology
Rockin' into the Night
(1979) 		Wild-Eyed Southern Boys
(1981) 		Special Forces
(1982)

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.

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[6]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[7]

Track listing

  1. "Hold On Loosely" (Don Barnes, Jim Peterik, Jeff Carlisi) – 4:39
  2. "First Time Around" (Barnes, Carlisi, Larry Steele, Donnie Van Zant) – 3:59
  3. "Wild-Eyed Southern Boys" (Peterik) – 4:18
  4. "Back Alley Sally" (Carlisi, Van Zant) – 3:11
  5. "Fantasy Girl" (Carlisi, Peterik) – 4:06
  6. "Hittin' and Runnin'" (Barnes, Peterik) – 4:55
  7. "Honky Tonk Dancer" (Barnes, Steele, Van Zant) – 4:59
  8. "Throw Out the Line" (Barnes, Carlisi, Van Zant) – 3:45
  9. "Bring It On" (Carlisi, Steele, Van Zant) – 5:38

Personnel

  • 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

  • Steve McRay – piano (4, 6, 7)
  • Terry Emery – percussion
  • Carol Bristow – backing vocals
  • Lu Moss – backing vocals
  • Carol Veto – backing vocals

Production

  • 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

Chart (1981) Peak
position
Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)[8] 23
US Billboard 200[9] 18

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[10] Platinum 1,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ^ Strong, M. C. (1996). The Great Rock Discography, 3rd Ed. Omnibus Press. p. 831. ISBN 086-241-541-1.
  2. ^ "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.
  3. ^ Anderson, Skip (2017-05-09). "10 Essential 38 Special Songs". ClassicRockHistory.com. Retrieved 2023-05-11.
  4. ^ "The Greatest Songs From .38 Special". I Love Classic Rock. 19 July 2019. Retrieved 2023-05-11.
  5. ^ "RPM Top 50 Albums - July 4, 1981" (PDF).
  6. ^ Wild-Eyed Southern Boys at AllMusic
  7. ^ The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. p. 702.
  8. ^ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 0359". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved December 11, 2024.
  9. ^ "38 Special Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved December 11, 2024.
  10. ^ "American album certifications – 38 Special – Wild-Eyed Southern Boys". Recording Industry Association of America.