The Heartbreakers Take a Break

 

In ’96 Petty and the Heartbreakers began working together again to make the soundtrack for the film She’s the One. Although the album was produced solely for the film, a few of the singles made the charts making it a gold album. Petty and Mike Campbell worked together and wrote the majority of the songs, per usual. Aside from not being as popular as their other work, being a soundtrack to a film did contribute to their careers. Also in ’96 the Heartbreakers began working with another music legend.

 

While Petty was working with Rick Rubin for his Wild Flowers album, Rubin signed Johnny Cash. The Heartbreakers would play with him every once in awhile because they were both fans of each other. As Cash’s tour was on the rise, he asked Petty if they would be his backup band. As it was Johnny Cash’s 82^nd album, Petty and the Heartbreakers knew this was an opportunity of a lifetime and so they went. After not being as successful with the previous soundtrack they had released, going on tour with Cash was fun for them. The pressure for once was mainly on Cash while Petty and Heartbreakers got a taste for a different kind of music. They embraced not being constantly busy with their own work. Petty and Cash became good friends while touring together. Cash later did a cover on Petty’s famous “I Won’t Back Down.” His cover on one of Petty’s most defining songs sounded so good to Petty that he almost wished Cash would’ve released it instead.