Doc Review: Cameron Crowe’s ‘Heartbreakers Beach Party’ – Tom Petty’s Long Lost Doc Finally Streaming!

After all these many years, I finally got to see Cameron Crowe’s documentary, which he calls a “profile,” about Petty & the Heartbreakers circa the Long After Dark album, entitled Heartbreakers Beach Party. I’ve been wanting to see this since last fall when it was announced, along with the deluxe version of the aforementioned Long After Dark, that it was being re-released in theaters. I don’t think it was in any theaters near me out here in fly over country. When I saw it was streaming on Paramount+, I was certainly “all in.” Although now that I’ve seen the roughly 90 minute doc, which was apparently broadcast a few times on MTV in 1983, I’m perfectly content to have seen it in the friendly confines of the B&V lab. It’s probably too short for a trip to the cinema.

There have been a lot of great rock n roll-centric viewing this year from Norman’s Rare Guitars to the 50 Years Of SNL Music special, but I didn’t think anything would catch my eye the way Becoming Led Zeppelin did… I actually did see that one in the theater, as everyone should… but this Tom Petty documentary certainly grabbed me from the opening. You can always trust Cameron Crowe when the subject is rock n roll. What a life that guy has led…writing stories for Rolling Stone magazine in high school, friends with Lester Bangs, marries Heart lead guitarist Nancy Wilson, and winds up directing films. His semi autobiographical Almost Famous is a Rock Chick fav. If I could come back as anybody in another life it’d be Cameron Crowe… well, not the married to Nancy Wilson thing, I’m already married to the Rock Chick. With no disrespect to Nancy, I’m just spoken for.

As I mentioned, this documentary was filmed around the time Long After Dark came out which was 1982-1983. I don’t know how to view this as anything other than a promotional vehicle for that album. Much of the interview sections with Petty are he and Crowe riding around Los Angeles in a limo. Petty has a cigarette and a tumbler full of dark and murky fluid… probably a cola but a man can hope it was bourbon. The interviews with Petty and other members of the band are insightful to their creative process at the time. Guitarist Mike Campbell probably gets more airtime than the other guys but they talk to everybody from Howie Epstein (bass/harmony vocals) and Benmont Tench (keyboards) to Stan Lynch (drums).

What really grabbed me about this film – and I’m talking full on goosebumps – was the live footage of the band playing in front of a crowd. Yes, there was some early footage of the band on tour for the debut and second album, but much of it is from ’82. The first live shot they show is of the band tearing through a fabulous version of “Refugee.” I’m so mad at myself for not going to see Petty and the boys in ’82. I was a freshman in college and money was… sparse. I was turned on to Petty early on, through the local rock radio station but more so through my younger brother who had a copy of Damn The Torpedoes. I’d go in his room to listen and yes, taped it to cassette. For Petty, the “third album was the charm” and Torpedoes shot him to the big time. I certainly got on board. I purchased Hard Promises – so named because Petty had been battling his record company… they wanted to increase the price of that album to $9.89, and Petty held firm that the then prevalent $8.98 should be the price…he threatened to call the album $8.98. He was indeed keeping hard promises.

The live shots of Petty playing songs from Long After Dark are worth the price of admission here. There’s a raucous version of “Change Of Heart,” which I just love. The trope about Long After Dark is that the band was exhausted by constant touring and the album suffered. Frankly, I think it suffered from producer Jimmy Iovine’s excessive influence over the song selection. As an aside, I was delighted to see they covered Stevie Nicks‘ involvement with the band. She had asked Petty to write her a song and he responded with “Insider” which she ended up letting Petty keep, while she ended up singing harmony vocals on… she eventually ended up with Petty giving her (and performing the duet with her) “Stop Dragging My Heart Around.” I think she did ok in the deal. That all helped to keep Petty in the stratosphere of rock n roll at the time.

But back to Long After Dark… I was delighted they include the entire video for “You Got Lucky” in the movie. The post-apocalyptic scenario is iconic in my mind. Petty and the Heartbreakers tearing around the desert, Mad Max style. The show ends with Petty playing a song that, despite a dark theme of a relationship that has ended, has an optimistic ending with the lyrics “I don’t believe the good times are over, I don’t believe the thrill is all gone…” from “Straight Into Darkness.” I wish I’d paid more attention to that line in 1982/1983.

Seeing these old, iconic shots of Petty and the band from the early 80s stirred up a lot of emotion for me. Is it Becoming Led Zeppelin, well, no. But it’s a great trip down memory lane. And if you’re not that familiar with those early days of Petty – his first album didn’t hit until 1976 – it’s quite informative. I can’t say enough about Cameron Crowe’s handling of this… although his interview style is a bit cheesy. This is certainly a good hour and a half that feels like you’re spending it with old friends. I still miss Tom Petty.

If you’ve got time between binge watching episodes of Adolescence, put this on and turn it up loud… maybe pour a tumbler of something strong…smoke ’em if you got ’em. I’m still kicking myself in the ass that I didn’t see Petty until 1985‘s Southern Accent tour. Oh well, what’s done is done.

Cheers!