Hard to Hold

Hard to Hold
Hard to Hold
Soundtrack album by Rick Springfield
Released	March 1984
Genre	Rock, power pop
Length	35:29
Label	RCA Victor
Producer	Rick Springfield, Bill Drescher, Graham Parker, Harvey Goldberg, Tom Scott, Peter Gabriel, Peter Walsh
Rick Springfield chronology
Singles from Hard to Hold
	"Love Somebody"; Released: February 1984; "Don't Walk Away"; Released: May 1984; "Bop 'Til You Drop"; Released: August 1984; "Taxi Dancing"; Released: August 1984;

Hard to Hold is the eighth studio album by Rick Springfield released in March 1984, by RCA Records as the soundtrack to the film of the same name. The album includes the U.S. Top 5 hit "Love Somebody", Top 40 hits "Don't Walk Away" and "Bop 'Til You Drop", plus minor hit "Taxi Dancing" (a duet with Randy Crawford). In addition to Springfield appearing on the soundtrack, there are three tracks from other artists; "When The Lights Go Down" by Graham Parker, "Heart Of A Woman" by Nona Hendryx, and a live version of "I Go Swimming" by Peter Gabriel. The album was later remastered by Steve Hoffman for the Razor and Tie reissue label.

Reception

From contemporary reviews, Ken Tucker of The Philadelphia Inquirer gave the album three out of five star rating, noting that "Love Somebody" was Springfrield's "best pop-rocker since "Jessie's Girl" and the filler songs on the album include good songs by Graham Parker and Peter Gabriel.^[3] Tucker concluded that the album was "one of the few soundtrack albums that doesn't cheat its listeners."^[3]

Cash Box said that the second single "Don't Walk Away" has "a more heavy metal tinge...than on 'Love Somebody' and Springfield’s hard rock sensibilities come into full flower with a high-energy sound that gives this tune a forceful momentum."^[4]

Cash Box called the third single "Bob 'Til You Drop" "an urban mover for the ’80s."^[5]

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Artist	Length
1.	"Love Somebody"	Rick Springfield	Rick Springfield	3:30
2.	"Don't Walk Away"	Rick Springfield	Rick Springfield	4:00
3.	"Bop 'Til You Drop"	Rick Springfield	Rick Springfield	4:16
4.	"Taxi Dancing" (duet with Randy Crawford)	Rick Springfield	Rick Springfield	3:30
5.	"S.F.O." (Instrumental)	Rick Springfield, Tim Pierce	Rick Springfield	2:21
6.	"Stand Up"	Rick Springfield	Rick Springfield	3:06
7.	"When the Lights Go Down"	Graham Parker	Graham Parker	3:21
8.	"Great Lost Art of Conversation"	Rick Springfield	Rick Springfield	3:07
9.	"Heart of a Woman"	Tom Scott, Candy Parton	Nona Hendryx	3:42
10.	"I Go Swimming" (Live)	Peter Gabriel	Peter Gabriel	4:36
Total length:				35:29

Personnel

Producers: Rick Springfield & Bill Drescher
Engineer: Bill Drescher
Second Engineers: Eddie Delena, Rick Polakow
Executive Producer: D. Constantine Conte
Mastered by Greg Fulginiti at Artisan Sound Recorders, Hollywood
CD Mastered by Steve Hoffman
Recorded by [Pre-production Assistance]: Jeff Silverman
Brett Tuggle, Richard Page, Rick Springfield, Jerry Marotta [PG], Tom Kelly - backing vocals
Mike Seifrit, Reggie McBride, Tony Levin [PG] - bass
Peter Gabriel [PG] - vocals
Mike Baird - drums
Jeff Silverman, Rick Springfield, David Rhoades [PG], Tim Pierce - guitar
Alan Pasqua, John Philip Shenale, Mitchell Froom, Larry Fast [PG], Rick Springfield - keyboards
Michael Fisher - acoustic percussion
Reek Havoc, Rick Springfield - electronic percussion
Joel Peskin - saxophone, electric woodwind

[PG] Peter Gabriel track (I Go Swimming)

Charts

Chart (1984)	Peak position
Australia (Kent Music Report)^[6]	87
Canada (Canadian Albums Chart)	29
US Top 200 Albums (Billboard)	16

Certifications

Certifications for *Hard to Hold*
Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)^[7]	Gold	50,000^{^}
United States (RIAA)^[8]	Platinum	1,000,000^{^}
^{^} Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

^ Sutherland, Sam (31 March 1984). "Billboard Album reviews". Billboard. No. SM 14011. p. 54.
^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Hard to Hold - AllMusic review". AllMusic. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
^ ^a ^b Tucker, Ken (30 March 1984). "Albums". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. 26. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
^ "Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. 19 May 1984. p. 12. Retrieved 23 July 2022.
^ "Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. 25 August 1984. p. 8. Retrieved 25 July 2022.
^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 283. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
^ "Canadian album certifications – Rick Springfield – Hard to Hold". Music Canada. Retrieved 13 September 2022.
^ "American album certifications – Rick Springfield – Hard to Hold". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 13 September 2022.

[1] Sutherland, Sam (31 March 1984). "Billboard Album reviews". Billboard. No. SM 14011. p. 54.

[2] Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Hard to Hold - AllMusic review". AllMusic. Retrieved 27 April 2021.

[Tucker-3] Tucker, Ken (30 March 1984). "Albums". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. 26. Retrieved 26 May 2020.

[cb-4] "Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. 19 May 1984. p. 12. Retrieved 23 July 2022.

[cb2-5] "Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. 25 August 1984. p. 8. Retrieved 25 July 2022.

[aus-6] Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 283. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.

[CanadaRick_SpringfieldHard_to_HoldalbumCertRef-7] "Canadian album certifications – Rick Springfield – Hard to Hold". Music Canada. Retrieved 13 September 2022.

[United_StatesRick_SpringfieldHard_to_HoldalbumCertRef-8] "American album certifications – Rick Springfield – Hard to Hold". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 13 September 2022.

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