| Artist | Rick Springfield |
|---|---|
| Cover | Hard to Hold cover.jpeg |
| Released | March 1984[1] |
| Genre | Rock, power pop[2] |
| Length | 35:29 |
| Label | RCA Victor |
| Producer | Rick Springfield, Bill Drescher, Graham Parker, Harvey Goldberg, Tom Scott, Peter Gabriel, Peter Walsh |
| Prev year | 1983 |
| Next year | 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]
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 Rhodes [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 |
| US Billboard 200[7] | 16 |
References
- ^ Sutherland, Sam (1984-03-31). "Billboard Album reviews". Billboard. No. SM 14011. p. 54.
- ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Hard to Hold - AllMusic review". AllMusic. Retrieved April 27, 2021.
- ^ Tucker, Ken (March 30, 1984). "Albums". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. 26. Retrieved May 26, 2020.
- ^ "Reviews". Cash Box. May 19, 1984. p. 12. Retrieved 2022-07-23.
- ^ "Reviews". Cash Box. August 25, 1984. p. 8. Retrieved 2022-07-25.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Billboard 200". Billboard. May 5, 1984. Retrieved August 9, 2025.