Echo (Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers album)

Echo is the 10th studio album by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Released in April 1999, the album reached number 10 on the Billboard 200 aided by singles "Free Girl Now," "Swingin'" and "Room at the Top," which hit numbers 5, 17 and 19 respectively on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Tracks in 1999. The album was the band's last collaboration with producer Rick Rubin, and was also the last to feature contributions from longtime bassist/vocalist Howie Epstein, who died of a heroin overdose in 2003. Despite still being a member of the band, Epstein is missing from the album's cover photo because he failed to show up for the photo shoot, and Petty ordered it to commence without him. Echo was certified Gold (500,000 copies sold) by the RIAA in July 1999, only three months after it was released. Echo is the only Heartbreakers' album to feature a lead vocal from another member of the band: Mike Campbell on "I Don't Wanna Fight."

Only a few songs from the record were played on the band's tour that year. The songs on the album were largely written during a period when Petty was going through a painful divorce (influencing the lyrics of songs such as "Lonesome Sundown" and the title track), and Petty cited that as the reason for his preference not to play many songs from the album live. However, "Room at the Top," "Free Girl Now" and "I Don't Wanna Fight" all appear in the concert film High Grass Dogs: Live at the Fillmore and a version of "Billy the Kid" appears on The Live Anthology.

"Free Girl Now" is also notable for being the second single by a major artist to be made available for free internet download in MP3 format by the artist. Petty's marketing decision caused concern at Warner Bros., and the download was pulled after two days, but propagated thanks to services like Napster.

Track listing
All songs written by Tom Petty, except where noted.
 * 1) "Room at the Top" – 5:00
 * 2) "Counting on You" – 4:05
 * 3) "Free Girl Now" – 3:30
 * 4) "Lonesome Sundown" – 4:32
 * 5) "Swingin'" – 5:30
 * 6) "Accused of Love" – 2:45
 * 7) "Echo" – 6:36
 * 8) "Won't Last Long" – 4:22
 * 9) "Billy the Kid" – 4:08
 * 10) "I Don't Wanna Fight" (Mike Campbell) – 2:47
 * 11) "This One's for Me" – 2:42
 * 12) "No More" – 3:15
 * 13) "About to Give Out" – 3:12
 * 14) "Rhino Skin" – 3:57
 * 15) "One More Day, One More Night" – 5:37

Outtakes

 * "Sweet William" appeared as the B-side on the "Room at the Top" CD single.
 * "Gainesville" was released posthumously as a part of the An American Treasure compilation in 2018.

Personnel

 * Tom Petty – guitars, harmonica, vocals
 * Mike Campbell – lead guitars, bass, lead vocals on "I Don't Wanna Fight"
 * Benmont Tench – pianos, organ, chamberlin, clavinet
 * Howie Epstein – bass, harmony/background vocals
 * Steve Ferrone – drums

Additional musicians
 * Scott Thurston – acoustic and electric guitars, background vocals
 * Lenny Castro – percussion

Artwork
 * Martyn Atkins – art direction and photography
 * Christine Cano – art direction and design