38 Special (also written .38 Special or Thirty-Eight Special) is an American rock band that was formed by neighborhood friends Don Barnes and Donnie Van Zant in 1975 in Jacksonville, Florida.[1] The band's first two albums had a strong southern rock vibe. By the early 1980s, 38 Special shifted to a more accessible arena rock style without abandoning its southern rock roots. This shift helped to usher in a string of successful albums and singles.
Their breakthrough hit was "Hold On Loosely" (1981); "Caught Up In You" (1982) and "If I'd Been The One" (1983) both hit #1 on Billboard magazine's Album Rock Tracks chart. "Back Where You Belong" (1984) continued the annual sequence of radio favorites, and "Second Chance" (1989) was a #1 hit on Billboard's adult contemporary chart.
In 2007, 38 Special was the opening act on Lynyrd Skynyrd and Hank Williams Jr.'s Rowdy Frynds Tour, and on September 27, 2008, they filmed a CMT Crossroads special with country singer Trace Adkins, performing both artists' hits from over the years. In 2009, 38 Special opened for REO Speedwagon and Styx as part of the "Can't Stop Rockin' Tour."
The current lineup consists of Barnes, Van Zant, guitarist Danny Chauncey, bassist Larry Junstrom, keyboardist Bobby Capps and drummer Gary Moffatt.
Contents[][hide]*1 Discography
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[[[38 Special (band)|edit]]] Discography[]
[[[38 Special (band)|edit]]] Studio albums[]
| Year | Album | US | RIAA |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | 38 Special | 148 | |
| 1978 | Special Delivery | ||
| 1980 | Rockin' Into the Night | 57 | |
| 1981 | Wild-Eyed Southern Boys | 18 | Platinum |
| 1982 | Special Forces | 10 | Platinum |
| 1984 | Tour de Force | 22 | Platinum |
| 1986 | Strength in Numbers | 17 | Gold |
| 1988 | Rock & Roll Strategy | 61 | |
| 1991 | Bone Against Steel | 170 | |
| 1997 | Resolution | ||
| 2001 | A Wild-Eyed Christmas Night | ||
| 2004 | Drivetrain |
[[[38 Special (band)|edit]]] Compilation and specialty albums[]
| Year | Album | US | RIAA |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | Wild Eyed & Live | ||
| 1987 | Flashback: The Best of 38 Special | 35 | Platinum |
| 1999 | Live at Sturgis | ||
| 2000 | 20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best of 38 Special | ||
| 2001 | Anthology | ||
| 2003 | The Very Best of the A&M Years (1977-1988) |
[[[38 Special (band)|edit]]] Singles[]
| Year | Single | Peak chart positions | Album | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | US Main | US AC | AUS | ||||||
| 1980 | "Rockin' Into the Night" | 43 | — | — | — | Rockin' Into the Night | |||
| 1981 | "Hold on Loosely" | 27 | 3 | — | — | Wild-Eyed Southern Boys | |||
| "Fantasy Girl" | 52 | 30 | — | — | |||||
| "Wild-Eyed Southern Boys" | — | 35 | — | — | |||||
| 1982 | "Caught Up in You" | 10 | 1 | — | — | Special Forces | |||
| "You Keep Runnin' Away" | 38 | 7 | — | — | |||||
| "Chain Lightnin'" | — | 9 | — | — | |||||
| "Back on the Track" | — | 56 | — | — | |||||
| 1983 | "If I'd Been the One" | 19 | 1 | — | — | Tour de Force | |||
| "Back Where You Belong" | 20 | — | — | — | |||||
| 1984 | "Teacher, Teacher" | 25 | 4 | — | — | Teachers (soundtrack) | |||
| 1986 | "Like No Other Night" | 14 | 4 | — | — | Strength in Numbers | |||
| "Somebody Like You" | 48 | 6 | — | — | |||||
| "Heart's on Fire" | — | 30 | — | — | |||||
| 1987 | "Back to Paradise" | 41 | 4 | — | — | Flashback: The Best of 38 Special | |||
| 1988 | "Little Sheba" | — | 15 | — | — | Rock & Roll Strategy | |||
| "Rock & Roll Strategy" | 61 | 5 | — | — | |||||
| 1989 | "Second Chance" | 6 | 2 | 1 | 14 | ||||
| "Comin' Down Tonight" | 67 | — | — | — | |||||
| 1991 | "Rebel to Rebel" | — | 30 | — | — | Bone Against Steel | |||
| "The Sound of Your Voice" | 33 | 2 | — | — | |||||
| 1997 | "Fade to Blue" | — | 33 | — | — | Resolution | |||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | |||||||||
[[[38 Special (band)|edit]]] More Singles[]
- 1976 Four Wheels
- 1979 Stone Cold Believer / Rockin' Into the Night
- 1980 Hold On Loosely / Throw Out the Line
[[[38 Special (band)|edit]]] Bootlegs[]
- 1977 My Fathers Place, Old Roslyn 1977
- 1979 Rockin' in Old Roslyn
- 1980 Denver, Colorado 3/26/80
- 1984 Eldorado Road
- 1985 Wild Eyed and Live in Long Island
- 1987 Westwood One: Live at the Summit in Houston Texas 5-8-1987
- 1988 Memphis 1988
- 2000 Live in Concert (Memphis, TN)