Depot Street

Album: single release only (1975)
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Songfacts®:

  • Tom Petty left his native Gainesville for the West Coast on April Fool's Day, 1974, his then-band Mudcrutch having gone as far as they could go locally. They were signed by Shelter Records, and "Depot Street," credited to Thomas Petty, was their first release. Running to 3 minutes 26 seconds, it was produced by Denny Cordell.
  • It might be tempting to think this song is autobiographical, but although there is a Depot Lane in Gainesville, there is no Depot Street, and his father's name was not Mackintosh.
  • The B-side was another Petty composition, "Wild Eyes." The record was an unofficial promo release. In the US, depot is pronounced DEEP-oh; in the UK, DEPP-oh. >>
    Suggestion credit:
    Alexander Baron - London, England, for all above

Comments: 1

  • Cee from Florida, UsaActually, it’s Depot AVENUE. My sister and brother in law lived on that street when they were students at the University of Florida.

    When my husband spoke to his old high school friend on the phone and told him we had heard his record on the local radio station, Tommy was annoyed because “Wild Eyes” was supposed to be the A side!
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