"Don't Do Me Like That" is a song written by

Tom Petty Thomas Earl Petty (October 20, 1950October 2, 2017) was an American musician who was the lead vocalist and guitarist of the rock band Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, formed in 1976. He previously led the band Mudcrutch, was a member of the la ...

and recorded by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. It was released in November 1979 as the first single from the album '' Damn the Torpedoes'' (1979). It reached number 10 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, becoming the band's only Top 10 hit. The single also peaked at number 3 in Canada. In the UK, despite airplay by Capital Radio in the summer of 1980, the track failed to make the Top 75 chart.

Background

Petty wrote the song and recorded a demo version with his previous band

Mudcrutch Mudcrutch was an American southern and country rock band from Gainesville, Florida. They are best known for being the band that began Tom Petty's rise to fame. Mudcrutch formed in Gainesville in 1970 and soon became a popular act across Florid ...

in 1974. At one point he strongly considered giving the song to

The J. Geils Band The J. Geils Band was an American rock band formed in 1967, in Worcester, Massachusetts, under the leadership of guitarist John "J." Geils. The original band members included vocalist Peter Wolf, harmonica and saxophone player Richard "Magic ...

because he thought it had their sound. During the '' Damn the Torpedoes'' sessions he was convinced by producer

Jimmy Iovine James Iovine ( ; ; born March 11, 1953) is an American entrepreneur, record executive, and media proprietor best known as the co-founder of Interscope Records. In 2006, Iovine and rapper-producer Dr. Dre founded Beats Electronics, which produces ...

to include it on the album because he sensed it would be a hit.

Reception

'' Billboard'' praised the song for its "strong lyrical hook backed up by some solid mid to fast rock instrumentation" and its "urgent" vocal. '' Cash Box'' said that it "bounces along to a rock steady, engaging beat, bopping

hook A hook is a tool consisting of a length of material, typically metal, that contains a portion that is curved or indented, such that it can be used to grab onto, connect, or otherwise attach itself onto another object. In a number of uses, one e ...

, staccato guitar chords with lively

production Production may refer to: Economics and business * Production (economics) * Production, the act of manufacturing goods * Production, in the outline of industrial organization, the act of making products (goods and services) * Production as a stati ...

." The ''Fort Worth Star Telegram'' rated it to be the 4th best single of 1979.

Single track listings

*"Don't Do Me Like That" b/w "Casa Dega"
Backstreet 41138 (US) *"Don't Do Me Like That" b/w "Century City"
"Something Else" (Live) b/w "Stories We Could Tell" (Live)
Backstreet MCA 596 (UK 2x7" single)

Chart performance

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

References

{{authority control 1979 singles 1980 singles Tom Petty songs Songs written by Tom Petty Song recordings produced by Jimmy Iovine 1979 songs