Special Forces (38 Special album)

Special Forces
Special Forces
Studio album by 38 Special
Released	1982
Recorded	1981
Studio	Studio One; Doraville, Georgia;
Genre	Southern rock; AOR; hard rock;
Length	39:57
Label	A&M
Producer	Don Barnes; Jeff Carlisi; Rodney Mills;
38 Special chronology

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	^[1]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide	^[2]

Special Forces is the fifth studio album by American rock band 38 Special, released in 1982 by A&M Records.^[3]^[4] The band embarked on the Special Forces Tour to support the album.

Special Forces peaked at number 10 on the Billboard 200, making it the band's highest-charting studio album in the United States. Three of the four charted singles from the album were co-written with Survivor's Jim Peterik, including "Caught Up in You", the band's first Top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100. A remastered CD, with three live bonus tracks, was reissued by Rock Candy Records in September 2023.

Track listing

"Caught Up in You" (Don Barnes, Jeff Carlisi, Jim Peterik) - 4:37
"Back Door Stranger" (Carlisi, Larry Steele, Donnie Van Zant) - 4:38
"Back on the Track" (Carlisi, Steele, Van Zant) - 4:45
"Chain Lightnin'" (Barnes, Peterik, Van Zant) - 5:01
"Rough-Housin'" (Barnes, Steele, Van Zant) - 4:08
"You Keep Runnin' Away" (Barnes, Carlisi, Peterik) - 3:56
"Breakin' Loose" (Carlisi, Jack Grondin, Steele, Van Zant) - 3:32
"Take 'Em Out" (Barnes, Carlisi, Steele, Van Zant) - 4:07
"Firestarter" (Barnes, Steele, Van Zant) - 5:01

Personnel

Donnie Van Zant - lead vocals (2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 9), backing vocals
Don Barnes - guitar; lead vocals on tracks 1, 4, 5, 6, 8; backing vocals
Jeff Carlisi - guitar, steel guitar
Larry Junstrom - bass guitar
Steve Brookins - drums
Jack Grondin - drums

Additional Personnel

Terry Emery - percussion, piano
Steve McRay - keyboards
Jimmy Barnes - harmonica, harp
Carol Bristow - vocals, backing vocals
Lu Moss - vocals, backing vocals

Production

Producers: Don Barnes, Jeff Carlisi, Rodney Mills
Engineers: Rodney Mills, Greg Quesnel
Art direction: Jeffrey Kent Ayeroff
Design: Philip Gips
Cover art concept: Philip Gips
Cover art painting: Larry Gerber
Mastering: Bob Ludwig

Charts

Album - Billboard (United States) RPM Magazine (Canada)

Year	Chart	Position
1982	Pop Albums	10
1982	Pop Albums ^[5]	40

Singles - Billboard (United States)

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1982	"Back on the Track"	Mainstream Rock	56
1982	"Caught Up in You"	Mainstream Rock	1
1982	"Caught Up in You"	Pop Singles	10
1982	"Chain Lightnin'"	Mainstream Rock	9
1982	"You Keep Runnin' Away"	Mainstream Rock	7
1982	"You Keep Runnin' Away"	Pop Singles	38

References

^ "Special Forces Review by Mike DeGagne". AllMusic. Retrieved 14 July 2023.
^ The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. p. 702.
^ ".38 Special Biography by Stephen Thomas Erlewine". AllMusic. Retrieved 14 July 2023.
^ Banister, C. Eric (2016). Counting Down Southern Rock: The 100 Best Songs. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. p. 113.
^ "RPM Top 50 Albums - June 19, 1982" (PDF).

[1] "Special Forces Review by Mike DeGagne". AllMusic. Retrieved 14 July 2023.

[RS-2] The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. p. 702.

[3] ".38 Special Biography by Stephen Thomas Erlewine". AllMusic. Retrieved 14 July 2023.

[4] Banister, C. Eric (2016). Counting Down Southern Rock: The 100 Best Songs. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. p. 113.

[5] "RPM Top 50 Albums - June 19, 1982" (PDF).

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v t e 38 Special
Don Barnes Bobby Capps Gary Moffatt Barry Dunaway Jerry Riggs Donnie Van Zant Jeff Carlisi Jack Grondin Steve Brookins Ken Lyons Larry Junstrom Steve McRay Max Carl Danny Chauncey Scott Meeder Scott Hoffman
Studio albums	38 Special Special Delivery Rockin' into the Night Wild-Eyed Southern Boys Special Forces Tour de Force Strength in Numbers Rock & Roll Strategy Bone Against Steel Resolution A Wild-Eyed Christmas Night Drivetrain
Live albums	Live at Sturgis 38 Special Live from Texas
Compilations	Flashback: The Best of 38 Special
Singles	"Rockin' into the Night" "Hold On Loosely" "Fantasy Girl" "Wild-Eyed Southern Boys" "Caught Up in You" "You Keep Runnin' Away" "If I'd Been the One" "Back Where You Belong" "Teacher, Teacher" "Like No Other Night" "Somebody Like You" "Back to Paradise" "Rock & Roll Strategy" "Second Chance" "Comin' Down Tonight" "The Sound of Your Voice"
Related articles	Discography Lynyrd Skynyrd Van Zant (duo)