Special Forces (38 Special album)

Special Forces
Studio album by 38 Special
Released	1982
Recorded	1981
Studio	Studio One Doraville, Georgia
Genre	Southern rock pop rock hard rock
Length	39:57
Label	A&M
Producer	Don Barnes Jeff Carlisi Rodney Mills
38 Special chronology
Wild-Eyed Southern Boys (1981) Special Forces (1982) Tour de Force (1983)

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

1. "Caught Up in You" (Don Barnes, Jeff Carlisi, Jim Peterik) - 4:37
2. "Back Door Stranger" (Carlisi, Larry Steele, Donnie Van Zant) - 4:38
3. "Back on the Track" (Carlisi, Steele, Van Zant) - 4:45
4. "Chain Lightnin'" (Barnes, Peterik, Van Zant) - 5:01
5. "Rough-Housin'" (Barnes, Steele, Van Zant) - 4:08
6. "You Keep Runnin' Away" (Barnes, Carlisi, Peterik) - 3:56
7. "Breakin' Loose" (Carlisi, Jack Grondin, Steele, Van Zant) - 3:32
8. "Take 'Em Out" (Barnes, Carlisi, Steele, Van Zant) - 4:07
9. "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

Chart (1982)	Peak position
Canada Top Albums/CDs ( RPM ) [5]	40
US Billboard 200 [6]	10

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA) [7]	Platinum	1,000,000^
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

1. "Special Forces Review by Mike DeGagne". AllMusic. Retrieved July 14, 2023.
2. The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. p. 702.
3. ".38 Special Biography by Stephen Thomas Erlewine". AllMusic. Retrieved July 14, 2023.
4. Banister, C. Eric (2016). Counting Down Southern Rock: The 100 Best Songs. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. p. 113.
5. "Top RPM Albums: Issue 6473". RPM . Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved December 11, 2024.
6. "38 Special Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved December 11, 2024.
7. "American album certifications – 38 Special – Special Forces". Recording Industry Association of America.