Wild-Eyed Southern Boys

For the song, see Wild-Eyed Southern Boys (song). For the professional wrestling tag team, see Southern Boys.

Wild-Eyed Southern Boys
Studio album by 38 Special
Released	January 3, 1981
Recorded	September 1979 – July 1980
Studio	Studio One Doraville, Georgia
Genre	Southern rock pop rock hard rock
Length	39:30
Label	A&M
Producer	Rodney Mills
38 Special chronology
Rockin' into the Night (1979) Wild-Eyed Southern Boys (1981) Special Forces (1982)

Wild-Eyed Southern Boys is the fourth studio album by American Southern rock band .38 Special, released on January 3, 1981, by A&M Records. ^{[1] [2]} The album spawned the hit single "Hold On Loosely", which remains a staple track of classic rock, as well as the group's discography. ^{[3] [4]} The album reached No. 23 on the Canadian charts. ^[5] A remastered CD, with four bonus live tracks, was reissued by Rock Candy Records in September 2023.

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[6]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide	[7]

Track listing

1. "Hold On Loosely" (Don Barnes, Jim Peterik, Jeff Carlisi) – 4:39
2. "First Time Around" (Barnes, Carlisi, Larry Steele, Donnie Van Zant) – 3:59
3. "Wild-Eyed Southern Boys" (Peterik) – 4:18
4. "Back Alley Sally" (Carlisi, Van Zant) – 3:11
5. "Fantasy Girl" (Carlisi, Peterik) – 4:06
6. "Hittin' and Runnin'" (Barnes, Peterik) – 4:55
7. "Honky Tonk Dancer" (Barnes, Steele, Van Zant) – 4:59
8. "Throw Out the Line" (Barnes, Carlisi, Van Zant) – 3:45
9. "Bring It On" (Carlisi, Steele, Van Zant) – 5:38

Personnel

• Donnie Van Zant – lead vocals (2–4, 7–9), backing vocals
• Don Barnes – rhythm and lead guitar, piano (3), lead vocals (1, 3, 5, 6), backing vocals
• Jeff Carlisi – lead and rhythm guitar, steel guitar
• Larry Junstrom – bass
• Steve Brookins – drums
• Jack Grondin – drums

Additional personnel

• Steve McRay – piano (4, 6, 7)
• Terry Emery – percussion
• Carol Bristow – backing vocals
• Lu Moss – backing vocals
• Carol Veto – backing vocals

Production

• Rodney Mills – producer, engineer
• Greg Quesnel – engineer
• Bob Ludwig – mastering at Masterdisk (New York City, New York)
• Chuck Beeson – art direction, design
• Mick McGinty – illustrations
• Willardson & White, Inc. – illustrations
• Paddy Reynolds – sleeve photography

Charts

Chart (1981)	Peak position
Canada Top Albums/CDs ( RPM ) [8]	23
US Billboard 200 [9]	18

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA) [10]	Platinum	1,000,000^
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

1. Strong, M. C. (1996). The Great Rock Discography, 3rd Ed . Omnibus Press. p.  831. ISBN   086-241-541-1.
2. "38 Special - 40 years ago today, January 3, 1981, 38 Special released the album Wild-Eyed Southern Boys. It became their first Platinum selling album. For those who are posting 39 years....... Remedial math classes are available near you LOL | Facebook". www.facebook.com.
3. Anderson, Skip (May 9, 2017). "10 Essential 38 Special Songs". ClassicRockHistory.com. Retrieved May 11, 2023.
4. "The Greatest Songs From .38 Special". I Love Classic Rock. July 19, 2019. Retrieved May 11, 2023.
5. "RPM Top 50 Albums - July 4, 1981" (PDF).
6. Wild-Eyed Southern Boys at AllMusic
7. The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. p. 702.
8. "Top RPM Albums: Issue 0359". RPM . Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved December 11, 2024.
9. "38 Special Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved December 11, 2024.
10. "American album certifications – 38 Special – Wild-Eyed Southern Boys". Recording Industry Association of America.