Special Forces (38 Special album) explained

Special Forces is the fifth studio album by American rock band 38 Special, released in 1982 by A&M Records.^{[1] [2]} 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

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

Year	Chart	Position
1982	Pop Albums	10
1982	Pop Albums [3]	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

Notes and References

1. Web site: .38 Special Biography by Stephen Thomas Erlewine . AllMusic . 14 July 2023.
2. Book: Banister . C. Eric . Counting Down Southern Rock: The 100 Best Songs . 2016 . Rowman & Littlefield Publishers . 113.
3. Web site: RPM Top 50 Albums - June 19, 1982.