10 Albums With Creepy Recording Stories

10. Hard Promises - Tom Petty

After weathering through a tumultuous lawsuit for his creative freedom, Tom Petty seemed to be a bit burnt out on the turbulent world of rock. Then again, that didn't deter him from putting out another fine piece of heartland rock on the record Hard Promises.

Though there were many highlights from the sessions like appearances by Stevie Nicks and Donald "Duck" Dunn, the most extravagant guest was unexpectedly left absent. About midway through recording, producer Jimmy Iovine called up John Lennon, whom he had worked with on previous records. Upon hearing where the Heartbreakers were recording, Lennon got in touch with Iovine again and told him that he planned to come and visit the group in the studio and maybe help them out on a few tracks.

This meeting of rock gods was not to be, as Lennon was killed in December of 1980, just before he was set to book a flight to LA. Still reeling from the grief, Petty decided to press the first copies of the record with a sentimental twist to immortalize his idol. For those fans who bought the first copies of the record, there is a visible etching in the vinyl that says proudly "We Love You JL," putting Lennon at the center of one of the band's greatest albums.