Occasionally, I get to interview someone I grew up listening to on the radio. 38 Special was my absolute favorite rock band in my late teens and early 20s, producing mega hits like “Hold On Loosely,” “Caught Up In You,” “If I’d Been The One,” “Back Where You Belong,” and “Rockin’ Into the Night.”
When I heard they had a new album, Milestone, forthcoming, I hounded their PR firm until I got an interview. It was fun talking to lead singer, Don Barnes, whose voice was as familiar to me as an old friend.
Formed in 1974, the band toured tirelessly from the start, sharpening the explosive live show that's been 38 Special's calling card for a half-century. Along the way, the Florida natives fine-tuned their sound too: a blend of muscle and melody, filled with the arena-rock pop hooks that would soon become staples of FM radio. Years passed… trends changed… some band members retired from the rigors… but 38 Special remained, hitting the road year after year, thrilling fans old and new.
The current 38 Special band members are Don Barnes (vocals, guitar), Bobby Capps (keyboards, vocals), Gary Moffatt (drums), Barry Dunaway (bass), and Jerry Riggs (guitar, vocals). Don Barnes was an original founding member, while the others joined over time, with Riggs being the most recent addition in 2019.
In making the celebratory Milestone, their goal was to create a more modern 38 Special album, with a fresh updated approach to the sound we grew up listening to, without forgetting their rock & roll roots.
The first song on the record, “So Much Right,” was created the way many rock songs are, by jamming around and putting riffs together. Milestone opens with the larger-than-life roar of Barnes' voice, delivering a line that might as well be the band's mission statement: “Don't wanna ever slow down!"
Barnes had the line “You make so much feel so right” written his notes, and when the song came together, it all just fit. But most importantly, once you hear “So Much Right” and the driving bass line, you know instantly you are listening to 38 Special.
The band teamed up with Train’s Pat Monohan for the song, “Slightly Controversial.” They purposely explore a more modern sound so it “doesn’t sound so much like the 80s.” The song is about a mysterious girl who is trying to protect herself emotionally, and she becomes an enigma that no one can figure out. “We wanted it to be kind of rude and angular,” Barmes explained. Since Monohan had covered “Hold on Loosely” with Joe Bonamassa, they knew he would be a good fit for the song.
Another pre-released track was “All I Haven’t Said,” a beautiful rock ballad inspired by Barnes’ wife Christine, who helped write the lyrics. Barnes stated, “The song is a throwback to the 60s, inspired by bands like The Searchers. I've always loved that jangling guitar sound, and what's old is new again.”
The words If I quoted the poets throughout the ages/ I’d still not find the words caught inside my head/ I would write them across the sky how I loved you/ And all I haven’t said are about mature love like that of a husband and wife who have been together for years.
“The Main Thing” is another beat-driven contemporary rock anthem, but what struck me as a country music follower was the lyrics. Laced with some wailing guitar riffs, the song promotes positivity as it implores, “The main thing is to keep your heart full.” It’s an optimistic, fun dance song.
Songwriter Jim Peterik of the rock band Survivor helped compose a majority of the songs on this record, along with their previous platinum hits “Hold On Loosely”, “Caught Up In You”, “Wild-Eyed Southern Boys”, “Fantasy Girl”, and “Rockin' Into The Night.” It was only natural for Barnes to turn to him as they finalized the tracks on Milestone.
However, Barnes wrote “Long Long Train” alongside Randy Bachman of The Guess Who during an anomaly that they were both in Nashville on the same day and had time to write together. The song is a social commentary that takes a hard look at the world we are leaving for our children. Barnes explained, “It sounds like a protest song, about something we are concerned about in our society, but we purposefully left it vague. Everybody thinks they're all going to be redeemed and they're going to be on that train.” Additionally, being a Randy Bachman song, the haunting chords come together in an orchestral kind of arrangement.
“Looking For My Life” was also inspired by Barnes’ wife Christine, whom he married in 2013. It’s a song about finally finding true love after years of searching and wondering. The words When I found you, I was lookin’ for my life/ Down broken roads and miles of endless highways/ Now we’re face to face/ And I know I got it right give hope to those still searching for love.
After finally finding the love of his life, Barnes is “Making Up For Lost Time” now that he has finally gotten it right. He stated, “You might be with the wrong person for a while, and you're trying to struggle, and you're trying to make it work. You don't want to get to the end of your life and say, ‘I wish I'd have done this. I wish I'd taken that path.’ When you finally do get there, you realize, ‘I'm going to make up for this lost time.’”
The most reflective song on the album is “Windows of Memories.” It was inspired by the famous Macy’s Christmas window dioramas, which featured scenes from multiple decades. It is different for a rock tune as it was written in 3/4 time. Barnes recalled, “I happened to be in New York at Christmas time right before the changeover to 2000. Everyone was freaked out about the computers shutting down.” As was the norm for Barnes, he took to his piano and then joined Peterik in Chicago, where they worked out the chord pattern. “I had 2/3 of it done and Peterik said, ‘Whatever you’ve got there sounds great.’” The song is about walking through the eras of your life.
The final song on the record was a solo write by Jim Peterik called “The Look.” He wrote about Barnes meeting his wife, Christine, at the Charlotte airport. When Christine asked if the seat was taken, Barnes was smitten. When he learned she was the senior vice president of a major bank, he was doubly bowled over. He thought, “Beauty plus brains. I am going to find her, so she won’t get away.”
The song could be a wedding song if the beginning were changed up a bit.
Barnes shared about the album, “When making new music, you're damned if you do, damned if you don't. If you come out with something that sounds just like it did that long ago, people just shrug their shoulders and say, ‘Well, there's nothing new. It sounds like the same old thing.’ Then, if you come out with something that you took a left turn and you try to make something new, then they scratch their head, and you go, Huh? That doesn't sound like 38 Special.”
While the Milestone record is a later evolution for the 38 Special band, it rocks as hard as their early stuff. Barnes stated, “I hope you like the songs. But if you don’t like that particular one, you’ll like the next one.”
As for me, I love a driving bass guitar, a hard-hitting kick drum, and passion-filled riffs. But what attracts me most to the Milestone record is its positivity. They still have that highly recognizable sound that marks them as “38 Special,” but with a bit more hope and reflection.
After 50 years, if any band has earned the right to reflect, it’s 38 Special. However, with Milestone, Barnes and company keep their eyes glued to the horizon ahead of them. The ride isn't over.
If you get the privilege of seeing 38 Special in concert, of course, they will play the fan favorites. But keep an eye out for their new stuff as well. You won’t be disappointed.
Fans can order signed CDs or Vinyl here.
You can follow 38 Special on their website, Facebook, Instagram, X, YouTube, and all streaming platforms.
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Bethany Bowman is a freelance entertainment writer. You can follow her blog, Instagram, and X.
Milestone Record Track List
1. So Much Right
2. Slightly Controversial
3. All I Haven’t Said
4. The Main Thing
5. Long Long Train
6. Looking For My Life
7. Making Up For Lost Time
8. Windows of Memories
9. The Look
