The Distance (Bob Seger album)

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The Distance
Studio album by
ReleasedDecember 13, 1982
GenreHeartland rock[1]
Length41:05
LabelCapitol
ProducerJimmy Iovine
Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band chronology
Nine Tonight
(1981)
The Distance
(1982)
Like a Rock
(1986)
Singles from The Distance
  1. "Shame on the Moon"
    Released: December 14, 1982
  2. "Even Now"
    Released: March 1983
  3. "Roll Me Away"
    Released: May 10, 1983
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]

The Distance is the twelfth studio album by US-American rock singer Bob Seger. It was released in the final week of 1982 (see 1982 in music). It peaked at #5 on Billboard's album chart and sold close to two million copies in the United States.

Seger, influenced by the Woody Allen film Annie Hall, originally intended the album to be built around the theme of relationships but eventually that fell apart when Seger decided that sticking to the theme too strictly would make the album "maudlin".[2] Several songs based on the original theme made it on the album: the hit single "Even Now", "Love’s the Last to Know", "House Behind a House" and the album closer "Little Victories".[2]

The album's lead single, "Shame on the Moon", was one of Seger's biggest hits, holding at #2 for four weeks on the Billboard Hot 100. It also hit #1 Adult Contemporary and crossed over to #15 Country.

Capitol Records had stopped manufacturing albums in the 8-track tape cartridge format by the time this album was released. However, Seger asked the label to include that format for this album, knowing that many of his fans still used 8-track players.[citation needed]

Track listing[edit]

All tracks are written by Bob Seger, except where noted

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Even Now" 4:31
2."Makin' Thunderbirds" 2:58
3."Boomtown Blues" 3:38
4."Shame on the Moon"Rodney Crowell4:55
5."Love's the Last to Know" 4:26
6."Roll Me Away" 4:39
7."House Behind a House" 4:00
8."Comin' Home" 6:06
9."Little Victories" 5:52

Personnel[edit]

  • Bob Seger – vocals (all tracks), guitar (3, 8, 9), harmony vocals (4)

The Silver Bullet Band

  • Chris Campbell – bass (1–7, 9)
  • Craig Frost – organ (1, 3–6, 9), piano (2)
  • Alto Reed – saxophone (1–3, 7, 8)

Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section

Additional musicians

Additional vocals

Production

Charts[edit]

Album

Year Chart Position
1983 US Top LPs & Tape 5

Singles

Year Single Chart Position
1982 "House Behind a House" US Top Rock Tracks 29
1983 "Boomtown Blues" 11
"Even Now" 2
US Hot 100 12
"Roll Me Away" US Top Rock Tracks 13
US Hot 100 27
"Shame on the Moon" US Adult Contemporary 1
US Country Singles 15
US Hot 100 2

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band: The Distance > Review at AllMusic. Retrieved July 4, 2011.
  2. ^ a b Pond, Steve (February 3, 1983). "Bob Seger: Nice Guy in the Nasty Lane". Rolling Stone. Retrieved October 11, 2018.