"I Should Have Known It" is a song by

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers were an American rock band formed in Gainesville, Florida, in 1976. The band originally comprised lead singer and rhythm guitarist Tom Petty, lead guitarist Mike Campbell, keyboardist Benmont Tench, drummer ...

from their 2010 album ''

Mojo Mojo may refer to: * Mojo (African-American culture), a magical charm bag used in Hoodoo Arts, entertainment and media Film and television * ''Mojo'' (2017 film), a 2017 Indian Kannada drama film written and directed by Sreesha Belakvaadi * '' ...

''. It was included on Petty's 2019 posthumous

greatest hits album A greatest hits album or best-of album is a type of compilation album that collects popular and commercially successful songs by a particular artist or band. While greatest hits albums are typically supported by the artist, they can also be creat ...

'' The Best of Everything''. The song has been described as a great rocker with a riff in Led Zeppelin's style.

Recording

Tom Petty and Mike Campbell recorded ''I Should Have Known It'' on January 7, 2010 at The Clubhouse in

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

. This song was presumably written about a girlfriend of Tom's where the relationship was on the rocks. Petty's long-time lead guitarist Mike Campbell told ''Jam! Music'' that the blues-based album where the single was included was inspired by the sound of his recently acquired sunburst '59 Les Paul. "I got a new guitar which is actually an old guitar," he said. "It's the classic Jimmy Page, Peter Green, Eric Clapton-era guitar. There were only 500 or 600 of them made that year. There's just something about the harmonic overtones in it when I picked it up and plugged it in, it immediately had that classic British blues sound. He recorded "I Should Have Known It" using a 1959 Les Paul Sunburst, with a backing rhythm by Scott Thurston who recorded with an Epiphone Sheraton. Ron Blair, bassist for the Heartbreakers recorded this song with a 1959 Precision Bass and

Benmont Tench Benjamin Montmorency "Benmont" Tench III (born September 7, 1953) is an American musician and singer, and a founding member of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Early years Tench was born in Gainesville, Florida, the second child of Benjamin M ...

recorded the song using a Steinway Grand Piano.

Personnel

Personnel taken from ''Mojo'' liner notes. *

Tom Petty Thomas Earl Petty (October 20, 1950October 2, 2017) was an American singer, songwriter, and musician. He was the leader and frontman of the Rock music, rock bands Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and Mudcrutch and a member of the late 1980s sup ...

– vocals * Mike Campbell – lead guitar *

– piano * Scott Thurston – rhythm guitar * Ron Blair – bass guitar *

Steve Ferrone Stephen A. Ferrone (born 25 April 1950) is an English drummer. He is known as a member of the rock band Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers from 1994 to 2017, replacing original drummer Stan Lynch, and as part of the "classic lineup" of the Aver ...

– drums

Charts

In concert

"I Should Have Known It" became the most enduring live song among Petty's more recent material. Petty kept playing it until his death in 2017. It has been played live 188 times.

References

{{TPHeartbreakers 2010 songs Songs written by Tom Petty Songs written by Mike Campbell (musician) Tom Petty songs