38 SPECIAL - WILD-EYED SOUTHERN BOYS - 12" Vinyl LP Album

- Southern Rock Classic Featuring "Hold On Loosely" and Original Inner Sleeve

38 SPECIAL Wild-Eyed Southern Boys album cover: a woman's legs in pink heels and hot pants are seen from behind as she stands before the band lined up on a sidewalk, with vivid colors and neon signage.

Released in 1981, stands as a testament to the band's prowess in southern rock. The album, adorned with the Original Inner Sleeve (OIS), showcases the band's musical evolution within the vibrant context of the time. With a dynamic blend of bluesy melodies and powerful vocals, this LP contributes significantly to the era's musical landscape, solidifying 38 Special's presence in the rock scene. This web page has photos of album covers, inner sleeves, record labels together with production details, musicians and track-listing.

Album Description & Collectors information:

"Wild-Eyed Southern Boys" is the fourth studio album by the southern rock band 38 Special, released in 1981. The album was a commercial success, reaching #11 on the Billboard 200 chart and spawning three hit singles: "Hold On Loosely", "Fantasy Girl", and "Back Alley Sally".

The album was produced by Jim Peterik, who also co-wrote several of the songs on the album, including the hit singles. The album's sound is a mix of southern rock, hard rock, and pop, and features the band's signature guitar riffs and vocals.

"Wild-Eyed Southern Boys" is considered one of 38 Special's best albums, and it helped to establish the band as a major force in the southern rock scene. The album has been certified platinum by the RIAA, and it continues to be popular with fans of the band and southern rock music in general.

The model on the album's front cover of 38 Special - Wild-Eyed Southern Boys is Patti McGee. She was a model and actress who appeared in several magazines and movies in the 1970s and 1980s. She was also a Playboy Playmate in 1979.

McGee was born in 1959 in New York City. She began modeling at the age of 16 and quickly became one of the most popular models in the world. She appeared in magazines such as Vogue, Cosmopolitan, and Harper's Bazaar. She also appeared in several movies, including "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas" and "The Cannonball Run."

McGee retired from modeling in the early 1990s and now works as a real estate agent in Florida. She is married and has two children.

 

This album "38 SPECIAL - Wild-Eyed Southern Boys" includes the original custom inner sleeve with album details, complete lyrics of all songs by and artwork/photos

Music Genre:

Southern Rock 

Album Production Information:

The album: "38 SPECIAL - Wild-Eyed Southern Boys" was produced by: Rodney Mills, Don Barnes, Jeff Carlisi

Sound/Recording Engineer(s): "Lightin' Rod" Mills and Gregory M.Quesnel

This album was recorded at: Studio One, Doraville, Georgia

Album cover design: Chuck Beeson

Album Illustrations: Mick McGinty, Willardson and White Inc

Album cover photography: Paddy Reynolds

Record Label & Catalognr:

A&M Records. AMLH 64835

Media Format:

12" LP Vinyl Stereo Gramophone Record

Total Album (Cover+Record) weight: 230 gram

Year & Country:

1981 Made in Holland
Personnel/Band Members and Musicians on: 38 SPECIAL - Wild-Eyed Southern Boys
    Band-members, Musicians and Performers
  • Don Barnes - guitar, piano, vocals, background vocals
  • Steve Brookins - drums
  • Jeff Carlisi - guitar, steel guitar
  • Jack Grondin - drums
  • Larry Junstrom - bass guitar
  • Donnie Van Zant - vocals, guitar
  • with guests:
  • Carol Bristow - vocals
  • Carol Veto - background vocals
  • Steve McRay - piano
  • Lu Moss - vocals
  • Terry Emery - percussion
Complete Track-listing of the album "38 SPECIAL - Wild-Eyed Southern Boys"

The detailed tracklist of this record "38 SPECIAL - Wild-Eyed Southern Boys" is:

    Track-listing:
  1. "Hold On Loosely" (Don Barnes, Jeff Carlisi, Jim Peterik) – 4:39
  2. "First Time Around" (Barnes, Carlisi, Steele, Donnie Van Zant) – 3:59
  3. "Wild-Eyed Southern Boys" (Peterik) – 4:18
  4. "Back Alley Sally" (Carlisi, Van Zant) – 3:11
  5. "Fantasy Girl" (Carlisi, Peterik) – 4:06
  6. "Hittin' and Runnin'" (Barnes, Peterik) – 4:55
  7. "Honky Tonk Dancer" (Barnes, Steele, Van Zant) – 4:59
  8. "Throw Out the Line" (Barnes, Carlisi, Van Zant) – 3:45
  9. "Bring It On" (Carlisi, Steele, Van Zant) – 5:38

38 SPECIAL - Wild-Eyed Southern Boys High Resolution & Quality Photos

Front Cover Photo Of 38 SPECIAL - Wild-Eyed Southern Boys
38 SPECIAL Wild-Eyed Southern Boys album cover: a woman's legs in pink heels and hot pants are seen from behind as she stands before the band lined up on a sidewalk, with vivid colors and neon signage.

Album cover of 38 SPECIAL's "Wild-Eyed Southern Boys" (1981) is a stylized, vividly painted scene that blends humor, attitude, and classic rock imagery. The foreground is dominated by the lower half of a woman viewed from behind. She wears bright pink high-heeled sandals and tight pink satin shorts, confidently standing on a red-carpeted step with her legs apart, facing the viewer away.

In the background, six members of the band 38 Special stand in a row on the sidewalk, each dressed in dark rock attire—denim, leather jackets, and boots—gazing at the woman with surprised or amused expressions. The sidewalk is bordered by brick walls and a curb, littered with a knocked-over soda cup and a crumpled paper reading “Rock 'n Roll Tonite.” A neon sign reading “38 Special” in glowing pink and blue hangs above the band, shaped like a revolver, reinforcing the band's name visually.

To the left, a bright red pickup truck bumper is visible, while to the right, part of a classic car's chrome grille peeks into view. A taped-up paper sign reads "Wild-Eyed Southern Boys," clearly identifying the album title. The overall illustration uses bold, exaggerated colors and angles, with an almost comic-book realism, capturing the band’s Southern rock swagger and the album’s playful, rebellious tone.

Photo Of The Back Cover 38 SPECIAL - Wild-Eyed Southern Boys
Back cover of 38 SPECIAL Wild-Eyed Southern Boys album featuring a framed neon gun sign with the band's logo against a twilight cityscape silhouette, and full tracklist for both album sides.

Back cover of the 1981 LP "Wild-Eyed Southern Boys" by 38 SPECIAL features a minimal, stylized layout with an artistic focus. Centered is a faux wooden frame enclosing a twilight scene of silhouetted rooftops beneath a sky shifting from blue to teal. Prominently within the frame is a glowing neon gun sign in bright blue and pink, spelling out “38 Special” in cursive script, matching the front cover’s neon motif.

The tracklist is cleanly divided on either side of the framed image. On the left, under “Side One,” are listed: Hold On Loosely, First Time Around, Wild-Eyed Southern Boys, Back Alley Sally, and Fantasy Girl. On the right, “Side Two” includes: Hittin’ and Runnin’, Honky Tonk Dancer, Throw Out the Line, and Bring It On.

Above the image, the album title "Wild-Eyed Southern Boys" appears in bold white uppercase text. Bottom center credits Rodney Mills as producer with Don Barnes and Jeff Carlisi as production associates. The design is sleek, with a strong focus on the band’s logo and track presentation, contrasting the playful front cover with a moodier, more restrained style.

Questions & Analysis

Q1: What design choices on this back cover reflect the Southern rock image of 38 Special?
The neon gun logo and rustic wooden frame evoke both Americana and barroom neon signage, linking Southern culture to rock bravado. The silhouetted skyline hints at small-town roots or nighttime gigs, reinforcing a down-to-earth but electrified Southern rock vibe.

Q2: How does the back cover layout help guide the listener's experience with the album?
By clearly organizing the tracklist and centering the glowing logo, the design sets an expectation for both structure and energy. The simplicity directs focus to the music while the neon imagery maintains the band’s edgy personality.

Q3: How do the front and back covers complement or contrast each other visually and thematically?
The front is bold, playful, and character-driven, using humor and human figures. The back is minimalist and atmospheric, focusing on symbolism and logo identity. Together, they balance wild personality with professional polish.

Photo One Of The Original Custom Inner Sleeve 38 SPECIAL - Wild-Eyed Southern Boys
Black-and-white photo from the original inner sleeve of 38 SPECIAL's Wild-Eyed Southern Boys album showing the six band members with names printed above their heads.

Photo from the original custom inner sleeve of 38 SPECIAL’s 1981 album "Wild-Eyed Southern Boys." This monochrome, high-contrast band portrait features all six core members of the group posed closely together, with their names printed above their heads in a clean sans-serif typeface for identification.

From left to right, the members are: Larry Junstrom (wearing a dark cowboy hat and embroidered jacket), Jack Grondin (with a rugged beard and intense gaze in a shiny bomber jacket), Jeff Carlisi (slightly behind with long, wavy hair and open shirt), Donnie Van Zant (front and center in a wide-brimmed hat and dark attire), Steve Brookins (standing behind with long straight hair and an expressionless face), and Don Barnes (on the far right with a full beard and graphic t-shirt).

The composition presents the band in a no-nonsense, serious pose—an image of unity and southern rock identity. The black-and-white filter gives it a timeless, gritty edge consistent with rock photography traditions of the early 1980s.

Photo Two of the original custom inner sleeve 38 SPECIAL - Wild-Eyed Southern Boys
Credits page from the original inner sleeve of 38 SPECIAL's Wild-Eyed Southern Boys album, listing band members, production team, guest musicians, and thank-you notes in black text on a white background with a repeating light grey revolver logo.

Second image from the original custom inner sleeve of 38 SPECIAL’s "Wild-Eyed Southern Boys" (1981) presents detailed production credits, personnel listings, and acknowledgments. The page features a clean layout with black text over a white background, subtly decorated with a repeating watermark-style revolver and "38 Special" logo in light grey.

The top of the sheet credits Rodney Mills as producer, with Don Barnes and Jeff Carlisi as production associates. The album was recorded at Studio One in Doraville, Georgia, engineered by "Lightnin' Rod" Mills and Gregory M. Quesnel, and mastered by Bob Ludwig at Masterdisk in New York.

The core band lineup includes: Donnie Van Zant (lead vocals), Don Barnes (guitar/lead vocals), Jeff Carlisi (guitar), Larry Junstrom (bass), Steve Brookins and Jack Grondin (drums). Guest musicians such as Steve McRay on piano, and backing vocalists Carol Veto, Carol Bristow, and Lu Moss are also noted.

Credits continue with crew members, including stage manager Larry Steele, live sound engineer Rick Saunders, and art/design by Chuck Beeson, with illustrations from Mick McGinty and team. Paddy Reynolds is credited for the sleeve photo.

The bottom section lists equipment sponsors such as Peavey Amps, Ludwig Drums, and Dean Markley Strings, followed by a lengthy thank-you section, acknowledging friends, collaborators, and support personnel, including Jim and Karen Peterik, Harley "Coconut" Lamoreaux, and A&M Records.

A final note extends “extra special thanks to Gloria Buie for her gracious generosity.”

Close up of record's label 38 SPECIAL - Wild-Eyed Southern Boys Side One:
Side One label of 38 SPECIAL's Wild-Eyed Southern Boys LP showing track titles, credits, and catalog details printed on a white label with a large brown A&M logo in the background.

Close-up of the Side One vinyl label of 38 SPECIAL’s "Wild-Eyed Southern Boys" (1981), pressed by A&M Records. The label features a clean white background overlaid by the oversized, semi-transparent brown "A&M" logo stretching across the full diameter.

Centered at the top is the album title "Wild-Eyed Southern Boys" and the band name 38 Special, printed in bold black type. Just to the right is the STEREO format note and catalog information including AMLH 64835, SP 4835, and collecting societies BIEM/STEMRA.

Below this are the track listings for Side One: 1. Hold On Loosely (Barnes, Carlisi, Peterik) – 4:39
2. First Time Around (Barnes, Van Zant, Carlisi, Steele) – 3:59
3. Wild-Eyed Southern Boys (Peterik) – 4:18
4. Back Alley Sally (Carlisi, Van Zant) – 3:11
5. Fantasy Girl (Carlisi, Peterik) – 4:06

Production credits at the bottom name Rodney Mills as producer, with Don Barnes and Jeff Carlisi listed as production associates. The fine print along the edge notes copyright ownership by A&M Records and restricts unauthorized use.

A small A&M logo and side number “1” appear at the bottom center, marking this as the first side of the LP. The layout is both functional and stylish, consistent with A&M's professional branding for rock releases during this era.

Index of 38 SPECIAL Album Cover Gallery & 12" Vinyl LP Discography Information

38 SPECIAL - Tour De Force 12" Vinyl LP
38 SPECIAL - Tour De Force album front cover vinyl record

In 1984, the Southern rock band 38 Special released their studio album, "Tour de Force." The album, which was initially released as a 12" LP, was a major success for the band and cemented their place in the Southern rock pantheon.

Learn more
38 SPECIAL - Wild-Eyed Southern Boys 12" Vinyl LP
38 SPECIAL - Wild-Eyed Southern Boys album front cover vinyl record

"Wild-Eyed Southern Boys" is the fourth studio album by the southern rock band 38 Special, released in 1981. The album was a commercial success, reaching #11 on the Billboard 200 chart and spawning three hit singles: "Hold On Loosely", "Fantasy Girl", and "Back Alley Sally".

Learn more