| Hard to Hold | |
| Type: | soundtrack |
| Artist: | Rick Springfield |
| Cover: | Hard to Hold cover.jpeg |
| Released: | March 1984[1] |
| Genre: | Rock, power pop[2] |
| Length: | 35:29 |
| Label: | RCA |
| Producer: | Rick Springfield, Bill Drescher, Graham Parker, Harvey Goldberg, Tom Scott, Peter Gabriel, Peter Walsh |
| Prev Title: | Living in Oz |
| Prev Year: | 1983 |
| Next Title: | Beautiful Feelings |
| Next Year: | 1984 |
Hard to Hold is the eighth studio album by Rick Springfield released in March 1984, by RCA Records as the soundtrack to the film of the same name. The album includes the U.S. Top 5 hit "Love Somebody", Top 40 hits "Don't Walk Away" and "Bop 'Til You Drop", plus minor hit "Taxi Dancing" (a duet with Randy Crawford). In addition to Springfield appearing on the soundtrack, there are three tracks from other artists; "When The Lights Go Down" by Graham Parker, "Heart Of A Woman" by Nona Hendryx, and a live version of "I Go Swimming" by Peter Gabriel. The album was later remastered by Steve Hoffman for the Razor and Tie reissue label.
From contemporary reviews, Ken Tucker of The Philadelphia Inquirer gave the album three out of five star rating, noting that "Love Somebody" was Springfrield's "best pop-rocker since "Jessie's Girl" and the filler songs on the album include good songs by Graham Parker and Peter Gabriel.[3] Tucker concluded that the album was "one of the few soundtrack albums that doesn't cheat its listeners."
Cash Box said that the second single "Don't Walk Away" has "a more heavy metal tinge...than on 'Love Somebody' and Springfield’s hard rock sensibilities come into full flower with a high-energy sound that gives this tune a forceful momentum."[4]
Cash Box called the third single "Bob 'Til You Drop" "an urban mover for the ’80s."[5]
[PG] Peter Gabriel track (I Go Swimming)
| Chart (1984) | Peak position | |
|---|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report)[6] | 87 | |
| Canada (Canadian Albums Chart) | 29 | |
| US Top 200 Albums (Billboard) | 16 |