The classic southern rock band 38 Special, which recorded hits including “Hold On Loosely” and “Caught Up In You,” have released the new album “Milestone.”
In celebration of the band’s 50th anniversary, their first new music in over 20 years features guests and co-writes with Pat Monahan (Train) and Randy Bachman (Bachman Turner-Overdrive / The Guess Who), and longtime collaborator Jim Peterik (Survivor, Sammy Hagar, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Cheap Trick).
Along with the album’s release 38 Special shared a visualizer video for “So Much So Right.”
Co-founder and frontman Don Barnes says, “‘So Much So Right’ is of course about the moment of raw passion, but it is more than that. It also speaks to how a man feels when he’s found his partner for life. She can make so much so right!”
With 50 years together, 20 million albums sold and more than 15 albums stacked high with hits like “Hold On Loosely,” “Caught Up In You,” “If I’d Been The One,” “Back Where You Belong,” and “Second Chance,” 38 Special is proof that there’s strength in numbers.
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.
As 38 Special enters its sixth decade together, the music continues with Milestone. Fueled up on snarling guitars, anthemic melodies, and the desire to break new ground, they update their sound for the 2020s, bridging the gap between past and present without forgetting their rock & roll roots.
“After all this time, we wanted to create a more modern 38 Special album,” says Barnes. “This is a fresh, updated approach to the sound we’ve been making together for so long. Why not make a big statement after all these years? When you’re reintroducing yourself to the world, ‘good enough’ doesn’t work anymore. If you’re gonna do it, you might as well go big.”
To revisit — and reimagine — the tightly-constructed sound that turned 38 Special into platinum-selling artists, the band turned to an old friend. Decades earlier, they’d struck up a partnership with Jim Peterik, founder of the band Survivor. Sitting around his kitchen table in 1980, Barnes and Peterik co-wrote “Hold On Loosely” with 38 Special’s original guitarist Jeff Carlisi. One year later the same trio wrote “Caught Up In You.” Those songs became defining songs not only of a decade, but of an entire genre, and Milestone gave the band a chance to work with Peterik once again.
38 Special’s ever relentless touring schedule continues throughout 2025 with dates across the US including shows with KANSAS, Styx and Jefferson Starship. See full list of tour dates and details below.
Watch ‘So Much So Right’ here:
Milestone Tracklist:
1. So Much So Right (D. Barnes / J. Peterik)
2. Slightly Controversial feat. Pat Monahan (D. Barnes/B. Capps/R. Wilson)
3. All I Haven’t Said (C. Barnes/D. Barnes/J. Peterik)
4. The Main Thing (D.Barnes/J. Peterik)
5. Long Long Train (D.Barnes, R. Bachman)
6. Looking For My Life (D. Barnes, J. Peterik)
7. Making Up For Lost Time (D. Barnes, J. Peterik)
8. Windows of Memories (D. Barnes, J. Peterik)
9. The Look (J. Peterik)
Tour Dates:
September 19 – Coachella, CA – Spotlight 29 Casino
September 20 – Rohnert Park, CA – Graton Resort & Casino
September 21 – Wheatland, CA – Hard Rock Live Sacramento
September 26 – Bonner Springs, KS – Azura Amphitheater w/ KANSAS, Jefferson Starship
September 27 – St. Louis, MO – The Fabulous Fox w/ KANSAS, Jefferson Starship
October 3 – Shipshewana, IN – Blues Gate Performing Arts Center
October 4 – Waukegan, IL – Genesee Theatre
October 5 – Davenport, IA – Capitol Theatre
October 9 – Miramar Beach, FL – Rockin in Paradise w/ Styx, John Waite
October 10 – Longview, TX – Belcher Center
October 11 – Bellville, TX – Austin County Fair Convention & Expo
October 12 – Little Rock, AR – Barton Coliseum
October 16 – New Brunswick, NJ – State Theatre New Jersey
October 17 – Glenside, PA – Keswick Theatre
October 18 – Charles Town, WV – Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races
November 5 – Cancun, Mexico – Royalton Splash Cancun
November 7 – Bowling Green, KY – Southern Kentucky Performing Arts Center
November 8 – Mount Pleasant, MI – Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort
November 13 – Ivins, UT – Tuacahn Amphitheatre
November 14 – Chandler, AZ – Gila River Resorts & Casinos (Wild Horse Pass)
November 15 – Santa Fe, NM – Buffalo Thunder Casino
December 12 – Mashantucket, CT – Foxwoods Resort Casino