38 Special Team With Train For 'Slightly Controversial' New Song

08-17-2025

() 38 Special released their new single "Slightly Controversial" featuring Train. The classic southern rock band behind worldwide hits such as "Hold On Loosely" and "Caught Up In You" recently announced Milestone, their first album of new music in over 20 years, arriving September 19 in celebration of the band's 50th anniversary. In addition to Monahan, the album features guest appearances and co-writes from Randy Bachman (Bachman-Turner Overdrive, The Guess Who) and longtime collaborator Jim Peterik (Survivor, Sammy Hagar, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Cheap Trick).

"This song is wrapped around a mystery woman who's been through a few things in her life," says frontman and co-founder Don Barnes. "She wants to keep people guessing and talking about her every move and they just can't seem to figure her out. Her choice to be an enigma is for her own emotional protection. I've known someone like this and felt compelled to explore the story. The song is a powerful guitar banger with Pat Monahan and me singing together. Pat absolutely crushed it! We all had a great time putting that track together."

"A while back I sang on Joe Bonamassa's version of 'Hold On Loosely,' one of the all-time great songs from 38 Special," exclaims Train's Pat Monahan. "Don heard it and contacted me about 'Slightly Controversial.' What a great honor to sing on a track from one of my favorite bands and songwriters. I hope I did it justice."

50 years together. 20 million albums sold. More than 15 albums of guitar-driven southern rock, 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. First single "All I Haven't Said" earned widespread acclaim from Ultimate Classic Rock, Stereogum, Parade Magazine, American Songwriter, Classic Rock, and many more. The song also reached #1 on the Mediabase Classic Rock airplay chart.

"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.

The Rock and Roll Channel on TalkShopLive will feature a dedicated one hour 38 Special show with Don Barnes. The development of the new album and a track by track breakdown will be discussed in detail. The show is live on Wednesday, September 3rd at 7:00pm Eastern and available to view on demand after the livestream. TalkShopLive is offering 38 Special fans the exclusive autographed colored vinyl and CD available to purchase now here.