Produced by Bob Clearmountain and Bryan Adams.  Associate producer, Jim Vallance. Recorded by Bob Clearmountain, April 1984, at Little Mountain Sound, Vancouver. Mixed by Bob Clearmountain, September 1984, at the Power Station, New York.

In January 1983 producer Bruce Fairbairn asked Bryan Adams and I to write a song for his next production project, "Blue Oyster Cult". In search of inspiration we listened to the Oyster Cult's past catalogue, including their biggest hit "Don't Fear The Reaper". The signature sound on "Reaper" is the arpeggiated guitar riff that opens the song ...



We spent about an hour creating a riff of our own, initially in the key of A-minor. I still have a recording of Bryan and I passing the guitar cable back and forth (click, buzz, click, buzz), each of us trying a different variation as the riff developed ...



Eventually we transposed the riff down to E-minor, later adding a capo to achieve an F#-minor tuning, which better suited Bryan's vocal range.

	45 Sleeve / UK
	45 Sleeve / Japan
	45 Sleeve / USA?

Once the riff was solidified, the rest of the song started to unfold. We spent a few days getting the lyrics and arrangement right, with particular attention paid to the interplay between the bass, drums and the guitar riff.

When the song was complete we recorded a demo, which we presented to Bruce Fairbairn. He played the song for "Blue Oyster Cult". We waited to hear the verdict, which came a few days later.

"They don't like the song", Bruce said over the phone ... (maybe there wasn't enough cowbell?).

Bryan and I were disappointed, but we also believed the song was good enough to "shop around".  A number of other recording artists, including "38 Special", were approached during the next month or two, but every one of them declined.

"Run To You" was now officially an orphan!

Up to this point, Bryan didn't think the song was right for him either.  When we recorded our home demo of "Run To You", we'd included a back-ground vocal in the chorus, with Bryan and I singing a high counter-melody behind the lead vocal.  Bryan has always maintained that the backing vocal (which was my idea) prevented him from hearing the song's true potential, and had discouraged him from recording the song.

Of course, Bryan did eventually record his own version of "Run To You".  The backing vocals are predictably absent, but they can still be "heard" as an organ counter-melody behind the chorus vocal.

"Reckless" was released on November 5, 1984 (Bryan's 25th birthday) with "Run To You" as the first single. Twenty years later the song continues to be an Adams concert favourite, and it still enjoys significant radio airplay around the world.