Heart - Heart
- FaceOff - עימות חזיתי
- 7 hours ago
- 5 min read
Written By: Moti Kupfer
Release date - 06.07.1985
For many years, the word "change" has sent shivers down the spines of countless people. Why is it so difficult for us to change the course of our lives? And does that change truly lead to personal growth, or is it more like taking one step forward and two steps back?
After releasing four albums in five years, all driven by their own songwriting, and after firmly declaring that rock and roll needed far more women, sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson, better known as "Heart", found themselves in unfamiliar territory at the dawn of the 1980s. With each new release, the band's commercial momentum continued to fade.
It began with the departure of guitarist Roger Fisher in 1979 and continued in 1982 with the exits of founding bassist Steve Fossen and longtime drummer Michael Derosier.
Nancy Wilson and longtime guitarist Howard Leese rebuilt the rhythm section by recruiting former "Montrose" drummer Denny Carmassi and Mark Andes, bassist of "Spirit" and "Jo Jo Gunne". Despite the obvious chemistry between the musicians, "Passionworks", the first album they recorded together, was far from igniting listeners' imaginations.
Following Nancy Wilson's brief venture into film soundtracks, the band signed with "Capitol Records" and made the decision to completely reinvent both their image and their musical direction.
"We just sort of washed ashore after a big personnel change in the band and a management change," Ann Wilson later recalled. "We changed everything. Nancy and I just instinctively felt we'd come to the end of an era."
The disappointing performance of "Passionworks" forced the band to seek a new recording contract. Ann later explained that signing with Capitol proved to be their lifeline, one that ultimately arrived in the form of their eighth studio album, "Heart", released on July 6, 1985.
"We had a lot of enthusiasm and a tremendous desire, but we knew we had to make a hit record or we might not have another recording contract next time around. There weren't really any huge expectations. We were just trying to regroup. Things were pretty chaotic."
An essential part of that transformation was their new manager, Trudy Green, an energetic Brit who believed in the Seattle quintet even more than they believed in themselves.
"Trudy is this wonderful, funny Englishwoman," Nancy Wilson recalled affectionately. "She said, 'All right, darlings, let's do this together. Let's do clothes, let's do hair, let's do makeup, let's do rock!' And that's exactly what we did."
The 1980s brought with them a version of "Heart" that was willing to do whatever it took to return to the spotlight, even if that meant surrendering some creative control and recording songs written by outside songwriters instead of relying solely on their own material.
Ann Wilson later admitted that the process ultimately created a remarkable team, although it took her time to become comfortable with the idea of interpreting songs written by other people rather than exclusively performing her own.
It didn't take long for that new direction to prove itself with the lead single "What About Love", although it almost never happened. Producer Ron Nevison later recalled that Ann didn't like the song at all when she first heard it.
"Neither did Nancy. But I told the band I wasn't going to force them to do anything. At the same time, I didn't want them judging a song based on the demo. I said, 'I don't want you listening to somebody's lousy vocal, because you're the greatest rock singers in the world,'" Ron Nevison later recalled.
For Ann, however, the real issue was that she couldn't relate to the song's sense of victimhood. Rather than portraying someone pleading for love, she chose to deliver the vocal with anger and conviction, transforming the character into a woman demanding the love and respect she deserved.
"What About Love" was originally recorded in 1982 by the Canadian rock band "Toronto", whose lineup included songwriters Sheron Alton and Brian Allen. The third songwriter, Jim Vallance, was not a member of "Toronto", although he played drums on the original recording.
The rest of the band ultimately decided not to release the song, and the frustration Alton and Allen felt over their inability to convince their bandmates to include it, along with other material they had written, eventually led to their departure from "Toronto". The music video was directed by David Mallet, already renowned for his groundbreaking work on videos such as David Bowie's "Ashes to Ashes" and "Radio Ga Ga" by "Queen".
"Never" is an anthem of empowerment written by Holly Knight, Gene Bloch, and the Wilson sisters. Knight and Bloch were members of the band "Device" and also co-wrote Rod Stewart's hit "Love Touch". Its music video received heavy rotation on MTV, giving the song a significant boost.
The song that ultimately turned the album into a blockbuster, however, was undoubtedly "These Dreams", written by the outstanding songwriting duo Martin Page and Bernie Taupin, Elton John's longtime lyrical partner.
Originally titled "Boys in the Mist," the song was first offered to Stevie Nicks, who chose not to record it. "Heart," having recently signed with "Capitol Records," were impressed by "These Dreams" and, despite previously relying almost exclusively on their own material, agreed to include it on their eighth studio album, "Heart."
The song is a polished power ballad that marked a noticeable departure from the band's earlier sound. It also became the first "Heart" single to feature Nancy Wilson on lead vocals instead of Ann Wilson. When it came time to record her vocal, Nancy was battling a cold, giving her voice its distinctive husky tone. After the song became a major hit, producers reportedly joked that they wanted her to recreate that vocal style on future recordings, asking, "Can't you just get sick again?"
According to the album's liner notes, the song was dedicated to Wilson's close friend Sharon Hess, who had died of leukemia shortly before its release. Its lyrics portray the fantasy world a woman escapes to each time she falls asleep while trying to cope with the hardships of her life.
"Ann and Nancy were never really happy about recording other people's songs," producer Ron Nevison admitted. "But it was definitely the right thing to do. I didn't hear any hits in the material they brought in. It was good, but it wasn't what was on the radio. I introduced them to a lot of songwriters, and we found the right mix."
"Well, it was really hard because we loved the success it brought," Ann Wilson later admitted. "But we really felt uncomfortable with the fact that we'd worked all those years, and then somebody else's songs took us to Number One. But I'm not going to lie and say somebody tied our hands behind our backs and made us do it. We did it of our own free will."
Sometimes the best decision is to loosen your grip on the steering wheel and let a new direction take over. That gamble paid off spectacularly. "Heart" sold more than five million copies in the United States alone, earned a Grammy Award nomination, and produced four hit singles that reached the top of the charts and the American Top 10. The Wilson sisters' comeback was complete.
For Listening: Spotify, Apple Music
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