Five Surprising Things You Didn't Know about Heart
When sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson joined a little-known band called Army in Vancouver, BC, it wasn't long before their efforts turned the group into what we know today: Heart. Their debut album Dreamboat Annie was released in Canada in 1975, closely followed by a US release in 1976 to much acclaim, producing hits like Crazy on You and Magic Man. With such a strong start, anyone who voiced doubts over the band was quickly biting their tongues - after all, who doesn't immediately know the lyrics to Barracuda when that iconic guitar riff starts playing?
For any other Heart fans out there, we've compiled five surprising facts you may not know about the band and the sisters who helped pave the way for rockers everywhere.
Barracuda was lifted from a different band
Speaking of Barracuda, in a 2019 interview with Gear Factor Nancy Wilson recalled that the signature riff that opens the hit song was actually borrowed from another group. Nazareth, who Heart toured with in Europe, had covered a Joni Mitchell song with a similar sound called This Flight Tonight. Needless to say, Nazareth was none too pleased upon hearing the popular Heart release.
A Rolling Stone ad broke their relationship with Canadian label Mushroom
It began with an attempt to renegotiate the band's royalty rate, leading to the label claiming Heart was nothing but another one-hit-wonder. It ended when Mushroom bought a full-page, National Enquirer-style ad in Rolling Stone magazine that used a similar image to the cover of Dreamboat Annie. Combined with the suggestive text "It Was Only Our First Time!", the band was furious at the implications of the caption.
There may have been more to the band's name change
When band manager Mike Fisher discovered he was to be drafted by the US Army to be sent to Vietnam, the group promptly moved to Vancouver, Canada. Shortly after, the name was changed from Army to White Heart (after a Herman Hesse novel) before finally settling on Heart in 1973. Coincidence? We'll let you decide.
Ever heard of Bad Animals?
The Wilson sisters once owned a recording studio in Seattle by the name. Notable names like Soundgarden, REM, and Pearl Jam have all recorded there.
Women Who Rock
Society's narrow opinion of a woman's body isn't new, and sadly Ann Wilson was no exception. In the face of the band's manager and male bandmates insisting Nancy convince Ann to lose weight, Nancy refused. According to Evelyn McDonnell in her 2018 book Women Who Rock, Nancy instead would stand nose-to-nose with her sister repeating "Hello, hello, come back come back, come here come here, I'm with you, look at me, keep looking at me." This helped Ann overcome body-shaming-related panic attacks and chronic stage fright.
Now, if you're not humming the chorus to Crazy On You or Barracuda by now, you will be after Classic Albums Live brings Heart: Dreamboat Annie to the Jack Singer Concert Hall stage with Arts Commons Presents. Learn more about how the best Canadian musicians help bring infamous rock albums to life here!
