This batch is a pretty interesting mix, including a classic, a new song released on a live album, a Heart song that they re-recorded themselves, a cover song originally performed by another favorite artist of mine, and two title tracks, one of which if from a controversial album. As we crack the Top 25, there’s quite a mix of songs, but more and more of the classic Heart hits will soon start to show up.
#25 Magazine – Magazine (1977/1978)
written by Ann Wilson, Nancy Wilson
After the huge success of Dreamboat Annie, Heart began recording songs for their follow-up album. However the band had a major falling out with their record label, Mushroom Records, over an offensive full-page ad that the company ran in Rolling Stone Magazine (it was eventually to become the inspiration for the song Barracuda.) Recording sessions for the new album stopped after the band and their label were unsuccessful in re-negotiating their contract, with only five unfinished songs recorded. While keeping the group under contract, Mushroom was not interested in releasing a second Heart album. The band’s producer, Mike Flicker ended his relationship with Mushroom. Their contract stipulated that Flicker would be the producer of all Heart recordings, so the band took the position that since Mushroom was unable to provide the services of Flicker they would be free to sign with another label.
The change in labels prompted another legal battle between Heart and Mushroom Records, who were suddenly very eager to release a second Heart album. Still in possession of the five unfinished studio recordings, as well as unreleased live tracks recorded in 1975, Mushroom had them remixed by the band’s recording engineer, but without the presence of any group members, and released the album without the band’s permission in the Spring of 1977, at the same time Heart was in the studio with Portrait Records preparing the Little Queen album. Unhappy with the unpolished studio performances and the inclusion of the live recordings, the group took Mushroom to court to have the 1977 release of Magazine removed from the market. The Seattle court ruled that Mushroom had to recall the album, but the terms of the settlement required that Heart provide a second album for Mushroom. Heart chose to fulfill this obligation by finishing the previously released songs to a quality of their satisfaction. The official version of Magazine was released in 1978 (after Little Queen), and despite the troubled past, the album climbed to #17 on Billboard’s Top 200 albums.
The title track of the album is a great song that I call Heart channeling early Elton John, both musically, and lyrically. The story, reminiscent of the Carpenters’ hit, Superstar tells the story of a young girl who falls in love with a rock & roll star she sees in a magazine and never moves past it to develop her own relationships, believing that the two will eventually be together.
I love the dreamy, nostalgic feel of the verses, and who it contrasts with the funky groove of the chorus. You will see this funk rock feel underlying many of my favorite Heart songs that appear higher up on this list. The song also features some beautiful interplay between Nancy’s acoustic and Roger Fisher’s electric guitars, with added layering with some fantastic piano work from Howard Leese. As always, drummer Michael Derosier adds some terrific fills and creative beats to bring the whole thing together. Ann’s vocals are gorgeous, of course; more subdued for the most part until she really lets look on the third verse. Also, the attitude she tosses around in the chorus is fantastic. I also want to mention the really great background vocals supplied by Ann, Nancy and Howard, a staple of the band that is often overlooked. They really augment Howard’s nifty synthesizer solo as well. I’ve included the studio version from the 1978 release, as well as a live version that’s fun to listen to.
#24 Little Queen – Little Queen (1977)
written by Ann Wilson, Nancy Wilson, Roger Fisher, Michael DeRosier, Howard Leese, Steve Fossen
And now we get to the album Little Queen, the first album by Heart I experienced, and in many ways, the one that I measure all others by. This is the album that spoke to my geeky fantasy-reader, fanboy, but it also satisfied by need for some kick-ass rock & roll. It also touched the burgeoning teen-aged romantic in me.
For this seminal album’s first appearance in the top 40 we go straight to the title track. (Funny story, I used to get so confused about Heart and Queen, because the radio were playing Heart’s Little Queen, and Queen’s Killer Queen at the same time. Too many queen’s out there!) Little Queen is an interesting song, a mid-tempo rocker with that funky undertone that I mentioned earlier. There’s a fantastic swagger to this song, and it just underscores the ground-breaking nature of these incredibly talented women taking hold of rock & roll and making it their own. Highlighting Ann’s vocals, as well it should, the song allowed her to play of the chunky, open, 70’s guitar work beautifully. It would be remiss of me to not mention Michael DeRosier’s incredible drumming — it adds so much, and honestly, I only started to notice it consciously when i was listening to these songs again to prepare for this list. Then there’s that great change-up midway through the song, were everything slows down and Ann lets loose vocally buoyed by the Nancy and Howard’s backing support before jamming back into the main grove to close things up.
Lyrically, the song seems quasi-biographical, telling the story of a woman thrust into the spotlight, and uncertain about how she feels about it. At the same time, she knows that fame is fleeting and she needs to make her mark while she can. It’s a great song, lyrically, with lines like, “Always running after time, catching your fancy with rhyme, shining on the front page again,” and “Your crown was tight and heavy on your head, but still you danced and you sang, all night he telephone rang, and music kept on playing from your pen.” I love the use of the second person point of view too. While early Hearts songs did have a twinge of adolescent female romanticism, Ann’s world-view and experience was changing with their success and her lyrics were maturing as well.
Little Queen was released as the follow-up single to Barracuda, but it didn’t do as well, peaking at #62 on Billboard’s Hot 100. Below is the studio version lifted from the album, as well as a kick-ass live version from California Jam 2 that features an extended, two-minute intro featuring some lovely electric and acoustic guitar interplay before kicking into the jam..
#23 Sweet Darlin’ – Bebe le Strange / Beautiful Broken (1980/2016)
written by Ann Wilson
On Bebe le Strange each of the Wilson sisters took a turn pretty much writing and performing a song of their own, a bit of a symbol of their taking over complete creative control of their music after the departure of Michael and Roger Fisher, who they were each involve with creatively and romantically for years. Nancy came up with the bluesy piano number, Raised On You which came in at #39 on this list, while Ann offered a gorgeous piano ballad called Sweet Darlin’, the highest charting song from Bebe le Strange to appear on my list. The song was an all-female production, with Ann, Nancy, and Sue Ennis on acoustic guitars, but Ann handled everything else, including all vocals, bass guitar, piano, alto flute, and drums. I love how the alto flute sounds like a keyboard in the bridge.
The original version is pretty straight-forward and simple, highlighting Ann’s gorgeous vocals. In 2016, for Heart’s latest studio album, Beautiful Broken, the band offered a few new songs, and reworked some of their older songs for a new audience. This version of Sweet Darlin’ has more complex instrumentation, and was inspired, I think, by a live recording the band did with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at the Royal Albert Hall, adding some gorgeous, sweeping strings, and turning it into more of a band, rather than a solo performance. I actually love both versions very much, and couldn’t beside between the two, but I love how the original is earnest and sweet, while the recent recording reflects the maturity and wisdom the band no doubt feels after nearly 40 years had past.
I’ve included three videos for this song. Naturally the original version from Bebe le Strange is represented, as is the re-recording from Beautiful Broken. The video version was recorded live back in 1980, which was a lovely treat, as Ann really shows her stuff vocally while playing the piano. This woman can sing… and write a damn good song too.
#22 (Up On) Cherry Blossom Road – The Road Home (1995)
written by Ann Wilson, Nancy Wilson, Amy Sky
Here’s a curious one to end up so high on my list. In 1995, Heart released a live album that features an acoustic club performance in their home city of Seattle. The album featured stripped down versions of many of their hits, as well as a few covers, and a couple of new, previously unreleased songs, including (Up On) Cherry Blossom Road, which the Wilson sisters wrote with Amy Sky (who also co-wrote Voodoo Doll). This song is a great song for Heart to perform, because it’s got great acoustic guitar interplay between Nancy and Howard Leese, and features a fabulous, rootsy, Mama Earth vocal from Ann Wilson. I love the full sound Nancy gets out of her acoustic guitar for the intro, and the way she bends the strings to get that down & dirty feel so appropriate for the song.
There’s nothing mysterious about the lyrics of this number, about a young woman (you could probably still call her a girl) who loses her virginity over the summer to a bad boy who has moved on. Now she longs again for his touch, even as she hates him for this desire he has kindled within her. Ann sings it with passion and power, and you really feel it. A studio version has never been recorded, but here is a great video clip from the concert.
#21 Black on Black II – Desire Walks On (1993)
written by Lisa Dalbello, Ann Wilson, Nancy Wilson
The sixth of seven songs to appear in my Heart Top 40 from Desire Walks On has a special place in my heart a it is a cover version of Black on Black by Dalbello, an artist I greatly admire. While Heart was moving back towards recording more of their own compositions, it only makes sense that they would pull out another one of Dalbello’s songs to cover, given the power and range needed to sing them. (Dalbello will appear again on this chart a little higher up). But Black on Black II is a great choice for Heart to morph into a kick-ass rock & roll number — shrill, demanding, dark, although Heart rewrote some of the lyrics to take it further away from the religious context and made it a bit more universal, but safer. Black on Black II was the lead track released to radio from Desire Walks On, but not as a single. It did remarkably well though, climbing to #4 on Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart.
According to Dabello who wrote the song, Black on Black is about the concept that everything that isn’t controlled absolutely has a counteraction. Absolute power corrupts absolutely, but everything else has something that counteracts it. Pleasure/pain, the sacred/the profane, ice/fire all counteract but black on black is absolute. Her version of the song uses religious imagery and Heart’s version uses military imagery, but both are based on the same overall concept. Given the scandals in the Catholic church these past 20 years or so, I do feel that Dalbello’s lyrics resonate more strongly, but Heart’s still have power. What’s interesting about Black on Black is it was first recorded by Dalbello for the 9 1/2 Weeks Soundtrack, and when she included it on her album she, it was a different version, moving toward a more rock & roll feel, which Heart then continued with for Black on Black II.
For your video pleasure, I’ve included the studio version lifted from Desire Walks On (on which Dalbello lends her backing vocals), but also a smoldering live performance by Heart on the David Letterman Show. Finally, for comparison, I’ve included Dalbello’s version of Black on Black II on Top of the Pops. I love both versions, and love how each artist brings their own take to the song.