Heart

              Heart then, in the 1970's               Heart now, in the 2020's


         Heart was the brainchild of musicians Roger Fisher (guitar) and Steve Fossen (bass guitar), whose earlier groups were The Army (1967-1969), Hocus Pocus (1969-1970), and WhiteHeart (1970-1973). By 1975, the band had shortened its name to Heart and included Fisher, Fossen, Ann and Nancy Wilson, Michael Derosier and Howard Leese. This lineup would stay together for the band’s mid- to late-1970’s claim to fame.

The band was originally formed in Seattle, Washington, the home of many other successful bands such as Nirvana and REM, but it would later move north to Vancouver, Canada. Roger Fisher’s brother, Michael, was drafted to serve in the Vietnam war but fled to Canada in ‘71 or ‘72. Ann Wilson met Michael when he discretely returned home to visit family and fell in love with him almost immediately. She decided to follow Michael back to Canada when he returned and they were followed by Roger Fisher and Fossen a year or two later. Nancy Wilson joined the band in 1974 and their core lineup was complete.

Heart released its first album, Dreamboat Annie, in September, 1974, and the record sold 30,000 copies before the year was finished. The band would record several more albums in the ‘70’s, Magazine, Little Queen and Dog & Butterfly, to name a few. Magazine was released in ‘77 but a legal battle between Mushroom Records, whom Heart had left, and Portrait Records, forced the band to re-edit the album and release it again in ‘78. Magazine went platinum almost immediately and Dog & Butterfly went double platinum

Heart’s early success was due to its fusion of hard rock, metal and folk (Ann Wilson plays the flute on some of their songs), but by the late 70’s and early 80’s, lineup changes that altered the band’s sound began to affect their popularity. Subsequent albums didn’t succeed as well but the band mounted a comeback in 1985. They signed with Capitol Records to release the album “Heart”, which went on to sell 5 million copies and had five of its songs become hit singles.

Heart continued to produce albums but the Wilson sisters embarked on projects outside the band. Nancy Wilson left the band in 1995 to raise her family; the band dissolved in 1998 but was resurrected in 2002. The band no longer exists (in its original form) although the Wilson sisters occasionally reunite as Heart but with new members. The band has been honoured by the music station VH1, the Kennedy Center, and has been admitted into the Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame. Whether performing as Heart (or some version of it) or on solo projects, it’s unlikely the Wilson sisters will be retiring anytime soon, welcome news for their original fans and more recent Heart converts.








                             click on the links below to see the lyrics for the songs mentioned above: Dreamboat Annie (lyrics); Crazy On You (lyrics); Barracuda (lyrics);These Dreams (lyrics)





                                       Vocabulary

                                       brainchild: The creative or intellectual product of someone’s efforts

                                       lineup: (re: music bands) the members of a band

                                       drafted: Chosen or selected to serve in one’s country’s army

                                       discretely: Quietly and without being noticed

                                       released: Made available for purchase

                                       platinum: A recognition for a record that has sold more than 1 million copies

                                       fusion: Combining several different styles in a creative effort (applies to food as well as music)

                                       comeback: When someone or something is no longer popular but tries to regain their former popularity

                                       embarked: To try something new or different, or to collaborate with someone new

                                       resurrected: Recreated after ceasing to exist

                                       Downloadable Items

                                       article text
                                       story comprehension questions
                                       story comprehension answers



                                       YouTube Movie Clips

                                       Dreamboat Annie
                                       https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5YTF26mkiU

                                       Heart-Crazy On You
                                       https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZuW6BH_Vak

                                       Dreamboat Annie (full album)
                                       https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gesm75IKTnE&list=PLrpyDacBCh7BzkEUksyhLc5sUi4r-55LD

                                       Magazine (full album)
                                       https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aOr1nV9p_XE&list=PL5605B08D24D17B8A

                                       Barracuda
                                       https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VdOkQ6THDVw

                                       Little Queen (full album)
                                       https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VdOkQ6THDVw&list=PL7-ovQDmwIIzBevUXgkcL1lYdWbGZqBuK

                                       Dog & Butterfly (full album)
                                       https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5qqg4Pk7Z4&list=PLQJ-H2JR5Kwzv7Rdx2Ob-7Af5t3c2S_MN

                                       Heart - These Dreams (Live In Seattle)
                                       https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0DLeH2FWFTE



                                       Article Research Sources

                                       Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: Heart (band)
                                       https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heart_(band)

                                       Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: Nancy Wilson (rock musician)
                                       https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nancy_Wilson_(rock_musician)

                                       93.5/1430 WCMY, 95.3 JACK FM: Broken Heart? Nancy Wilson reveals Heart’s plans…
                                       https://1430wcmy.com/2022/01/24/broken-heart-nancy-wilson-reveals-hearts-plans-to-tour-again-have-been-shelved/#






Last updated Friday, May 7, 2023
copyrighted © John Erick Kenmuir 2023