The Wild Heart (album)

The Wild Heart is the second solo studio album by American singer and songwriter Stevie Nicks. Recording began in late 1982, shortly after the end of Fleetwood Mac's Mirage Tour. After the death of her best friend, Robin Anderson, and with new appreciation for her life and career, Nicks recorded the album in only a few months and was released on June 10, 1983, a year after Fleetwood Mac's Mirage album. It peaked at number five on the US Billboard 200 (for seven consecutive weeks) and achieved platinum status on September 12, 1983. The album has shipped 2 million copies in the US alone.

The Wild Heart
Studio album by
ReleasedJune 10, 1983
RecordedAutumn 1982 – Spring 1983
Studio
  • Goodnight Dallas, Dallas
  • Record Plant, Los Angeles
  • Record Plant, New York City
  • Studio 55, Los Angeles
  • A&M, Hollywood
  • Hit Factory, New York City
Genre
Length45:11
LabelModern
Producer
Stevie Nicks chronology
Bella Donna
(1981)
The Wild Heart
(1983)
Rock a Little
(1985)
Singles from The Wild Heart
  1. "Stand Back"
    Released: May 19, 1983[2]
  2. "If Anyone Falls"
    Released: September 3, 1983[3]
  3. "Nightbird"
    Released: November 30, 1983[4]
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[5]

The album is notable for its array of prominent guest musicians. Tom Petty made a return to write "I Will Run to You", on which his bandmates from The Heartbreakers performed. Nicks' Fleetwood Mac bandmate, Mick Fleetwood, made an appearance on the track "Sable on Blonde". Toto's Steve Lukather contributed some of the guitar work on what would become the album's biggest hit single, "Stand Back", which also features an uncredited contribution from Prince, who played the synthesizer track. Nicks also worked with friend Sandy Stewart, who wrote the music for three tracks on the album and performed on several (Stewart would go on to write the 1987 Fleetwood Mac hit "Seven Wonders"). The album's final track, "Beauty and the Beast", features a full string section performing a score arranged and conducted by Paul Buckmaster. Nicks had recorded various other tracks prior to the album's release, including "Violet and Blue" which was featured on the movie soundtrack for Against All Odds, and later on Nicks' 3-disc retrospective box set Enchanted in 1998.

The Wild Heart was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in 1993, ten years after its release, denoting shipments in excess of two million copies in the United States.[6] It spent a whole year on the Billboard 200 from June 1983 to June 1984. It has also been certified silver by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) for shipments in excess of 60,000 in the United Kingdom.[7] Three singles were released from the album: "Stand Back", which charted at number five; "If Anyone Falls", which charted at number 14; and "Nightbird", which charted at number 33. "Stand Back" and "If Anyone Falls" featured accompanying music videos that went into heavy rotation on MTV. "Nightbird", a track that Nicks has said was her favorite on the album, was performed live on Solid Gold and Saturday Night Live.

Track listing

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No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Wild Heart"Stevie Nicks6:08
2."If Anyone Falls"Nicks, Sandy Stewart4:07
3."Gate and Garden"Nicks4:05
4."Enchanted"Nicks3:06
5."Nightbird" (with Sandy Stewart)Nicks, Stewart4:59
6."Stand Back"Nicks4:48
7."I Will Run to You" (with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers)Tom Petty3:21
8."Nothing Ever Changes"Nicks, Stewart4:09
9."Sable on Blond"Nicks4:13
10."Beauty and the Beast"Nicks6:02

The Wild Heart: Deluxe Edition (Rhino, 2016)

CD Two - Bonus Tracks
No.TitleLength
1."Violet and Blue (From Against All Odds Soundtrack)"5:03
2."I Sing for the Things (Unreleased Version)"4:40
3."Sable on Blond (Alternate Version)"7:36
4."All the Beautiful Worlds (Unreleased Version)"5:40
5."Sorcerer (Unreleased Version)"5:35
6."Dial the Number (Unreleased Version)"4:29
7."Garbo (B-Side)"3:31
8."Are You Mine (Demo)"3:10
9."Wild Heart (Session)"6:36

Personnel

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String section on "Beauty and the Beast"

  • Paul Buckmaster – string arrangements and conductor
  • Kenneth Whitfield – string arrangements
  • Jon Abramowitz, Seymour Barab, Jesse Levy and Frederick Zlotkin – cello
  • Biancoharp
  • Julien Barber, Theodore Israel, Jesse Levine and Harry Zaratzian – viola
  • Harry Cykman, Peter Dimitriades, Regis Eandiorio, Lewis Eley, Max Ellen, Paul Gershman, Harry Glickman, Raymond Kunicki, Marvin Morgenstern, John Pintavalle, Matthew Raimondi, Herbert Sorkin, Ruth Waterman and Paul Winterviolin

Production

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  • Jimmy Iovine – producer
  • Gordon Perry – producer (1, 3)
  • Tom Petty – producer (7)
  • Shelly Yakus – engineer, mixing (2, 4–10)
  • Lori Perry-Nicks – mixing (1, 3), handtinting
  • Greg Edwards – additional engineer, mixing (2, 4–10)
  • Tom "Gordo" Gondolf – additional engineer (1, 3)
  • Josh Abbey – assistant engineer
  • David Bianco – assistant engineer
  • Michael Brooks – assistant engineer
  • Bobby Cohen – assistant engineer
  • John Curcio – assistant engineer
  • Bill Freesh – assistant engineer
  • Pete Kudas – assistant engineer
  • John Smith – assistant engineer
  • Julian Stoll – assistant engineer
  • Stephen Marcussen – mastering
  • Janet Weber – production coordinator
  • Rebecca Alvarez – personal assistant
  • Herbert W. Worthington – art direction, design, album cover concept, photography
  • Michael Curtis – layout design
  • Stevie Nicks – album cover concept, handtinting
  • Michael Manoogian – logo design
  • Robert Alfrod – photography assistant
  • Michael Marks – photography assistant
  • Front Line Management – management
  • Sulamith Wulfing – album cover inspiration
  • Herbert W. Worthington,[8][9]

Studios

  • Recorded at Goodnight Dallas (Dallas, Texas); Record Plant and Studio 55 (Los Angeles, California); A&M Studios (Hollywood, California); Record Plant and The Hit Factory (New York City, New York).
  • Mixed at Rumbo Recorders (Los Angeles, California) and The Hit Factory.
  • Mastered at Precision Lacquer (Hollywood, California).

Tour

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Nicks went on a national tour in support of The Wild Heart. After headlining the massive US Festival on May 30, 1983, in San Bernardino, California, the tour officially started in Knoxville, Tennessee, on June 21, 1983, and ended in Ames, Iowa, on November 20, 1983.

Setlist

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Encore
Notes

Dates

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  • May 28 – Las Vegas, Nevada, Aladdin Theatre for the Performing Arts
  • May 30 – San Bernardino, California, Devore Park/US Festival II
  • June 21 – Knoxville, Tennessee, Civic Coliseum
  • June 23 – Norfolk, Virginia, The Scope
  • June 24 – East Rutherford, New Jersey, Meadowlands Arena
  • June 27 – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, The Spectrum
  • June 28 – Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Civic Arena
  • July 2 – Buffalo, New York, War Memorial
  • July 3 – Hartford, Connecticut, Hartford Civic Center
  • July 6 – Worcester, Massachusetts, Centrum
  • July 7 – Landover, Maryland, Capitol Center
  • July 10 – Greensboro, North Carolina, Coliseum
  • July 11 – Atlanta, Georgia, The Omni
  • July 14 – Kansas City, Missouri, Kemper Arena
  • July 15 – Minneapolis, Minnesota, Met Center
  • July 17 – Chicago, Illinois Rosemont, Horizon
  • July 18 – Chicago, Illinois Rosemont, Horizon
  • July 19 – Toronto, Ontario, Canada CNE, Bandshell
  • July 21 – Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio Blossom, Music Center
  • July 22 – Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio Blossom, Music Center
  • July 23 – Detroit, Michigan, Joe Louis Arena
  • July 26 – St. Louis, Missouri, Checkerdome
  • July 27 – Indianapolis, Indiana, Market Square Arena
  • July 30 – Alpine Valley, Wisconsin, Music Theatre
  • July 31 – Cincinnati, Ohio, Riverfront Coliseum
  • August 31 – Austin, Texas, Frank Erwin Center
  • September 5 – Dallas, Texas, Reunion Arena
  • September 9 – Bristol, Rhode Island, Colt State Park
  • September 12 – New York, Radio City Music Hall
  • September 13 – New York, Radio City Music Hall
  • September 17 – Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Oklahoma Myriad
  • September 24 – Irvine, California, Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre
  • September 25 – Tempe, Arizona, Compton Terrace
  • October 2 – Los Angeles, California, Inglewood Forum
  • October 4 – Oakland, California, Oakland Coliseum
  • October 21 – Columbia, South Carolina, Carolina Coliseum
  • October 22 – Columbia, South Carolina, Carolina Coliseum
  • October 25 – Charleston, West Virginia, Charleston Civic Center
  • October 26 – Roanoke, Virginia, Roanoke Civic Center
  • October 29 – Tuscaloosa, Alabama, University of Alabama
  • October 30 – Jackson, Mississippi, Mississippi Coliseum
  • November 2 – Jacksonville, Florida, Memorial Coliseum
  • November 4 – Lakeland, Florida, Lakeland Civic Center
  • November 5 – Miami, Florida, Sportatorium
  • November 8 – Columbia, Missouri, University of Missouri
  • November 9 – Starkville, Mississippi, Mississippi State University
  • November 12 – Tulsa, Oklahoma, Assembly Center
  • November 13 – Little Rock, Arkansas, T.H. Barton Coliseum
  • November 16 – Madison, Wisconsin, Dane County Arena
  • November 19 – Iowa City, Iowa, University of Iowa
  • November 20 – Ames, Iowa, Iowa State University
  • November 23 – Charlotte, North Carolina, Charlotte Coliseum
  • November 24 – Columbia, South Carolina, Carolina Coliseum

Charts

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Certifications

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Certifications for The Wild Heart
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[23] Platinum 100,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[7] Silver 60,000^
United States (RIAA)[6] 2× Platinum 2,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

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  1. ^ The Wild Heart at AllMusic. Retrieved February 9, 2019.
  2. ^ "45cat - Stevie Nicks - Stand Back / Garbo - Modern [80s] - USA - 7-99863". 45cat.com.
  3. ^ "45cat - Stevie Nicks - If Anyone Falls / Wild Heart - Modern [80s] - USA - 7-99832". 45cat.com.
  4. ^ "45cat - Stevie Nicks (With Sandy Stewart) - Nightbird / Gate And Garden - Modern [80s] - USA - 7-99799". 45cat.com.
  5. ^ AllMusic review
  6. ^ a b "American album certifications – Stevie Nicks – The Wild Heart". Recording Industry Association of America. November 10, 1993.
  7. ^ a b "British album certifications – Stevie Nicks – The Wild Heart". British Phonographic Industry. December 12, 1983. Retrieved May 29, 2022.
  8. ^ Herbert W. Worthington
  9. ^ StevieNicksInfo (November 15, 2013). "Music photographer Herbert Worthington remembered on new tribute page". Stevie Nicks Info. Retrieved February 9, 2019.
  10. ^ Kent 1993, p. 217–218.
  11. ^ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 6247a". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved May 29, 2022.
  12. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Stevie Nicks – The Wild Heart" (in Dutch). Hung Medien.
  13. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Stevie Nicks – The Wild Heart" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved December 8, 2021.
  14. ^ "Ísland (LP-plötur)". DV (in Icelandic). September 2, 1983. p. 37. ISSN 1021-8254 – via Timarit.is.
  15. ^ "Charts.nz – Stevie Nicks – The Wild Heart". Hung Medien.
  16. ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Stevie Nicks – The Wild Heart". Hung Medien.
  17. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 29, 2022.
  18. ^ "Stevie Nicks Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved May 29, 2022.
  19. ^ "Rock Albums" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 95, no. 29. July 16, 1983. p. 26. ISSN 0006-2510 – via World Radio History.
  20. ^ Kent 1993, p. 435.
  21. ^ "The Top Albums of 1983". RPM. Vol. 39, no. 17. December 24, 1983. p. 15. ISSN 0033-7064 – via Library and Archives Canada.
  22. ^ "Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1983". Billboard. Archived from the original on April 15, 2020. Retrieved May 29, 2022.
  23. ^ "Canadian album certifications – Stevie Nicks – The Wild Heart". Music Canada. July 1, 1984.

Bibliography

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