Heart- Dog and Butterfly 45th- Ann & Nancy Wilson

From the forty-fifth anniversary perspective on Heart’s million-seller Dog and Butterfly released in September 1978, guitarist/singer/songwriter Nancy Wilson is gratified with how the songs “Straight On”,”Mistral Wind”, and “Dog and Butterfly” have fared over the decades. “When I hear those songs now, I feel proud. For one thing, I feel like we really did contribute something fresh to music.” Lead singer/co-writer Ann Wilson compares that period with more recent music industry prevailing attitudes. “(Now) I think that people want success, and they want money.” Nancy concurs,”Yeah, and that’s put a real leash on the wild animal it used to be.”

In September 1978, after their indie success with the debut Dreamboat  Annie followed by million-seller Little Queen, Heart was beating strongly with the release of their Dog and Butterfly album, effectively establishing  the band as arena headliners and lead singer/songwriter Ann Wilson and her guitar-playing co-writer younger sibling, Nancy Wilson, as significant stars. They’ll share the stories behind “Straight On”, the pastoral “Dog and Butterfly” title song, the epic “Mistral Wind”, and the reason why the great rocker “Heartless” isn’t on the Dog and Butterfly album. Ann and Nancy Wilson co-host the forty-fifth anniversary here In the Studio. -Redbeard