Nancy Wilson Thinks 1 Heart Song Doesn’t Really Sound Like Heart

Heart is a well-known rock band known for their hit-filled repertoire and for consistently creating music that connects with listeners on a deep level. Still, Nancy Wilson—one half of the formidable pair behind Heart—has offered her thoughts on a specific song that, in her opinion, deviates from the band’s essence. Their 1990 album Brigade contains the song “All I Wanna Do Is Make Love to You,” which is key to this realization. Created by composer Mutt Lange, the song explores the thought-provoking story of a lady who picks up a hitchhiker with the goal of becoming pregnant; this choice of theme helped the song receive widespread praise when it was first released.

Nancy Wilson’s Insights on “All I Wanna Do Is Make Love to You”

Despite the song’s success, Wilson harbors reservations about its fit within Heart’s discography. “All I Wanna Do Is Make Love to You” stands out as an anomaly to Wilson, diverging from the band’s core musical identity, which also features her sister, Ann Wilson, known for her compelling vocal prowess.

During a candid conversation on the Broken Record Podcast, Wilson revealed, “We gave a lot of songs a good try. There were some real turkeys. A lot of really bombastic ballads. […] The formulaic stuff is what we never could get right. That’s just the one [“All I Wanna Do Is Make Love To You”] that just never felt like a Heart song exactly. It’s a great track. It sounds genius on the radio, but it was never for Ann as a lead singer too, who has to sell what she’s talking about in those lyrics of the song.”

This sentiment underscored the disconnect Wilson felt with this particular piece. While acknowledging the song’s technical brilliance and radio appeal, she contended that it never truly aligned with Ann’s artistic expression or the band’s overarching narrative style. Further, Wilson positioned the song alongside genres different from Heart’s typical rock sound, suggesting, “It sounded more like a country song rather than a ‘real’ rock song.”

 

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Controversial Impact of the Song

Despite its departure from Heart’s usual creative domain, the song’s contentious storyline did not escape Wilson’s appreciation for stirring public debate. “It was banned in Ireland, you know, because of the reverse sexism of it,” she remarked. This aspect of the song’s journey – its capacity to challenge societal norms and provoke discussions – offered a silver lining, affirming Wilson’s pride in the controversy it incited, despite her mixed feelings towards the song’s place in Heart’s repertoire.

While “All I Wanna Do Is Make Love to You” may not resonate with Wilson as quintessentially Heart, its story and the discussions it generated contribute to the rich tapestry of the band’s history. Heart continues to embrace their musical journey, embarking on an extensive international tour, symbolizing their ongoing evolution and the powerful bond with their audience, transcending individual songs or albums.