Professor of Rock

Coming up one of rock greatest vocalists Ann Wilson of Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame band Heart tells the first hand account of a song that has become part of rock folk lore . the 70s classic, Barracuda Her record label Mushroom set up a publicity stunt that a radio promoter harassed her about implying a sexual relationship with there sister Nancy.. She was so outraged, so livid she went straight to her hotel room and wrote this seething rock masterpiece. Barracuda became a 70s rock classic. #classicrock #shorts #70smusic #heart It’s time for another edition of our series revelations where iconic artists and band reveal the finest details behind the song and albums that have moved us from childhood to now. Today we get the story behind a little ditty from the 70s called Barracude from Ann Wilson of Heart… Also original band member bassist Steve Fossen and the song’s cowriter and drummer Michael Derosier... Years after Heart formed They started to take over radio. It all started with their classic debut album Dreamboat Annie. Heart's first single from the album was "How Deep It Goes" , it didn’t do very well when it was released in Canada by the small Mushroom label in 1975. The second single, "Magic Man" (backed with "How Deep It Goes"), was first picked up for radio play by a station in Montreal while the band was on tour playing small club dates, In America, Crazy on You was the first single followed quickly by Magic Man with would become Heart’s first top ten hit and started a spark that would lead to 20 top 40 hits and 9 platinum albums and induction into the rock and roll hall of fame. Many would argue that the crown jewel of their classic catalog was the song that would come after they broke though with Crazy on You and Magic man. The ultra rock classic. Barracuda. It came from a crazy incident that was started by Heart’s label Mushroom. Ann Wilson tells the story . Her sister Nancy admitted a few years ago that she borrowed the riff from the band Nazreth She said and I quote we’d been opening for a band called Nazareth in Europe and also for Queen. And Nazareth had a hit with a Joni Mitchell song that they covered [in 1973] called 'This Flight Tonight' that had kind of that riff So we kind of borrowed that. And we made it into 'Barracuda.' And we saw the guys from Nazareth later and they were pissed. They said 'You took our riff!’. But as Nancy would say later everyone influenced everyone back then you borrow from what you love and then you make it your own. She also talked about how the guitar tone is very specific and she has had a tough time re creating it in concert. As we go into the interview, I do Want to thank our sponsor Zennie Eyewear. Add some style to your life and look with the latest Zenni frames.