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 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 achieved double-platinum status in 1993, ten years after its release, for selling more than 2 million copies in the US. It spent a whole year on the Billboard 200 from June 1983 to June 1984. It was also certified silver in the UK for sales in excess of 60,000. 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.
- “Wild Heart” 6:08
- “If Anyone Falls” 4:07
- “Gate and Garden” 4:05
- “Enchanted” 3:06
- “Nightbird” (with Sandy Stewart) 4:59
- “Stand Back” 4:48
- “I Will Run to You” (with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers) 3:21
- “Nothing Ever Changes” 4:09
- “Sable on Blond” 4:13
- “Beauty and the Beast” 6:02
- “Violet and Blue (From Against All Odds Soundtrack)” 5:03
- “I Sing for the Things” 4:40
- “Sable on Blond” 7:36
- “All the Beautiful Worlds” 5:40
- “Sorcerer” 5:35
- “Dial the Number” 4:29
- “Garbo” 3:31
- “Are You Mine (Demo)” 3:10
- “Wild Heart (Session)” 6:36
Stevie Nicks – lead and backing vocals
Sharon Celani – backing vocals
Lori Nicks – backing vocals
Sandy Stewart – keyboards, synthesizer, backing vocals, piano (tracks 1, 3, 5-6, 8-9)
Tom Petty – guitar, vocals (track 7)
Mike Campbell – guitar (track 7)
Benmont Tench – organ, keyboards (tracks 3-5, 7)
Howie Epstein – bass (track 7)
Stan Lynch – drums (track 7)
Mick Fleetwood – drums (track 9)
Steve Lukather – guitar (track 6)
Don Felder – guitar (track 8)
Prince – synthesizer (track 6, uncredited)
David Monday – guitar (tracks 1, 3)
Dean Parks – guitar (track 1)
Waddy Wachtel – guitar (tracks 2-6, 9)
David Williams – guitar (track 6)
Roger Tausz – bass (track 1)
Bob Glaub – bass (tracks 2, 4, 8)
Kenny Edwards – bass (tracks 5, 9)
John Beal – bass (track 10)
Roy Bittan – synthesizer, piano (tracks 2, 4, 8-9)
David Foster – piano (track 5)
Brad Smith – drums, percussion (tracks 1, 3)
Russ Kunkel – drums, drum overdubs (tracks 2, 4, 6, 8)
Bobbye Hall – percussion (tracks 2, 4, 6, 8)
Chet McCracken – drum overdubs (track 5)
Marvin Caruso – drums (tracks 5-6)
Ian Wallace – percussion (track 6)
David Bluefield – OB-Xa programming, DMX drum machine (track 6)
Phil Kenzie – saxophone (track 8)
Carolyn Brooks – background vocals (tracks 2, 10)
String section on “Beauty and the Beast”
Kenneth Whitfield – string arrangement
Paul Buckmaster – string arrangement
Gene Bianco – harp
Jesse Levine – viola
Julien Barber – viola
Theodore Israel – viola
Harry Zaratzian – viola
Jesse Levy – cello
Frederick Zlotkin – cello
Seymour Barab – cello
Jon Abramowitz – cello
Marvin Morgenstern – violin
Herbert Sorkin – violin
John Pintavalle – violin
Max Ellen – violin
Regis Eandiorio – violin
Harry Glickman – violin
Peter Dimitriades – violin
Paul Winter – violin
Matthew Raimondi – violin
Harry Cykman – violin
Raymond Kunicki – violin
Lewis Eley – violin
Ruth Waterman – violin
Paul Gershman – violin
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