Ann & Nancy Wilson Are The Heart Of Rock & Roll & Why (EP15)

From 1976 to 1993, the band Heart, featuring Ann & Nancy Wilson, put 20 songs on the American Rock & Roll Top 40 charts.  In this episode, Dave Derringer picks and discusses 10 of the 20 hit songs.  Dave's 10 are the hits that Ann and/or Nancy had a hand in writing.

While regaling us with the 10 Wilson-penned hits, Dave also relays a number of interesting stories about Heart, including the one where the band Nazareth unwittingly had a hand in crafting Heart's classic hit "Barracuda."  This is why The Derringer Brothers decided to include two of Nazareth's songs on the Ann & Nancy Wilson Playlist.

In true brotherly fashion, Paul Derringer manages to mess with Dave's perfect 10-song strategy by slipping in two additional songs.  One song, "Bebe Le Strange," bubbled under the charts at #109.  Paul and Dave explain what it means when something "bubbles under," a legitimate Billboard-coined phrase.  In addition, Dave explains the definition of "rung" and mockingly credits Paul as being the originator of the phrase "sniffing the charts."  Listen up to learn what it means when a band's single climbs a rung and is sniffing the charts.  It's actually a good thing!

Paul's second monkey-wrench involves a song written for Ann & Nancy by Martin Page and Elton John's lyricist Bernie Taupin.  Not only was this single the first of Heart's two #1 hits, it was also Nancy Wilson's rare opportunity to shine as lead vocalist.  Nancy has a good voice, but The Derringer Brothers agree that it's Ann who has one of the best voices in Rock & Roll.  Period.

The songs discussed in this episode can be found on the Ann & Nancy Wilson Playlist.  Click the hyperlink and "follow" the playlist on Spotify.

Contact Paul & Dave at derringerdiscoveries@gmail.com and "follow" Derringer Discoveries on your favorite digital platform.

Stay for a post-episode bonus snippet of the new digital single In Rivermont by Paul's indie-band Ho Jo Fro.  In addition, please add In Rvermont and Music Box Killer to your favorite playlists.  While not in the same stratospheric league as Heart, in just a few months Music Box Killer and other Ho Jo Fro songs have streamed thousands times.  Also, click here to watch budding director Danny Wagner's Music Box Killer video on YouTube.

Ho Jo Fro provides the theme song (Your Sister's Room) for Derringer Discoveries.  You can support the band simply by "following" them and sharing their songs with your friends.  Ho Jo Fro is a fan of Heart.