"Straight On" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Single by Heart | ||||
from the album Dog & Butterfly | ||||
B-side | "Lighter Touch" | |||
Released | September 1978 | |||
Recorded | 1978 | |||
Genre | Hard rock, disco | |||
Length | 4:11 (Promo Version) 5:01 (Single Version) 5:07 (Album Version) | |||
Label | Portrait Records | |||
Songwriter(s) | Ann Wilson Nancy Wilson Sue Ennis | |||
Producer(s) | Mike Flicker, Heart, Michael Fisher | |||
Heart singles chronology | ||||
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"Straight On" is a song recorded by the rock band Heart. It was released as the first single from the band's 1978 album Dog & Butterfly . In the U.S., "Straight On" became Heart's third single to crack the top twenty, peaking at number fifteen on the Billboard Hot 100. The song was co-written by Ann Wilson, Nancy Wilson, and Sue Ennis. "Straight On" was released during Heart's classic era and has been part of the group's setlist almost constantly since its release. It still was during their 2016 tour. [1]
The song is a mid-tempo rock number which incorporates a funky, almost dance-oriented bass line. Ann Wilson has called the song Heart's first "dance song", which is likely indicative of its recording and release happening during the disco era of the late 1970s. The lyrics use gambling metaphors to illustrate the protagonist heading straight on for her partner's love. [2]
Cash Box said it has "high-soaring vocals," "a steady bass drum beat" and an "exchange of riffs between guitars." [3] Record World called it "a bluesy rock ballad highlighted by the Wilson sisters' familiar vocals." [4]
Credits adapted from the liner notes of Dog & Butterfly . [5]
Chart (1978) | Peak position |
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Canadian Singles Chart [6] | 14 |
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 [7] | 15 |
Heart is an American/Canadian rock band formed in 1973 in Vancouver, British Columbia. The band evolved from previous projects led by founding members Roger Fisher (guitar) and Steve Fossen, including The Army (1967–1969), Hocus Pocus (1969–1970), and White Heart (1970–1973). By 1975, original members Fisher, Fossen, and Ann Wilson, along with Nancy Wilson, Michael Derosier (drums), and Howard Leese formed the lineup for the band's initial mid- to late-1970s success period. These core members were included in the band's 2013 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Nancy Lamoureux Wilson is an American musician. She rose to fame alongside her older sister Ann as guitarist and second vocalist in the rock band Heart.
Little Queen is the third studio album by American rock band Heart, released in May 1977 by Portrait Records. The album was recorded and mixed at Kaye-Smith Studios in Seattle, Washington, from February to April 1977. On June 29, 2004, a remastered version of Little Queen was released by Epic Records and Legacy Recordings with two bonus tracks.
Dreamboat Annie is the debut studio album by American rock band Heart. At the time, the band was based in Vancouver, British Columbia; the album was recorded in Vancouver and first released in Canada by the local label Mushroom Records in September 1975, eventually reaching number 20 on RPM's Top Album chart and earning a double platinum certification. It was released in the United States on February 14, 1976, through the US subsidiary of Mushroom Records in Los Angeles, peaking at number seven on the Billboard 200. It also reached the top 10 in the Netherlands and Australia in early 1977. The album contains three commercially successful singles, two of which, "Crazy on You" and "Magic Man", became staples on North American FM radio. Producer Mike Flicker helped the group to polish their sound and obtain a recording contract with the label.
Magazine is the second studio album by American rock band Heart. It was originally released on April 19, 1977, by Mushroom Records in unfinished form, without the band's permission. A second authorized version of the album was released on April 22, 1978. The album has been certified platinum in both the United States and Canada.
Dog & Butterfly is the fourth studio album by American rock band Heart, released in September 1978, by Portrait Records, following a legal dispute with Mushroom Records over the release of the band's second studio album, Magazine, in April 1978. Dog & Butterfly peaked at number 17 on the US Billboard 200 and has been certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The album spawned the singles "Straight On" and "Dog & Butterfly".
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"Magic Man" is a song by the American rock band Heart released as a single off their debut album, Dreamboat Annie. Written and composed by Ann and Nancy Wilson, the song is sung from the viewpoint of a young girl who is being seduced by an older man, much to the chagrin of her mother, who calls and begs the girl to come home. In an interview, Ann Wilson revealed that the "Magic Man" was her then boyfriend, band manager Michael Fisher, and that part of the song was an autobiographical tale of the beginnings of their relationship. Roger Fisher came up with the alternative tuning EADGDG for his guitar part. The album version of "Magic Man" features an over-two-minute instrumental break which consists of a guitar solo and the usage of a Minimoog synthesizer, while the single version of the song edits out most of this break, cutting it down from 5:28 to 3:29.
"Crazy on You" is a song by American rock band Heart from their debut studio album, Dreamboat Annie (1975). It was released in March 1976 as the album's third single in Canada and the album's debut single in the United States. It reached the top 25 in Canada and the top 35 in the US. It found more success in the Netherlands and Belgium where it peaked at number 2 and 13, respectively, in early 1977 after its release as the second single from Dreamboat Annie in those countries. It is considered one of Heart's signature songs as it is one of the most played tracks on classic rock radio stations in the US.
"Barracuda" is a song by American rock band Heart, released in 1977 on their third studio album, Little Queen, and was released as the album's lead single. The song peaked at number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100. In 2009, "Barracuda" was named the 34th-best hard rock song of all time by VH1.
Roger Fisher is an American guitarist primarily known as one of the founding members of the band Heart. His tenure lasted from 1967 until 1980. In 2013 Fisher was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Heart.
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"Kick It Out" is a short, fast-tempo hard rock song recorded by the rock band Heart, written by Ann Wilson. It was released as the third and final single from the band's second album Little Queen in 1977. When released the song did not perform as well as previous Heart singles, reaching number seventy-nine on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and number sixty-seven on the U.S. Cash Box Top 100.
"Heartless" is a song written and recorded by the rock band Heart in 1976 for their album Magazine. Issues with the band's previous record label Mushroom caused a delay in the album's release and "Heartless" was released as a single two years later, after the re-issue of their first single "Crazy on You".
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