Little Queen
Encyclopedia
Little Queen is the second album released by Heart
. It was released in May 1977 on Portrait Records
, and re-released in 2004 with two bonus tracks.
The group intended Little Queen to be the official follow-up to the debut Dreamboat Annie
. They had just left their first label Mushroom Records
, for the newly formed Portrait Records
division of CBS Records (now Sony/BMG). However the situation became very complicated when Mushroom decided to release a batch of studio demos and live recordings as the album Magazine at the same time as Little Queen. The record was hugely successful, becoming the band's second top ten album and eventually went 3x platinum.
It also produced the band's most popular hit Barracuda, which Ann Wilson wrote after a controversial publicity stunt by Mushroom Records created about her and Nancy featured a full-page ad in Rolling Stone
showing the sisters bare-shouldered (as appearing on the "Dreamboat Annie" album cover) and suggestively captioned "It was only our first time". When a reporter suggested, backstage after a live appearance, that the sisters were sex partners, Ann returned to her hotel room and began writing the lyrics to "Barracuda
" to relieve her frustration. The song became one of Heart's biggest hits peaking at #11.
Singles
Heart (band)
Heart is an American rock band who first found success in Canada. Throughout several lineup changes, the only two members remaining constant are sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson. The group rose to fame in the 1970s with their music being influenced by hard rock as well as folk music...
. It was released in May 1977 on Portrait Records
Portrait Records
Portrait Records was a sister label of Epic Records and later of Columbia Records. Cyndi Lauper and Sade signed with Portrait, but their contracts were absorbed by Epic after that incarnation of the label was shuttered....
, and re-released in 2004 with two bonus tracks.
The group intended Little Queen to be the official follow-up to the debut Dreamboat Annie
Dreamboat Annie
Dreamboat Annie is the debut album by American rock band Heart. It was released in the United States on February 14, 1976 through Mushroom Records. It contained three hit singles which became staples on FM radio...
. They had just left their first label Mushroom Records
Mushroom Records (Canada)
Mushroom Records was a recording label company founded in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, by brothers Wink and Dick Vogel in 1974. Shelly Siegel was the label's Vice-president and creative director. Mushroom released approximately 15 LPs and 50 singles between 1974 and 1980.The Mushroom...
, for the newly formed Portrait Records
Portrait Records
Portrait Records was a sister label of Epic Records and later of Columbia Records. Cyndi Lauper and Sade signed with Portrait, but their contracts were absorbed by Epic after that incarnation of the label was shuttered....
division of CBS Records (now Sony/BMG). However the situation became very complicated when Mushroom decided to release a batch of studio demos and live recordings as the album Magazine at the same time as Little Queen. The record was hugely successful, becoming the band's second top ten album and eventually went 3x platinum.
It also produced the band's most popular hit Barracuda, which Ann Wilson wrote after a controversial publicity stunt by Mushroom Records created about her and Nancy featured a full-page ad in Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
showing the sisters bare-shouldered (as appearing on the "Dreamboat Annie" album cover) and suggestively captioned "It was only our first time". When a reporter suggested, backstage after a live appearance, that the sisters were sex partners, Ann returned to her hotel room and began writing the lyrics to "Barracuda
Barracuda (song)
"Barracuda" is a song written and recorded by the rock band Heart. It was released as the first single from the band's second album Little Queen .-Reception:...
" to relieve her frustration. The song became one of Heart's biggest hits peaking at #11.
Side one
- "BarracudaBarracuda (song)"Barracuda" is a song written and recorded by the rock band Heart. It was released as the first single from the band's second album Little Queen .-Reception:...
" (Michael DeRosier, Roger FisherRoger Fisher (guitarist)Roger Fisher is a guitarist primarily known as one of the founding members of the band Heart. His tenure lasted from 1967 until 1980.-Career:...
, Ann WilsonAnn WilsonAnn Dustin Wilson is an American musician, best known as the lead singer, flute player, songwriter, and occasional guitar player of the rock band Heart.-Personal life:...
, Nancy Wilson) – 4:21 - "Love Alive" (Fisher, A. Wilson, N. Wilson) – 4:22
- "Sylvan Song" (Instrumental) (Fisher, N. Wilson) – 2:12
- "Dream of the Archer" (Fisher, A. Wilson, N. Wilson) – 4:30
- "Kick It Out" (A. Wilson) – 2:45
Side two
- "Little QueenLittle Queen (song)"Little Queen" is a song written and recorded by the rock band Heart. It was released as the second single from the band's second album Little Queen in 1977. The song is a midtempo rock and roll number similar in style to Heart's past hit "Magic Man" but much gentler than the first single taken...
" (DeRosier, Fisher, Steve Fossen, Howard Leese, A. Wilson, N. Wilson) – 5:10 - "Treat Me Well" (N. Wilson) – 3:25
- "Say Hello" (Fisher, A. Wilson, N. Wilson) – 3:36
- "Cry to Me" (A. Wilson, N. Wilson) – 2:52
- "Go On Cry" (Fisher, A. Wilson, N. Wilson) – 5:53
Remastered issue 2004 bonus tracks
- "Too Long a Time" (Early demo version of "Love Alive") - 3:33
- "Stairway to HeavenStairway to Heaven"Stairway to Heaven" is a song by the English rock band Led Zeppelin, released in late 1971. It was composed by guitarist Jimmy Page and vocalist Robert Plant for the band's untitled fourth studio album . The song, running eight minutes and two seconds, is composed of several sections, which...
" (live) - 9:20
Personnel
- Ann WilsonAnn WilsonAnn Dustin Wilson is an American musician, best known as the lead singer, flute player, songwriter, and occasional guitar player of the rock band Heart.-Personal life:...
- lead vocals, fluteWestern concert fluteThe Western concert flute is a transverse woodwind instrument made of metal or wood. It is the most common variant of the flute. A musician who plays the flute is called a flautist, flutist, or flute player....
, violinViolinThe violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
, guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments... - Nancy Wilson - backing vocals, lead vocals on "Treat Me Well", guitar, mandolinMandolinA mandolin is a musical instrument in the lute family . It descends from the mandore, a soprano member of the lute family. The mandolin soundboard comes in many shapes—but generally round or teardrop-shaped, sometimes with scrolls or other projections. A mandolin may have f-holes, or a single...
, pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal... - Roger FisherRoger Fisher (guitarist)Roger Fisher is a guitarist primarily known as one of the founding members of the band Heart. His tenure lasted from 1967 until 1980.-Career:...
- guitar, mandolin, electric guitarElectric guitarAn electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
, steel guitarSteel guitarSteel guitar is a type of guitar or the method of playing the instrument. Developed in Hawaii in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a steel guitar is usually positioned horizontally; strings are plucked with one hand, while the other hand changes the pitch of one or more strings with the use... - Howard LeeseHoward LeeseHoward M. Leese is an American guitarist, record producer and musical director who played with Heart for 22 years...
- guitar, vocals, synthesizerSynthesizerA synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
, piano, Moog bassBass pedalsBass pedals are an electronic musical instrument with foot-operated pedal keyboard with a range of one or more octaves. The earliest bass pedals from the 1970s consisted of a pedalboard and analog synthesizer tone generation circuitry packaged together as a unit...
, mellotronMellotronThe Mellotron is an electro-mechanical, polyphonic tape replay keyboard originally developed and built in Birmingham, England in the early 1960s. It superseded the Chamberlin Music Master, which was the world's first sample-playback keyboard intended for music...
, mandolin, keyboards - Michael DeRosier - drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, chimes, tablaTablaThe tabla is a popular Indian percussion instrument used in Hindustani classical music and in popular and devotional music of the Indian subcontinent. The instrument consists of a pair of hand drums of contrasting sizes and timbres...
, percussionPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
, timpaniTimpaniTimpani, or kettledrums, are musical instruments in the percussion family. A type of drum, they consist of a skin called a head stretched over a large bowl traditionally made of copper. They are played by striking the head with a specialized drum stick called a timpani stick or timpani mallet... - Steve Fossen - bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, percussion - Lynn Wilson Keagle - vocals
- Seal (Celia) Dunnington - vocals
- Sue EnnisSue EnnisSue Ennis is a Seattle songwriter whose songs include Classic Rock radio staples Straight On, Even It Up and Dog and Butterfly. She has co-written over 65 songs for the rock band Heart and co-wrote the theme from The Golden Child starring Eddie Murphy with James Bond composer, John Barry, Ann and...
- lyrics - John Kehe - design
- Bob Seidemann - photography
- Buzz Richmond - engineer
- Mike FlickerMike FlickerMike Flicker is an American producer in Los Angeles who has numerous credits on music and film projects. He is critically acclaimed for his work with Heart.- Early career :...
- engineer, producer, percussion - Mike Doud - art direction
Chart performance
Album| Chart (1977) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums Chart | 22 |
| Canadian Albums Chart | 2 |
| Dutch Albums Chart | 9 |
| German Albums Chart | 34 |
| Swedish Albums Chart | 44 |
| UK Albums Chart | 34 |
| U.S. Billboard 200 | 9 |
Singles
| Single | Chart (1977) | Peak position |
|---|---|---|
| "Barracuda" | US Billboard Pop Singles | 11 |
| "Kick It Out" | 79 | |
| "Little Queen" | 62 |