S.O.D. "Barracuda" by Heart

7/6/2015      A bit of controversy here when the song was used at the 2008 National Republican Convention.  Due to her athleticism, Sarah Palin claims that she was called the Barracuda in high school and used the song as a play on words with her name "Sarracuda".  The Wilson sisters disapproved of this and sent a cease-and-desist letter to John McCain's campaign.  Ann Wilson states in an interview that the song has to do with the band's anger toward Mushroom Records and their attempted publicity stunt involving her and her sister Nancy in an incestuous affair.  After one particular concert a man came up to Ann and asked her how her lover was. When she discovered he was talking about her sister Nancy and not her boyfriend, band manager Michael Fisher, she went back to the hotel extremely angry and started writing lyrics about what was happening.  

     Charting in 10 countries, it hit #1 in South Africa, #2 in Canada and #11 in the U.S.  It has now become the band's signature song and released in 1977 is classified as an early attempt at heavy metal.  During the early stages of Heart, 1967-1973 they were known as The Army, White Heart and Hocus-Pocus.  In 1974 the main focus went to the Wilson sisters when the band took the name Heart and started to take off.  

     They have released 15 albums in all, selling more than 35 million records worldwide.  On VH1's 100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock, they are ranked #57.  Heart was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2013.  Too much valuable information to mention here including guitarist Howard Leese who was the band's mastermind from 1975-1998 and responsible for most of the guitar work including the genius guitar solo in "Magic Man". Ann and Nancy Wilson are multi instrumentalists.