After seven albums, Nancy Wilson and Heart knew they needed a significant reset. Their first album for Capitol Records, 1985’s self-titled effort which went on to sell five million copies, saw the band embracing the label’s wishes, working with outside songwriters, and furthering their transition into a mainstream rock act. But one request was off the menu, and it saw Wilson clash with producer Ron Nevison.
Passionworks, which arrived two years earlier and marked the end of the Epic Records era, hinted of a transition the band would put into overdrive under Capitol's rule. But, by the mid-’80s, Nevison recognized that the band's employment of acoustic guitars – a clear tie to their folky origins – were old hat and would struggle to resonate with contemporary audiences. Wilson, though, was unmoving.
