The Wild Heart is the second studio album by American singer-songwriter and Fleetwood Mac vocalist Stevie Nicks. Recording began in late 1982, shortly after the end of Fleetwood Mac's Mirage Tour. After the death of her best friend, Robin Anderson, and with new appreciation for her life and career, the recording took only a few months and was released on June 10, 1983, a year after Fleetwood Mac's Mirage. It peaked at No. 5 on the U.S. Billboard 200 charts (for seven consecutive weeks) and achieved platinum status on September 12, 1983. The album has sold over 2 million copies in the US alone, and has sold approximately 250,000 copies in the US since 1991 according to Nielsen Soundscan.
The album is notable for its array of prominent guest musicians. Tom Petty made a return to write "I Will Run to You", on which his bandmates from the Heartbreakers performed. Nicks' Fleetwood Mac bandmate, drummer Mick Fleetwood, made an appearance on the track "Sable on Blonde". Toto's Steve Lukather contributed some of the guitar work on what would become the album's biggest hit single, "Stand Back", which also features an uncredited contribution from Prince, who played the synthesizer track. Nicks also worked with friend Sandy Stewart, who wrote the music for three tracks on the album and performed on several (Stewart would go on to write the 1987 Fleetwood Mac hit "Seven Wonders"). The album's final track, "Beauty And The Beast", features a full string section performing a score arranged and conducted by Paul Buckmaster. Nicks had recorded various other tracks prior to the album's release, including "Violet And Blue" which was featured on the movie soundtrack for Against All Odds, and later on Nicks' 3-disc retrospective box set Enchanted in 1998.
The Wild Heart achieved double-platinum status in 1993, ten years after its release, for selling more than 2 million copies in the U.S. It spent a whole year on the Billboard 200 from June 1983 to June 1984. It was also certified Silver in the UK for sales in excess of 60,000. Three singles were released from the album: "Stand Back", which charted at No. 5; "If Anyone Falls", which charted at No. 14; and "Nightbird", which charted at No. 33. "Stand Back" and "If Anyone Falls" featured accompanying videos that went into heavy rotation on MTV. "Nightbird", a track that Nicks has said was her favorite on the album, was performed live on Solid Gold and Saturday Night Live.
All lyrics written by Stevie Nicks except I Will Run to You, written by Tom Petty
The Wild Heart: Deluxe Edition (Rhino, 2016)
ProductionProduction: Jimmy Iovine, Gordon Perry and Tom PettyRecording and engineering: Greg Edwards & Shelly YakusAssistant engineering: Josh Abbey, David Bianco, Michael Brooks, Bobby Cohen, John Curcio, Bill Freesh, Pete Kudas, John Smith, Julian StollMixing: Greg Edwards, Lori Perry & Shelly YakusMasterering: Stephen MarcussenPhotography=Herbert W. Worthington,Nicks went on a national tour in support of The Wild Heart. After headlining the massive US Festival on May 30, 1983, in San Bernardino, California, the tour officially started in Knoxville, Tennessee, on June 21, 1983, and ended in Ames, Iowa, on November 20, 1983.
Tour Setlist"Gold Dust Woman""Outside The Rain""Dreams""Gold And Braid" (see notes below)"I Need To Know""Sara""Angel" (see notes below)"Enchanted" (see notes below)"If Anyone Falls""Leather And Lace""Stand Back""Beauty And The Beast""Gypsy""How Still My Love""I Will Run To You" (see notes below)"Stop Draggin' My Heart Around""Edge Of Seventeen"Encore"Rhiannon"Notes"Enchanted" was performed only at the Meadowlands Arena in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on June 24, 1983."Angel" and "Gold And Braid" were performed only on the opening night at the US Festival."I Will Run To You" was performed at Radio City Music Hall in New York City with Tom Petty.Tour DatesMay 30 - San Bernardino, California, Devore Park/US Festival IIJune 21 - Knoxville, Tennessee, Civic ColiseumJune 23 - Norfolk, Virginia, The ScopeJune 24 - East Rutherford, New Jersey, Meadowlands ArenaJune 27 - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, The SpectrumJune 28 - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Civic ArenaJuly 2 - Buffalo, New York, War MemorialJuly 3 - Hartford, Connecticut, Hartford Civic CenterJuly 6 - Worcester, Massachusetts, CentrumJuly 7 - Landover, Maryland, Capitol CenterJuly 10 - Greensboro, North Carolina, ColiseumJuly 11 - Atlanta, Georgia, The OmniJuly 14 - Kansas City, Missouri, Kemper ArenaJuly 15 - Minneapolis, Minnesota, Met CenterJuly 17 - Chicago, Illinois Rosemont, HorizonJuly 18 - Chicago, Illinois Rosemont, HorizonJuly 19 - Toronto, Ontario, Canada CNE, BandshellJuly 21 - Cuyahaga Falls, Ohio Blossom, Music CenterJuly 22 - Cuyahaga Falls, Ohio Blossom, Music CenterJuly 23 - Detroit, Michigan, Joe Louis ArenaJuly 26 - St. Louis, Missouri, CheckerdomeJuly 27 - Indianapolis, Indiana, Market Square ArenaJuly 30 - Alpine Valley, Wisconsin, Music TheatreJuly 31 - Cincinnati, Ohio, Riverfront ColiseumAugust 31 - Austin, Texas, Frank Erwin CEnterSeptember 5 - Dallas, Texas, Reunion ArenaSeptember 9 - Bristol, Rhode Island,Colt State ParkSeptember 12 - New York, Radio City Music HallSeptember 13 - New York, Radio City Music HallSeptember 17 - Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Oklahoma MyriadSeptember 24 - Irvine, California, Irvine Meadows AmphitheatreSeptember 25 - Tempe, Arizona, Compton TerraceOctober 2 - Los Angeles, California, Inglewood ForumOctober 4 - Oakland, California, Oakland ColiseumOctober 21 - Columbia, South Carolina, Carolina ColiseumOctober 22 - Columbia, South Carolina, Carolina ColiseumOctober 25 - Charleston, West Virginia, Charleston Civic CenterOctober 26 - Roanoke, Virginia, Roanoke Civic CenterOctober 29 - Tuscaloosa, Alabama, University of AlabamaOctober 30 - Jackson, Mississippi, Mississippi ColiseumNovember 2 - Jacksonville, Florida, Memorial ColiseumNovember 4 - Lakeland, Florida, Lakeland Civic CenterNovember 5 - Miami, Florida, SportatoriumNovember 8 - Columbia, Missouri, University of MissouriNovember 9 - Starkville, Mississippi, Mississippi State UniversityNovember 12 - Tulsa, Oklahoma, Assembly CenterNovember 13 - Little Rock, Arkansas, T.H. Barton ColiseumNovember 16 - Madison, Wisconsin, Dane County ArenaNovember 19 - Iowa City, Iowa, University of IowaNovember 20 - Ames, Iowa, Iowa State University