Heart's Original
"Magazine"
One of the most curious rarities
in the catalog of the Seattle band
Heart,
is the original 1977 issue
of their album
“Magazine.”
Audio-wise it is quite different
from the standard 1978 issue.
To explain the difference,
a bit of back story
becomes necessary.
In 1976,
Heart,
led by sisters
Ann and Nancy Wilson,
were busy recording their
second album
“Magazine,”
which was intended to
follow their platinum
selling debut
“Dreamboat Annie.”
This was to be part of a
two album deal
the band had with
their label
Mushroom Records.
However,
before the completion
of the album,
Heart
became involved in a
royalty dispute with
Mushroom
which disrupted
work on the record.
Unhappy with their affairs
at Mushroom,
the band left
and signed a deal
with CBS/Potrait Records
and began recording
a new album,
“Little Queen.”
Upon the release
of that album
in May of 1977,
Mushroom records
filed a breach
of contract suit
against the band.
Mushroom decided that
the unfinished
“Magazine”
should be released
and brought in
producer
Rolf Hennemann
to prepare the tracks.
The six studio tracks
were re-mixed,
and to fill out
the rest of the LP
two songs
were selected from
a live recording
that Heart had made
in 1975.
When
“Magazine”
began to appear in record stores
in November of 1977,
Heart’s members
were not pleased.
They wanted the LP
taken off the market,
and quickly took
legal action
to do so.
The stores that were
stocking the album
were required to remove it.
Heart’s producer
Mike Flicker
has stated that
the original pressing
consisted of
50,000 copies,
some of which were
supposed to have been
destroyed by Mushroom.
The album also
saw release in Europe,
licensed for issue there
by Arista Records
and even in Korea
on the Pop label.
In early 1978
a court settlement was reached.
The court ruled that
Mushroom did have
the right to issue
“Magazine”
under the terms of the
two album contract
with Heart.
To address the
band’s unhappiness
with the sound
of the record,
Heart was granted
a small window of time
to go into the studio
for additional
recording work
on the tracks.
During March of 1978,
the band re-recorded
all of the vocals,
and replaced some
of the instrumental parts
on the studio tracks.
All of the tracks were
re-edited and/or re-mixed.
Only the short
“Here Song”
remained unchanged
from the first release.
The new version
of the album was issued
by Mushroom in
April of 1978.
Mushroom also issued
three singles from the album ,
“Heartless,”
“Magazine,”
and
“Without You.”
Near the end of the year,
a picture disc version of
“Magazine”
was released.
This was a numbered
limited edition of
100,000 copies.
In 1986
“Magazine”
was issued again,
this time by
Capitol Records,
Heart’s current label
at that time.
Capitol obtained
the rights to the album
along with
“Dreamboat Annie”
as Mushroom by then,
no longer existed.
The Goldmine
Record Album Price Guide
(4th Edition)
lists the
original 1977 pressing
at a $30 value
for a VG+ copy.
Back cover
TRACKLIST (left)
of the 1977 issue of
“Magazine.”
The bottom of these copies state:
“Mushroom Records
regrets that a contractual dispute
has made it necessary to
complete this record without
the cooperation or endorsement
of the group Heart,
who have expressly
disclaimed artistic involvement
in completing this record.”
The 1978 cover
(right)
shows the change
in the track order.
“Blues Medley”
has a title change,
and Rolf Hennemann’s
production credit
has been removed.
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