Wild Heart, The Title Track

[David]

Originally Posted by HejiraNYC

Okay... this is an opportune moment to pose a dumb question: What is the difference between a "keyboard" and a "synthesizer?" My *assumption* is that "keyboard" is a catch-all term for any instrument, acoustic or electronic, with a piano-like key arrangement, e.g., piano, organ, harpsichord, synthesizer, et al., whereas a "synthesizer" is specifically a keyboard variant of the digital/electronic type.

Sometimes in rock circles, you hear that someone plays "keyboard" and another guy in the band plays "piano" or "organ."

A synthesizer can be analog or digital. I always thought it has to alter (or edit) waveforms (like sine waves). It usually has oscillators and envelope generators and other paraphernalia. When they refer to a "workstation" nowadays in rock music, they're referring to a synthesizer that interfaces with a computer. See the "synthesizer" Wiki entry.

I do find it rather odd that a "piano" player is not credited to WH. However, I suspect it is Sandy Stewart; it does not sound like Roy Bittan to me. It's hard to articulate, but I think Roy's piano tends to have more of a more percussive, freestyle quality with octave-spanning chords. The piano on WH, while still exuberant, tends to be relatively muted by Roy Bittan standards; it's more by-the-book.

I think I know what you mean, but I still think it could easily be Bittan or Tench. I'd have to listen to Sandy's piano all over her 1984 album again (and I don't want to do that!) If parts of "The Wild Heart" seem understated for Roy, that's just the arrangement underlying the verses. The piano on the chorus in the treble is essentially "Sara"—nobody here has said that but it's absolutely true. It's the same pattern: F major in 2nd inversion alternating with C major in root position. And there is a percussive style that breaks through even in the "Wild Heart" part: Listen to the left-right-left-right in the subdominant on the downbeat in the part that directly precedes the "Where is the reason" the second time through. As the track progresses and grows in dynamics, the piano fills in with passing or transitional chording. It doesn't scream Roy Bittan, but ... it could still be him. I wish we could ask somebody: Gordon Perry or Sandy Stewart or somebody.

There's also a nice Fender Rhodes (or DX-7) part all the way through. Maybe Roy played that, and someone else played the piano on what is probably a largely live track.

As for the suggestion above that it may be Stevie, no way, Jose. Harmonically & rhythmically, way too advanced for her. The touch isn't hers, either.