The Wild Heart and The Distance - 1983 Jimmy Iovine

[Macfan4life]

There is striking resemblance between Stevie's The Wild Heart and Bob Seger's The Distance. This is no coincidence though. Both albums were worked on at almost the same time by Jimmy Iovine and engineered by Shelly Yakus. Jimmy used many of the same musicians for both albums: Russ Kunkel, Bobbye Hall, Don Felder, Waddy Wachtel and Roy Bittan.
The albums were released 6 months apart.
Both album names begin with the word "The"
Both albums peaked at #5 on Billboard
Both albums had a top 5 single, a top 15 single , and a top 30 single on Billboard charts
Both albums sold 2 million copies

According to the "Seger File" it was a tough decision to pick a first single from "The Distance". Jimmy played the album for Tom Petty, Stevie Nicks and Bruce Springsteen. Petty, Stevie and Bruce all wanted "Even Now" as the first single and thought it was a #1 song. The record label finally agreed on Shame on the Moon as the first single which went to #2 on Billboard. Even Now was the second single which reached #12 on Billboard. Even Now has Russ Kunkel on drums and Roy Bittan on piano. The song sounds so much like Enchanted. They play lots of "Even Now" on Siruis-XM Classic rewind. I turn it up in the car and sing Enchanted to it. It is almost exactly the same song. Even the ending is the same and "Even Now" and "Enchanted" have the same number of syllables.
I could not find a studio cut of "Even Now" on youtube. Bob does not allow much of his music on youtube. But I did find a live cut of the song. The live cut does not have Roy or Russ but you can get the idea. Next time you hear Even Now on the radio you will instantly hear Enchanted. You can almost replace the lyrics on either song.

Even Now live
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SjSiUUdIgik

[Macfan4life]

Finally found a studio track of Even Now on youtube. Very similar track to Enchanted. Same musicians, same producer, similar piano, organ, drums and even the ending is the same. When it comes on in the car, I sometimes sing Enchanted over it

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03EML7NcCgE

[JohnL]

Originally Posted by Macfan4life

Finally found a studio track of Even Now on youtube. Very similar track to Enchanted. Same musicians, same producer, similar piano, organ, drums and even the ending is the same. When it comes on in the car, I sometimes sing Enchanted over it

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03EML7NcCgE

I guess I never realized this but you are so right. You can definitely fit the words to Enchanted right in there

[BombaySapphire3]

There was even a rumour at the time that Stevie and Bob were going to sing a duet but I don't think that they ever made it into a studio.

[Macfan4life]

Originally Posted by BombaySapphire3

There was even a rumour at the time that Stevie and Bob were going to sing a duet but I don't think that they ever made it into a studio.

I read something about that too. That would have been so good. The Distance is a great album and Bob fought the record company a lot. He wanted to do a double album but the record company would not let him. He had so much creative material. The article I read just fascinated me because to have Stevie, Tom, and Bruce in a room with Bob and Jimmy and asking them what they thought of the album and what the first single should be. To think all of them were at their peak success during that time. I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall The album brings back memories of my first year in Jr high 1982 and early 1983. Mirage was fading on the charts then The Distance was released shortly followed by the Wild Heart. Songs like Shame on the Moon really bring back the memories. It peaked at #2 and is probably the best song to never make it to number 1. It was a mainstay on rock stations and even Adult contemporary stations. Bob did not want to write mainstream tracks for the album. He wanted slower songs that were not as easy to do as the mainstream tempo ones. It some ways it was like his "Tusk."


"It was a big battle between that ["Shame on the Moon"], "Even Now," "Thunderbirds" -- and actually they really wanted "Coming Home" for the Christmas Season. Steve Meyer, the Capitol singles guy, thought "Home" was a number one record, but that was if the album had come out in November. [It came out in December.] I wanted "Thunderbirds," Iovine wanted "Even Now." Springsteen, Stevie Nicks and Tom Petty all wanted "Even Now" when Iovine played it for them, screaming that it was a number one single...Capitol didn't want to go that hard for a first single, we didn't want to go that soft with "Coming Home," so we compromised on "Shame on the Moon," which I felt might be a single somewhere down the line, but I didn't want it to be the first one." Timothy White, April 1983, Musician. "The Roads Not Taken."

[ricohv]

Originally Posted by Macfan4life

I read something about that too. That would have been so good. The Distance is a great album and Bob fought the record company a lot. He wanted to do a double album but the record company would not let him. He had so much creative material. The article I read just fascinated me because to have Stevie, Tom, and Bruce in a room with Bob and Jimmy and asking them what they thought of the album and what the first single should be. To think all of them were at their peak success during that time. I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall The album brings back memories of my first year in Jr high 1982 and early 1983. Mirage was fading on the charts then The Distance was released shortly followed by the Wild Heart. Songs like Shame on the Moon really bring back the memories. It peaked at #2 and is probably the best song to never make it to number 1. It was a mainstay on rock stations and even Adult contemporary stations. Bob did not want to write mainstream tracks for the album. He wanted slower songs that were not as easy to do as the mainstream tempo ones. It some ways it was like his "Tusk."


"It was a big battle between that ["Shame on the Moon"], "Even Now," "Thunderbirds" -- and actually they really wanted "Coming Home" for the Christmas Season. Steve Meyer, the Capitol singles guy, thought "Home" was a number one record, but that was if the album had come out in November. [It came out in December.] I wanted "Thunderbirds," Iovine wanted "Even Now." Springsteen, Stevie Nicks and Tom Petty all wanted "Even Now" when Iovine played it for them, screaming that it was a number one single...Capitol didn't want to go that hard for a first single, we didn't want to go that soft with "Coming Home," so we compromised on "Shame on the Moon," which I felt might be a single somewhere down the line, but I didn't want it to be the first one." Timothy White, April 1983, Musician. "The Roads Not Taken."

Thanks for all that interesting info MacFan4Life-great post!
Ricoh

[jbrownsjr]

Originally Posted by Macfan4life

I read something about that too. That would have been so good. The Distance is a great album and Bob fought the record company a lot. He wanted to do a double album but the record company would not let him. He had so much creative material. The article I read just fascinated me because to have Stevie, Tom, and Bruce in a room with Bob and Jimmy and asking them what they thought of the album and what the first single should be. To think all of them were at their peak success during that time. I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall The album brings back memories of my first year in Jr high 1982 and early 1983. Mirage was fading on the charts then The Distance was released shortly followed by the Wild Heart. Songs like Shame on the Moon really bring back the memories. It peaked at #2 and is probably the best song to never make it to number 1. It was a mainstay on rock stations and even Adult contemporary stations. Bob did not want to write mainstream tracks for the album. He wanted slower songs that were not as easy to do as the mainstream tempo ones. It some ways it was like his "Tusk."


"It was a big battle between that ["Shame on the Moon"], "Even Now," "Thunderbirds" -- and actually they really wanted "Coming Home" for the Christmas Season. Steve Meyer, the Capitol singles guy, thought "Home" was a number one record, but that was if the album had come out in November. [It came out in December.] I wanted "Thunderbirds," Iovine wanted "Even Now." Springsteen, Stevie Nicks and Tom Petty all wanted "Even Now" when Iovine played it for them, screaming that it was a number one single...Capitol didn't want to go that hard for a first single, we didn't want to go that soft with "Coming Home," so we compromised on "Shame on the Moon," which I felt might be a single somewhere down the line, but I didn't want it to be the first one." Timothy White, April 1983, Musician. "The Roads Not Taken."

I remember this era so vividly, too. I was so mad there wasn't a video for Nightbird. I was obsessed with that song. (They barely played IAFalls video on MTV, which pissed me off, too)

Then of course, I waited up late night to see it (Nightbird) on SNL. and you had to wait and wait and wait.. and my mom kept yelling at me to go to bed.... lol I said.. wait!! Stevie is coming on!!