27BARRACUDA HEART

(1977)

Ancestor of the Iron Maiden gallop

In 1976, Heart supported Nazareth on tour, where they heard Nazareth cover Joni Mitchell’s This Flight Tonight with a galloping riff. They stole the gallop and added two powerchord stabs to make Barracuda. Later, Iron Maiden would make this rhythm essential to 80s metal. Nancy Wilson supplied acoustic guitar. Roger Fisher played the intro on a Strat into a Music Man head, with the song’s distinctive flanger effect. When the band kicks in, Howard Leese joined him on a ’66 Tele into a Fender Bassman. Both guitarists played loud so they could get sustain with relatively clean guitar sounds.