An Interview with Roger Fisher of Heart - Barracuda
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- Опубліковано 22 бер 2018
- Elliot Gould of Render Edge Media sits down with Roger Fisher, Heart's original lead guitarist, for three days of interviews. Roger discusses a wide range of topics, including the collaboration with his brother, Michael Fisher, the original Magic Man, on the writing and recording of his latest album, "Heart of the Blues," his love of designing and building guitars, how some of Heart's most iconic songs were written, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction concert.
This video focuses on how Heart's "Barracuda" was written.
For more information and the back story behind this interview, see renderedgemedia.com/three-days....
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Roger seems like such a great down to earth guy. And an awesome guitar player that doesn't get the credit he deserves for being such an integral part of the whole Heart sound in the early days.
Not only was he a great player, his live performance was just incredible. He had so much energy, along with Ann's vocals that created incredible moments. I have not seen that unique energy without him.
Having grown up in Seattle, I'm obviously a HUGE fan of Heart. Back in 2003, we had moved to Woodinville Washington and being new to the neighborhood the local community coerced us into hosting the yearly summer party. I'm bent over attending to beverages in a large cooler, and a gal comes over to me and says "Randy, I'd like you to meet one of your new neighbors, his name is Roger Fisher". Without looking up, I kinda smirked and said "Oh, are you the REAL Roger Fisher?" I then looked up and my jaw dropped, it was really him!! Nicest guy ever, I don't think many people at the party had a clue who he was. Seattle Royalty.
Years ago I'd see him at Woodinville Cafe. Nice guy.
Was "Magic Man" Michael with him?
Dude, you're a legend to me. Heart....what can I say...such a HUGE impact in my rock and roll experience. God bless you, man.
The original “Heart” was an extremely talented band... awesome talent and music. The end result speaks for itself after all these years
HeaRt was playing an old armory around 76 in the pacific northwest. We went early to party in the parking lot. It was still daytime and all of tbe sudden we heard about half an hour of the best kickass guitaR playing i have ever heard. I bet it was roger warming up. Just so damn good
I had an early version on Bose 901s in 1979 and one day decided to buy the Barracuda album, stuck it on the turntable and cranked my amp. When it got to the bridge, bang. Left speaker blew a driver.
Met Roger in 73' when I was walking out of a music store in the pacific northwest carrying a pre-CBS Fender amp that had just been repaired , and he and Steve were getting out of a car and Roger was yelling at me from across the parking lot if I would like to sell the amp. I explained that I had just gotten it back from repair and he told me that he and Steve were in a band called "Silver Heart" and were playing in one of the local clubs in town. He said they had two girls in the band that could really sing and they were touring with a "quad" PA system, so I went down to see them and was completely blown away, Roger had a goldtop LP with humbuckers into a Marshall stack cranked for that classic sound and Nancy had a double cut LP special TV model, they sounded great together with Howard on keyboard. The PA was truly 4 channel with speakers around the room splitting the signal. The first set was originals and a few covers, but in set two or three they would do a full set of Led Zeppelin songs that sounded better than Zep could've done, Rogers guitar was spot on for Jimmy Page and Ann did Plant better than Plant. Fortyfive minutes of Led Zep at full volume, by far the best set I've ever seen in a club, Roger was the man in that band, no doubt !! Their first album came out a few months later and the rest is history.
I'm jealous
Great story dude, you wouldn’t happen to have that amp lying around somewhere would you? Lol
No one gives a duck.
@ab cd bullshit! Barra numb nutz!
@@Josh-it6uy really?
no discredit to Howard Leese or Nancy Wilson but once they fired Roger Heart was stripped of the grit and guts that made their sound unique.funny how the chemistry between band members can have such a massive effect on the entire dynamic.
Agreed, you can still hear Roger's influence up to Bebe' Le Strange as a whole, (as he was co-writer on the title track) and they still had a decent vibe on the subsequent album, but after Mike & Steve left, it was a very different band. Minus that grit n guys as you say. Very polished and L. A. sounding. They were still enjoyable live, but didn't compare to the original band. I saw Heart in concert on 4 consecutive tours, starting with Dog and Butterfly, and to this day, after hundreds of shows, it still ranks as one of the best I've ever seen! They were formidable and at their peak at that point in time in my opinion.
seamus2112ophelan I was lucky enough to have seen them once in 1977 while visiting a newly moved relative. Saw them at the Hollywood Bowl and even though I only found out they were performing there from the Friday night newspaper, my cousin and I were able to get great seats. We even got to get up close to the stage as the venue was only about half full. Barracuda had just cracked the top 40 on its way up at that time. I had heard Magic Man the year previous but knew nothing about the band except it had a female singer.
I fell in love with the band who I felt were BETTER in concert than Zeppelin I had seen earlier that same year in Madison Square Garden the night the band's ticket sale money had gone 'missing'. Firstly, I fell in love with Ann's physical appearance, then with her voice and flute chops. While at the same time I fell the same way about Nancy's guitar chops, and just how much they kicked major ass. They sounded like Zeppelin could have sounded with six top notch musicians as they had. Their stage presence was a bit weak as most just stood in one place. Derosier played drums just like BONHAM IMHO and his drums even sounded exactly like Bonhams from their tuning to his choice of set up. He played part of his drum solo with his hands same as Bonham. Roger did a short bow solo just like Page minus the Theramin. Fossen played bass like a combination of JPJ and McCartney. Howard Leese seemed very fox used on each part he was to play and on which instrument. Their vocals were incredible whether by Ann or Nancy on lead, plus Howard and Steve did great work on their harmonies.
Aside from ALL these wonderful qualities the band had on stage playing mostly songs I had never heard before. I was astounded at the variety they had in their originals as well as the covers they did. I'm very surprised the Wilson sisters never bothered doing any of those covers at any time after Dog & Butterfly came out in 1979. I too saw them for the final time as it turned out that year at the Capital theater in Passaic, NJ where I was born and raised. That was the final tour with Rog, and sad to say...some of the things he did on stage were quite shocking and unbelievable. I have an OLD bootleg video of some show that was a big part of his departure from the band where he had something go wrong with his one of his start type guitars. The band kept playing as ALL pro bands will do when any technical glitch might happen. But whatever he felt about his equipment failure...he took the guilt off and literally threw it like a baseball bat at the back of Ann's head. The video shows Nancy seeing what was happening since she stood next to Rog and physically ran into Ann to knock her out of the way. The guitar just missed both Wilsons and nailed a front row fan in the face knocking the person to the ground. The security people standing on that side which was Howard's stage side, rushed over to help the person injured. After the throw, Rog stormed off stage and the video shows the band of just three guys looking at each other trying to figure out what to do. I'm sorry to report this truth, but no matter how angry anyone might get, there is NO excuse for doing something like that.
Not to put the blame completely on Rog...I've ALWAYS wondered WHY at some point in time NO ONE EVER put any blame on the loss of Roger and the subsequent break up of the three original male band members on what Nancy did that caused nearly all of the tension and friction within the band by cheating on Roger with Mike. As Roger said in an interview...How could I continue to stand next to a woman I loved knowing she was dating someone else as well as the loss of all the closeness we had together as a band. I'm not sure if I got it as an exact quote from memory, but I know the statement is something Roger said years ago after leaving (or kicked out if you prefer) the band. And as I've written previously...I can't stand. How the Wilson sisters LIE about the formation of the band as well as never mentioning ANYTHING that Nancy did to be part of the band break up. Rog's older brother iPads dating Ann as well. But HE cheated on Ann and she caught him. All those 'hurt, hate, get even' songs she wrote was about that. Just as Magic Man was about the same Fisher brother who was the love of her life she left Seattle to live with in Canada for as he was a draft dodger. Then poor Ann gives her heart (no pun meant here) to the blonde bassist (I think his last name was Andes) from the MTV era. Only to find out he was cheating on her. Which saw the band go from 'How Can I refuse' to 'If Looks Could Kill'. During this same time period, Nancy became intimate with Cameron Crowe. Yes...that is Nancy Wilson in the car at the light Judge Reinhold pulls up to wearing that stupid fish restaurant outfit. Am I the only one who didn't for one second that woman think that was Nancy Wilson? She looked so different there which I'm pretty certain was before all the big hair and makeup both sisters were forced to wear in their videos as well as their live concerts. And how stupid was it for Ann to be only shown from her cleavage up. When at nearly the same time Carly Wilson from Wilson Phillips was shown full body even though she was heavy?!
I'm guessing all that is why Nancy stopped wearing her acoustic guitars high up for the correct position to allow her to finger pick as she originally did. Only after she began to jump around did she lower the guitars body position and stopped using finger picks as she originally did. Proof of how far her chops had fallen even years ago can be seen in the horrible 'Dreamboat Annie' start to finish every track showed. And they chose to leave tons of parts out of most songs, plus they had a small string section play Roger's opening riff for Sing Child Sing and of course leaving out the guitar and drum solos.
I hope this post was enlightening to any Heart or Roger Fisher fans who might not have known some or all of these things either shown or stated publicly. Not my fault if the video showing one of the few guitar meltdowns are no longer available. Not my fault if I feel that Nancy traded her chops for a more typical stage presence. I'm a pro musician, but I've never had to deal with all listed here, and most definitely have never been or will be a famous musician.
My personal tribute to the music of Heart is here on UA-cam without vocals. All instruments played by myself, recorded and mixed by myself, etc. I'm STILL hoping to find a female voice willing to sing all female vocals on my twenty Heart songs I did my best to learn each original studio recorded part, and reproduce it as best I could. If any interested in hearing, or ladies with Ann Wilson's and Nancy Wilson's incredible vocal ranges, please write to me. It's been about four years since I started those songs, and it sure would be awesome to have all the vocals as well instead of just the music tracks. Link to my page with those songs can be gotten to by clicking this link...www.bandmix.com/merlinfl/. Hey Rog! Did I get the phase shifter sound right?? LOL
Neal Van LOL
110% hit on the head of the nail...bebe estrange wasn't Heart- it was the beginning of Ann & Nancy going solo
@@seamus2112ophelan * And Roger Fisher fired HIMSELF after physically threatening Nancy Wilson while he was as high as a HALO jump.
Thanks for the music Roger, Heart was never the same without you.
And the band wasn't called Fisher why?
@@poolshooter1229 Because thats egotistical.
Nope. Not. Even. Close.
@@poolshooter1229 ..Cmon....why the negativity? Roger certainly contributed to the great era of Heart music. The proof is in the pudding. No need to get negative.
I've never heard anybody ever utter a negative comment or a bad word about this dude. He comes across as very sincere and upfront and a really decent guy. He seem to be very innovated with his style of playing. Love to watch him use that violin bow on his guitar.
But he and his brother cheated like shit on the sisters and that is why the band ended. Roger and Michael ended Heart with their dicks...
There is your negative comment.
@@nordattack there's two sides to every story. you weren't there . I'm sure you're not as pure as the driven snow yourself. no one is.
@@nordattack Roger admitted that he was such a play boy back then
What an awesome guy and incredible guitarist !! Without Roger , no way would Heart be Heart !!❤️❤️ So down to earth , humble , kind , and all there , this man indeed knows how to live life correctly. Such a pleasure listening to him speak , as well as shredding just a bit for us fans. Stand up guy !! ❤‼️‼️
Heart! My first big concert. Seattle 1977, outdoors, with Foreigner opening.
It was, for my 14yo self, life changing.
One of the few songs I never tire listening to. So many layers of powerful perfection. Ranks up there with Bohemian Rhapsody as one of the best songs of the rock era.
This song is a simple rocker. Shouldn't be put up there with Bohemian Rhapsody.
Yeah, it should. Both are played excessively on classic rock stations. And for a reason. Both represent the finest recordings of the rock era. And if you think "Baracuda" is a simple rocker, you don't know music.
@@shyman99 I've been playing guitar for over 25 years. Sorry shyman99, in terms of guitar, it's a simple rocker, just palm muting, and power chords.
I wasn't referring to just the guitar. The entire musical presentation is woven into glorious perfection.
@@funeralbillii9172 You say that like palm muting, and power chords aren't awesome. Personally I won't listen to Bohemian Rhapsody anymore. Or Hotel California, or Piano Man for that matter. Heard them all a million times too many. Barracuda.....I still turn it up.
I had the chance meeting and playing guitar with roger shortly after leaving heart and he wasn't a hair metal shredder but an extremely melodic and soulful player that gave every note and every song color and a distinct feel. Sadly I don't hear that in music nowadays. Thanks roger for sharing your talent some 37 years ago
The hard rock drive, the beautiful acoustical songs the nifty riffs, fiery lead guitar, great rock compositions. Those were well done ROCK albums with Roger.
His solo on “Magic Man” is my choice for greatest rock guitar solo of all time
Definitely one of the most unique.
Hell yeah that’s a great solo
It's definitely up there. That was definitely the best lineup of Heart.
mid 70's i was a teenager 'working' with the caterers backstage at a Heart concert with Ambrosia opening for them.
I was just a kid wandering around, then heard loud drums playing, i walked around to the front of the stage and watched Derosier jamming like mad on the drums just as Roger says they did.
Several minutes went by then Roger got onto the stage and was tearing the guitar apart, those guys were astounding musicians. I was standing there all naive just staring at Roger for several minutes until he made a face at me as if to say ''get lost kid' lol, maybe that part was my imagination but i walked back a bit and wandered more inside the arena , then out comes Nancy on roller skates in purple velvet pants cruising around in large circles on the floor , she smiled at me when she passed by yea i too fell 'in love' . About 1975/76 Huntington West Virginia
lol, yea i made painted signs for their backstage dressing rooms for heart and ambrosia with their logos , Ambrosia had tons of hits back then and they opened for Heart, Ambrosia was great. Heart however came onstage the there was a great difference in the powerfulness of the band and Ann's voice was really out of this world
@hillbilly beer dranker 🤣
Post Roger Fisher Heart was a top 40 commercial band, with Roger a rock powerhouse!
glad to see roger fisher get some of the attention he deserves. never could understand why often hes not included when someone compiles a list of the greats. just as fast as ill say leese had great abilities...fisher had a style, all his own and im sure if he had wanted to, he could have done whatever he wanted to with a guitar......and still can.
Agree...But didn't Ann & or Nancy have a relationship with Roger that went sour? I think that's true if I recall correctly.
yes, to my knowledge thats it. while i wouldnt take an ounce of credit from the wilsons, [their talent abounds]...often their given total credit for taking on, a type of music dominated by men head on and owning it. if you will look at their roster of men musicians, you may find thats not quite the full story....guys like fisher, had a huge contribution in putting the band on the map. in an interview, fisher said it was his fault he goofed it with nance, then nance said she deserved the treatment she got for the way she treated roger...so who really knows...inter-dating relationships have wrecked more bands than bad managers....fleetwood mac...jefferson airplane, just to name a few
@@Imnotyourdoormat So true. Eventually even Fleetwood Mac with Stevie Nicks. Anyway, while Roger was definitely a great guitarist, Nancy can truly play very well. I've see UA-cam videos of Ann playing acoustic guitar and also playing the flute. Ann still has a set of pipes at what almost 70 yrs old. I love these sisters as well as the original band. Heart & Pat Benetar were the pioneers for female rockers!
wvufreak56...agreed. nance is a gifted guitarist alright... ann has the triple crown...[vocal, guitar and flute]....seen them several....there actually is or was an active a 3rd sister...she helped a lil with writing and i think she did a few backing tracks....just for fun.. i thought janets "black cat"...which she wrote, was 1 rockin tune...so good i couldn't believe it was her only attempt at a real R/R jam...then of course theirs always bonnie and her bottleneck, if thats your thing!!!....
I always note him and Lindsay Buckingham as the 2 biggest omissions on most 'great guitarists of the '70's' lists.
Roger Fisher up close and personal is a unique and warm individual.
Thank you Michael Fisher for putting the pieces together, love that song!
He was the reason I got into Heart in the first place. His playing blew me away - still does.
Really makes you wonder how many more iconic rock songs would've been produced had they all stayed together. We'll never know.
"Mistral Wind", was,imho, a good signal as to where it was going. I think Zep would have been slayed. I saw them around this time. MIND BLOWN.
It really does make you wonder.
Heart was a monster band and probably the tightest, most exciting band I've seen in my 50 years of concert going. Roger and Ann were THE sound of Heart and the Wilson sisters decision to slowly eviscerate the original band was one of the dumbest and most idiotic moves in rock history. They cut their own throats and the world of music is all the poorer for it.
Stupid, stupid move.
Those first 4 Heart albums that featured Roger were awesome albums. He left at the end of the Dog and Butterfly tour and the band was never the same. Ths is the risk you run when you start dating your fellow band members. Same thing happened with Stevie/Lindsey and Christine/John McVie of Fleetwood Mac. When Stevie and Lindsey broke up, they had some really tense moments and this continued for years afterwards Same with Sonny and Cher. Then there was Grace Slick and Paul Kantner, but they managed to get along after they broke up. Pat Benatar and Spider are definitely the exception to the rule.
@@edcollins9377 Right, but Roger didn't just leave, he was kicked out. It was something like internal dirty corporate politics. Derosier was kicked out as well.
First of all, Heart was an existing working and self supporting band when Ann was asked to join. She was a folk singer with no success at all before that. Nancy came in later still. Hearts first rumblings of big time success came when they were asked to be the opening act for the Canadian leg of a Rod Stewart tour.
When they were about to be signed for their first record deal the whole band then sat down and agreed to each member having a single vote in any decision making for the band with a unanimous vote requirement for any decisions. They also agreed to a totally equal split of any money they made. The two sisters started complaining that THEY were the reason for Hearts huge success and deserved a bigger part of the pie. They actually believed all the hype and press about themselves. The rest of the band then agreed to give Ann and Nancy a controlling interest in the band.
anything
it was personal immaturity and musical unsophistication that messed things up. They probably thought that Nancy was a great guitarist and that her guitar skills and Anns vocal prowess alone could keep them at the top.
As much as I love Anns voice, I loved the original Heart better. They were unbeatable. It really bothers me when I see everyone, even to this day, constantly fawning over the Wilsons as if they alone were Heart. They kept the name through the years but that name was really an empty shell and a very pale imitation of what it used to be. The sisters always come off in interviews as if THEY were the only important part of that band. Bering two sisters in a great rock band still blinds people and part of it is that most people who loved Heart don't know diddly about what it takes to be a great band or exactly what made them great. They just hear Anns phenomenal voice and see two beautiful sisters on stage and to them THAT is why Heart was great. That's simply not true at all.
@@mrfester42 Uncle Fester, I agree with you about Roger. The original Heart was a great band (more than just Ann and Nancy) and Roger was definitely key to their success. The band was never the same without him. As for his departure, you are only partially right. Yes, Roger was thrown out of the band, but It wasn't due to "internal dirty corporate politics" (at least that wasn't the main reason). Roger's departure had to due with a "love triangle" that went bad--very bad. You see, the band kicked Roger out after he tried to "kabong" Nancy. (Kabong is a reference to an old 1960's cartoon called Quick Draw McGraw. "Quick Draw" was a horse character who would capture crooks by smashing guitars over their heads. When he smashed the guitars on their head he would yell "kabong") You see Roger had been dating/living with Nancy for several years. I should also mention that Ann had been dating/living with Roger's brother Michael Fisher for 10 years. (Michael Fisher also managed/advised the band). One night Roger, who claims he got too tipsy, cheated on Nancy. Nancy soon found out about it. However, Nancy was unable to forgive Roger, and she broke up with him despite the fact that Roger was still in love with her. Making this awkward situation infinitely worse, Nancy had developed a crush on Heart drummer Mike DeRosier, and Nancy & Mike started seeing one another. The green-eyed monster got the best of Roger, and this resulted in him having a couple of "kabong" tantrums. After one show, a jealous and angry Roger smashed a guitar against the dressing room wall just barely missing Nancy's head. Obviously, Roger's violent, unpredictable behavior frightened Nancy, Ann, and the rest of the band. A few days later, the band asked Roger to leave. (3 of 4 weeks after Roger was fired, Michael Fisher informed Ann that he was in love with another woman. A devastated Ann quickly moved out, terminating their 10 year relationship). At this point, Ann and Nancy decided they didn't need any men to help them make key band decisions, and took charge of the band. Mike D and Nancy's relationship soon soured. (Nancy was in love with Mike, but he didn't feel the same about her.) They completed one more album. As soon as they finished recording the new album, "Private Audition", Mike DeRosier and Steven Fossen left the band. It is my understanding that Mike and Steven decided to leave because they didn't like the songs on "Private Audition" (and I agree with them), nor were they happy with the new musical direction that the Wilson sisters had chosen for the band. However, I'm sure there were other reasons (including the fact that Mike and Nancy's relationship didn't work out) and perhaps they resented the fact that the women were now in charge of the band (only a guess). I would like to see the original band do a reunion tour. Apparently, Ann and Roger are finally on good terms, but it appears that Nancy doesn't want anything to do with Roger. Human Relationships can be very complicated.
I will echo what most are saying on here (at least those with knowledge) which is that Roger was the real driving force of their music.
A very underrated player who authored some of the 70's most classic riffs. Who doesn't immediately recognize Barracuda or Magic Man?
It obvious that the only success they had after Roger left was due to outside writers being hired to write ALL their 80's hits.
Come on ladies. Just aknowledge it, make ammends, and reform while it's still possible. There is no way being around this gentleman could be that difficult. He seems like a great guy in every intetview i have seen with him. He has a great stage presence as well.
Roger8176, your comments are spot on, he made a mistake, but they need to get over while there’s still time. It’s obvious that he’s a great guy and sorry for what happened. The only reason Heart is in the RRHOF is because of the songs Heart had with him in the band.
He was a heavy player for the time..Him and Spider from Pat Benetar are two overlooked players in the formation of rock/metal Guitarist's of late 70s and 80s IMO
I don't know Spider from a mouse. But I do perk up during Benetar guitar solos. I guess it's because of this Spider fellow?
@@Frip36 Neal Giraldo. He and Pat Benatar have been married for almost 40 years. They're still doing it together. Neal is one of my favorite guitarists of the early 80's. Still kills it today.
The best Seattle band of them all.
By far!
Love the vibrato..
YOU ~ ROCK ! !
I remember during the Heart days, he had a guitar that had LED's in the neck. It was so cool. He and Howard Leese were both really good players.
Roger had it made for him special just for the cool factor. He used it only on Mistral Wind. He knows where the fingers go. You may be talking about the Fretlight guitars that were made years later.
One of the most innovative and original guitarists, absolutely instrumental to Heart's sound and success. The line between pre and post-Fisher Heart is clear. An upward arc of great music up and through "Dog and Butterfly" and then his influence heard on "Bebe", and then the sad pitch off the cliff into smarmy pop. WE MISS YOU, ROGER!
Thanks Michael Fisher for telling Roger to remember that intro!!!
Pity there's not more of this. I could listen to his stories for hours.
What I would give to see The Wilson sisters and Roger go on tour one more time.
My most fav guitar riff of all time. I think this is the most perfect rock song ever made. Hits all the frequencies. Makes me feel alive man.
God, he seems like such a nice guy... on top of all that raw talent.
4:05 I love song origin stories. Could listen to them all day.
Watching greatness...wow!
I met Roger at the Back40 Club in Tacoma 83' - super nice guy.
You are greatness Roger Fisher!!!
Those are great insights! fascinating to hear these things after so many years of enjoying a song and knowing how popular it has become!
I saw Roger Fischer play with Heart by Heart at the Music Matters Show at the Neptune Theater in Seattle which was a concert the State of Washington put onto introduced the "Music Matters" license plate. Roger asked the audience what song they wanted to hear until he got the answer he wanted which Barracuda or Magic Man. It was cool to see him work the crowd.
I have loved Heart since Dreamboat Annie was released (I was 13 y/o in Vancouver and it blew my little mind). I still love Heart and have loved Heart in all its incarnations. Sooo wanted to see the band play at the PNE on the Dog & Butterfly tour but my parents thought I was too young... so, the only time I ever saw the original 6ix play was when I flew from Toronto to LA to see Heart inducted into the RRHOF. Damn!!!!! Roger, you are a one-of-a-kind guitarist. It was one song...but what a treat!
Too bad they didn't let you go when you were 13. Glad you got to see us in 2013. Thanks for coming down. There were a lot of Canadians there.
He is one of my favorite guitarists. One of the most creative guitarists in rock music in my opinion.
Roger was definitely a magic man on the early Heart music.
Love Heart And Nancy Wilson are the Best and still Rocking and Rolling two of my Favorite
Rodger, you AND your Brother are
ROCK MONSTER'S................🎸💚
What a cool, funny and "real" guy!
I saw Heart play in 1978 with the original line up. Roger Fisher was playing his ass off on a red Gibson SG, barefooted, wearing a white Mechanic's jumpsuit. The drummer was playing a 3 piece set...3 DRUMS!! (snare, bass and one tom) and they fuckin RAWKED it! Rock on Mr. Fisher!
Killer riff.....and song!
I've seen Roger interviewed else where and he was just as nice a guy as he is here.
.
Fascinating... Cheers Bob
Cool inside story of an iconic, kick ass song!
Fisher! Dude! You Rock the House Down!
you are very awesome
Thank you Michael!!
I've had it with all these comments bringing Ann and especially Nancy down a notch just to praise Roger. Loving Roger doesn't mean you have to hate the Wilsons or vice versa. They're not mutually exclusive. Roger is a BRILLIANT guitarist and musician and Ann and Nancy are fantastic musicians and songwriters too. Both the Fishers and Wilsons have been far more gracious than all you so-called fans
Yes, it's too bad the original Heart lineup fell apart. I've seen the documentaries that go over all that. Don't want to talk about it. Ann and Nancy do awesome versions of the original Heart songs, and better versions of Led Zeppelin than LZ did themselves.
I haven't seen Roger since '89, when He was my teacher at A.I.S.
Goddamn that echo- muddys up EVERYTHING
Love HEART.. original members Roger, Steve and Mike were in ALIAS and together with singer Fred Curci (ex Sheriff singer with hit WHEN I'M WITH YOU) and guitarist from Sheriff Steve DeMarchi.. what a combo... chemistry ... listening to Freddy Curci sing Baracuda freaks me out.. You can hear that on the ALIAS concert when the opened for REO Speedwagon.. incredible
Have always regretted missing them when they played a small club in Edmonton back when the album came out. Just love that album. Not a bad song on it.
Roger was the King of Heart(s)🌟🤟🌟!
RF one on the best! I learned every lick from the albums in the 70s, his smooth bends and melodic approach make his sound one of my favorites pretty much every cool Heart lick I learned came from Rogers Fisher also had to learn Brian May, Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck ect..he is in that class
Great sound
Thanks Mike!
This guy is awesome.
Roger was the heart of Heart!
It was really very clear Roger was the drive and creative genius of Heart. Once he was gone they never seemed to be able to come up with material worthy of what the band was doing with Roger. The girls are great, no doubt, but without the magic of Roger's guitar work, it just never seemed to rise to that original level ever again.
Damn, since the girls took all the face-time I didn't even know the guitarists. I'm gonna go check out old Heart albums and pay more attention to the guitarwork.
@@Frip36 Hello. Do it. Roger has some great stuf on those albums.
Azfun6
They went from a kick ass rock band to a pop band
@@ralex3697 Beatles was a pop band. What's wrong with that?
Heart was awesome back then.
After Roger, Heart was no longer a rock band, they were a pop band.
Sad but true
👍 agreed
totally agree Thomas. These Dreams and What About Love are as pop as u can get
I wish people would use commas. I scan the comment section and think, who the hell is Roger Heart?
@@Frip36 Lighten up Francis! Who is Roger Heart? The most talented guy in the band. He was the soul of Heart!
It is what it is. I believe him.
Likable guy and good communicator.
I have the Barracuda flanger that was made based off of the 70's spec. It ain't cheap at $400, but it's like owning a piece of history. I remember listening to this song as a kid in the 80's and being blown away. But then asking myself, what the hell happened to Heart, when they evolved into a pop band.
There was a blow up Oct 1980 (or 79, I forget) and Rog got the boot. With Rog gone it descended downhill. by 86, no original members, really. (Ann and Nancy were asked to join, originally).
What happened is that the Wilson sisters heads exploded and they thought that THEY were Heart. The dumbest move in rock history was their slow evisceration of that original band. The whole band was the tightest most exciting band I've ever seen in 50 years of going to concerts. They were like a 6 headed monster BUT Ann and Roger were THE sound of the original Heart ands when Roger was dumped that band evaporated as he walked away. That's it ion a nutshell. Plain & simple.
Such a pretty guitar there!!
Out of all the original Heart members, I've written to all of them at least twice as one musician to another. Only Roger was kind enough to write me back. What a great person he is irregardless of what happened before and during his break up with the Wilson sisters. It's amazing to me how the Wilson sisters discuss the beginnings of the band Heart. THEY LIE!! The truth is the band Army was what became Heart during the Mushroom Records studio sessions. The only original members left from Army was Steve Fossen on bass and Roger on guitar. Roger's brother became their manager who was dating Ann who joined as singer while that Fisher brother was hiding up in Canada as a draft dodger which is where the lyrics Magic Man came from and was about. Too bad the Wilsons NEVER acknowledge the TRUTH about the earliest days of the band. In all their interviews, the Wilson's make it seem as if THEY were a duo looking for a band. This was not the case. Nancy was in college and Ann begged her to drop out and join the band that BECAME Heart. Howard was the Mushroom studio all around 'guy' who did ALL the orchestrations as well as contribute his lead parts separate or together with Roger. Mike Derosier (whom I think could be the ONLY drummer at the time who literally could have replaced Bonham to keep Zep going. Watch the drum solo footage from their tv performance and you can hear his drums sound exactly like Bonham's Ludwig drums. Same brand, same basic set up with the kettle drums as well. Same incredibly fast foot and excellent hand speed and crossover drumming dexterity. He even played part of his solo with his hands like Bonham did.) was the final person to join the band officially as drummer. He only played on about half the songs on Dreamboat Annie album. Correct credits can be found on the original printed sleeve along with the lyrics and writing/instrument credits. But the Wilsons act as if this never happened. Personally I have no idea why they feel the need to mislead the public who might not have been a fan from day one like myself about how the band truly was formed.
Howard Leese made a remark after hearing about the H.O.F induction. He said basically, if it weren't for the guys ...there would have been no Heart. Very accurate statement. And I've always wondered why Roger got so much bad publicity when it was Nancy who killed the band by cheating on Roger with their drummer Mike which hurt Roger so deeply that he lost it. Honestly, as he said in an interview once...'I just couldn't keep playing next to a woman I was in love with who had left me for someone else. It was just too hard and emotionally stressful. Roger NEVER blamed anyone for what happened. You can even hear him mention Mike as he is discussing going to record or rehearsals with him.
I'm very glad for Roger that he found the love of his life and is still able to perform and most of all...be happy and enjoy his life with his family. You're a class act Rog in my humble opinion. I'll also thank you again for your correspondence a few years back when I was playing both guitar parts in a Heart tribute band. You were very open to giving me hints, explanations, and some directions to follow as I did my best to learn all those guitar and keyboard parts. If you ever wish to hear what I worked out and recorded all the instruments on the original studio versions with a few live version exceptions. I'd be honored to give you the link to where I have all those songs posted since 2015. No vocals though. I'm sure you know all too well how difficult most of Ann's early vocal lines are to recreate. So much more difficult than most of the MTV era songs. It's also a shame Nancy can't play at the same level she used to since I'm guessing someone told her she'd look 'cooler' playing her guitars lower on her body as well as easier to jump around. Anyone ever see the DVD of the Wilsons trying to play the entire Dreamboat Annie album live? Such a shame how mediocre it is aside from all the missing parts that guy the sisters have had on guitar never plays. Last really excellent live DVD was the all acoustic 'The Road Home' because they still had Howard Leese and John Paul Jones did all the orchestrations. He even played on the night of the CD, but not on the night of the DVD which I'll never understand.
And of course....really cool guitars in your UA-cam videos on this channel, Rog!!
A much grateful thank you to whoever gave a thumbs up, but even made it a 'Highlighted Comment' of this Roger Fisher instructional video. I'm very flattered. Thank you again whoever you are! I hope I can post an equally appreciated remark somewhere else on UA-cam. It's very nice to NOT be ignored or bashed here on UA-cam.
Neal - big fan here, also played in a Heart tribute band previously, and I agree with much of what you have written, especially the part about Mike Derosier -- hands down the only one who could have stepped in for the late and irreplaceable John Bonham. However, in fairness to Nancy and in the interest of true history, I am not sure it was Nancy who cheated first -- are you? Neither of us were there, and presuming you are not so close to either that you have direct second-hand knowledge, I believe Nancy has stated that Roger was caught cheating and that led to their break-up, not the other way around. Regardless, while the beginnings of the band and the rock spirit belonged to Roger, let's not forget that arguably Heart's finest hour was/is Dog & Butterfly, and with that record it was clear that Ann & Nancy (and the often overlooked Sue Ennis) had a wealth of talent without Roger, who contributed to the writing of only two of of the eight tracks on that masterpiece. Lastly, while it is likely an impossible pipe-dream, wouldn't an original line-up reunion be fantastic? I had tickets in the '70's to see it and I got sick, never getting the chance to see the original band. I was lucky enough to have seen over 30 shows since, meeting the band and getting autographs and backstage (thank you Kelly Curtis!) but never had the opportunity the see the original band. What a phenomenal band. Wouldn't that be a nice way to bring the career full circle, and say goodbye properly?!!?
Neal Van - Have you read Kicking and Dreaming, Ann and Nancy’s memoir? Everything you say they refuse to mention is in the book. I like Heart best with Roger, Mike, Howard and Steve, too, but it seems as though you may be a tad biased because Roger wrote you back and the others didn’t. Surely, it was nice of him, but that doesn’t make him a saint or make him automatically correct in everything he espouses, either. As they say, there are three sides to the story: Hers, his and the truth. Peace.
TL DR
Neal; Didn't you write for Rolling Stone? Great post !!
I recently saw Kat Perkins at the MN State Fair - she played 5 covers including Barracuda. That song has ALWAYS given me goosebumps - since I was ten years old ('79). A guitarist in my former band used to say "If we cover Heart songs, they've gotta have Roger Fisher on the original... otherwise they're gonna be sub-par."
guitar sound is epic...one of a kind...you can go to GIT, and every guitar school on the planet but creating a unique sound and guitar part is where it all goes...many cant accept that because they have no success outside of chops
Thank you, Michael Fisher.
Roger was right up there with Van Halen at that time, and maybe a little ahead. All the original Heart members are healthy and active. Time to bury the hatchet ladies and put the original band back together.
Also won't happen because the girls can find cheaper musicians
No one cares about them getting back together. And your Eddie Van Halen comment was dumb.
Richard - "right up there with EVH" ok. lmfao
She did bury the hatchet. Nancy dropped him for Derosier.
Richard...I like Roger Fisher a lot but he was NOWHERE NEAR EVH ;)
great guitar player
I'm amazed you made the band
Wonder what he an don felder would sound like together.
that would be an epic guitar album if they ever worked together
Like awesomeness.
What a great idea!
Love you Roger!! Would love to sit down and strum a few with you.
Without Rodger it's certainly " heart less"
Rogers guitar is what made Heart a bonafide RR band.His brother was the genius manager.People were bias about chicks then.Ann & Nancy are great but hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.
Texxas Jam 1978 Dallas, Texas Cotton Bowl - Heart played rock and roll by Led Zeppelin ( The best cover of a Zeppelin song ever)
When Roger left the band, they were never the same hard charging, kick ass band again...period. They do have a few songs after he left, that I like, but loved Heart with him. Just go to Wolfgangs Music, and listen to the 1978 New Years Eve concert from Seattle, you will hear one of the best bands of all time playing together.
I'm actually gonna check that out.
Captain Sunday Did you have any luck finding that Heart concert?
@@nrwlkguy Yep. At first I checked UA-cam. And got Largo '78. So I thought you just got the city wrong. Then went to the Wolfgang site you mentioned. And you're right, it was Seatle. I only got a sample of the concert. The sound quality is superb, and the playing is on fire. I'm going to subscribe to that site. Seems to be some sort of quality bootleg or old FM radio King Biscuit quality recordings. Thanks for the heads-up. I casually know Heart. But may be a band I need to really get to know.
Captain Sunday It was an old King Biscuit, and I used to have it on cassette, until all my cassettes were stolen, and when I seen it on Wolfgangs music, I couldn’t believe it. You won’t be disappointed, and everything on that site is concerts.
@@nrwlkguy ua-cam.com/video/tnaQCKdYvBA/v-deo.html
Barracuda is one of the best rock songs ever
I release a lot more content that is exclusive to my Patreon Peeps. You should join :-) Rog’s Patreon Site www.patreon.com/RogerFisher?fan_landing=true&view_as=public
Very underrated.
heart was the greatest band of the 1970s not dull acts like styx, not fleetwood mac, not queen. heart was the best and i was not even a heart fan until about 1980. seeing heart live in 1985 for the first time was the most stupendous event i ever experienced.
Listened to heart for years and only finding out about this amazing guitarist..at that time there was no Wikipedia or internet so we are only finding more and more about these guys..by the way thank you for uploading
I think it's time heart reunion awesome riff
All Musicians LIVE to hear stories like this. ... SUBSCRIBED!
these original guys were the meat and potatoes for the band Heart
love the way she says Bararacuda, just stop everything and listen.
those musicians that have achieved stardom and have millions. have the best none-retirement. room full of toys and staying
kids as long as possible despite age. what a life.................
Some beautiful work over the years! Thank you and glad I found your channel. Curious if Roger ever used his Arp Avatar Guitar Synth live or in the Studio. Of the 3 Avatars Heart Purchased in 1977 or soon after, the only documented use in recording is Howard Leese on Dog and Butterfly.
In a recent interview, Nancy said they actually "borrowed" the riff from the Nazareth cover of Joni Mitchell's - This Flight Tonight and when Heart later opened for Nazareth they were totally pissed off at them...as if they invented that groove.
Nance makes herself look pretty silly. Sorry you said that, Nance. You should remove that post, if possible.
The original band should reform.
see...other people try to play this-even newer band members did-but it never sounded the way it did with the original line up!
Yes, case in point the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction. Wonderful Crazy On You with the original line up to a complete cluster with the current touring band. They couldn't get the riff OR the rhythm right. It was there for all to see the magic of the original line up vs. the current touring band.
exactly-couldnt agree more!
cool