Have you ever listened to "Barracuda" and thought "this could use some choreography?" I know, me either. I don't know how you hear that crazy, addictive riff and think this need some dance moves. But record labels tend to get some big ideas that don't always make sense. Iconic rock singer Ann Wilson and her band Heart had to deal with this galaxy brain scheme from their record label. They sent Paula Abdul to whip the group into shape with some new choreographed moves despite the glaring aesthetic difference.
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Obviously, this worked as seamlessly as you could imagine. Recently, Wilson spoke on her podcast with pop star Chappell Roan and indie rock artist Lucy Dacus. There, Ann opens up about how her label wanted Heart to rehearse their live shows with specific dances and sequences. In hiring Paula Abdul, the idea was that they would move in synchronization. However, Wilson didn't care or put any effort into it and it obviously didn't match with their music.
Ann Wilson Recalls Getting Dance Lessons From Paula Abdul
"I've always kind of struggled against the idea that [performing] should be a rehearsed act," Ann explains. "And in the '80s, that was at an all-time high. One time we were getting ready to go out on tour and somebody at the record company had this big, bright idea to send Paula Abdul in to teach us dance moves, so that we could all kind of, in some synchronicity, do these dance moves like Prince and the Revolution."
"It obviously didn't work. But that was the pinnacle of what I've always felt was wrong... [Choreography] would make me disinterested right off the bat. I'm done," Ann adds of the Paula dance lessons. Chappell and Lucy can hardly wrap their minds around the concept and beg for video footage. I'd want to see what that looks like too. Getting groovy to "Barracuda" is breaking my brain.
