Heart singer, Ann Wilson, has exclusively told Planet Rock that she offered to audition as Led Zeppelin's new vocalist.
Led Zeppelin, of course, reunited for the one-off Ahmet Ertegun Tribute Concert in December 2007 and despite insatiable demand from fans for a world tour, Robert Plant didn’t want to take part in a full-scale reunion.
In 2008, Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones famously held some sessions where they jammed with potential new vocalists including Alter Bridge’s Myles Kennedy and Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler, however nothing came into fruition.
Ann Wilson is the very special guest on My Planet Rocks with Liz Barnes this Sunday evening (March 20) ahead of the release of her new solo album, Fierce Bliss, on April 29.
During the interview, Ann revealed that she “threw (her) hat in the ring” when she heard Led Zeppelin were auditioning for a new singer almost 15 years ago.
The comments came about when Ann was discussing one of her My Planet Rocks song choices, "The Battle of Evermore" featuring Sandy Denny, which is the only Led Zeppelin track to feature a guest vocalist.
“Yeah, it's such a boy’s club,” Ann said. “(Led) Zeppelin always was a boy’s club. I know that because there was a minute when the rumour was that they were auditioning singers and I just threw my hat in the ring. I went, ‘I'm here!’ and it was crickets (silence).”
When Liz replied to Ann that Led Zeppelin should have at least said ‘come on in Ann and let's do a few numbers’, Ann responded: “Who knows what went on there? But anyway, who would want to hire somebody that could sing just like (Robert) Plant? I don't think that's what they were into, you know? I don't think they want it to be a caricature of Led Zeppelin.”
Read more at Planet Rock.
There is a calm, serene spirituality about Ann Wilson in 2022 which instantly draws you to her. She feels like a warm, wise someone who has seen enough bullshit to know how to avoid it calmly, and someone who is at peace with whatever she needs to be at peace with. Perhaps that is why the soul (and, indeed title) of her latest album, Fierce Bliss, offers such universally entertaining, engaging, honest and safe harbor from these unpredictable times.
One of the premier hard rock vocalists of all-time, Wilson smashed boundaries with her band Heart, the 8-times Platinum, 35 million-plus selling Rock and Roll Hall of Fame trailblazers who formed in 1973. During a decades-long career, Wilson rode the roller coaster of fame, fortune and madness, learning both joyous and hard, hard lessons along the way. Fast forward to Summer 2020, and a meeting with legendary veteran ‘artist’s lawyer’ Brian Rohan provided the catalyst for Fierce Bliss’s creation.
“Brian recommended people to me that knew people in Nashville, so I met these guys like [famed Nashville session guitarist] Tom Bukovac and Tony Lucido at those Muscle Shoals Sound Studio sessions. I’d never met them before, and they really inspired me. It was like a big door opening.”
With the musical chemistry organically established, Fierce Bliss came together quickly. “I had originally intended to go in, record a few songs and see what I had, but it just took on this life,” remarks Wilson. “At Sound Stage in Nashville, Kenny Wayne Shepherd came in and played on a couple songs. He was a whole other influence coming in. He just played his butt off, and with the gospel singers and everything else coming together, the whole project just started to grow.”
Wilson continues, “I’d known Warren Haynes from Gov’t Mule for a while. We’d written a couple songs together with Gov’t Mule playing, and those rounded out the record. So all of a sudden, where there was no record before, suddenly I had eleven cool songs that I really liked.”
Fierce Bliss is classic rock comfort food of the finest ingredients, carrying a richness and light that allows you to escape into timeless nostalgia. 11 perfectly weighted and selected songs ranging from Wilson’s own co-penned originals to breathtaking covers and collaborations. “A Moment in Heaven” could easily apply to anyone who has seen their career suddenly bathed in a bright beam of glory before the spotlight is abruptly moved elsewhere. There is a deeply spiritual air about Ann Wilson 2022, and both “Black Wing” and “Angel’s Blues” show different facets of that soul and ethos. Furthermore, Wilson brings new life and verve to classic songs, such as Queen’s “Love of My Life” and Robin Trower’s “Bridge of Sighs,” and has helped fashion definitive versions of each which stand toe-to-toe with the originals.
To cap it all, the album artwork comes from the mind and hands of celebrated fantasy artist Roger Dean, who aside from his work in fantasy art is also renowned for his YES sleeve artwork.
Fierce Bliss is available to pre-order here on CD Casebound Book (deluxe package), Vinyl and Digital formats.
Fierce Bliss tracklisting:
"Greed"
"Black Wing"
"Bridge Of Sighs"
"Fighten for Life"
"Love Of My Life" (feat. Vince Gill)
"Missionary Man"
"Gladiator"
"Forget Her"
"A Moment In Heaven"
"Angel’s Blues" *
"As The World Turns"
* Available on CD and digital formats only
"Missionary Man":
"Greed" video:
Lineup:
Ann Wilson - Vocals
Tom Bukovac - Guitar
Tony Lucido - Bass
Sean T Lane - Drums, Percussion & Bike
Gordon Mote - Keyboards
Tim Lauer - Keyboards
- Produced by Ann Wilson and Tom Bukovac
- “Gladiator” and “Angel’s Blues” produced by Ann Wilson and Warren Haynes
- Mixed by Chuck Ainlay
- Recorded by Chuck Ainlay at Fame Studios, Muscle Shoals, AL and Soundstage, Nashville, TN
- “Gladiator” and “Angel’s Blues” recorded by Joe Paterno at Power Station, Waterford, CT
- "Black Wing" recorded by Sean Walker at Uberbeatz, Lynnwood, WA
- Mastered by Greg Calbi at Sterling Sound, Edgewater, NJ
- Executive Producer Jim Zumwalt
Musicians who appear on Fierce Bliss:
Vocals - Vince Gill on “Love of My Life”
Lead Guitar - Kenny Wayne Shepherd on “Bridge of Sighs” and “Missionary Man”
Guitar - Warren Haynes on “Gladiator” and “Angel’s Blues”
Guitar - Tyler Boley on “Black Wing”
Keyboards - Danny Louis on “Gladiator” and “Angel’s Blues”
Keyboards - Dan Walker on “Black Wing”
Bass - Jorgen Carlsson on “Gladiator” and “Angel’s Blues”
Bass - Andy Stoller on “Black Wing”
Drums - Matt Abts on “Gladiator” and “Angel’s Blues”
Choir - The Rev Nathan Young Singers on “Missionary Man”
Tour dates:
May
4 - San Francisco, CA - Great American
5 - Napa, CA - The Uptown Theatre
7 - Pala, CA - Pala Casino
9 - Los Angeles, CA - El Rey Theatre
10 - Los Angeles, CA - El Rey Theatre
13 - Los Cabos, MEX - Hard Rock
June
11 - Peachtree City, GA - Fred Amphitheater
13/14 - Nashville, TN - Basement East
16 - Tampa, FL - Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa
17 - Ft. Lauderdale, FL - The Parker
Tickets can be purchased here.
