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‘What About Love?’: the 1985 song that saw Grace Slick collaborate with Heart
The article explores Heart’s 1985 hit ‘What About Love?’ and the involvement of Grace Slick, best known as the singer of Jefferson Airplane and Jefferson Starship. The collaboration is notable because it linked Heart’s major mid-1980s comeback with a leading voice from an earlier generation of American rock.
‘What About Love?’ appeared on Heart’s self-titled 1985 album and became one of the band’s biggest singles, reaching number 10 in the United States. Slick contributed backing vocals alongside other singers, adding to the song’s layered production, while Ann Wilson remained its principal vocalist.
In short
- Grace Slick provided backing vocals on Heart’s ‘What About Love?’
- The song helped power Heart’s 1985 comeback.
- It reached number 10 in the US.
Explained simply
Grace Slick was a prominent rock vocalist who rose to fame in the 1960s and 1970s as the lead singer of Jefferson Airplane and Jefferson Starship, establishing herself as one of the most recognisable female rock voices of that era. Though her high-profile recording career had become less visible by the 1980s, she remained a respected figure in rock music.
Heart, the rock band fronted by sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson, had enjoyed major success in the late 1970s and early 1980s before experiencing a decline in popularity. The group's 1985 self-titled album marked a comeback, with the single "What About Love?" becoming one of their biggest hits and reaching number 10 on the US charts.
Slick provided backing vocals on "What About Love?" alongside other singers, contributing to the song's layered production whilst Ann Wilson remained its main vocalist. The collaboration symbolised a meeting point between the classic rock generation that Slick represented and Heart's 1980s commercial resurgence.
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