HEART

IS ALIVE ON ‘TONIGHT SHOW WITH JAY LENO’ JUNE 10^TH

AND USATODAY.COM ONLINE CHAT JUNE 9^TH AT 5 PM PT

LOG ONTO WWW.TALK.USATODAY.COM

ANN & NANCY WILSON

ALSO ‘ALIVE IN SEATTLE’ WITH DVD AND SUPER AUDIO CD

IN STORES JUNE 10^TH, THEN KICK OFF ‘ALIVE IN AMERICA’ SUMMER TOUR

HEART is very much alive in 2003. Ann & Nancy Wilson and their rock supergroup HEART will perform “Crazy On You,” on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” on Tuesday, June 10^th. The previous day (June 9^th) the Wilson sisters will participate in a live online chat on USAToday.com at 5 PM Pacific Time. The log-on URL is www.talk.usatoday.com .

The Wilsons are on a promotional mega-blitz for their new Alive In Seattle DVD (Image Entertainment – already in stores) and CD of the same title that is also a Super Audio format hybrid (Epic/Legacy Records), to be released June 10, 2003. Then HEART will hit the road for their “Alive In America” summer concert tour kicking off on June 13 and running though early August.  Ann and Nancy have recruited an all star band to comprise HEART including, Mike Inez (Alice In Chains, Ozzy) on bass, Gilby Clarke (Guns N’ Roses) on guitar, Ben Smith (Lovemongers) on drums and Darian Sahanaja (Wondermints, Brian Wilson) on keyboards.

As soon as HEART returns from the tour they will enter the studio to begin work on their much anticipated next studio album with the same band lineup, who will be, needless to say, ticking like a Rolex watch from performing together all summer.

Check your local listings or www.nbc.com for Tonight Show broadcast times. Log on early for the USAToday.com online chat at www.talk.usatoday.com . More information on HEART CD/SACD, DVD and tour available at www.heart-music.com and www.luckmedia.com

HEART’S NEW SOUND:
SONY MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT’S
MULTI-CHANNEL SUPER AUDIO CD (SACD) HYBRID
MAKES THE BAND’S TWO-CD ALIVE IN SEATTLE RELEASE JUNE 10
LARGER THAN LIFE

There’s no mistaking Heart. Whether it’s one of their 21 Top 40 hits like “Magic Man” or “These Dreams,” covers such as Led Zeppelin’s “Battle of Evermore,” or new originals “Heaven,” and “Sister Wild Rose,” it just doesn’t get any better than rockin’ sister act Ann and Nancy Wilson’s soaring vocals and searing guitars. Or does it?

Sony Music Entertainment has made the best even better, giving Heart’s signature sound a new sheen with its new multi-channel Super Audio CD (SACD) hybrid. The band’s two-CD collection, Alive in Seattle, available June 10, on Epic/Legacy Records, is among the first to contain this ultimate form of sonic purity, boasting a high definition SACD stereo track, as well as a discreet 5.1 surround sound track. The CD will play on any standard CD player, while audiophiles with an SACD player will have the benefit of the enhanced definition and surround sound tracks. Despite the additional high-resolution audio information, the double-CD package will carry a standard $24.98 list price.

“The music and excitement of Heart is vividly captured by Super Audio CD surround sound,” explains Leslie C. Cohen, Vice President of Business Development for Sony Music Entertainment. “The soaring harmonies of the Wilson sisters have an immediacy here that, together with the thundering rhythm section, creates a genuine you-are-there feeling that places the listener up front at one of the best Heart concerts ever.”

The SACD offers three disc variations, including the Single Layer Disc (which contains one high density layer), the Dual Layer Disc (which contains two high density layers for extra recording time), and the Hybrid Disc (which contains one high density layer and one standard CD layer, allowing for playback on any conventional CD player).

The enhanced CD/SACD release coincides with Hearts “Alive in America” tour, which launches June 13, and follows Alive in Seattle on DVD and videocassette, just released via Image Entertainment, Inc. (NASDAQ: DISK), the distribution powerhouse long recognized as the market leader in music video long form DVDs. The concert will debut on PBS Television beginning in June.

At the SACD’s core is the Direct Stream Digital (DSD) method. Though developed 20 years ago, ushering in the compact disc audio revolution, new DSD technology now makes it possible to create or preserve “atmosphere” in the recording process, bringing not just the concert, but also the concert hall to the listener. The multi-channel SACD system records various sound factors surrounding the listener, including echo and reverberation, each which is reproduced independently via multiple speakers. Musical instruments are three-dimensionally located in the sound field to realize affluent and profound sound so that the space of the concert hall can be felt.

There are five enabling technologies behind the SACD, including DSD source coding technology for superior sound, stereo and multi-channel on one disc, using Digital Stream Transfer (DST) technology, secure technologies for content protection, various Super Audio CD disc types, and production system. DSD eliminates decimation and interpolation in existing processes with a new way of capturing the audio signal digitally. Where conventional systems immediately decimate the 1-bit signal into a Pulse Code Modulation (PCM) code, DSD records the 1-bit pulses directly, eliminating filters. In addition, digital-to-analog conversion can be attained by running the pulse train through an analog low-pass filter.

DSD captures the complete information of the best analog systems. For instance, a 30ips half-inch analog recorder can capture frequencies past 50kHz. DSD can represent this with a frequency response from DC to 100 kHz. To cover the dynamic range of a good analog mixing console, the residual noise power was held at -120 dB through the audio band.

Along with concert hall ambience, the SACD offers other applications. DST loss-less coding can store 70-80 minutes of stereo and multi-channel DSD content on a disc. Separate data areas are provided for stereo and multi-channel content, giving artists the flexibility to provide two discreet mixes of the same content on a disc. An extra data area has been reserved for format expansions, so that lyrics, credits, images and other content can be included.

And for Heart, SACD and all of its possibilities makes Alive in Seattle larger than life.

WORDS FROM THE HEART:
OZZY OSBOURNE AND ALICE IN CHAINS BASS PLAYER MIKE INEZ,
EX-GUNS N’ ROSES GUITARIST GILBY CLARKE,
LOVEMONGERS DRUMMER BEN SMITH, AND
WONDERMINTS/BRIAN WILSON KEYBOARDIST DARIAN SAHANAJA
GIVE PROPS, TALK TOUR AS HEART’S NEW BLUE BLOODS

They’ve sold 30 million records, rocked the charts with 21 Top 40 hits, and have played several sold-out arena tours worldwide so far. And with a two-CD package, Alive in Seattle due out on Sony’s Epic/Legacy label June 10, a performance DVD / videocassette by the same title newly released on Image Entertainment, and the Alive in Seattle concert premiering on PBS in June, things just keep getting better and better for Heart.

Rock ‘n’ roll’s lovely ladies, Ann and Nancy Wilson, the heart of Heart, are also preparing for their massive “Alive in America” tour, which hits the stage starting June 13. Keeping up with this dynamic sister act and their cache of new songs, including “Heaven,” “Sister Wild Rose” and “Break The Rock,” as well as universal favorites “Magic Man,” “Crazy On You,” “Barracuda,” “These Dreams,” and cool covers like Led Zeppelin’s “Battle of Evermore” and “Black Dog,” and Elton John’s “Mona Lisas and Madhatters” is not a feat for mere mortal musicians. To tour with Heart is to not only go with the flow, but to keep the flow going.

Hence, the band is pumping new blood, and it’s definitely rock’s blue blood, including former Ozzy Osbourne and Alice In Chains bass player Mike Inez, and Lovemongers drummer Ben Smith, both who hooked up with Heart for their 2002 “Summer of Love” tour, which culminated in the Alive in Seattle concert at the landmark Paramount Theater last August. Also packing serious heat for Alive in America are Heart’s most recent additions, ex-Guns N’ Roses guitarist Gilby Clarke, and Wondermints/Brian Wilson keyboardist Darian Sahanaja.

As these road dogs pack up for “Alive in America,” they’ve collected their thoughts along with their gear, and give props to the sisters Wilson.

Inez reveals, “Last summer, I was extremely saddened by the losses of Layne Stayley (my singer in Alice in Chains) and Randy Castillo (my drummer in the Ozzy Band). And to be quite honest, I don’t think that I’ve been that sad EVER. Ann and Nancy took me on the road with them right after all of this happened and surrounded me with this incredibly unique sense of healing love. I came away from last years’ aptly titled ‘Summer of Love 2002′ tour, with a sense of hope. That is their special gift that they have given me, that is mine to hold in my blistered fingers.

He continues, “I’ve always been a Heart fan, and it is such a rush for me to be standing next to a couple of first-ballot hall of famers, playin’ my bass fiddle. I’ve never met classier people, and they’ve shown me how to transcend and develop in ways that I’ve never realized. My sisters in music and life!!!!

“OK, all that being said, the truth of the matter is that they have kidnapped my Grama and they said that they won’t let her go until after this year’s ‘Alive in America Tour.’

Playing dueling guitars with Nancy, Clarke states, ” I look forward to this summer’s tour. To be performing with Ann and Nancy is quite exciting. Heart’s Dreamboat Annie was one of the first records I stole from the store when I was a young troublemaker. Ann’s vocals are still more powerful than anybody else out there. And Nancy can really make a guitar rock, whether it’s an acoustic or electric. I’m sure the shows will kill.”

Says Smith, who played with Ann and Nancy in their acoustic side project The Lovemongers, “I’m so happy to be able to join Mike Inez, Gilby Clarke and Darian Sahanaja on a musical journey performing with two of the most respected and talented people in rock and roll — Ann and Nancy Wilson.”

Sahanaja offers, “I’m completely flattered that I’m doing this tour. I’m constantly amazed at how many people, musicians and otherwise, acknowledge Heart as an inspiration. Whether it’s girls who looked up to them as role models or guys who just thought they rocked, it’s quite obvious that they’ve made an impact on our generation.”

He recalls, “I first met Ann and Nancy at Radio City Music Hall a few years back where they so graciously offered their talents at the All-Star Tribute to Brian Wilson. I was in the musical director role and was juggling an assortment of artists and music. But I must say that out of the whole roster, Ann and Nancy were the kindest, most dignified people of the lot, incredibly sincere and extremely passionate.”

No doubt this is one of the countless reasons why the band comes by its name so honestly, and why audiences can look forward to so much of it when Heart comes “Alive in America.”

YOU GOTTA HAVE HEART:
SONY MUSIC’S EPIC/LEGACY RECORDS TO RELEASE
HEART’S ALIVE IN SEATTLE TWO-CD SET, JUNE 10
***
ENHANCED CD/SACD HYBRID FOLLOWS IMAGE ENTERTAINMENT’S
JUST-RELEASED ALIVE IN SEATTLE ON DVD AND VIDEOCASSETTE;
PBS TELEVISION DEBUTS CONCERT IN JUNE
***
Heart surges with “Alive in America” tour and all-star band featuring
former Ozzy Osbourne and Alice In Chains bass player Mike Inez,
ex-Guns N’ Roses guitarist Gilby Clarke, Lovemongers drummer Ben Smith, and Wondermints/Brian Wilson keyboardist Darian Sahanaja
***

“Nancy and I never really killed Heart,” explains Ann Wilson, one half of the dynamic duo and rockin’ sister act that formed the profoundly influential and tremendously popular Heart, referring to the band’s “backburner” status in the studio and on the stage in recent years.

With total sales of 30 million records, 21 Top 40 hits, and several sold-out arena tours worldwide so far, even on the backburner, the band still has had serious heat. Now they’re on fire again, and these stats are on the rise as Sony Music’s Epic/Legacy record label releases Heart’s Alive in Seattle, a two-CD live set, June 10.

The concert was recorded in Ann and Nancy Wilson’s hometown, at the landmark Paramount Theater, Aug. 8, 2002, and features an inspired mix of early Heart hits (“Magic Man,” “Crazy On You,” “Barracuda”), later smashes (“Alone,” “These Dreams”), key album tracks (“Mistral Wind,” “Love Alive”), cool covers (Led Zeppelin’s “Battle of Evermore” and “Black Dog,” Elton John’s “Mona Lisas and Madhatters” and the Sonics’ early Pacific Northwest garage gem “The Witch”), plus outstanding new songs like “Heaven,” “Sister Wild Rose” and “Break The Rock.”

The enhanced CD/SACD follows Alive in Seattle on DVD and videocassette, just released via Image Entertainment, Inc. (NASDAQ: DISK), the distribution powerhouse long recognized as the market leader in music video long form DVDs. The concert will debut on PBS Television beginning in June.

To provide added value to the audiophile consumer, Sony has announced that the two-CD collection will also contain a high definition SACD stereo track, as well as a discreet 5.1 surround sound track. The CD will play on any standard CD player while purchasers who have an SACD player will have the benefit of the enhanced definition and surround sound tracks. Despite the additional high-resolution audio information, the double CD package will carry a standard $24.98 list price.

Heart starts their “Alive in America” tour in mid-June, just three days after the Alive in Seattle release, and will surge through the summer and fall. This major road trip follows up last year’s “Summer of Love” tour, which was, as its designation implies, a rock ‘n’ roll epiphany.

Nancy Wilson says, “It felt amazing to be Heart again. In-between then and now, I did a Nancy Wilson tour, as well as scoring music for movies, and Ann’s done her Ann Wilson tours, but there was something super sweet about being Heart again on a big rock stage and just turning it up really loud. It felt amazing.”

The band’s new blood is definitely rock’s blue blood, including former Ozzy Osbourne and Alice In Chains bass player Mike Inez, and Lovemongers drummer Ben Smith, both who hooked up with Heart for their 2002 “Summer of Love” tour, which culminated in the Alive in Seattle concert. Also among Heart’s line-up of power players are most recent additions ex-Guns N’ Roses guitarist Gilby Clarke, and Wondermints/Brian Wilson keyboardist Darian Sahanaja.

“It was really freeing playing new material,” says Ann of songs like “Heaven,” “Sister Wild Rose” and “Break The Rock,” included on Alive in Seattle, and to be spotlighted with “Alive in America.” The more time that goes by with Heart, the more the songs that weren’t Top Five just kind of fade into obscurity. Then you’re just thought of as the ‘Magic Man/Crazy On You/ Barracuda’ band. So when we can have success playing new stuff, that’s what we live for really.”

Diversification and individual achievements marked the Wilson sisters’ endeavors in the ’90s. They opened that decade with Brigade featuring “All I Want to Do Is Make Love to You,” which reached No. 2 on the charts. In the mid-’90s, Ann and Nancy formed Lovemongers, an acoustic quartet with long-time collaborator Sue Ennis and performer Frank Cox. After playing a number of sold-out shows in Seattle, Lovemongers cut Led Zeppelin’s “Battle of Evermore” for the triple platinum soundtrack from the movie Singles, directed by Nancy’s husband Cameron Crowe.

The couple’s working relationship is as successful as their personal one; they composed “I Fall Apart” for Crowe’s Vanilla Sky, and Nancy has contributed to other Crowe film soundtracks, including Say Anything and Jerry MaGuire.

While Nancy has been stretching out creatively, Ann has been slimming down beautifully. She has shed more than 70 pounds, after undergoing a Gastric Band procedure, and is now in top form to go the distance on stage and on the road as one of the most powerful and emotive voices in rock.

Unified. Fortified. Beautified. Alive in Seattle and “Alive in America.” You gotta listen to your Heart.