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Heart’s Nancy Wilson explains why she recorded a cover of “The Boxer” for her upcoming solo album

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ThursdayJan142021

Credit: Jeremy Danger Heart guitarist Nancy Wilson has been preparing her first solo studio album, which is tentatively scheduled for a March release.

Wilson tells ABC Audio that the album will feature seven original songs and three covers, among them a rendition of Simon & Garfunkel's 1970 classic "The Boxer."

Nancy reveals that she decided to record a version of "The Boxer" because she performed the Paul Simon-penned tune during Heart's 2019 Love Alive tour and it always got a great response from the audience.

"[I]t was such a cool moment in the show, 'cause people really like to sing along to the chorus, the 'lie-la-lie' part," Wilson recalls. "So everybody just, without prompting, would…sing along all together every time. And somebody asked me, 'Why don't you put that on your album, since it was such a hit at the show?' And I said, 'OK, I'll do that.'"

Wilson says her album also will feature a song inspired by Simon's writing, a tune called called "We Meet Again" that was built around a guitar part she wrote for the theme of the 1996 film Jerry Maguire, for which she composed the score.

"[I]t was the first song I wrote for this album," Nancy tells ABC Audio, adding that the concept came to her as she reflected on having a break from the road because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"[Y]ou feel like you're kind of lost to your home life, when you're always…moving past everything else" she explains. "Like you're rolling past these windows where you see cozy family scenes inside, but you don't get to go in."

In October, Wilson's cover of Bruce Springsteen's "The Rising" was released as an advanced single from her album. She says a second single is expected out this month.

By Matt Friedlander
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