"Even It Up" is a song recorded by the rock band Heart. It was released in 1980 as the first single from the band's fifth studio album Bebe le Strange. The song is an uptempo rock and roll number which lyrically is sung by a woman who is demanding that her lover "even it up" by reciprocating the effort that she has put forth in their relationship.
| "Even It Up" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Heart | ||||
| from the album Bébé le Strange | ||||
| B-side | "Pilot" | |||
| Released | January 1980 (US) [1] | |||
| Recorded | 1979 | |||
| Genre | Hard rock | |||
| Length | 3:48 (Promo Version) 5:09 (Album/Single Version) | |||
| Label | Epic | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Ann Wilson Nancy Wilson Sue Ennis | |||
| Producer(s) | Mike Flicker | |||
| Heart singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "Even It Up" on YouTube | ||||
Cash Box said it has "steamy lead guitar riffs" and "aggressively sensual lead vocals."[2]
This song is the first of three Heart tunes to utilize the Tower of Power horn section, along with their cover of Aaron Neville's "Tell It Like It Is" and "Tall Dark Handsome Stranger" from 1990's Brigade.[3]
"Even It Up" peaked at number 33 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.
"That song was written in about '79 or '80, and it was definitely a response to being obstructed as women in the rock field. There are so many systemic things that get thrown up in front of you, different glass walls and stuff. We were speaking out against it then," said singer Ann Wilson.[4]
Personnel
editCredits adapted from the liner notes of Bebe le Strange.[5]
Heart
- Ann Wilson – lead vocals, bass, tambourine, backup vocals
- Nancy Wilson – lead guitar, rhythm guitar, backup vocals
- Howard Leese – rhythm guitar, backup vocals
- Michael DeRosier – drums
Additional musicians
- Tower of Power (Lenny Pickett, Greg Adams, Emilio Castillo, Steve Kupka, Mic Gillette) – horn section
Chart performance
edit| Chart (1980) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canadian Singles Chart[6] | 56 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100[7] | 33 |
References
edit- ^ "Heart singles".
- ^ "CashBox Singles Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. February 9, 1980. p. 17. Retrieved 2022-01-01.
- ^ "Tower of Power Discography".
- ^ Prato, Greg (April 26, 2022). "Ann Wilson of Heart : Songwriter Interviews". Songfacts. Retrieved April 27, 2022.
- ^ Bébé le Strange (liner notes). Heart. Epic Records. 1980. FE 36371.
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ "Results - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Retrieved 2012-06-23.
- ^ "Heart - Chart history". Billboard. Retrieved 2016-10-16.