"Dog & Butterfly" is a song recorded by the rock band Heart. It is the title track to the band's fourth studio album Dog & Butterfly and was released as the album's second single.
| "Dog & Butterfly" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Heart | ||||
| from the album Dog & Butterfly | ||||
| B-side | "Mistral Wind" | |||
| Released | January 1979 | |||
| Recorded | 1978 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 4:48 (Single Version) 5:21 (Album Version) | |||
| Label | Portrait | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Ann Wilson Nancy Wilson Sue Ennis | |||
| Producer(s) | Mike Flicker | |||
| Heart singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Description and origin
editThe song is a more subdued effort from the band, differing from past hard rock-oriented hits, as Ann and Nancy Wilson pulled from their folk music influences. The song charted moderately in the US in 1979, peaking at #34 on the Billboard Hot 100.[1]
Ann has said she was inspired when she looked out a window and saw a dog relentlessly chasing a butterfly. She saw the song as an inspiration when things get tough to "keep going after it."[2]
Cash Box called it a "gentle acoustic ballad which rides a melodic verse and acoustic guitar and easy beat backing."[3] Record World called it a "a light romantic ballad that should suit adult and pop playlists."[4]
Although it enjoyed only moderate chart success, the song has remained a setlist staple for Heart consistently through the years.
Personnel
editCredits adapted from the liner notes of Dog & Butterfly.[5]
- Ann Wilson – lead vocals, chimes
- Nancy Wilson – acoustic guitars (6 & 12-string), background vocals
- Howard Leese – piano
- Steve Fossen – bass
- Michael Derosier – drums
Chart performance
edit| Chart (1979) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canada RPM Top Singles[6] | 51 |
| Canada RPM Adult Contemporary[7] | 36 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100[8] | 34 |
| U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary[9] | 33 |
| U.S. Cash Box Top 100 | 31 |
References
edit- ^ "Heart - Chart history". Billboard. Retrieved 2016-10-14.
- ^ "The Story Behind the Song". chickensoup.com. Chicken Soup for the Soul. Archived from the original on 2016-12-01. Retrieved 2020-04-03.
- ^ "CashBox Singles Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. January 27, 1979. p. 19. Retrieved 2022-01-01.
- ^ "Hits of the Week" (PDF). Record World. January 27, 1979. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-02-12.
- ^ Heart (1978). Dog & Butterfly (liner notes). Portrait Records. FR 35555.
- ^ "Results". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Archived from the original on 2012-10-24. Retrieved 2012-06-23 – via Collectionscanada.gc.ca.
- ^ "Item Display". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. 1979-04-07. Retrieved 2019-07-11 – via Collectionscanada.gc.ca.
- ^ "Heart - Chart history". Billboard. Retrieved 2016-10-14.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (1993). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961–1993. Record Research. p. 108.
External links
edit
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