Heart – Private Audition (1982)
📀 Album Overview
Private Audition is the sixth studio album by American rock band Heart, released in 1982. It represents a transitional phase for the band, following lineup changes and a shift toward a more contemporary early-1980s production style. The album blends rock with pop-oriented arrangements while still retaining elements of Heart’s earlier hard rock identity.
🎶 Genre
The album is primarily hard rock with strong influence from pop rock and early 1980s AOR (album-oriented rock). Compared to earlier releases, it features a more polished, studio-driven sound with increased emphasis on keyboards and radio-friendly structures.
💿 Tracklist
- Private Audition
- Separation Anxiety
- Love Mistake
- Uneasy Listening
- All Night
- Way Back Machine
- This Man Is Mine
- Modern Love
- Skin & Bone
- Lost Angel
👥 Album Credits
Ann Wilson – lead vocals, flute
Nancy Wilson – guitars, vocals
Howard Leese – guitars, keyboards
Steve Fossen – bass guitar
Michael Derosier – drums
Keith Olsen – producer
⚡ Fun Facts
• “This Man Is Mine” was one of the album’s more commercially oriented singles and received significant airplay.
• The album was recorded during a period of internal restructuring within the band.
• It marked a clearer shift toward keyboard-driven arrangements compared to Heart’s 1970s work.
🧠 Trivia
• Private Audition was the first Heart album produced by Keith Olsen, known for his work with other major rock acts of the era.
• The album’s style reflects the broader industry transition toward 1980s production aesthetics.
• It is often viewed as a “bridge album” between Heart’s classic rock era and their mid-1980s commercial peak.
📚 Did You Know
• The album did not perform as strongly commercially as earlier Heart releases, contributing to the band’s later reinvention.
• Several songs from this era reflected personal and professional tension within the group.
• Despite mixed reception at the time, the album is now often reassessed as an important transitional work in Heart’s discography.
Get Heart albums from Amazon Music Store
Heart Full Discography: Complete Guide to Albums & Covers Collection (1975--2016)
More Albums:
Heart - Dreamboat Annie (1975)
