Quarterflash actually avoided the one-hit wonder fate that befell so many bands that came out of nowhere for 80s success. To their credit, they managed three Top 20 US hits in their time together and several more that scraped into the Top 100.
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But it’s their first single that made the most lasting cultural impact. It nodded to the soft rock of the late 70s while hinting at the slicker sounds of the decade to come. That song was “Harden My Heart”, which made it all the way to No. 3 in 1981.
From Minor Success to Major Label
They emanated from Portland, Oregon, an area well-known for its copious fishing locations. Maybe that’s why the band that would become Quarterflash initiated as Seafood Mama. The group formed when two separate bands combined in the late 70s.
Seafood Mama had a couple of interesting features that separated them from most other bands. For one, there was a married couple, Marv and Rindy Ross, who led the band’s artistic direction. In addition, Rindy Ross sang lead while also playing saxophone, a rare combination.
“Harden My Heart” was actually recorded while the band was still going by the name of Seafood Mama. Recording for a small local label, they released the first version of the song in 1980. And it did well enough to attract the attention of national labels, with Geffen Records eventually signing the band.
A Hit in a Flash
The band then convened in Los Angeles to record their debut album. Needless to say, Geffen asked for a new band name. They picked up Quarterflash from a phrase that they read in a book. Which made cosmic sense, since Marv Ross had written “Harden My Heart” based on the title phrase that had been suggested to him by a friend.
Geffen realized what they had in the song and asked the band to re-record it. But they made sure to keep one of the most distinctive elements, which was Rindy Ross’s soulful saxophone work that worked its way through the shuffling rhythm whenever she wasn’t belting on the microphone.
“Harden My Heart” took off with the major label promotion behind it (including a music video) in 1981. Its success on the charts was followed up by “Find Another Fool”, which worked its way into the top 20 as the second single from the band’s self-titled debut album.
Behind the Lyrics of “Harden My Heart”
In “Harden My Heart”, the song’s narrator is determined to leave behind a former love who’s done her wrong. The title phrase speaks to her willfulness in making this happen. “I’m gonna harden my heart,” Rindy Ross insists. “I’m gonna swallow my tears/I’m gonna turn and leave you here.”
The verses elaborate on why she’s reached this point. “Cryin’ on the corner,” she complains. “Waitin’ in the rain/I swear I will never ever wait again.” “It feels so close,” she sings of his love. “But always disappears.” She finds herself surprised at her resolve: “Darlin’ in my wildest dreams/I never thought I’d go.”
Marv and Rindy Ross are still married, and they still perform together, albeit no longer under the Quarterflash banner. They’ve got some hits on which to draw. “Harden My Heart” stands tall among them as one of the most soulful kiss-off anthems in music history.
Photo by Paul Natkin/Getty Images
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