"The Wild, the Willing and the Innocent" is the ninth studio album by the English hard rock band UFO, released on 16 January 1981. It is notable for being the band's first album to be entirely self-produced. The song "Lonely Heart" achieved minor success in the UK charts.
After keyboard player Paul Raymond left to join the Michael Schenker Group following a disagreement with singer Phil Mogg, former Wild Horses keyboardist Neil Carter was brought in. However, according to guitarist Paul Chapman, Carter, while credited on the sleeve, did not actually play keyboards on the album.
Chapman reflected on the production process, stating, "We produced it ourselves with nobody breathing over our shoulders. The only problem was it cost twice as much because we kept changing studios and rerecording stuff." He had initially attempted to involve John Sloman, who could sing and play multiple instruments, but the keyboards were ultimately played by the engineer's brother, Gary Edwards, until he was dismissed. The album was completed without a keyboard player before Carter joined later.
As with previous releases, the cover art was designed by Hipgnosis. The album was remastered in 1994 and reissued by Repertoire Records. A further reissue in 2009 included remastering, an expanded booklet, and bonus tracks.
