Happy Birthday to the Rock Goddess, and the indisputable Queen of Rock N Roll, Stevie Nicks!
To commemorate that, plus the upcoming 36th anniversary of the release of The Wild Heart, released on June 10, 1983, here is a rarely-seen “Liner Notes” interview Stevie did way back in September of that year. This interview aired only two weeks after I saw her astounding shows at Radio City Music Hall. Those pre-internet days of concert going was always an adventure; I trekked into the city overnight, and waited in line with a few dozen other Stevie fanatics, at Radio City’s box office. It was summer, it was warm, it was the 1980s so the area was mostly desolate at 3am. But when the box office opened I purchased three tickets for both nights. I went with my friend, Spike, the first night on September 12th, and I went solo the following night. It was an incredible show, the highlight being her transcendent live version of “Beauty And The Beast,” my favorite track off The Wild Heart, which reduced me to a puddle of tears both evenings.
In this interview, Stevie was promoting that recently released, now classic album (it was released on June 10th), and she discusses the beginning of her musical journey with Lindsey Buckingham, her duality of being a member of Fleetwood Mac and her successful solo career, her great new solo band, Prince (whom she collaborated with on “Stand Back”), and of course, the album itselft and her devotion to her fans.
And after all these decades, we are still devoted to our Queen.
Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and Happy New Year to all the Chiffonheads in all the lands, no matter how you observe the holidays. As Stevie brings us tidings of great comfort and joy every day of every year, I wish the same for you and your loved ones.
And, Stand Back, 2013 – because, For What It’s Worth, After The Glitter Fades from this holiday, and the winter Storms pass, I’ll be like a Gypsy, and like Rhiannon, spinning in the Enchanted 2014, No Questions Asked, like I’m on the Edge of Seventeen! I Can’t Wait!
In a short 1981 interview, Stevie waxes philosophic about her guest appearances during Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers’ 1981 tour, and the magic of music television. Ah, remember those days…
(PS – the audio during this interview was recorded extremely poorly – a sign of the times for the then-fledgling TV network. I tried to clean it as much as I could.)
In paying tribute to one of my Desert Island Discs on the 30th anniversary of its initial release date (July 27, 1981), here is my original review of BELLA DONNA that was written for my school newspaper:
STEVIE NICKS – BELLA DONNA Where the wispy fairy/poet/waif we adored – and still do – on FLEETWOOD MAC,RUMOURS and TUSK becomes the queen of rock and roll we are dared to worship, challenging the nay-sayers and snickering critics to finally take her seriously. With BELLA DONNA, Nicks not only solidifies her significance as a rock persona, but establishes herself as a great songwriting force to be reckoned with. Displaying that superlative craft, she employs an ultimate ensemble of musicians borrowed from the likes of Bruce Springsteen and Tom Petty (including Tom himself on the striking and rocking duet “Stop Dragging My Heart Around”) and paints an incredible journey through the multi-facets of love. Her country music heritage is apparent on some of the best cuts here: from the bittersweet, elegiac “After The Glitter Fades” to the dark, but lovely, innuendo of “Leather And Lace” (sung with Eagle Don Henley) to “The Highwayman”, a tale that delves deeper than the title suggests. There is also a sure-to-be classic rock track “Edge Of Seventeen” which will span the ages ahead, and the albums best piece, the hauntingly beautiful, enigmatic title track. As if possessing, albeit arguably, the most distinct and recognizable female voice in rock’s short history isn’t enough, one could measure BELLA DONNA as an archetype of portraits to come. Stevie Nicks’ solo career is just beginning, but with the Mac on an unknown hiatus, one needn’t worry about the lack of Stevie in their lives – as this collection of provocative and gorgeous tunes prove, there’s more to Nicks than meets the eyes – and ears – of even the most casual fan. Grade: A
To which I added, year later to a revised review on Amazon.com:
“…could anyone really see Prince’s images of lace, purple and doves without wondering if his evolution didn’t come via Nicks’ mirror? [He did play keyboards on “Stand Back” from her WILD HEART album]. And who begat the whole angels-as-rock-imagery but Nicks on her Mac recordings and solo work?”
Many fans, and even some critics, have boasted that her recent, erratic CD, IN YOUR DREAMS, is Stevie’s best solo album (my review will come in a forthcoming Musical Report Card). I can’t fathom that peculiar statement while listening to BELLA DONNA again and marveling at its intricate harmonies and sonic splendors.
It remains her most consistent solo work to date, and it, above all her other works, remains an achievement that still towers three decades later.
…Come in out of the darkness…
Happy Anniversary BELLA DONNA…still we fight for the Northern Star…
Queen of Rock N Roll, Stevie Nicks, is set to release her first solo (non-live) studio CD since 2001’s TROUBLE IN SHANGRI-LA on May 3rd. Her 7th solo CD, IN YOUR DREAMS is a collaboration with legendary producer/songwriter/genius/ex-Eurythmic Dave Stewart. It’s a collection we Stevie’s fanatic’s have been waiting for for over a decade…
IN YOUR DREAMS track listing
1. “Secret Love” 2. “For What It’s Worth” 3. “In Your Dreams” 4. “Wide Sargasso Sea” 5. “New Orleans” 6. “Moonlight (A Vampire’s Dream)” 7. “Annabel Lee” 8. “Soldier’s Angel” 9. “Everybody Loves You” 10. “Ghosts Are Gone” 11. “You May Be the One” 12. “Italian Summer” 13. “Cheaper Than Free” 14. “My Heart” (UK Bonus Track)
iTunes offered this free video download from the album, “Cheaper Than Free”, a trifle, sure, but sweetly built on Stevie and Dave’s 2-part harmony…
Here is a video I put together called “Silent Night Suite”. It begins with an excerpt of an old MTV special about the making of the classic A Very Special Christmas album (which includes an interview with Stevie and album producer Jimmy Iovine), and then the actual full footage/interview of Iovine’s interview. The sterling live version (with two-hit wonder Robbie Nevil lending his vocal), was performed on the A Very Special Christmas concert TV special that aired on CBS in 1987. Hosted by Fame actress Nia Peeples, it featured some of the album’s artists performing their tracks. The show closed with “Silent Night”. When Stevie sings with her long-time backup singers Lori Perry-Nicks and Sharon Celani, the result is always stunningly ethereal, and here is no exception…blending with Robbie’s call-and-response, this live version is actually more exquisite than the recorded version, and sweeps you away into another dimension.
Open your eyes, and you see a Rock ‘N Roll queen sing in celebration. Close your eyes and you are encompassed by the beauty of the song, the luxurious harmony, and the spirit of the holidays.
It would have been easy, even in 1997, to discount Fleetwood Mac’s Phoenix-from-the-flame resurrection. Yes, it had been, at that point, almost 7 years since their last quasi-hit album, the Top 20 Buckingham-less BEHIND THE MASK, and a full decade since their last Top 10 (1987s TANGO IN THE NIGHT). Their last #1, MIRAGE, was in 1982. But the Mac’s legend supersedes such frivolities. One should never underestimate the power of hundreds of millions of sold albums, or a Rock n Roll soap opera nonpareil. Fleetwood Mac might have been dinosaurs by the late 1990s, but they were far from extinct.
Of course, with all the turmoil that imploded the band, it was a pipe dream for any ardent Mac fan to ever hope that the classic line-up – obviously its most artistic, and not to mention, lucrative – would ever reform. McVie retired in her English castle, Buckingham was busy with his own career, and Nicks had her own solo career with varying degrees of success, half of which was riddled with drug addiction and recovery.
This lineup’s last public performance was at the request of the White House. Throughout his campaign for president, Bill Clinton used “Don’t Stop” as his official theme song, and President-elect Clinton requested the Mac perform it at his 1993 inauguration. But reuniting wasn’t even on their radar.
But, reunite they did, and the result was a wonderful live album called The Dance. The Grammy-nominated CD hit #1 and a refreshed, healthy, sober and exhilarating Fleetwood Mac embarked upon a comeback for the ages, mounting a monumentally successful tour and reigniting the world’s passion for the classic assemblage.
In the following clips, Stevie Nicks, Lindsay Buckingham, Christine McVie, John McVie and Mick Fleetwood are interviewed in North Hollywood, California, during their rehearsals that begot the CD and live TV concert. The interview took place on April 18 1997.
Enjoy these rare, behind the scenes interviews and performances from Fleetwood Mac!
Released in 1982, after a short hiatus following the successful TUSK tour, Fleetwood Mac’s MIRAGE brought them back to the #1 spot on Billboard’s Top 200 chart, something that eluded them since 1977s mega successful RUMOURS LP, which remains one of the Top 5 selling albums in history.
The first single was the Christine McVie/Robbie Patton-penned “Hold Me”, which reached #4 on Billboard’s Hot 100, and remained there for almost 2 months (it was the 31st biggest single of that year). With McVie’s husky, smoky delivery and her impeccable gift of writing great pop melodious gems, “Hold Me” remains one of Fleetwood Mac’s most indelible classics.
In the summer of 1982, with temperatures reaching more than 100 degrees, director Steve Barron (who had recently directed the classic video “Don’t You Want Me Video” for the Human League) took Fleetwood Mac to the Mojave desert to shoot the video for “Hold Me”; the video, like so many other videos from that era, makes little-to-no sense, especially when married to the song. John McVie and Mick Fleetwood goofily “play” archaeologists unearthing ancient guitars. As Christine spies through a telescope, Lindsay paints Stevie in the blistering heat, then Stevie paints Stevie in the blistering heat, who then in turn, traipses across the desert in her red platform boots carrying her canvas. It was/is all quite ridiculous, but the video was a huge hit for MTV at the time and remains a fan favorite.
Barron directed other classics of the early days of music videos, such as a-ha’s “Take On Me” and Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean”, but “Hold Me” is inexplicably left off of his Wikiepedia page.
In this rare behind the scenes dailies, Barron directs a breathtakingly beautiful Stevie Nicks for some of her scenes in the video. Stevie’s was the only footage I was able to unearth. The clapper board dates this as June 24, 1982.
Interviewed in Los Angeles, on May 11 1985, a few months before the release of her 3rd solo LP ROCK A LITTLE, Stevie Nicks – the Rolling Stone-anointed “Queen Of Rock & Roll” – takes on a myriad of subjects.
In part 1, Stevie discusses the hopefully-imminent release of ROCK A LITTLE and what that means, working with her band and the recording of a few of the tracks in a Dallas church, with Jimmy Iovine, music videos (at this point, the first single wasn’t even chosen – eventually it was “Talk To Me”, which hit #4 on Billboard’s Hot 100) and touring, the surge of women in Rock N Roll that year and how Fleetwood Mac helped her become the rock star she is and how they protected her as “the little sister.”
In part 2, Stevie discusses her influence on other artists and how she hopes that, through her energy – if not her singing – those artists could learn something; her fashion influences (Madonna gets out of such comparative influences easily, Prince does not!), the admiration she has for up-and-coming newbie Cyndi Lauper’s strength and Tina Turner’s tenacity and fortitude. She also happily discusses her back-up singers Lori Perry and Sharon Celani (and “Minnie” – you have to watch) and how having them as friends and support make her life so much easier, and the relations and alleged competition between women in general, in music and in life.
She also discusses where her passion for her love of painting comes from, how it sedates her and grounds her and how it’s never been an innate ability or desire until only a few years prior. She opens up about how this passion started due to the sickness of her friend Robin (whom she doesn’t mention by name) and how she started drawing so, when Stevie could not be with her, the image of her drawings kept them connected. She “summons” Sister Honey for the interviewer (which can be seen in the next part of the video), a painting that has become a favorite over the years for Nicks’ fans.
The video is damaged around the 7 minute mark in part 2, but it’s only briefly – and you can still hear the audio.
In the final part, her painting Sister Honey is brought into the room and Nicks explains her origins and again states that this is all (painting, that is) still very new to her. Stevie is then asked about her “book that is coming out”, called “The Wild Heart” and its contents:
“A lot of poetry, it’s some journalistic stuff; it’s a lot of the actual nights of recording of THE WILD HEART and the experiences that happened during that 2-3 year period. There are some things from my Fleetwood Mac stash of 10 years of writing….the real essence of that isn’t in this book because that’s a book in itself…it’s my life, and it’s very honest.”
The book has a lot of “advice” and “philosophy” and a way to “give a little bit more of me”. She’s “very excited about them (her fans) receiving it” more than actually putting it out. (We fans have been wishing for years for any book from Stevie – but sadly, “The Wild Heart” was never published.)
She talks about what she does in her down time – which is a foreign concept to her. She’s been working non-stop for over a year and a half, and hopes to take a vacation when it’s over. She talks a little about love, and the possible resurrection of Fleetwood Mac and the bond they share…and how she liked Christine McVie’s solo album and loved the video for McVie’s “Got A Hold On Me” video.
Before the interview is over, Stevie wants to add an an addendum to her earlier philosophy of love, and how she doesn’t want anyone to misinterpret that it’s an impossible ideal – she does believe one can find it…one just has to look hard.
…Jeffrey gave to you…Stevie Nicks’ version of “Silent Night”…
“Twas the night before Christmas, when all through Stevie’s house, not a Gypsy was stirring…”
Stevie’s haunting reading of “Silent Night” was recorded for the A VERY SPECIAL CHRISTMAS charity album in 1987, the first (and the best) in the long line of Christmas albums benefiting the Special Olympicsproduced by long-time Stevie fan, producer and now chairman of Interscope records, Jimmy Iovine.
AVSC consists of some wonderful holiday tracks (including Eurythmics’ enchanting “Winter Wonderland”, the Pointer Sisters’ jovial “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town” (featured as my 7th Day Of (Jeffrey)Christ-mas), Bruce Springsteen’s fantastic “Merry Christmas, Baby” and Run-DMC’s classic “Christmas In Hollis”, accompanied by an even better VIDEO), and needless to say to anyone who knows me – at all – the Stevie Nicks reading of “Silent Night” is amongst my very favorite Christmas recordings.
Below is a video I put together called “Silent Night Suite”. It begins with an excerpt of an old MTV special about the making of the album (which includes an interview with Stevie and Iovine), and then the full Iovine interview where that footage was taken from. To, of course, the sterling live version.
With two-maybe-three hit wonder Robbie Nevil lending his vocal, this version of “Silent Night” was performed on the “A Very Special Christmas” concert TV special that aired on CBS in 1987. Hosted by FAME actress Nia Peeples, it featured some of the album’s artists performing their tracks. The show closed with “Silent Night”. When Stevie sings with her long-time backup singers Lori Perry-Nicks and Sharon Celani, the result is always stunningly ethereal, and here is no exception…blending with Robbie’s call-and-response, this live version is actually more exquisite than the recorded version, and sweeps you away into another dimension.
Open your eyes, and you see a Rock ‘N Roll queen sing in celebration. Close your eyes and you are encompassed by the beauty of the song, the luxurious harmony, and the spirit of the holidays.
*****
My New Boyfriend 