“Sorcerer” is one song in Stevie Nicks’ vast catalog with an interesting and unusual recording journey.
Stevie wrote “Sorcerer” back in the early 1970s, as she and Lindsey Buckingham started to navigate the Los Angeles music scene and business. Buckingham Nicks rehearsed the song but did not include it on their debut album.
In 1983, Stevie rehearsed the song again for The Wild Heart sessions, recording a version that later surfaced on the deluxe edition of The Wild Heart (2016).
In 1984, Stevie gave the song to Marilyn Martin to record for the Streets of Fire motion picture soundtrack. Martin’s version, with Stevie on backup vocals, featured a piano-driven arrangement and alternate lyrics.
Stevie finally recorded the song for herself on Trouble in Shangri-La, staying true to the original Buckingham Nicks demo with the help of Sheryl Crow. “Sheryl challenged me to explore different areas of my voice,” Stevie recalls, noting the soulful falsetto that she reaches during the song’s initial verses. “It was fun to do, and it wound up working so well within the song’s arrangement.
