On July 28, Stevie Nicks will be reissuing her remastered solo catalog in grand style with Complete Studio Albums & Rarities (Rhino). Fans will be able to enjoy all that enchanted music on 10 CDs, 16 clear vinyls, digital streaming, and for the diehard, undercover music lovers — all of the above!
While Complete includes every solo album and almost every miscellaneous recording from b-sides, soundtracks, and other releases, can you believe there are still some tracks that missed the cut, like the recent “Show Them The Way,” which came out in two amazing versions? Of course, they are no less worthy of being included, so let’s just chalk it up to marketing the set as an even number, although there’s nothing wrong with an 11-CD/17-LP box set — not odd at all!
Here’s a look at some of those other tracks that sadly missed the cut and won’t be on Complete Studio Albums & Rarities (sniff, sniff).
Silent Night (1987)
from A Very Special Christmas
Stevie closes out the maiden release of the iconic A Very Special Christmas series with a fabulously brooding rendition of “Silent Night,” which actually appealed to some Goths! Remember Robbie Nevil singing on that one? Stevie performed the song again for A Very Special Christmas 5 in 2001.
Twisted (Stevie Nicks & Lindsey Buckingham) (1996)
from Twister soundtrack
During her 42-year solo career, Stevie released three different versions of “Twisted” (two recorded, one demo) because she simply adored the song like it was “Rhiannon.” The newer recording from 24 Karat Gold: Songs from the Vault made the cut for the 2023 reissue. Here’s the first recorded version, sung as a duet with Lindsey Buckingham, from the 1995 Twister motion picture soundtrack.
At Last (1998)
In 1998, Stevie tackled the Glenn Miller Orchestra standard “At Last,” later popularized by Etta James. This obscure recording surfaced on the AT&T promo CD Stormy Weather, a collection of other standards performed by popular female singers at the time, such as Sheryl Crow, Natalie Cole, Gwen Stefani, and Björk, among others. Stevie’s performance is chest-voice fabulousness!
Silent Night (2001)
You Can’t Fix This (2013)
from Sound City: Real to Reel soundtrack
Stevie collaborated with Foo Fighters on “You Can’t Fix This,” a track that reflects on the death of Stevie’s good friend’s son, allegedly caused by an accidental overdose. In the song, Stevie alludes to heroin and “dancing with the devil” but never allowing it “come to the party.” Presumably, she was reflecting on her own path to fame and the dangerous drugs that she saw and avoided on the way. Pretty intense stuff. The performance is a harder rock song in Stevie’s catalog, which you can hear on the Sound City: Real to Reel soundtrack and her 2019 retrospective Stand Back: 1981-2017.
Your Hand I Will Never Let It Go (2017)
from The Book of Henry soundtrack
Written and produced by Guster singer-songwriter Ryan Williams and Thomas Bartlett for the film The Book of Henry, “Your Hand I Will Never Let It Go” is an outlier in Stevie’s vast solo catalog. Sparsely arranged with a lot of ooh-ing in the background, the song recalls the work of Adele and moves along like a steady heartbeat. Stevie sings about a transformation, presumably Henry’s, “commotion where it was once still.” “Your Hand” is probably a little too experimental for longtime fans, who may ultimately let this hand go. But like Cher, Loretta, and Dolly did before her, Stevie has dabbled in something from out of left field, which is kind of refreshing at this stage of her career.
Show Them the Way (2020)
digital single
Stevie has generally kept her political views private, but by the end of 2020, it became pretty clear who she would not be supporting thanks to social media. So she came up with “Show Them the Way,” a musical rallying cry for people to vote in the 2020 election and, more importantly, to keep believing in “The Dream.” Producer Cameron Crowe created a great black-and-white music video, flashing significant moments in U.S. history, to accompany Stevie’s song.
Pre-order Complete Studio Albums & Rarities (10CD) from Rhino!
Pre-order Complete Studio Albums & Rarities (16LP) from Rhino!
