In this installment of Vintage Videos, Stevie talks about her favorite Christmas memory: waking up on Christmas Eve to find her dad unexpectedly building a baby buggy for her because “Santa was very, very busy tonight.” The interview is followed by Stevie’s Top of the Pops performance of “Silent Night,” which she recorded for A Very Special Christmas in 1987. She is joined by Robbie Nevil, best known for his hair and Top 10 1986 hit “C’est La Vie.”
Like on the classic ’80s music-countdown show Solid Gold, guests of Top of the Pops seemed to lip-synch their performances. But Stevie has the distinction of being one of the few artists to have sung live on both shows — extremely rare for the time. That’s nothing to keep silent about! Well, to be accurate, most singers performing on Solid Gold did actually sing live, according to Michael Miller, the show’s musical director for eight years. “The vocals were live and the music was taped. The reason for taping the music is that live music didn’t always sound quite as good as it should have when played through a television’s audio system.”
According to the L.A. Times, Fleetwood Mac members Lindsey Buckingham and Christine McVie are planning to release their first…wait for it…duets album! There’s no doubt that Lindsey and Christine have long had musical chemistry. After all, some of their best songs — “Don’t Stop” and “Hold Me” — have been Buckingham/McVie collaborations, not to mention Billboard Top 5 singles and now SiriusXM classic rock radio staples.
But are they serious? Maybe. Stevie has made it clear that she isn’t in a hurry to release another Fleetwood Mac album, arguably residual effects from the contentious 2003 Say You Will sessions, where Stevie and Lindsey bickered like bitter ex’s (cue: their screaming match in Destiny Rules documentary DVD). The rest of the band is clearly restless to get back on the road and probably hoping to support something besides Rumours for the gazillionth time. So now they’re tired of waiting.
But the proposed name of the album, Buckingham McVie, sounds like a little…cheeky…and far too similar to the iconic Buckingham Nicks brand. And will they seriously go down the indie route again, like 2013’s Extended Play. (Warner Bros. Records is unlikely to back a Fleetwood Mac release without Stevie Nicks.) Sounds a little fishy.
With Mick Fleetwood and John McVie still involved in the project, it seems more likely the latest media bombshell is intended to light a fire under Stevie to finally get on board with a legitimate Fleetwood Mac release. It’s a passive-aggressive approach, but it may ultimately get Stevie to declare, “Uh, not over my dead body! Still, with Stevie’s 24 Karat Gold Tour to pick up again this February in the States, with a possible leg in Australia and New Zealand to follow, the dream of another Fleetwood Mac album with the classic 1975 lineup seems to be fading.
Whatever happens, the latest news adds yet another dimension to the crazy Fleetwood Mac story, whether it’s “the-drama-of-the-moment” posturing or going their own way, once again.
Read more about the ambitious project here, here, and here.
“And a memory is all that is left for you now…” And what memories they were! 2016 was packed with big moments for Stevie Nicks, which likely maxed out the pages of her journals! From releasing new music to appearing on major TV shows to performing sellout concerts across the country, it was another busy and productive year for Stevie. So, Ladies and Gentlemen, let’s relive some of them now…with the occasional sassy commentary…our Top 10 Stevie Nicks Moments of 2016!
10. Fleetwood Mac rocks Vin Scully’s world.
In July, Fleetwood Mac had the opportunity to send off the great Vin Scully with a special concert at the Blue Diamond Gala. Scully, veteran sportscaster for the Los Angeles Dodgers, retired from broadcasting after 67 seasons with the Dodgers’ organization. Fleetwood Mac band members met Scully before the show and later treated him and the star-studded spectacle (Matthew McConaughey, John Mayer, Sylvester Stallone, Arsenio Hall, and Will Forte to name a few) to their recent “On With the Show” concert set list.
The Moment: Stevie dedicated “Landslide” to Scully and joked “We’re right behind you, Mr. Scully” (referring to retirement). The good-humored Scully returned the quip, saying “I wish I could sing with Fleetwood Mac, but I can’t.”
In 1979, Fleetwood Mac famously recorded the music video for the single “Tusk” at Dodger Stadium, alongside the USC Marching Band.
(Los Angeles Dodgers)
9. Stevie schools Charles Kelley, sings backup on ‘Southern Accents’
In February, Stevie helped kick off Lady Antebellum singer Charles Kelley’s solo career by lending her voice to his cover of Tom Petty’s “Southern Accents.” Stevie naturally jumped at the chance to sing along to her favorite songwriter’s track…and spend a lot of time with a tall, young, handsome, strapping, southern gent (he’s married, Stevie). For Kelley, it was an opportunity to work with a rock legend and understand her creative process. “She was talking about picking takes and how it’s not always about the perfect note, it’s about the emotion, She has a thing and she knows what her thing is. And she does it so well,” Kelley told Rolling Stone back in July.
The Moment: Stevie sings the lyric “There’s a dream I keep having / Where my mama comes to me.” You can’t help but get a wee bit weepy-eyed to think that Stevie was probably thinking about her own mama, the brilliant Barbara Nicks, right up there in heaven.
Stevie Nicks and Charles Kelley discuss their Tom Petty cover “Southern Accents.” (Photo: Philip Macias)
8. Stevie joins the ‘Stop the Gun Violence’ campaign.
In June, Stevie Nicks added her name to Billboard magazine’s open letter, demanding Congress to pass stricter gun regulations. More than 180 musicians and music executives signed the letter, which appeared in this July 2nd issue of Billboard with a headline that read, “Stop Gun Violence Now.” The letter emerged in response to the June 11th gun violence at an Orlando LGBT nightclub, where a shooter killed 49 people. Stevie addressed the Orlando tragedy in a thoughtful message posted to her official sites.
The Moment: Stevie shared a rare demo of “Touched by an Angel” in memory of the victims.
Stevie briefly stepped into the political arena to voice her support for Democratic Party nominee Hillary Clinton in this year’s presidential election. “My heart is with Hillary,” she told Us Magazinein September. Having long advocated for more leading women in music, Stevie naturally supported the proposition of Clinton being the first female president. Although her candidate didn’t win the election, Stevie kept things positive and classy, telling the audience at her November 10th show in Charlotte, NC, “Take a deep breath, this is a place of happiness and love.” So obviously, there will be no invitation to sing “Landslide” at Hillary’s inaugural event…Stevie for 2020?
The Moment: When she also told the New York Times, “Of course, I’m for HIllary!”
6. Stevie shines on Ellen, James Corden.
In October, Stevie made two notable appearances on two major talk shows, in advance of her 24 Karat Gold Tour. Stevie gave an exciting preview of the tour on The Late Late Show with James Corden, performing “Leather and Lace,” her 1981 Top 5 duet with Don Henley. She sang it much like the all-girl rendition from 1981’s White Winged Dove Tour. At the end of the performance, the cheeky James Corden immediately bowed to Stevie’s feet and frantically kissed her boots, which had Stevie in stitches. Also in the show, Stevie debuted the newest member of her family, Lily, an adorable baby Yorkie. (Her “life partner” Sulamith passed away earlier this year.)
Earlier in the week, Stevie performed “Edge of Seventeen” on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. Her voice clear and strong, Stevie delivered a straightforward, polished rendition of the 1981 Bella Donna rock anthem. Stevie has been performing a shorter, less-vocally-taxing rendition of “Edge” for a few years now, conspicuously leaving out the signature growl that could raise the dead. Here it is again, for the nostalgia: “Ooooooohhhhh- ahhhhhhhhhhh-arrgghhhhhhhh-yahhhhhhhhhhhhh-arghhhhhhhhhh-yahhhhhhhhhh-arrrghhhhhhhhhh…yeah!!” Something like that, anyway.
The Moment: Stevie broke into hysterical laughter when James Corden started kissing her boots.
Leather and Lace (The Late Late Show with James Corden)
Edge of Seventeen (The Ellen DeGeneres Show)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUVvsrMGx6A
5. Stevie’s got talent!
Stevie continued to reach new audiences by hitting the prime-time TV circuit. Her Season 12 appearance on the September 14th America’s Got Talent (AGT) finale was a ratings winner, with a 49% percent jump in viewership from the previous year’s finale, according to Nielsen ratings. That 12-year-old prodigy Grace VanderWaal probably had something to do with this, too. Stevie performed Fleetwood Mac’s perennial classic “Landslide,” sharing her music with yet another generation, another cross-section of music listeners; even Simon looked impressed.
The Moment: At the end of the performance, AGT host Nick Cannon affirmed to the world that Stevie Nicks is not just a “Rock Goddess” or a “Rock Icon” or the “High Priestess of Rock and Roll” or some other deflecting title, but none other than…THE QUEEN OF ROCK, bitches! Justice has been served.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SqvD3pz3pCE
4. Stevie stuns audiences, jams with School of Rock band.
Stevie crashed the April 26th evening performance of School of Rock musical during the show’s curtain call. The stunned audience gave Stevie a standing ovation when she magically appeared. She then delivered a lively rendition of “Rhiannon,” twirling in long, flowy sleeves, which cast a heavenly spell on the crowd. (There was also a two-drink minimum.) Afterwards, Stevie posed with the band and had nothing but glowing praise for her talented young cast musicians. Stevie’s appearance was part of the Broadway Cares’ Easter Bonnet Competition, an annual fundraiser for HIV/AIDS service organizations, where she performed “Rhiannon” with the little prodigies for guests, who — once again — had no idea she would be there! Weddings, birthday parties, Bar Mitzvahs, the lady does it all!
The Moment: Two standing ovations from regular, non-fanatical people!
School of Rock curtain call
Easter Bonnet Competition
3. ‘Brokenhearted,’ ‘My friend is gone’
The Grim Reaper was especially cruel to the music industry in 2016, taking away beloved rock stars — cultural icons to many — far too soon. Notable deaths included David Bowie, Glen Frey, Natalie Cole, George Michael, and Prince, among others, who graced this world with their talent and tunes. Though Stevie’s friendship and “Stand Back” collaboration with Prince are well-documented, she offered both visual and spoken tributes to him during her 24 Karat Gold Tour. Her connection to guitarist Glen Frey dates back to the mid-’70s when she and Frey’s band The Eagles spent key years together in the Southern California rock scene. Stevie reflected on both Glen Frey and Prince’s sudden deaths, sharing moving thoughts about her musical contemporaries on her social media channels.
The Moment: Reading those crushing words…”brokenhearted,” “seeing through my tears,” “my friend is gone.”
2. Deluxe Treament: Bella Donna, The Wild Heart, Mirage
For longtime collectors, it was Stevie Nicks and Fleetwood Mac Christmas, so to speak, when they were treated to a bevy of reissues and deluxe editions throughout the year. Still overjoyed from last December’s incredible Tusk reissue, fans continued to feel the love with the expanded Mirage package released in September. Three words: “Gypsy” Video Version.
But the bigger treat for Stevie Nicks fans was yet to come when news of deluxe releases for both Bella Donna and The Wild Heart dropped. With remastered sound, Bella Donna featured two additional discs; one disc with Bella Donna-era demos and outtakes and the second disc including Stevie’s 1981 Wiltern Theater show in Los Angeles. The Wild Heart featured one additional disc of session material and outtakes, including a rare demo for “Sorcerer.”
The Moment: “Sable on Blond (Alternate Version).” EPIC. Enough said.
Of course, there was an even bigger surprise waiting in the wings…
1. 24 Karat Gold Tour: ‘This is not the same ol’ Stevie Nicks show.’
Stevie’s surprise 24 Karat Gold Tour (accompanied by Chrissie Hynde and The Pretenders) was undoubtedly the highlight of the year for most fans. But it wasn’t just any tour, or the “same ol’ Stevie Nicks show,” as Stevie put it. She decided it was finally time to shake up her unchanging concert set list and perform a wider variety of songs from her vast 43-year-career catalog. She did not disappoint, pulling out songs from the “dark, gothic trunk of magical and mystical things.” Among those treasures were beloved album tracks “Bella Donna” and “Wild Heart”; newly re-recorded demos “Starshine” and “Moonlight (A Vampire’s Dream)”; and the elusive and oldest song in the set list, 1973 track “Crying in the Night.” For casual fans and beer runners, there were familiar favorites, such as “Gypsy,” “Gold Dust Woman,” “Rhiannon” and “Landslide,” to help pass the time. The musical cauldron of variety was a smashing success, as fans and critics alike responded with praise and their pocketbooks: Stevie sold out many shows in key markets, such as Madison Square Garden in New York and The Forum in Los Angeles. For 2017, 20 additional have been added so far to the bill, with an Australian leg in the works.
Top Moments: 1) Consulting her indispensable FitBit; 2) encouraging dreamers to reach out into “The Belladonna Starland” and 3) accidentally dropping the F-bomb at her Washington, D.C. show.
2015 was another busy year for Stevie and the members of Fleetwood Mac. The ON WITH THE SHOW TOUR was front and center, but Stevie made headlines of her own throughout the year. Here is a recap of some of the year’s biggest moments for the band.
January
Following her surprise New Year’s Eve appearance at a Deer Tick concert in Brooklyn a few weeks earlier, Stevie treated fans to another surprise — an unexpected acoustic performance of “Gypsy” and “Blue Water”! Rolling Stone hosted the performance in honor of Stevie appearing solo on the cover of its magazine for the first time since 1981.
Just a few shows into the second leg of the tour, Mick Fleetwood fell ill after a show in Nebraska. It appeared to be the stomach flu. Fortunately, Mick recovered quickly and the band was back in business.
Stevie graced the cover of Rolling Stone Australia. The editors went retro for the cover, opting for a ’70s-era photo by Sam Emerson. The US version of the magazine, released in January (RS1227), featured a newer photo by Peggy Sirota.
As Leg 2 of Fleetwood Mac’s insanely lucrative ON WITH THE SHOW TOUR was ending, Warner Bros. took advantage of the moment by reissuing Stevie’s 2007 release Crystal Visions…The Very Best of Stevie Nicks on clear double vinyl, with a large poster and a handy-dandy vinyl messenger bag.
LIFE featured Fleetwood Mac in a collector’s edition. Despite the great exposure (for already overexposed album!), the feature met with some controversy, namely from Rumours co-producers Ken Caillat and Richard Dashut who questioned the merits of the piece. Most fans know that the album couldn’t have been made without their studio craftsmanship, so don’t sweat it, boys!
Between tour legs, Lindsey Buckingham paid a visit to USC, whose world-renown marching band helped make his Fleetwood Mac’s iconic “Tusk” legendary…and the focal point of every college football game’s half-time show! Linds performed his acoustic classics before aspiring student entrepreneurs and encouraged the kids to make a big splash, creatively speaking.
Age-defying Miss Nicks turned 67 in May. People have longed marveled at the seemingly ageless woman with flawless skin, but Stevie’s night-owl schedule, free of those damaging UV rays, is largely to credit. (La Mer skin care products help out, too.)
Fleetwood Mac kicked off Leg 3 of their ON WITH THE SHOW TOUR in May, a day after Stevie’s 67th birthday. Celebrities such as Adele and Florence Welch (of Florence and the Machine) attended the European opener, later taking to Twitter to gush about meeting Stevie. (She seems to have that effect on people.)
In June, Fleetwood Mac performed at the Isle of Wight, England’s largest and most famous music festival of nearly 60,000 attendees. The barrage of hits caused a drunk sing-along among the sea of fans, which spanned kilometers!
As expected, Fleetwood Mac made Forbes’ coveted list of the World’s Highest-Paid Celebrities, ranking at #24 with a whopping paycheck of $59.5 million. Stevie and Christine were the third highest-paid women in music, behind Katy Perry (#1) and Taylor Swift (#2).
Fleetwood Mac’s music continued to reach new audiences with this Watkins Family Hour cover of “Steal Your Heart Away” from Mac’s 2003 album Say You Will. Not bad for a band you’ve probably never heard of.
Stevie Nicks ranked No. 53 on Rolling Stone‘s list of 100 Greatest Songwriters of All Time. Some fans felt the prolific songwriter should have been ranked higher on the list, but considering the magazine once described her second solo album The Wild Heart as an “outright catastrophe” and her singing as “inchoate ramblings,” it’s a sheer miracle she’s on the list at all! By the way, that disparaging assessment of this two-million seller that produced the monster hit “Stand Back,” is curiously omitted from Rolling Stones‘ online album review archive. Editor’s remorse? Karma? Who knows? But you can read the full critical takedown here.
https://stevienicks.info/2015/08/145381/
September
Thirty-four years after they released “Leather and Lace,” Don Henley and Stevie Nicks reunited for a tender new ballad called “It Don’t Matter to the Sun.” Even if the two are no longer “lovers forever,” they still know how to tug at those heart strings.
Lady Antebellum’s Charles Kelley made headlines in 2015 by announcing his plans to record a solo album. Leaving a supergroup to do your own thing? Having done it herself, Stevie might have a few things to say about this subject, like “Let me sing on your record!” (Stevie will be providing harmony vocals on Kelley’s cover of Tom Petty’s “Southern Accents.”)
If showing up unexpectedly at a Los Angeles Foo Fighters’ concert to perform two of your own songs wasn’t shocking enough, what Stevie did toward the end of “Gold Dust Woman” will have you in jaw-dropping disbelief. The impromptu moment showed that even Stevie, who rarely strays far from her stage routine, could be spontaneous.
In October, Fleetwood Mac finally made its way to Australia after cancelling a planned tour in 2013 due to bassist John McVie’s cancer scare. Fortunately, McVie recovered and the band was ready to rock fans Down Under. The opening shows in Sydney were blockbusters, catapulting the band into the top spot on Billboard Boxscore, with gross sales exceeding $5.4 million.
After a staggering 150 shows, most of which were sold out, Fleetwood Mac ended the ON WITH THE SHOW TOUR in the beautiful city of Auckland. For most Australasian fans, it was the wind…the rain…the water! that they had to contend with in order to see their heroes in action. Despite the elements, which often made for a soggy concert experience, most fans would probably say it was all worth it. #BucketList Fleetwood Mac closed out the year at No. 6 on Pollstar’s Year End Top 20 Worldwide Tours, with total gross sales of $125.1 million.
Rock a Little was kind of Stevie’s Tusk…big, brash, and a bit all over the place. It also represented everything The Big ’80s could serve up…drum machines, synthesizers, and power ballads. So how does it stand 30 years later?
On December 4, Fleetwood Mac’s most unusual album Tusk got the deluxe treatment, augmented with elaborately reissued editions. Getting the DVD-Audio mix of the album, the track-by-track analysis, and The Alternate Tusk impressed even the most jaded Fleetwood Mac fans.
Never ones to stay at home for long, Stevie and Mick attended the star-studded Broadway premiere of School of Rock in New York. The two megastars schmoozed with the likes of Sting, Andrew Lloyd Webber, and Helen Mirren. Mick’s uber-cute twin daughters Ruby and Tess were there too!
Both Mick and Lindsey have been fanning the flames of a possible new Fleetwood Mac album for the past two years. It was clear that Stevie was the lone hold-out, or so it seemed. But now she appears to be on board, if what she told an interviewer at the School of Rock Broadway premiere is accurate.
Though it was an awkward pairing, The Voice judge Gwen Stefani and contestant Jeffery Austin did their best to cover Stevie and Don Henley’s classic duet “Leather and Lace” for the live finale. By the end, you didn’t quite get the sense that Gwen and Jeffery were “lovers forever,” but maybe “pals for a while.”
Stevie Nicks hangs out with Lady Gaga at the Vanity Fair Oscar party.
From storming Rockefeller Plaza to officiating a rock star wedding, the members of Fleetwood Mac made big headlines all throughout 2014.
Stevie Nicks was the most ongoing of the five members, making several high profile, A-List appearances, such as the Vanity Fair Oscar Party this past March.
Here’s how Fleetwood Mac’s biggest moments from the past year stacked up:
10. Stevie mentors for Team Adam on The Voice.
In October, Stevie appeared on the hit reality singing competition The Voice to mentor for Team Adam. Mentoring for “The Battle Premiere,” she encouraged the aspiring singers to “walk out there with a big attitude [and] big voice. Work the mic, spend a little eye time with the people who are watching, [and] you gotta break some hearts at the same time.”
Stevie also had a guest stint on American Idol, mentoring season 11 contestants.
Stevie Nicks mentors for Team Adam on The Voice. (Photo: NBC)
9. Fleetwood Mac works on a new album.
Over the summer, Fleetwood Mac began recording tracks for a new album. The band (sans Nicks, who was working on an album of her own in Nashville) worked on new material brought in by returning member Christine McVie. Though no release date has been issued for the album, Lindsey Buckingham was confident that their studio work would come to fruition. “There’s no danger that [the album] will slip between the tracks. It’s too profound to,” he told the Wall Street Journal in October. So Mac fans everywhere lie in wait!
8. Stevie officiates Vanessa Carlton’s wedding.
As if recording a brand new solo album and touring with Fleetwood Mac weren’t enough, Stevie somehow found time to officiate Vanessa Carlton’s marriage to Deer Tick musician John McCauley. Technically, the wedding occurred at the end of 2013 on December 27, but the rock star spectacle managed to set the Internet ablaze well into 2014 and missed every Top 10 list that year, so it’s worth including here. By the power vested in her as an ordained minister, Stevie declared the happy couple husband and wife at an intimate hilltop ceremony in Los Angeles. Carlton shared the exciting news on Twitter, tweeting pictures of Stevie officiating the wedding. The “Thousand Miles” singer-songwriter has formed a close relationship with Stevie and her family over the past few years – even spending the Christmas holidays with the Nickses!
(Photo: Vanessa Carlton)
7. Mick Fleetwood releases second autobiography Play On.
In October, Mick Fleetwood released his second autobiography Play On: Now, Then, and Fleetwood Mac. This time around, Mick tread lightly on the band’s most intimate secrets to prevent another band implosion. (His last exposé, 1991′ s Fleetwood: My Life and Adventures in Fleetwood Mac, strained relationships with band members Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks, whose volatile blowup in 1987 was well documented.) All for the better, Fleetwood’s latest work reflects someone who has matured and grown over time. One regret that Fleetwood revealed was the fact that he never wrote any songs for Fleetwood Mac in the band’s 47-year history, creative expression which he is exploring now in an exhibition of his photography.
6. Stevie performs with Lady Antebellum on ACM Awards.
On April 6, Stevie Nicks teamed up with Lady Antebellum to perform the country trio’s hit single “Golden” on the ACM Awards. Nicks loved the song so much that she added her vocals to a special version of “Golden,” which was released on April 1 – no joke! Stevie and Lady also performed Fleetwood Mac’s classic “Rhiannon” on the show, which, as shown in the video, drove the crowd wild!
(Photo: CBS)
5. Stevie joins all-female tribute to 2014 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Linda Ronstadt.
Some of biggest names in music took to the stage for a tour-de-force tribute to 2014 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Linda Ronstadt. Joined by Sheryl Crow, Glen Frey (the lone male), Emmylou Harris, Bonnie Raitt, and Carrie Underwood, Stevie took the lead on Ronstadt’s 1977 hit single “It’s So Easy,” a Buddy Holly cover. Stevie made it all look so easy.
4. Stevie Nicks receives BMI Icon Award for Songwriting
On May 13, Stevie received the highest industry honor for songwriting at the BMI Icon Awards. The prestigious event included an all-star musical tribute to her. While giving her acceptance speech, Stevie shared an old poem by Lord Byron titled “When We Two Parted” and brought the Goya guitar that her late parents presented to her for her 16th birthday. Stevie explained how these personal items inspired her to write songs.
(Photo: Lester Cohen / WireImage)
3. Fleetwood Mac takes over Rockefeller Plaza.
On October 9, Fleetwood Mac rocked NBC’s Rockefeller Plaza for the Toyota Fall Concert Series on Today. Despite the cold weather, the band was red hot as it played abbreviated versions of “The Chain,” “Gypsy,” “Little Lies,” and “Go Your Own Way.” Fleetwood Mac fans who arrived early were treated to the sound check, where the band practiced the same songs.
2. Stevie Nicks releases 24 Karat Gold – Songs from the Vault.
No one believed it would ever happen, but hell frozen over in October when Stevie finally recorded many of the old demos that she had amassed over the years. Titled 24 Karat Gold, a reference to one of those precious demos dating back to the 1980s, the album features several new recordings of demos that Stevie found circulating on YouTube. Rather than crying foul with litigation, Stevie used the social media tool to her advantage and selected the most popular ones to record. Created in a Nashville recording studio in just three months, the album featured the classic sound and production — recalling producer Jimmy Iovine’s production work on Bella Donna (1981) and The Wild Heart (1983) — that many fans were pining to hear once again. For the most part, their wish was granted as Nicks and producer Dave Stewart stayed to true her original demos and classic solo artist sound that fans had grown to treasure and associate with her all these years.
Nicks also included photos in an oversized booklet that accompanied the deluxe edition of 24 Karat Gold – Songs from the Vault. Long before there were “selfies” on Instagram and Facebook, Stevie perfected the art of taking self-portraits with her trusty old Polaroid camera. She captured herself at home and in hotel rooms while on tour. In October, Stevie unveiled her extensive collection of self-portraits at the Morrison Hotel Gallery in New York.
1. Christine McVie reunites with Fleetwood Mac for first tour in 16 years.
As she had done in 2013, Christine McVie once again topped the list of the year’s biggest Fleetwood Mac moments when she hit the stage for her first full Fleetwood Mac concert performance since 1998 at the Target Center in Minneapolis on September 30.
Christine McVie returned to the megaband whose legacy she helped to create with her cozy pop songs, such as “Say You Love Me,” “Don’t Stop,” and “Little Lies.” Overcoming a fear of flying, McVie returned to the stage with a renewed confidence. Throughout the tour, she has been grateful to the band for granting her a “second chance” to perform with one of the most enduring bands in rock history.
Once McVie started to sing the opening lines of her 1977 Rumours hit single “You Make Loving Fun,” fans rejoiced and showed their appreciation by giving her warm ovations. Though face-value ticket prices swelled in upwards of $300 a pop at some venues, for many, seeing McVie’s unexpected return to the band was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. All was good in the universe once again.
The band was equally as delighted to see McVie return to the stage. “Our songbird has returned,” Mick Fleetwood gushed at each show of the first leg of the tour, which ended on December 20. The outing was a tremendous success, with sold-out arenas throughout the U.S. and Canada, and earned unanimous praise from critics. With fans on board for the nostalgic ride, 2014 easily became the biggest year for Fleetwood Mac since releasing the reunion album The Dance in 1997.
Fleetwood Mac has proven that the key to career longevity is staying active and doing what the band does best, which is performing onstage. In 2013, Fleetwood Mac stayed true to their game plan, selling out arenas across the United States and Canada. In between shows, individual band members such as Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham made various media appearances pitching side projects, such as Dave Grohl’s documentary Sound City: Real to Reel, in which both Nicks and Buckingham appeared.
But the biggest newsmaker was the elusive Christine McVie, who surprised fans by performing at two London show during Fleetwood Mac’s European tour.
Here’s how the year of performance and surprises shaped up:
1. Christine McVie reunites with Fleetwood Mac in London, contemplates permanent return to the band
Fans at the London shows cheered loudly and proudly when Christine McVie reunited onstage with her former bandmates after 15 years. Christine performed “Don’t Stop” at the second and third London shows.
In November, Christine made things even more interesting by telling The Guardian that she would rejoin the band for good, if the band were to ask her. The statement set off a swirl of rumors, with the final outcome still to be determined. Stevie addressed the rumors in an interview with Billboard in December, but she said with some exasperation that any decision to return to the band would lie solely on McVie. Stevie left the matter open-ended, stating “to be continued.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJPhM5oQepw
2. Fleetwood Mac cancels Australian/New Zealand tour, John McVie receives cancer treatment
Like for a family member or good friend, the news of John McVie’s cancer diagnosis hit hard. Fleetwood Mac announced the news and tour cancellation on its official Facebook page. Fortunately, John’s prognosis appeared to be good as friends and bandmates reported that John’s cancer was caught early and that the co-founding member of Fleetwood Mac seemed to be responding well to treatment. The other members of Fleetwood Mac also seem optimistic and will proceed with their scheduled December 30th concert in Las Vegas.
[jwplayer mediaid=”12038″]
3. Fleetwood Mac kicks off 2013 World Tour
Fleetwood Mac thrilled fans by kicking off its world tour in Columbus, Ohio, on April 4. The tour supported the digital release of Extended Play, a four-track EP of new material (released on April 30), and deluxe and expanded editions of Rumours. The tour was tremendously successful and lucrative, with the band selling out shows throughout the US and Canada. According to Pollstar, Fleetwood Mac grossed $58.1 million during the first six months of the year, playing 42 shows in 42 cities. Fleetwood Mac was the third highest grossing North American tour, after The Rolling Stones (1) and Taylor Swift (2) in Pollstar’s midyear rankings. Fleetwood Mac ranked 17 out of 25 tours in Billboard’s year-end ranking, with gross ticket sales totaling $61.9 million. Fleetwood Mac found similar success in Europe when they kicked a 15-city tour of Europe in Dublin, Ireland on September 20. The band sold out arenas in Dublin, London, and Amsterdam, among others.
Fans who purchased the exclusive Mick Fleetwood VIP package were treated to a special backstage meeting with the flamboyant Fleetwood Mac drummer.
4. Stevie performs with Lady Antebellum on CMT Crossroads
In January, Stevie teamed up with country trio Lady Antebellum at Sony Pictures Studios to tape CMT Crossroads. Entertainment Weekly called the matchup “flawless,” as the pair swapped songs and added their own unique touches. The performance debuted on the CMT network on Friday, September 13.
Set List
Love Don’t Live Here
Need You Now
Golden
Cold as Stone
Just a Kiss
Downtown
Gold Dust Woman (video shown below)
Landslide
Edge of Seventeen
Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around
Rhiannon
5. Stevie meets fans in person, signs copies of her documentary In Your Dreams DVD
On December 4, Stevie offered fans the meeting of a lifetime when she attended a special Barnes and Noble signing event at The Grove in Los Angeles, to promote the December 3rd DVD release of her documentary In Your Dreams. Decked out in trademark black chiffon, Stevie greeted fans and signed copies of her In Your Dreams DVD and CD. Hundreds of devoted fans attended the event, some of which live tweeted their reactions and pictures from the event. Stevie’s longtime backup singer Sharon Celani was also present at the special event and posed for pictures and graciously signed autographs for fans as well.
On December 18, Stevie’s management posted video highlights from the special event on YouTube. In the video, fans thanked Stevie for her music and being an inspiration to them.
Official Highlights Video
http://youtu.be/hmfF0VTCWc8
Stevie’s Entrance
6. Lindsey Buckingham ‘Talks Music’ on Sky Arts One
On November 11, Lindsey Buckingham appeared on the UK-based Sky One Arts music program Talks Music, hosted by Malcolm Gerrie. Lindsey talked about his early years with Stevie Nicks, music career with Fleetwood Mac, and finding personal expression in his solo work. The musical highlight of the program was an acoustic performance of “Big Love.” Lindsey said that his greatest life achievement were his children, a tender moment revealing that the notoriously temperamental man has somewhat softened over the years.
Gerrie and Buckingham: the soft approach
7. Stevie tapes cameo appearance for American Horror Story: Coven
Reviving old witch rumors, American Horror Story: Coven co-creator Ryan Murphy featured Stevie’s music in Season 3 of FX’s hit witch series. He then took it a step further by inviting Stevie to act and sing in an upcoming episode. Stevie was initially reluctant to take part in the show about outcast witches, but later changed her mind. Stevie arrived in New Orleans on the weekend of November 20 to tape the episode. Impressed with how Stevie performed in the taping, Murphy later tweeted that they might use her again for a second episode. Stevie’s appearance on the show airs on January 8, when Coven returns from the winter break. Click here to see an exclusive recap of all of Stevie’s music featured in American Horror Story: Coven.
8. Warner Bros. Records issues deluxe and expanded editions of Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours
Call it excessive, call it gratuitous, but Warner Bros. Records reissued Rumours…again! But this time, it treated collectors to two expanded versions of the Grammy-award winning 1977 megaseller. The deluxe edition included the original album on vinyl and CD, a cleaned-up copy of Michael Collin’s Rumours documentary The Rosebud Film on DVD, and two bonus discs of Rumours outtakes. The pared-down expanded edition included the original album on CD and the two bonus discs of outtakes.
9. Stevie promotes Sound City, joins the ‘Players’ for three shows
Stevie started the year off by promoting Dave Grohl’s documentary Sound City, for which she wrote a new song called “You Can’t Fix This.” She joined the Sound City Players for promotional gigs at Park City Live in Salt Lake City (Jan 18), Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles (Jan 31), and the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York (Feb 13). Stevie performed a short 30-minute set list, which consisted of “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around,” “You Can’t Fix This,” “Dreams,” “Landslide,” and “Gold Dust Woman.” The whirlwind promotion culminated with Stevie performing “You Can’t Fix This” with the Sound City Players on The Late Show with Dave Letterman on February 14.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1iPCK-HjaDQ
10. Oprah Winfrey’s Master Class with Stevie Nicks premieres on the OWN Network
In March, Stevie bared her soul to Oprah Winfrey, giving a candid interview about the death of her mom and best friend Robin Anderson on Oprah’s documentary series Master Class. Stevie also talked about her early life and career with Lindsey Buckingham. The best part of the hour-long documentary (which contained roughly 40 minutes of actual footage) was the abundance of rare archival footage, digitally restored for the program. Watch the entire episode below.
Stevie picks up the intensity level on “Nothing Ever Changes,” Track 8 of The Wild Heart. The track stands out for its strong hook and rock-driven arrangement, performed by an all-star cast of musicians, such as drummer Russ Kunkel, Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band pianist Roy Bittan, and former-Eagles guitarist Don Felder. Respected saxophonist Phil Kenzie (The Eagles, Paul McCartney, Al Stewart) also leaves his indelible mark, providing The Wild Heart‘s most riveting solo. As an album track, “Nothing Ever Changes” received moderate radio airplay, reaching No. 19 on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock chart.
‘I was feeling pretty cynical’
“This is another song that Sandy [Stewart] wrote the track for,” Stevie says, “When I’m writing, I’ll go and drag out 300 pages of lyrics and take a word from here, a line from there, a verse from here. And it doesn’t really matter since I always start from my basic idea and go back to my words. I always say it better on the typewriter than I’m gonna say it while the song’s going by. This was written about a year and a half ago. Maybe you can tell I was feeling pretty cynical at the time. This is the only cynical song on this album.”
Musicians
Piano: Roy Bittan
Guitar: Don Felder
Bass: Bob Glaub
Percussion: Bobbye Hall
Saxophone: Phil Kenzie
Drums: Russ Kunkel
Synthesizer: Sandy Stewart
Background vocals: Sharon Celani & Lori Perry
Produced by Jimmy Iovine. Recorded at Record Plant, Los Angeles.
Billboard charts
Mainstream Rock: 19 (July 30, 1983)
Lyrics
If it’s me that’s driving you to this madness
Then there’s one thing that I’d like to say
Would you take a look at your life and your lovers
Nothing ever changes
Ooh, it was just the first time
That I ever played for you
Oh, I could be the dancer of your dreams
I can turn all your music on
I can make you feel alive
I am gone but I’m never gone from you
It was just the first time
Come back, little boy
So baby come back, yeah, little boy
Ooh, it’s just me that lies waiting
Well, it could come from anywhere
Oh, it could come straight, straight from my heart
Nothing can be saved here
I can turn all your music on
I can make you feel alive
I am gone but I’m never gone from you
It was just the first time
Come back, little boy
So baby come back, yeah, little boy
Come back, little boy
So baby come back, yeah, little boy
Nothing ever changes, you know it doesn’t
Nothing ever changes, ooh, you know it doesn’t
Nothing ever changes, you know it doesn’t
Nothing ever changes
Come back, so baby, come back
Baby, come back, baby, come back
Come back, come back, come back
Come back, baby, come back
So baby, come back, baby come back
Come back, come back, come back
Come back, so baby, come back
Come back, come back, come back
Come back, come back
Modern Records. (1983). Stevie Nicks: The Wild Heart [Press release].
Whitburn, J. (2008). Joel Whitburn presents rock tracks 1981-2008. Menomonee Falls, WI: Record Research, Inc.
Following the quarrelsome “Stand Back” is the conciliatory “I Will Run to You,” a duet with Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers. Back to back, the two songs complement each other well, fitting the pensive mood of the second half of the album. Written by Tom Petty, “I Will Run to You” has a melodic chorus and bears some resemblance to the song “You Got Lucky” from Tom’s 1982 album Long After Dark.
As an album cut, “I Will Run to You reached No. 35 on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock chart. On September 13, 1983, Stevie and Tom performed “I Will Run to You” (and “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around) live during Stevie’s Wild Heart tour at Radio City Music Hall in New York, where Tom was a special guest.
‘Something really pretty’
“I don’t really know why Tom wrote this song for me,” Stevie recalls, “because it’s not like he had to, or not like I called him up and asked him to do it. But for some reason, he wanted to write me something really pretty, and he did, and we worked real hard. We recorded in New York, and we didn’t get it. Then we went to Caribou and recorded but still came back without what we thought was a real lead vocal from either of us. Finally, we did it in L.A.
Tom and I love to sing together, and we’ve really developed this relationship, and I’m not really very interested in developing relationships with other men singers, because this is just perfect: we sing well, we have a great time, we complement each other. I love his songwriting, perfect, why bother? Whatever the hassles that be that make it difficult — and believe you me the hassles that be are everywhere to stop Tom and I from ever doing anything together — my relationship with him is more important.
Anyway, the song’s fabulous. It’s beautiful, and I’m very honored that he even cared enough to write it for me.”
Musicians
Guitar: Michael Campbell
Bass: Howie Epstein
Drums: Stan Lynch
Guitar, vocals: Tom Petty
Keyboards: Benmont Tench
Produced by Jimmy Iovine. Recorded at The Hit Factory, New York.
Billboard charts
Mainstream Rock: 35 (July 23, 1983)
Lyrics
One so young, so changed
Should not be left alone
Two in love should confess
And not be left alone
And, I will run to you
Down whatever road you choose
Yes, I will follow you down
I will run to you
You’ve had time, come around
Will you please make up your mind
I stand accused on trial
Will you please make up your mind
And, I will run to you
Down whatever road you choose
Yes, I will follow you down
I will run to you
Make it easy for me
I been lonely, baby
Show some mercy, honey
I was nothing
All those lonely nights
Showed me something
If you need me
I’ll come runnin’
I will run to you
Down whatever road you choose
I will follow you down
I will run…
I will run to you
Down whatever road you choose
Yes, I will follow you down
I will run to you
Modern Records. (1983). Stevie Nicks: The Wild Heart [Press release].
Whitburn, J. (2008). Joel Whitburn presents rock tracks 1981-2008. Menomonee Falls, WI: Record Research, Inc.
Kicking off Side 2 of The Wild Heart is Stevie Nicks’ massive hit “Stand Back.” Though it’s not her highest charting single (that honor goes to “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around,” which peaked at No. 3 in 1981), “Stand Back” is clearly one of her most recognizable solo hits, having been performed on every solo tour and most Fleetwood Mac tours (that Stevie has been a part of) since the song’s release in 1983. Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams” is another song that has been performed on every tour since its release.
The story of “Stand Back” is now legendary among fans, but few know that, musically, the song was actually inspired by the opening chord progression of Prince’s “Little Red Corvette.”
‘Little Red Corvette’
“Right after I got married, I heard this wonderful song Prince had done called ‘Little Red Corvette,’” Stevie said in 1983, “And as soon as I heard it I went, ‘Boy, I love that.’ And I just started humming to myself, and in a matter of minutes, I had hummed along a very different melody than what Prince had done. Anyway, me being one of the more honest people you’ll ever meet, I immediately call Prince and tell him what I had written and how and he, against everybody’s thinking he wouldn’t, came down and played on this song! My intuitions are usually right and since he told me he was doing the video of ‘Little Red Corvette’ that day, and since I know videos and films always take a lot longer than anybody thinks, I didn’t think he’d show up. But [songwriter/musician] Sandy [Stewart] and I rushed to the studio anyway, thinking ‘what if he comes, what are we going to show him. We’ll both get out there live and try to play the song for him and start to giggle,’ right? I mean, no chance. So under pressure of fire, we did it in one take, one time, and that’s what you hear; me singing live, Sandy on her synthesizer, Prince playing that dahdahdahdahdah, very kind of ‘Edge of Seventeen’ thing, and a drum machine.
Between then and now, Steve Lukather put an incredible guitar solo in the middle and David Williams, who played all over [Michael Jackson’s] ‘Billie Jean Is Not My Lover,’ played on this. Anyway, ‘Stand Back’ become a real anthem, a real ‘I’m tired of listening to all your great advice, ’cause it’s gotten me nowhere, so I’m listening to myself now kind of anthem.’ So it came slightly out of strength, slightly out of being in love, slightly out of being married, and ever so slightly out of hearing the first three chords of ‘Little Red Corvette!’”
‘My favorite song onstage’
“[‘Little Red Corvette’] just gave me an incredible idea,” Stevie said in 1991, “So I spent many hours that night writing a song about some kind of crazy argument, and it was to become one of the most important of my songs. I’ve been doing this song for years. Fleetwood Mac does it also, and I never get tired of it. ‘Stand Back’ has always been my favorite song onstage because when it starts, it has an energy that comes from somewhere unknown, and it seems to have no timespace. I’ve never quite understood this sound, but I have never questioned it. I become a different person, and I like that, because usually I make up my own characters, but the lady in ‘Stand Back’ was not my idea. By the way, Prince did come into the studio the night I called him and told him about this song, and he played incredible synthesizer on it. And then he just walked out of my life, and I didn’t see him for a long time. It was extraordinary.”
Musicians
OBX-A & DMX drum machine programming: David Bluefield
Drums: Marvin Caruso
Percussion: Bobbye Hall
Drum overdubs: Russ Kunkel
Guitar: Steve Lukather
Synthesizer, guitar: Prince (uncredited)
Synthesizer: Sandy Stewart
Guitar: Waddy Wachtel
Percussion: Ian Wallace
Guitar: David Williams
Background vocals: Sharon Celani & Lori Perry
Produced by Jimmy Iovine. Recorded at Studio 55, Los Angeles.
No one looked as I walked by
Just an invitation would have been just fine
Said no to him again and again
First he took my heart then he ran
No one knows how I feel
What I say unless you read between my lines
One man walked away from me
First he took my hand
Take me home
Stand back, stand back
In the middle of my room
I did not hear from you
It’s alright, it’s alright
To be standing in a line
(Standing in a line)
To be standing in a line
I would cry
Do not turn away my friend
Like a willow I can bend
No man called my name
No man came
So I walked slow down away from you
Maybe your attention was more than you could do
One man did not call
He asked me for my love
That was all
Stand back, stand back
In the middle of my room
I did not hear from you
It’s alright, it’s alright
To be standing in a line
(Standing in a line)
To be standing in a line
I would cry
So I walked on down the line away from you
Maybe your attention was more than I could do
One man did not fall
Well, he asked me for my love
That was all
Stand back, stand back
In the middle of my room
I did not hear from you
It’s alright, it’s alright
To be standing in a line
(Standing in a line)
To be standing in a line
I would cry
Feel I need a little sympathy
Well, I need a little sympathy
(Cry…)
Well, I need a little sympathy
Well, you could be standing in
(Stand back)
Well, you could be standing in
(Stand back)
Well, you could standing in
(Stand Back)
Take me home
Take home
(Stand back)
Why don’t you take me home
Well, I need a little sympathy
(Stand back)
Well, you could be standing in
(Stand back)
Why don’t you take…
(Me home)
Why don’t you take me home
(Stand back)
Take me home
(It’s alright)
Take me home
(It’s alright)
Oh, yeah…
Take me home
Closing Side One of The Wild Heart is the soulful “Nightbird,” a song that poignantly addresses the death of Stevie Nicks’ childhood friend Robin Anderson, who succumbed to leukemia at the end of 1982. Stevie draws parallel to her 1981 hit single “Edge of Seventeen,” borrowing the lyric “just like the white winged dove” for the song’s final refrain. An unreleased outtake of “Nightbird” contains slightly different lyrics that refer to the “eyes of the nightbird.” According to Stevie, both the white wing dove and the nightbird are metaphors for death, the spirit leaving the body.
‘A spirit calling’
Robin Anderson’s spirit served as The Wild Heart‘s main inspiration, which is reflected in album’s dedication: “This music is dedicated to Robin — for her brave, wild heart. And to the gypsies that remain.”
“This song does extend from ‘Edge of Seventeen,’ Nicks reveals. “It’s about the difficulties of female rock ‘n’ roll singers, it’s about my friend Robin, it’s about death, it’s a spirit calling. Wearing boots all summer long is like, always being ready for a flood or avalanche to happen, for the worst to happen. Because when you really look at life, all the money, material things and dreams we all search after could not save one small girl.”
The limited-run US picture sleeve 7″ vinyl release of “Nightbird” with unique artwork remains rare and highly collectible.
Third single
“Nightbird,” featuring Stevie’s longtime collaborator Sandy Stewart on shared vocals, was the third and final single released from The Wild Heart, reaching No. 33 on Billboard’s Pop Singles chart and No. 32 on Mainstream Rock. Stevies gave memorable performances of the song on Saturday Night Live and Solid Gold (both clips below) but has never performed the song since. Background singer Lori Nicks sang Sandy Stewart’s parts for both of these performances.
Musicians
Bass: Kenny Edwards
Piano: David Foster
Drum overdubs: Chet McCracken
Synthesizer, vocals, and piano solo: Sandy Stewart
Organ: Benmont Tench
Guitar: Waddy Wachtel
Background vocals: Sharon Celani & Lori Perry
Produced by Jimmy Iovine. Recorded at Record Plant, New York
Billboard charts
Pop Singles: 33
Mainstream Rock: 32 (February 11, 1984)
Lyrics
And the summer became the fall
I was not ready for the winter
It makes no difference at all
‘Cause I wear boots all summer long
Eye makeup dark and it’s careless
Same circles around my eyes
Sometimes the real color of my skin
Is my eyes without any shadow
(And when I call)
(Will you walk gently through my shadow)
When I call will you walk
Gently through my show
(It’s the ones who sing at night)
Cried the nightbird
(The ones who sing at night)
(The ones you dream of)
The ones you dream of
(The ones who walk away)
The ones who run away
(With their capes around them tight)
Their capes pulled around them tight
(Cryin’ for the night)
Cry for the nightbird
Tonight
The winter is really here now
And the blankets that I love
Sometimes I am surrounded
By too much love
(And when I call)
(Will you walk gently through my shadow)
And when I call will you walk
Gently through my shadow
(It’s the ones who sing at night)
It’s the ones who sing at night
(The ones you dream of)
The ones you dream of
(The ones who walk away)
With their capes pulled around them tight
Cryin’ for the night
Cry for the nightbird
Tonight
(And when I call)
(Will you walk gently through my shadow)
And when I call will you walk
Gently through my shadow
(It’s the ones who sing at night)
Cried the nightbird
(The ones who sing at night)
The ones who sing at night
(The ones you dream of)
The ones you dream of
(The ones who walk away)
The ones who run away
(With their capes around them tight)
Cryin’ for the night
Cry for the nightbird
Tonight
(And when I call)
(Will you walk gently through my shadow)
When I call will you walk
Gently through my shadow
(Just like the white winged dove)
(It’s the ones who sing at night)
Cry for the nightbird
(The ones who sing at night)
Ooh…
(Ooh, ooh)
Through the dark and the net of the lace
Pulls back the net and it’s hard to see her face
(Just like the white winged dove)
Feel the touch
The touch that you want so much
(Yes, when I call)
(You can walk gently through my shadow)
Through the dark and the net of the lace
And she pulls back the net
(Just like the white winged dove)
Hard to see to see her face
(Don’t be afraid)
You’ll see
(‘Cause you’ll see)
Modern Records. (1983). Stevie Nicks: The Wild Heart [Press release].
Whitburn, J. (2008). Joel Whitburn presents rock tracks 1981-2008. Menomonee Falls, WI: Record Research, Inc.
