Trouble in Shangri-La, Stevie Nicks, Sharon Celani, Lori Nicks

TROUBLE IN SHANGRI-LA (2001)

Trouble in Shangri-La (2001) is Stevie Nicks‘ sixth solo recording, a concept album based on the highs and lows of fame. Stevie has described it as the difficulty of maintaining “Shangri-La” or staying at the top of one’s career.

Stevie Nicks has never sounded more grounded or passionate than on Trouble in Shangri-La, which is her best and most varied work as a solo artist.” –Us Weekly

Stevie Nicks Trouble in Shangri-La (2001)

Background

Stevie worked sporadically on Trouble in Shangri-La for seven years. Still disappointed with the uneven Street Angel (1994) and recovering from Klonopin addiction, Stevie had dinner with Tom Petty to discuss the possibility of him writing a song for her. (The two dined at the Ritz-Carlton in Phoenix on April 24, 1994.) Tom declined, but encouraged Stevie to start writing again. Their conversation inspired at least two songs: “That Made Me Stronger” and “Hard Advice” (from 24 Karat Gold: Songs from the Vault).

As a result of Petty’s pep talk, Stevie wrote “Love Is,” her first song in several months. In 1995, she wrote the title track towards the end of the O.J. Simpson murder trial. Although she did not specifically write about Simpson or the trial, Stevie identified with the challenges of sustaining a relationship in the public eye. “Trouble in Shangri-La” and “Love Is” served as the album’s “bookends,” the inspiration Stevie needed to move forward with the album.

The Dance, Enchanted

Stevie put Trouble in Shangri-La on hold for many years because of Fleetwood Mac’s The Dance (1997), which led to touring with the band. Stevie continued to write songs for Trouble in Shangri-La, including the ballad “Touched by an Angel,” inspired by the unexpected reunion with Fleetwood Mac. The momentum from The Dance led Modern Records to release Stevie’ second retrospective release Enchanted: The Works of Stevie Nicks (1998) and more touring.

After promoting Enchanted, Stevie resumed work on Trouble in Shangri-La. She recorded “Candlebright” and “Sorcerer” with Sheryl Crow, who became the album’s first producer. But the touring demands of Sheryl’s own The Globe Sessions (1998) often pulled her away from the project. Sheryl returned later to produce additional tracks, but left again to continue promoting The Globe Sessions in Europe. She produced five tracks in all.

Bombay Sapphires

At the end of 1999, while vacationing in Maui, Hawaii, Stevie wrote “Bombay Sapphires.” “I wrote it in Hawaii two years ago,” Stevie said in 2001. “At that point, in order to write the rest of the songs for [Trouble in Shangri-La], I really had to leave my Enchanted box set and Fleetwood Mac behind. Hawaii was very different than any place I’d ever been. Very green — jade green — very calm, very Zen. And I realized that if you take yourself to a great environment, you can just about get over anything.”

Stevie originally wanted Sting to sing the harmony vocals on “Bombay Sapphires,” but changed her mind. Her management suggested working with rising star and fellow Reprise label-mate Macy Gray, who had won the Grammy for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for her No. 1 single “I Try.” The two hit it off and recorded “Bombay Sapphires,” with Macy singing high harmonies on the track. Macy wrote a song for Stevie called “Smitten,” but whether it was recorded by Stevie or Macy is unknown (Rolling Stone, 2000).

Searching for producers

During this time in Hawaii, Stevie heard TLC‘s song “Unpretty,” produced by R&B producer Dallas Austin. Impressed with Dallas’ work, Stevie asked him to produce tracks for Trouble in Shangri-La

“Sheryl Crow actually started [producing the album] first,” Dallas said. “I came in [when] I think Sheryl had to go on the road and Stevie was in Hawaii one day and she put on the TLC record. [I’ve heard] she said ‘Hey, this is the guy. I need to find this guy. He could do a lot of stuff. It sounds like [certain] Fleetwood Mac influences. So I finally went out to meet her, and Sheryl had done two songs, but I’m not sure if she’s gonna finish them, or if Stevie’s gonna finish them, or how it’s gonna work, but the songs she did sound great.” (MTV News, 2000).

In March 2000, Stevie flew to Atlanta to work with Dallas at his recording studio. Although Dallas reportedly completed tracks for the album,” Stevie decided not to use them. “The whole album was going a certain way and Dallas had to move on,” Stevie said. “He can’t spend a year doing an album. I came back to L.A. and started to do other songs with Sheryl, and I realized the record was going in a completely different direction. The songs didn’t fit. The songs that I did with him were very R&B and then I’m dueting with [country’s] Natalie (Maines) and all of a sudden this record was not making any sense at all.” (Cohen, Tribune, 2001).

Stevie also worked with producer Rodney Jerkins (Destiny’s Child, Whitney Houston, Brandy & Monica) for a short time. (New York Magazine, 2000).

To get the album back on track, Stevie worked with producers David Kahne, Pierre Marchand, Rick Nowels, Jeff Trott, and John Shanks to implement her original vision for the album.

Other unused songs

Stevie recorded songs that weren’t used for Trouble in Shangri-La. These included “My Heart,” reworked for In Your Dreams (2011); “Touched by an Angel, included on the Sweet November Motion Picture Soundtrack (2001); and “Thrown Down,” re-recorded for Fleetwood Mac‘s Say You Will (2003).

“Touched by an Angel” preceded the release of Trouble in Shangri-La by six months, first appearing on the Reprise Records promo CD for the 2000 ACLU Bill of Rights Awards Dinner on December 14, 2000. The CD also included Lindsey Buckingham’s solo version of “Peacekeeper.”

Serendipitous collaborations

Trouble in Shangri-La featured collaborations with several artists, which Stevie has referred to as “perfect accidents.” In addition to Sheryl Crow, who sang backup on “Sorcerer,” “It’s Only Love,” and “Fall From Grace,” Stevie collaborated with Dixie Chicks singer Natalie Maines on “Too Far From Texas,” “Lindsey Buckingham on “I Miss You,” Macy Gray on “Bombay Sapphires,” and Sarah McLachlan on “Love Is.”

Stevie’s session with Sarah resulted from Canadian producer Pierre Marchand’s green card problem, which prevented him from working with Stevie in Los Angeles. To circumvent the problem, Stevie flew to Marchard’s studio in Vancouver, where she joined Sarah to complete the song.

Stevie’s duet with Natalie Maines came about through Sheryl Crow, who invited Natalie to the recording sessions. With a live band, Stevie and Natalie recorded “Too Far from Texas” in two days.

“Every Day,” which was the album lead single, came about from a demo Stevie received from producer John Shanks and Damon Johnson of the band Thin Lizzy. The title nostalgically reminded Stevie of Buddy Holly’s 1957 classic “Everyday,” and she agreed to record the track.

Release & Reaction

Reprise Records released CD and cassette versions of Trouble in Shangri-La on Tuesday, May 1, 2001. Aided by a successful VH1 marketing strategy (the network named Stevie “Artist of the Month” for May), the album debuted at No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 200 Albums chart. The album sold an impressive 109,000 copies in the first week, thanks to a successful pre-ordering campaign. It was Stevie’s highest album debut since The Wild Heart (1983), which also debuted at No. 5 in 1983.

Reprise Records issued the singles “Every Day” (AC #17), Planets of the Universe” (Dance #1), and “Sorcerer” (AC #21) to help promote the album. The singles all performed well on mainstream radio. During the summer, “Planets of the Universe” reached No. 1 on the Hot Dance/Club Play chart, with the help of remixes by DJs Tracy Young and Illicit.

In June 2001, the RIAA certified the album Gold status for the shipment of 500,000 copies to retailers. According to Nielsen SoundScan, Trouble in Shangri-La has sold 638,000 copies in the United States. By December, Stevie earned her fifth Grammy nomination for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance for “Planets of the Universe.” The award ultimately went to Lucinda Williams for “Get Right with God.”

“[Trouble in Shangri-La] is my heart and soul, everything I’ve wanted to say over the last 10 years,” Stevie told Entertainment Weekly in March 2001.

Track List

  1. Trouble in Shangri-La
  2. Candlebright
  3. Sorcerer (Feat. Sheryl Crow)
  4. Planets of the Universe
  5. Every Day
  6. Too Far From Texas (Feat. Natalie Maines)
  7. That Made Me Stronger
  8. It’s Only Love (Feat. Sheryl Crow)
  9. Love Changes
  10. I Miss You (Feat. Lindsey Buckingham on guitar)
  11. Bombay Sapphires (Feat. Macy Gray)
  12. Fall From Grace
  13. Love Is (Feat. Sarah McLachlan)

Promotional Videos

Every Day

Stevie Nicks - Every Day (Official Music Video)

YouTube

Planets of the Universe

Planets of the Universe

YouTube

Sorcerer

Stevie Nicks - Sorcerer (with Sheryl Crow) (Official Music Video)

YouTube

News & Coverage

References

Brown, E. (2000, May). Production values. New York Magazine. Retrieved from https://nymag.com/nymetro/arts/music/features/2982/.
Johnson, T. (2000, January). Dallas Austin discusses working with Stevie Nicks. MTV News. Retrieved from http://www.mtv.com/news/1425064/dallas-austin-discusses-working-with-stevie-nicks/
(2000, April). Macy Gray. Rolling Stone (RS 839).

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LIVE IN CONCERT (2023-2024)

Billy Joel and Stevie NicksStevie Nicks

November 29, 2023
San Diego, CA
Viejas Arena

December 2, 2023
Inglewood, CA
The Kia Forum

December 5, 2023
Palm Desert, CA
Acisure Arena

December  8, 2023 – BILLY JOEL
Phoenix, AZ
Chase Field

December 12, 2023
Sacramento, CA
Golden 1 Center

December 15, 2023
San Francisco, CA
Chase Center

February 10, 2024
Atlantic City, NJ

Mark G Etess Arena
On Sale Friday, September 29. 2023

February 14, 2024
Belmont Park, NY

UBS Arena
On Sale Friday, September 29. 2023

February 21, 2024
Greenville, SC

Bon Secours Wellness Arena
On Sale Friday, September 29. 2023

February 24, 2024
Hollywood, FL

Hard Rock Live ^
On Sale Friday, September 29. 2023

February 28, 2024
New Orleans, LA

Smoothie King Center
On Sale Friday, September 29. 2023

March 3, 2024
Omaha, NE

CHI Health Center
On Sale Friday, September 29. 2023

March 6, 2024 – North Little Rock, AR
Simmons Bank Arena
On Sale Friday, September 29. 2023

March 9, 2024 – BILLY JOEL
Arlington, TX
AT&T Stadium

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Previous 2023 dates

March 10, 2023 – BILLY JOEL
Los Angeles, CA
SoFi Stadium

March 15, 2023
Seattle, WA
Climate Pledge Arena

March 18, 2023
Las Vegas, NV
T-Mobile Arena

May 12, 2023
Raleigh, NC
PNC Arena

May 16, 2023
Knoxville, TN
Thompson-Boling Arena

May 19, 2023 – BILLY JOEL
Nashville, TN
Nissan Stadium

May 22, 2023
Atlanta, GA
State Farm Arena

May 25, 2023
Orlando, FL
Amway Center

June 16, 2023 – BILLY JOEL
Philadelphia, PA
Lincoln Financial Field

June 20, 2023
Toronto, ON (Canada)
Scotiabank Arena

June 23, 2023
Chicago, IL
United Center

June 27, 2023
Louisville, KY
KFC Yum! Center

August 5, 2023 – BILLY JOEL
Columbus, OH
Ohio Stadium

August 8, 2023
Milwaukee, WI
Fiserv Forum

August 12, 2023
Houston, TX
Toyota Center

August 15, 2023
Austin, TX
Moody Center

August 19, 2023 – BILLY JOEL
Kansas City, MO
Arrowhead Stadium

September 23, 2023 – BILLY JOEL
Foxborough, MA
Gillette Stadium

September 27, 2023
Pittsburgh, PA
PPG Paints Arena

October 1, 2023
New York, NY
Madison Square Garden

October 4, 2023
Buffalo, NY
KeyBank Center

October 7, 2023 – BILLY JOEL
Baltimore, MD 
M&T Bank Stadium

October 28, 2023
Memphis, TN
FedEx Forum

November 1, 2023
Savannah, GA
Enmarket Arena

November 4, 2023
Allentown, PA
PPL Center

November 7, 2023
Detroit, MI
Little Caesars Arena

November 10, 2023 – BILLY JOEL
Minneapolis, MN
U.S. Bank Stadium



2022 Tour

Stevie Nicks

Jazz Aspen Snowmass
Snowmass, CO
Labor Day 2022

Ravinia Festival
Highland Park, IL
September 8, 2022
September 10, 2022

Pine Knob Music Theatre
Clarkston, MI
September 13, 2022
w/ Vanessa Carlton

Sea Hear Now Festival
Asbury, NJ
September 17, 2022

Xfinity Center
Mansfield, MA
September 19, 2022
w/ Vanessa Carlton

Maine Savings Amphitheatre
Bangor, ME
September 22, 2022
w/ Vanessa Carlton

Sound on Sound Festival
Bridgeport, CT
September 24-25, 2022

Ohana Festival
Dana Point, CA
September 30, 2022

Hollywood Bowl
Los Angeles, CA
October 3, 2022
w/ Vanessa Carlton

POSTPONED
Ak-Chin Pavilion

Phoenix, AZ
October 6, 2022
w/ Vanessa Carlton

POSTPONED
Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion

The Woodlands, TX
October 9, 2022
w/ Vanessa Carlton

Ameris Bank Amphitheatre
Alpharetta, GA
October 12, 2022
w/ Vanessa Carlton

Ascend Amphitheater
Nashville, TN
October 16, 2022
w/ Vanessa Carlton

Credit One Stadium
Charleston, SC
October 19, 2022
w/ Vanessa Carlton

PNC Music Pavilion
Charlotte, NC
October 22, 2022
w/ Vanessa Carlton

MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre
Tampa, FL
October 25, 2022
w/ Vanessa Carlton

iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre
West Palm Beach, FL
October 28, 2022
w/ Vanessa Carlton

Orion Amphitheatre
Huntsville, AL
October 31, 2022

RESCHEDULED SHOWS

Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
The Woodlands, TX
November 2, 2022
w/ Vanessa Carlton

Ak-Chin Pavilion
Phoenix, AZ
November 5, 2022
w/ Vanessa Carlton


For What It’s Worth (2022)

Edge of Midnight (2020)

Beautiful People Beautiful Problems (2017)

New Release

Stevie Nicks, Stand Back 1981-2017, compilation

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