Do I Bring You Down ????

[thewhitewingedd]

Is it Stevie or Not?...

[FiercestCalmSea]

I've heard it and it doesn't sound like her..i heard somewhere that some schmuck made it and tried to pass it off as her.

[saintbernard]

I've heard so much about this song on mailing lists and message boards.

If I remember the story correctly: some fan named Shawn decided he wanted to make a song to sound just like Stevie. He allegedly wrote the song, recorded it on a drum machine in his grandmothers garage/basement then put it on a cassette of Timespace demos for safe-keeping. However, rather than stay in his own personal possession it somehow ended up in circulation.

To me, though, and I'm not an expert I admit, the "drum machine" effect in the "fan demo" doesn't sound like the drum machine effect I hear in any of Stevie's drum machine demos.

The song sounds a bit like Sara in places. I'd like to think that any "fan" of Stevie's would have the common sense not to make their song sound like one she had had so much trouble with in the past.

I've heard two versions of this song: the commonly circulated version and another that is supposedly Shawn's "original untampered with demo created by the Stevie fan". To me the "untampered demo" just sounds like the commonly circulated version has been slowed down.

I agree with Adam that I think this is a Stevie demo because I'm yet to see concrete evidence that would convince me otherwise. Again, though, I'm no expert when it comes to analyzing things like this. :)

[David]

Originally posted by saintbernard
If I remember the story correctly: some fan named Shawn decided he wanted to make a song to sound just like Stevie.
It wasn't Shawn -- it was a friend of his. Shawn himself actually had nothing to do with either writing it or recording it.

I agree with Adam that I think this is a Stevie demo because I'm yet to see concrete evidence that would convince me otherwise.
It's really not Stevie Nicks. But it sure has made for an enjoyable scandal!

[AliP]

Are you serious? You mean Stevie does not sing this song? This is one of my favorite demos. I play it all the time. I swear it's Stevie though. So IS there a demo of "Do I Bring You Down" out there that IS Stevie?

[saintbernard]

When the entire "Is it Stevie or is it not Stevie" controversy regarding this song first came to my attention it was on another message board.

The site that hosted the board had the song posted for download. Someone (I can't remember his name for the life of me, I really wish I could) posted a message on the board that the song wasn't really Stevie. Well, needless to say, that started a huge discussion about it.

His position was, and I am going from memory here not exact wording, that his once good but now seemingly former friend Shawn had recorded this song at his grandmother's house with a friend doing the back up. He went through a whole story, part of which I related in my previous post. He also spoke about Shawn being angry at the girl singing backup because he thought she was trying to 'outshine' him by sounding more like Stevie than him. He told everyone about going to a Stevie concert with Shawn and having to suffer through listening to him trying to mimick Stevie in the car. He swore everything he'd said to be true and, IMO, was more than ready to debate anyone who chose to disbelieve it--I happened to be one. ;)

I'm sure this person is still lurking around somewhere because I remember seeing him and this story on more than one message board around that time. However, I personally don't remember him ever participating in too many other threads, if any.

I only know of two versions of this song in circulation: the commonly traded version and the supposed "untampered with version" that, the individual who related the initial Shawn story incidentially, had submitted to 'prove' it was really Shawn. If this really isn't Stevie, then it would appear both are fakes.

My question is: just who is this much-talked about Shawn character and what are the supposed real circumstances surrounding the recording of this song? I'm confused. I've heard so much about him and that it was definitely him, then it wasn't him it was his friend. :confused: :confused:

[Johnny Stew]

If this is a fake, then he sure did an impressive job of altering the speed of the track.... especially since it was recorded in his grandmother's rec room.
:rolleyes:

And a tape of 'Timespace' demos?
What demos?... 'Timespace' is a "best of" album.


So many questions, not enough satisfactory answers.



Johnny Stew

[rianbay1]

I knew Shon personally and, yes, it is him singing and he did write the song. He was a huge Stevie fan and hence the lyrics were very Stevie inspired. I talked to him on the phone the night he recorded it with a few friends. It was done just before "Street Angel" came out. When the tape is sped up, it must REALLY sound like Stevie to cause this much confusion. Hope this clears things up.

BRIAN

[saintbernard]

Originally posted by Johnny Stew
If this is a fake, then he sure did an impressive job of altering the speed of the track.... especially since it was recorded in his grandmother's rec room.
:rolleyes:

And a tape of 'Timespace' demos?
What demos?... 'Timespace' is a "best of" album.


So many questions, not enough satisfactory answers.



Johnny Stew



I never understood the "Timespace" thing at all. Enchanted is the only Stevie Nicks compilation that has any kind of outtakes associated with it.

I wish the original threads weren't long expired. They made for quite the interesting read! ;) :)

[wondergirl9847]

If I were you...I would go only by the list of demos listed on sites like sararhiannon.com and the like in regards to stuff Stevie has done because I don't think these DIE-HARD Stevie fans would miss stuff like this...at least, I don't THINK they would....but I dunno. :shrug: People need to get a life and stop trying to rip off fans. Geez. :rolleyes:

[estranged4life]

I know alot of people think it's Stevie singing, But from what I hear, It isn't...I wonder how this "demo" made the rounds...Brian

[estranged4life]

what I remember reading awhile back...lol...And yet people still swear it's Stevie...Brian

[golddustchic]

I've actually heard "Imaginary Lover" on the radio a couple of times and it defintely is faster than the supposed "Stevie" version. You can really tell that they must have slowed it down because other than the speed it sounds exactly the same. I mean, the instrumentation sounds the same but the voice sounds way different, it sounds like a man:)

[Johnny Stew]

"Imaginary Lover" is definitely not a lost Stevie track.

Apparently, a radio station (in Southern CA.?) played the tune at the wrong speed (back in the late 70s, when it was a single)... then as a joke, and to cover for the mistake, the DJ said "that was Stevie Nicks, with 'Imaginary Lover'."

It's been confused as a Nicks tune ever since.

The song itself is pretty cool, and would make a fun remake for Stevie to do... but then I imagine that would just confuse things even more.



Johnny Stew

[saintbernard]

It is so easy to tell that Imaginary Lover isn't really Stevie. It's still a great song though!

I agree with Christy to use SaraRhiannon's excellent Demo Diaries as a guide. I've printed it out and go through it with a highligher every now and then to keep up with what I do and don't have. She's so very good about keeping it up to date.

Do I Bring You Down does sound like some sort of studio recording. It doesn't sound like any drum machine demo I've ever heard--it sounds much more polished. Studio time is expensive so I can't see just an average fan going to that much trouble and expense to record something for folly.

Because of all this controversy and so much contradictory information about this song I never include it on any CD-R's I make. Same with Imaginary Lover & I Believe In You.

[Bella Figura]

Do I Bring You Down, man, I really like this song too...I never would have guessed it wasn't Stevie. but at least it's Stevie inspired. Personally I have kept a lot of the "imposter" demo's like Imaginary Lover and All Over You (the demo with Prince) because a good tune is a good tune. One suggestion is to make a CD-R with just the "imposter" demos :laugh:

[David]

Just how many Shawns are involved in this intrigue? The Shawn I was talking about is RockALittleBoi@aol.com. That particular Shawn says he had nothing to do with "Do I Bring You Down?" but that his friend or acquaintance recorded the song -- not intending to fake anyone out but just for fun, I guess.

The confusion (if there really is confusion) over "Imaginary Lover" is sort of funny because those of us who were listening to the radio in 1978 remember that song's being a big hit, & everyone knew, including Fleetwood Mac fans, that Atlanta Rhythm Section recorded it. I don't think the confusion started until the 1980s, when more & more younger or newer Stevie Nicks or Fleetwood Mac fans began hearing tapes of the song at the faster speed.

[greatdarkwing]

Quick Question........ I was looking at the SaraRhiannon demo list, and some say : NOT CIRCULATING.....How does anyone know these songs exist, if they are not circulating?

Thanks,
Alex

[estranged4life]

the songs listed on sararhiannon.com as being "Not Circulated" are songs that have been listed as registered "trademarked" songs...Brian

[greatdarkwing]

Thanks, Brian...It makes more sense now....

~Alex:wavey:

[Bella Figura]

since I brought up All Over You, I just want to let you know that I don't know if Stevie is doing some of the background vocals or not. that's why I included it on my "imposter" list. One of the backup singers has a Steviesque voice but only Stevie, Prince and their entourages know for sure.

Stevie has stated in her most recent interviews that she really met Prince only once during the recording of "Stand Back"...but who really knows...earlier interviews show a friendship between the two...stories change...

[chiliD]

Adam, you were partially correct about "Imaginary Lover".

The story is: an overnight DJ somewhere in the midwest (Indiana, I think, if memory serves) put on the then hit by the Atlanta Rhythm Section, however, he'd just played a 45 on that turntable and had put the ALBUM on to play not changing the turntable's speed, then either went to the restroom or out to smoke a joint or something, anyway, he left the control room, when he came back in 1/2 way through the song, he discovered that it was playing at the faster speed, but it sounded so close to being Stevie, to cover his ass, he let the song finish and back-announced it as being the new Fleetwood Mac single. (since the ARS song was a hit in between Rumours & Tusk)

Hoax started, 25+ years later, with the advent of mp3 file sharing, hoax perpetuated.


oops, sorry, I responded after only reading page 1...I guess this post is kinda redundant.

[Johnny Stew]

Your response wasn't redundant at all, chili... you filled in the blanks left open in the other explanations.
:)


Johnny Stew

[saintbernard]

I'm very happy that you posted, chili! How I first found out about the whole story surrounding Imaginary Lover was through one of your posts on another board.

If anyone knows, chili knows! ;) You are an encyclopedia of music knowledge!! :D