I can't believe I've been neglecting "Beautiful Child" all these years
 

what a great song! I would probably have to put it in my Top 15 Stevie songs, if not 10...

I can't believe you've been neglecting it either!!! Beautiful Child is in my list of the most beautiful Fleetwood Mac songs along with Songbird, Dreamin' the Dream and Man of the World.

I was hesitant to listen at first because I'm not a big fan of slow songs, but I am in love with it now! Definitely in my top 15 as well! :)

It starts too delicately for radio (a single edit would have been interesting) but the song is beautiful and it builds to quite a crescendo. I love the ending of the song, with Nicks in the background doing the "ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh" while Lindsey/Christine sing "I'm not a child any more" and then "ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh" while they sing "old enough to reach for the stars".

I've heard that Warner Bros wanted to limit Tusk to a single album. I can't imagine which Nicks songs would have been cut, because all 5 of them are quite good.

There was a recession in 1979 and Fleetwood Mac had been Warner's cash cow for the last half decade.They were very afraid Tusk would not sell like Rumours but Fleetwood Mac had the clout to do as they pleased at that time.So we got five awesome Nicks songs on a masterpiece of a double album.For the record Stevie also commented that she did not want Tusk to be a double album back then.:rolleyes:

You've been neglecting Beautiful Child for years?

I oughta get Child Services on your ass.

Do you have a source for this? I know that Nicks argued against Say You Will being a double album, but I've not seen where Nicks said anything about Tusk (other than that she hated the term "tusk").

Beautiful Child is a stunning song with probably the best Buckingham Nicks harmony interplay ever recorded. It could have worked well in 79 as a concert staple if they had been in a 75 frame of mind. I think. The song just begs for a Stevie "Green Manalishi" live type ending, simply not possible in the Say You Will years.

No, Stevie didn't argue against Tusk being a double album, the record company didn't want to put out a double album, but Fleetwood Mac was powerful enough to get what they wanted and hence the double album happened. That's what BombaySapphire3 was saying.

^ and just before the album was released, FM radio played the entire two record album on the radio. Many, including me, taped the album on cassette that night resulting in lower than expected sales. I still bought the record but I'm sure many others didn't.

As for Beautiful Child, I can still remember the DJ on KPRI in San Diego introducing the song by saying "this is primo Fleetwood Mac."

I was living in San Diego then only I recorded it on 8 track:lol:I could not remember if they played the entire album on KGB or KPRI though.

to me
 

one of the most stunning lyrics Stevie has ever written! not to mention the amazingly powerful vocal and the intricate production of LB. easily in my top 5 of her songs!!!

I love the melody to this song, but lyrically its too flaky

Always have loved it, Stevie at her best. Unlike many/most, I am only a true Stevie fan when she is pulling at the heartstrings with slow ballads.

What you call flaky, I call stunningly vulnerable. :laugh:

Like the op, I had neglected Beautiful Child for ages, but I'm now of the opinion that it's one of Stevie's best songs, and certainly her best ever vocal on record.