Stand Back US Festival 1983
 

Am I the only one that thinks the issued "touched version" of Stevie's re-recorded vocals is worse than the original? Right after the US Festival, there was a radio program that ran across many US rock stations. They could not play the entire sets of all bands but played several of their songs. For Stevie it was Outside the Rain, Stand Back, and Stop Draggin My Heart around. From the radio and being 1983 I had no idea the vocals to Stand Back were studio recorded. However, I remember thinking she sounded horrible and so nasal compared to the other songs. Many years later we all learned that the Stand Back vocals were re-recorded for release. I suppose because it was Stevie's new single they thought they were polishing it up from a live version. However IMHO this is probably the only re-recorded vocal on a live track that make the song sound worse.
What do you guys think? Is the original or touched version better?

Original live recording
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTsOdx-g5fE

Re-recorded studio version for radio inserted into the US Festival coverage
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FcHa8D3nqio


I think the real live version is far superior. This seemed so unnecessary. It also was a first indication how her voice was declining with all that blow.

I had these songs recorded from the radio and would play them all the time. Its one of all time favorites of Outside the Rain and How Still My Love ever. Few times a song was better on her Wild Heart tour than 1981 tour IMHO. She had passion, power and not the screaching cokey vocals yet.

IMO the re-record sounds better (clearer). The original sounds beset by technical difficulties and is harder to hear (particularly evident from 4:40 to 5:15).

FWIW I've long noticed the sound on FM's 1982 Mirage video is clearer than that of their US Festival appearance of the same year.

One note: Along with Roy Bittan and Bill Payne, for this song bassist Bob Glaub is also on keyboards (see 4:55-5:25), making it a trio of keyboardists.

Here's the band for this show, which is slightly different from her Wild Heart touring band: http://www.waddywachtelinfo.com/USFest1983.html

IMO both versions sound great but the second one is a little closer to the album vocal which is probably why they went with that. I do remember Toronto radio giving the performance a rave review, being that it was in the height of my fandom:] his exact quote was " I didn't expect to be blown away by her...she sang perfectly! Not long after, my long awaited concert at the CNE bandshell with Joe Walsh was cancelled due to "low ticket sales: ya right.:p

I still enjoy watching this performance as it was great, albeit she was very stoned at the time.

I think that is the quality of any live versions.....some fading voices here and there. I just find the touched version too nasal as if she did it with much less effort of the live show which sort of destroys the purpose to spend time in a studio. Its weird because at some point they realized the video version would be made public in a video so it was sort of sung over in lip sync version which makes it even more bizarre IMHO. Live on stage, she is free having fun and sounds great. The studio version she sounds constipated :eek:

;) :eek:

You know what? It still was fun and fueling some passionate work. Yes her cokey banter had her trying to express 3 thoughts at once but she still looked so good. She was coked out yet her looks and performances were not impacted that much. She did a far better job at the 1983 US Festival as a solo artist than her show with the Mac at the 1982 US Festival. Her hair was feathered and she was fresh and fun. I saw her almost exactly a month after the US Festival and just one month being on the road with Joe (who was the biggest drunk and drug addict in rock at the time) took its toll. She seemed isolated, confused and not having as much fun. Its scary to think the amount of drugs that were consumed in that month. IMHO this US Festival appearance looks like its a year before the Wild Heart tour. The lousy concert reviews started during Wild Heart. She controlled the stage in 1981 and was in command. Once the Wild Heart got up and running things started to change rapidly (and not for the better).
Having said all that, this version of Outside the Rain, Angel, and How Still My Love are some of my all time solo performances.

I can't find the source, but somewhere Benmont Tench said something to the effect of how he didn't really find out what an abundance of cocaine was until he went on the Wild Heart tour.

The Paul Fishkin quote from Behind The Music "Near overdoses on the road" was in the preview but cut from the actual show on Vh1.

All you have to do is look at this US Festival footage from late May 1983 and then look at the pro-shot concert 6 weeks later in early July 1983 Largo MD. While she is still beautiful, look at the difference. Instead of 6 weeks you would think it was a 2 year difference between the shows in looks, behavior, etc. She was already an addict but hooking up with Joe night after night in the summer of 1983 took its toll especially the show I saw.

It’s kinda weird to think that we had to wait a loooong time to hear “Stand Back” truly live for home listening. Before that, we had to endure quite a few post-recorded versions masquerading as live:

• Showtime US Festival May 1983
• Westwood One in Oakland October 1983
• Red Rocks August 1986
• San Francisco December 1987

When was the first actually live “Stand Back” audio? Saturday Nite Live? Solid Gold? Westwood One in Fresno December 1987?

My pet theory on her US Fest performance
 

I've always thought this performance was lackluster at best and a truly missed opportunity to make those who thought of her as lightweight entertainment (which there were a lot of) think otherwise. Regardless, among other drugs/drink that were going through her system onstage, I believe she was tripping her head off on LSD.

My theory as to why her vocal performance sounds so tired is that the WHOLE day leading up to her showtime was a giant party, which she loves, which she would have been at the center of, and she NEVER stopped talking (and laughing and carrying on). She's chatty by nature and I bet she hadn't stopped talking in the 10 hours before that show. Tripping with your friends? I bet she never was silent. Also, at that point, she was into her husky speaking voice, regardless of how professionals told her to raise her speaking pitch to where it belongs. She spoke too low back then and that, along with everything else, did her no favors that day.

She blew a golden opportunity with that show because she wouldn't shut up. She had 1/4 tank of gas left when she took that stage.

I await the slings and arrows.

I don't know about the specifics of that day, but I do agree that she totally took her talent for granted and did NOT take care of herself and her voice throughout her career. It's one of my biggest disappointments as a fan... she was far more focused on the being famous and having life be one big party than she was on developing her talent as a writer and improving it and growing it or on caring for her voice. It's like she just assumed it would always be there, and didn't notice or care when she started losing it-- first her upper register and then when she would just be totally hoarse and raw and keep pushing it. And smoking doesn't help that at ALL. But she was so sucked into the "being a star" sh&t she didn't care. I can totally see where her crap became too much for someone like Lindsey to deal with. Her inability to see any flaws in herself came back to bite her big time.

No slings or arrows but I could not disagree more. She was awesome here in 1983. Her only rough song was Edge of 17. I saw the Wild Heart Tour and as I said earlier this looked like it was years earlier. This was her best performance of 1983 by far. Have you seen her space cadet, high as a kite performance in Largo just 6 weeks later?

Coked out here? YES but still in command.

I do totally understand what you're saying with regard to the comparison. Yes, the codeine cough syrup lethargy of that show is the worse of those two evils. I actually saw the show the day before Largo, Worcester, and it was quite similar. The 15-year-old me, never having gone to a concert before, thought that when she disappeared to her tent after Dreams, "well, she's not coming back, she's ill." She sounded so...bronchial. I was startled. But, somehow, a minute later she popped out of that little tent on stage left with a little more spring in her step. :laugh:

Ha ha! I was 13 and saw her one week before the Largo show. Very similar reaction. As a teen you are used to the music videos and Bella Donna show. Even at 13 I could sense something was wrong. My local paper described the Pittsburgh stop as a "What happened To Stevie Nicks Game Show" since she would disappear constantly and her band seemed as confused as her. When the US Festival footage showed up in the age of the internet, I was in complete shock at the show because it was nothing like the tour that hit the road just days later.
Speculation was she was ill around that time (last week in June). Her voice was rougher and she was so spacey. However I listened to the Philly show the day before on youtube and its completely different and she is peppy and having fun. I think she stayed up all night with Joe and never slept all day before the show. It really showed.
Besides never releasing the pro shot Largo show with the staged little girl. There was a radio show in late 1983 national broadcast of Stevie live. They played the Bella Donna concert with inserting only 3 Wild Heart songs....Stand Back, Leather and Lace, and Beauty and the Beast. I think it was recorded in Chicago and always got a kick of her confused introduction of Beauty and the Beast. "This is a story about a prince who was turned into a beast because we dont know what he did."

Yeah Ok, makes perfect sense! :lol:

Honey, Leather and Lace is Bella Donna. Check your meds.
Bless your heart...