I Get Weak

[bwboy]

I just noticed this today in the liner notes for the 2013 rerelease of Heaven on Earth by Belinda Carlisle; "After completing 'I Get Weak,' songwriter Diane Warren initially had Stevie Nicks in mind- a suggestion she made to producer Rick Nowels, who felt it would be a better fit for Belinda." Rick Nowels, of course, produced I Can't Wait for Stevie, and Stevie was the one who referred Rick to Belinda.

I guess if Stevie had recorded I Get Weak, then time wise, it would have appeared on either Tango or TOSOTM. I doubt Lindsey or the band would have recorded it, though, so more likely it would have popped up on her solo album. Still, it's hard for me to imagine Stevie singing this song. However, I could easily see Belinda Carlisle singing I Can't Wait!

[sorcerer999]

Belinda's vibrato is a lot faster than Stevie's. I've always thought "I Get Weak" was the one song where Belinda's vibrato was exacerbated to the Nth degree. It's so painfully evident and overdone in this song. It's the first thing I think of whenever the song comes up in conversation.

I could totally hear Stevie covering it, simply based on the fact that it would suit her vibrato.

[Macfan4life]

I think Stevie wrote most of I Cant Wait. She tells the story of Rick bringing her the music and her staying up all night writing a song to the track. Its a classic Stevie song with her singing about herself in the third tense and then singing about herself in the first tense. As she calls it...her Bob Dylan I cant picture anyone singing I Cant Wait except Stevie for that reason.
Stevie and Rick were friends as teenagers. I think I heard her say that Rick was Robin's brother best friend.
I cant picture Stevie singing "I get weak" either.

[WatchChain]

Stevie recording "I Get Weak" would have been severely out of place on any of her albums. I just don't see the song fitting anywhere.

[svnwndrs]

The only thing about this song that makes me think of Stevie is that it has that chugging mid tempo beat with simple chord progression over it. I’m mostly referring to the verses, and in turn, that quality makes me think of “Talk To Me”. Similar beat, similar basic structure. It’s just something I noticed a longtime ago. Although, “Talk To Me” obviously wasn’t written by Stevie. I do have to say though, that the “Heaven On Earth” album is pretty good.

[BlueLantern]

I always thought that song was intentionally similar to Stevie's "Talk To Me" -- both in sound/tempo/chords and in what they did with Belinda's vocal.

[bwboy]

Great observations here. Heaven on Earth is a great album, unapologetically pop. Too bad Belinda Carlisle's follow up albums weren't as successful. Her career was similar to Stevie's in a lot of ways- both started out in groups, had successful solo careers, worked with Rick Nowels, and had substance abuse issues. A collaboration between the two would have been interesting, with their vibratos.

Funny thing- when I wrote vibrato, my tablet kept changing it to vibrator!

[StevieandChris]

My favorite Belinda Carlisle song!

[Jondalar]

Originally Posted by bwboy

Great observations here. Heaven on Earth is a great album, unapologetically pop. Too bad Belinda Carlisle's follow up albums weren't as successful. Her career was similar to Stevie's in a lot of ways- both started out in groups, had successful solo careers, worked with Rick Nowels, and had substance abuse issues. A collaboration between the two would have been interesting, with their vibratos.

Funny thing- when I wrote vibrato, my tablet kept changing it to vibrator!

Runaway Horses is Belinda's best album.

[Nathan]

This song sounds like Talk to Me. It’s a little bubblegum but otherwise I could hear SN singing it for sure.

[bwboy]

Originally Posted by Jondalar

Runaway Horses is Belinda's best album.

I'm a huge BC fan, on par with Stevie. I agree Runaway Horses is a great album, but my personal favorite would be Live Your Life Be Free, the album right after RH. But I think it stalled at #100 on Billboard! Or maybe even worse. My favorite, though.

I still can't see Stevie singing I Get Weak, though I agree her voice has some BC characteristics. Or vice versa

Other tidbits:

- Lindsey wrote with Charlotte Caffey (a member of the Go-Go's) a song on BC's debut, called Since You've Gone.

- Sandy Stewart, who wrote If Anyone Falls and Seven Wonders for Stevie, wrote Valentine for BC, which appeared on Runaway Horses and was a big hit everywhere but America, apparently. Belinda still sings Valentine live.

[jeffd8382]

Originally Posted by bwboy

- Sandy Stewart, who wrote If Anyone Falls and Seven Wonders for Stevie, wrote Valentine for BC, which appeared on Runaway Horses and was a big hit everywhere but America, apparently. Belinda still sings Valentine live.

"Valentine" is a great song. Sandy also had another song of hers recorded by Tina Turner that same year, "Falling Like Rain" on Foreign Affair (1989). Despite different producers, both songs have a similar sound... and I love them both!

[JeremyGloff]

"Valentine" was always the Belinda song I could see Stevie taking a stab at. I love that song and of course the Sandy Stewart connection.

[svnwndrs]

I made a thread a few years ago about “Valentine”. It was very similar to this thread. I basically asked everyones thoughts about the song, and what everyone thought what if Stevie covered it or had originally done it instead of Belinda, with the connections to Sandy Stewart and Rick Nowels, and the response was lukewarm at best. Most people on here said they couldn’t see Stevie covering such a song, and basically it was inferior to Stevie’s other material. That it was too “generic” and “too poppy”. So it’s funny now, like 2 years later, that it seems the general consensus on here is the opposite. Interesting...

I’m not a big fan of “I Get Weak”. It’s just ok to me. “Valentine” is honestly a better song, to me, personally. Sandy’s songwriting fingerprints are all over this song. What can I say, it’s catchy and it kinda rocks. Sorry for getting off topic, just my 2 cents...

[bwboy]

I agree with you, svnwndrs. I like I Get Weak, but Valentine is definitely a better song, and I could definitely see Stevie singing it, whereas I Get Weak, no.