Tango In The Night - Which Songs Include Stevie?

[cbBen]

What Tango In The Night songs include Stevie?

In addition to her three original songs, I hear her on "Little Lies" and on "Family Man" (Wikipedia doesn't credit her, but I hear her around the 2-1/2 minute mark).

Wikipedia credits her with singing on the extended remix (but not on the album mix) of "Big Love" and with synthesizer and singing on "Everywhere" (I don't hear her voice, and for the life of me can't see why they would have her play synthesizer on one of Christine's songs).

The tour DVD demonstrates she would ideally be on "Isn't It Midnight" singing a "face of a pretty girl" counter vocal, but I don't hear her on the album version of that song either.

[Macfan4life]

This is a tough question to answer because the debate about "where is Stevie on Tango" has been raging with numerous other threads. Some claim they can hear Stevie on Everywhere while others say no. Lindsey mentioned how hard Tango was to create with the dysfunction of the band. Stevie did a quick Seven Wonders before checking into Betty Ford. When she left Betty Ford, she only attended a few more recording sessions. Lindsey is not specific but claims he had to work her voice in on parts. Which parts? Good question. If you listen closely, Stevie is not on the chorus of Little Lies. She only sings "tell me lies." We all want to know how creative Lindsey was during this process. Were these words Lindsey programmed together? Probably a stretch but its anyone's guess. Its clear to me that her voice is layered in on Family Man. So, IMHO Stevie is on her 3 songs, layered in on Family Man, and Little Lies is the wild card. For the record, there are even some that claim its not Stevie on Family Man but it's Lindsey being creative (again).
Lindsey needs to write a book.

[cbBen]

At around the 2-1/2 minute mark of "Family Man," at least to my ear, she's also doing a brief vocal turn all on her own – not something that could be faked as it is her voice distinctly.

So far, it sounds like she's on just five or six songs out of the twelve (which would make about half the album the same lineup as Buckingham McVie.)

Still eager to hear from others as to what they know/hear on this front.

[FuzzyPlum]

Originally Posted by cbBen

At around the 2-1/2 minute mark of "Family Man," at least to my ear, she's also doing a brief vocal turn all on her own – not something that could be faked as it is her voice distinctly.

So far, it sounds like she's on just five or six songs out of the twelve (which would make about half the album the same lineup as Buckingham McVie.)

Still eager to hear from others as to what they know/hear on this front.

I'd go along with Macfan4life. I'll give Little Lies but I'm one of those people who is convinced she is definitely not on Everywhere. She sounds like the 'I am what I am what I am what I am what I am...' etc on Family Man. However I concur there's a chance that could be Lindsey's creative trickery. I don't think she's on any other non-Stevie songs.

[Netter75]

Originally Posted by cbBen

What Tango In The Night songs include Stevie?

In addition to her three original songs, I hear her on "Little Lies" and on "Family Man" (Wikipedia doesn't credit her, but I hear her around the 2-1/2 minute mark).

Wikipedia credits her with singing on the extended remix (but not on the album mix) of "Big Love" and with synthesizer and singing on "Everywhere" (I don't hear her voice, and for the life of me can't see why they would have her play synthesizer on one of Christine's songs).

The tour DVD demonstrates she would ideally be on "Isn't It Midnight" singing a "face of a pretty girl" counter vocal, but I don't hear her on the album version of that song either.

My Summary of her contribution relating to Tango:

Album Cuts:
When I See You Again
Seven Wonders
Welcome to the Room... Sara
Little Lies
Family Man: She's the one going "am whadda am, am whadda am, etc" around the 2:30 mark, low in the mix with lots of distortion. You could make the case that it's Lindsey doing vocal tricks, but the same sample is played in the extended version around the 5:00 mark. Here it is slowed down, high in the mix, and clearly Stevie. She is also present on the chorus in this version.

I do not hear her on any of the other songs, including Everywhere. She may indeed be there, buried in the mix, but I cannot for the life of me hear her.

Alternate Versions:
1. Family Man: Much more prominent, see above. She also squeals a lot and talks about "mother father, sister," "I can't let go" on the Extended guitar mix around the 5:30 mix. Very RAL, i.e. erratic and drunk sounding. She is present on the chorus of this version as well.
2. Big Love: She is yelling "house up on the hill!" in the extended version, around 4:10. In the "House on the Hill Dub" mix, she is also yelling... something, "pretty girl" maybe? This starts around 1:10, and then concludes with "looking out for love" just afterwards. Somewhere in these tracks is also a vocal sample that has her yelling "Well it's a big, big love" These are likely the backing vocals she recorded for the album track that Lindsey stripped out before release. Understandable as they don't flow with the slick nature of the song.
3. Little Lies: She's more prominent. At the end she sings "Tell me lies, OH, sweet little lies, no no you can't disguise", "oohs" and repeats "sweet lies, little lies", also likely leftover vocals from her sessions that Lindsey chose not to use in the final.

So we at least have some evidence of her vocal sessions on other songs, they were used in the extended cuts instead. A user on this board (FannyMac) claims to have interned with Modern Records, Stevie's solo label, and heard an early cut of the album where her vocals were "All over it" before it was stripped to "just two songs", and then her third song was added back and her Little Lies backing vocal was reinserted.

Live:
Isn't It Midnight: The 1987-1988 and 1990 tours have her on the chorus, with an additional solo bit following the first chorus where she repeats "The face of a pretty girl" and a new closing vocal where she leads some "Welllllll Isn't it midnight"s with the others. This may be similar to how she recorded backing vocals for the album song before they were stripped, but there's no evidence of this because she is not present on any demo or alternate version.
Everywhere: The 1987-1988 and 1990 tours have her yelling "I WANNA BE WITH YOU" like an obnoxious chipmunk before she and Christine deliver the chorus. It's possible this was similar to the backing vocal she recorded for the album that she was so pissed about being removed. It's impossible to tell since it is not found on any demos or alternate versions of the song.
Big Love: She did backing vocals on the chorus for a 1998 live performance on Letterman with Lindsey.

As for Lindsey's vocal trickery, that is most promiently on display with Caroline. There's a version of the song which isolates the backing vocals (usually listed as a demo) which reveals that they belong to Lindsey with pitch increase. This pitch increase sounds a *bit* like it could be Stevie+Christine on the album, but alone it is clearly Lindsey.

I do not see any sign of her on Caroline, You and I, Ricky, Down Endless Street, Mystified, and Tango in the Night (in any version).

Songs she produced with her band that were considered for Tango but were not seriously demoed with the Mac:
What Has Rock and Roll Ever Done For You?- Mick Fleetwood's book
At the Fair- No evidence to corroborate this, but it is often found on Tango compilations.

Songs she demoed for Tango that were played by the Mac but were not used:
Joan of Arc- Not included on the expanded album because Stevie claims that she is "not done with it"
Ooh My Love: Later on OSOTM in a different arrangement
Juliet (completed instrumental in "Book of Miracles",s the "Seven Wonders" b-side). Later on OSOTM in a different arrangement.

[Macfan4life]

Many of us heard Stevie on the Buckingham/McVie album. Of course she is not on the album but Lindsey has a way of backing vocals that our brain thinks is Stevie.

[cbBen]

Thanks, Netter75, for all this detail.

It amazes me that with songs like "Candlebright" "Sorcerer" "The Dealer" "Planets Of The Universe" and "Smile At You" available, they still went with something as awful as "Welcome To The Room Sara" (maybe Stevie insisted on its inclusion). "When I See You Again" is also worse than the above songs, but not nearly so bad as "Welcome To The Room" (which really prevents the album from being able to claim masterpiece status).

[cbBen]

While we're on the subject of Tango, what does everyone think of the following?: Is Christine absent (neither playing nor singing) from any songs on the album – such as, but not limited to, "Tango In The Night" and "Caroline"?

[cbBen]

I admire when groups don't divvy up the songs politically, but just go with the best material without regard to how many songs come from each songwriter.

Bob Weir has no songs on the Grateful Dead's Workingman's Dead. David Crosby has just one song on CSN's Daylight Again. Jeremy Spencer has no songs on Then Play On.

If the group for whatever reason was refusing to consider songs five years or older, then it should have limited Stevie's contribution to "Seven Wonders."

[bwboy]

Originally Posted by cbBen

Thanks, Netter75, for all this detail.

It amazes me that with songs like "Candlebright" "Sorcerer" "The Dealer" "Planets Of The Universe" and "Smile At You" available, they still went with something as awful as "Welcome To The Room Sara" (maybe Stevie insisted on its inclusion). "When I See You Again" is also worse than the above songs, but not nearly so bad as "Welcome To The Room" (which really prevents the album from being able to claim masterpiece status).

I also want to thank Netter75 for his descriptive post. Very helpful.

I agree, it's crazy to think the band chose those songs by Stevie over the ones you mentioned, but I'm sure they were looking at the future and not the past. Planets of the Universe is one of my favorite Stevie/FM songs, and it's inclusion would have been fabulous. However, I remember an interview where Stevie said she played the recorded version of Planets of the Universe for Lindsey, and that he praised the producer, saying he could never figure out what to do with the song. I have no idea if that's true, but if it is, that might explain why Planets never made it on a FM album.

[tabruns]

Originally Posted by cbBen

Thanks, Netter75, for all this detail.

It amazes me that with songs like "Candlebright" "Sorcerer" "The Dealer" "Planets Of The Universe" and "Smile At You" available, they still went with something as awful as "Welcome To The Room Sara" (maybe Stevie insisted on its inclusion). "When I See You Again" is also worse than the above songs, but not nearly so bad as "Welcome To The Room" (which really prevents the album from being able to claim masterpiece status).

I agree with this, and it is baffling. TANGO and MASK were the Mac albums with sub-par Nicks compositions. Regarding TANGO, it would have been a rival to RUMOURS had Nicks's three songs been high quality. They would have been better off with Seven Wonders, Juliet, and Ooh My Love from those sessions, or by resurrecting If You Were My Love or Smile At You from the MIRAGE sessions.

[Macfan4life]

Originally Posted by tabruns

I agree with this, and it is baffling. TANGO and MASK were the Mac albums with sub-par Nicks compositions. Regarding TANGO, it would have been a rival to RUMOURS had Nicks's three songs been high quality. They would have been better off with Seven Wonders, Juliet, and Ooh My Love from those sessions, or by resurrecting If You Were My Love or Smile At You from the MIRAGE sessions.

Its not really baffling. Substance abuse really hurt Stevie during this era. Had she been around and not went to rehab or showed up drunk and high maybe the band would have had more to work on In Stevie's own words she says she "mailed" them "When I see you again" from the road during the RAL tour. Ooh My Love's track was stolen accidently from Petty. Stevie just did not have the time to spend with the band nor was she in the state to spend time with the band.
On BTM, Stevie was in a zombie like state.

Yes the possibilities could have been better. Imagine Tango having "Running through the Garden" and "Smile at you"
Mick stated that Stevie only contributed 4 songs. I don't think Ooh My Love was considered because Stevie pulled it based on the stolen Petty track. She contributed "What has rock n roll ever done for you" but the band passed. Not baffling at all. In fact its a miracle what Lindsey pulled off. Its really kind of spooky. I know he would never write a book but gosh could you imagine the stories he could tell.

[ViscountViktor]

Originally Posted by Netter75

Alternate Versions:
1. Family Man: Much more prominent, see above. She also squeals a lot and talks about "mother father, sister," "I can't let go" on the Extended guitar mix around the 5:30 mix. Very RAL, i.e. erratic and drunk sounding. She is present on the chorus of this version as well.
2. Big Love: She is yelling "house up on the hill!" in the extended version, around 4:10. In the "House on the Hill Dub" mix, she is also yelling... something, "pretty girl" maybe? This starts around 1:10, and then concludes with "looking out for love" just afterwards. Somewhere in these tracks is also a vocal sample that has her yelling "Well it's a big, big love" These are likely the backing vocals she recorded for the album track that Lindsey stripped out before release. Understandable as they don't flow with the slick nature of the song.
3. Little Lies: She's more prominent. At the end she sings "Tell me lies, OH, sweet little lies, no no you can't disguise", "oohs" and repeats "sweet lies, little lies", also likely leftover vocals from her sessions that Lindsey chose not to use in the final.

So we at least have some evidence of her vocal sessions on other songs, they were used in the extended cuts instead. A user on this board (FannyMac) claims to have interned with Modern Records, Stevie's solo label, and heard an early cut of the album where her vocals were "All over it" before it was stripped to "just two songs", and then her third song was added back and her Little Lies backing vocal was reinserted.

What I find interesting is

a) why would Lindsey allow Stevie on his tracks on two songs on Tango, something he hadn't done since Rumours?

b) why were these vocals then taken off, what was the decision making process behind that?

[Mr Scarrott]

Originally Posted by cbBen

What Tango In The Night songs include Stevie?

When this has come up before, I've made a case for her appearing on the title track. I'm not 100% convinced by my own argument, though.

Originally Posted by Mr Scarrott

I sometimes think that Stevie can be heard on the title track. It's probably more fake Stevie concocted by Lindsey, though- listen from 0:56 to 1:12, for example.

I do love that tiny bit of Christine you can hear at 2:25 to 2:41 just before the guitar solo kicks in. She sounds like a lost soul about to be carried away in the night.

I've tried so many times to hear Stevie on Eveywhere.If she's there, her voice has been synthesized almost out of existence

[John Run]

I am willing to say with extreme confidence that Stevie is not playing any of the synth parts on Everywhere. She was barely there to record a coherent vocal in 1987 let alone lay down synth parts on a song she did not write.

If you look at the personnel credits on Wiki for Tango in the Night, Say You Will, EP and Buckingham McVie they are increasingly Buckingham studio craft pieces that went beyond producing and arranging to actually playing and programming lots of the parts himself. This may have been a point of consternation for the band during the production of these albums, but maybe not? Although I believe he is the principal architect of the band's gorgeous ersatz symphonic sound, sometimes the architect has to know that the mason lays better brick than he himself would.

This is a great article on Tango and the building of that album.

https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums...eluxe-edition/

In Tango's case I think the physical and mental condition of the other band members forced his hand with many of these choices.