Interview 6/12/08: Hello St. Louis!

[Tango]

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/ent...A?OpenDocument


Stevie Nicks will sing songs people want to hear


Stevie Nicks vows to stick with fan favorites for her show hereBy Kevin C. Johnson

When Stevie Nicks comes to Chaifetz Arena this weekend, her fans won't have to worry about her dropping "Gold Dust Woman," "Rhiannon," "Landslide" or other staples to make room for new material.

First of all, Nicks, 60, hasn't released new music since 2001's "Trouble in Shangri-La"; her latest release is last year's "Crystal Visions — The Very Best of Stevie Nicks."

Second, Nicks just isn't into deleting hits from her set.

"People aren't happy with you for doing that, and we've all tried," she says. "The Eagles tried it, Fleetwood Mac tried it, I've tried it. We try to do it because we want to do something different. But then when you do it, you find your audience going to the bathroom or going to buy a T-shirt.

"They've leaving because they're not familiar with what you're doing and don't care. So all we can do is take the nine or 10 songs they're coming to hear, build a set around those songs, add four or five songs, and mix it around, change the sequencing. Then it appears to be different to everybody."

Nicks, who will rejoin Fleetwood Mac for a tour next year, says her show has changed since the last time fans saw her.

She put "Beauty and the Beast," "Has Anyone Ever Written Anything for You" and "Outside the Rain" back into her show, and added songs by Bob Seger and Dave Matthews Band.

"Has Anyone Ever Written Anything for You" is performed in front of a video montage of American soldiers in noncombat situations.

"It's great, but I couldn't look back at the video," says Nicks, who believes she'd lose it if she did. "It's beautiful and poignant. It had everyone in tears."

Nicks, who filmed a PBS "Soundstage" episode to air this summer, had more to say about her music and tour.


Herbert Worthington

Q. When you look over your solo repertoire with a collection like "Crystal Visions — The Very Best of Stevie Nicks," are there any regrets?

A. I have no regrets. I did everything pretty right. The only thing was in 1986, with the tranquilizers (she says it was Alonpin). I got through the pot and the cocaine and the Kool menthols and still worked. But the tranquilizers stole my soul. It was a very sad time. I curled up and didn't do anything. I could have made one or two more Fleetwood Mac records, and my own repertoire would've been 30 to 40 percent bigger.

Q. You released "Timespace — the Best of Stevie Nicks" in 1991. What makes "Crystal Visions — the Very Best of Stevie Nicks," the very best?

A. Some of it is live, some of it is hot new mixes, some of it is video with me sitting and doing commentary over each video and telling people what the song is about and what was happening in my life when the song was being made. That's interesting and fun to me because it's not just greatest hits.

Q. Dixie Chicks and Billy Corgan both covered "Landslide." What's the preferred version?

A. I love the Dixie Chicks, and I love Billy Corgan's version, crazy as it was. I'm friends with the Dixie Chicks and I got to sing it with them in a four-part harmony, and they brought it back in a huge way. Now the version I do is different, and the Dixie Chicks made that possible.

Q. Your songs have been heavily remixed by dance-music technicians, including the Deep Dish remix of "Dreams" on "Crystal Visions." How do you feel about your material getting this treatment?

A. I love them. I work out to all these dance remixes. With Deep Dish, they asked whether they should use my old vocal, or another singer, or if I could sing it over. I said I'll be there in an hour. It was a thrill to put a brand-new vocal on it, though it sounds similar to the old (one). My voice doesn't change.

Q. Destiny's Child used "Edge of Seventeen" for its hit "Bootylicious." What was your thought on that?

A. I know Beyoncé fairly well, and she's a doll. She asked me if she could do it, then she called and asked me to be in the video. As a writer, 50 percent of that song is mine. Every time that song is played, Beyoncé and I make the same money.

Q. When can we expect the next Stevie Nicks studio project?

A. I don't know. That's why I'm doing more greatest hits and going back in the vaults and finding cool stuff that might bring people out to Borders and Starbucks to buy a record. I can do a solo record, but what will happen is 1,000 hard-core fans will buy it and push the send button and send it to 5 million others. That makes me wonder, why bother? People are stealing our songs.


kjohnson@post-dispatch.com

[MacMan]

Originally Posted by Tango

I can do a solo record, but what will happen is 1,000 hard-core fans will buy it and push the send button and send it to 5 million others. That makes me wonder, why bother? People are stealing our songs.

She underestimates the size of her hard-core fans! Look how many bought Crystal Visions... Twice that many would buy a new release!

Thanks for the article.

[vermicious knid]

My voice doesn't change.

Oh dear, she's crazy.

As a writer, 50 percent of that song is mine. Every time that song is played, Beyoncé and I make the same money.

Well, there are four writers listed for that song: Stevie, Beyonce, Rob Fusari, and Faltone Moore. So Stevie and Beyonce can not BOTH get 50 percent.

I can do a solo record, but what will happen is 1,000 hard-core fans will buy it and push the send button and send it to 5 million others. That makes me wonder, why bother? People are stealing our songs.

Major cop-out. First of all, TISL sold about six times what Crystal Visions sold, so you can't use a sales argument for why you are doing "more greatest hits" instead of original music. What happened to the Stevie who wanted to seclude herself on a mountain with a typewriter?

[strandinthewind]

Originally Posted by vermicious knid

Oh dear, she's crazy.

That vocal is pretty much spot on and very, very close to the original.

Originally Posted by vermicious knid

Well, there are four writers listed for that song: Stevie, Beyonce, Rob Fusari, and Faltone Moore. So Stevie and Beyonce can not BOTH get 50 percent . . .

Beyonce may get 50 and then split that 50 in some way with the others.

Originally Posted by vermicious knid

Major cop-out. First of all, TISL sold about six times what Crystal Visions sold, so you can't use a sales argument for why you are doing "more greatest hits" instead of original music. What happened to the Stevie who wanted to seclude herself on a mountain with a typewriter?

I tend to agree. However, I wonder how much it would cost her to produce the records and then what level of sales would be needed to sustain that production level.

[RockALittle250]

Stevie is so fragmented with her answers. In Q magazine in May, when the reporter asked her if she was working on a new album she said "Yes, I've been writing continually." and she handed the reporter "The Soldier's Angel"...and now a month later she doesn't know when she's going to have out a new record because her loyal fans are going to send her music to everyone they know!? How could she change her mind so rapidly in a month's time, that's just ludicrious! Well, at least "I don't know" is better than "never". But i'm just so angry that between interviews she did a complete 180.

[Tango]

Originally Posted by RockALittle250

Stevie is so fragmented with her answers. In Q magazine in May, when the reporter asked her if she was working on a new album she said "Yes, I've been writing continually." and she handed the reporter "The Soldier's Angel"...and now a month later she doesn't know when she's going to have out a new record because her loyal fans are going to send her music to everyone they know!? How could she change her mind so rapidly in a month's time, that's just ludicrious! Well, at least "I don't know" is better than "never". But i'm just so angry that between interviews she did a complete 180.

Evil Gemini.

[BombaySapphire3]

Let's see I"m a Gemini and with ADHD on top of that and even I'm not crazy enough to believe that a new Stevie Nicks album would sell 5 million copies in this day and age which is what she is implying by saying 5 million people who otherwise would have purchased it would "steal" it instead..I think more likely she is creatively bankrupt and really who would want to admit that?

[David]

She does her cardio to the plethora of remixes! How cool is that?

(Of course, it's my opinion that exercise is the only thing thumpy club mixes are good for.)

[GoldDustOrphan]

Personally, I don't feel that Stevie is creatively bankrupt.

Stevie's choice of numbers (1,000 hardcore fans in relation to 5 million illegal downloaders) is an obvious exaggeration on her part to make a point.

[wheart]

Hummm...Stevie seems to forget that she had many hits that people ARE familiar with and DO want to hear that she just doesn't do. I think when it comes down to it, she does the songs she wants to do. Period. I don't think anyone really comes to her shows to hear her do "Sorcerer" or "Fall From Grace", yet she continues to perform them. Why? Neither were hits and I did recently witness quite a few people take breaks during these two songs. If she was consistent in what she says in interviews, she would drop those two songs and replace them with two songs that were equally as popular as Dreams, Rhiannon and Stand Back. Same with the covers. I really enjoyed them but again, most people aren't coming to see her perform three songs that aren't her own. I adore Stevie but I think that sometimes what she says and what she does are two different things.

[jwd]

I do enjoy reading these articles on Stevie and Fleetwood Mac. But the more I read, the more confused I become. From Stevie not touring with Fleetwood Mac unless Chrisitine McVie is involved, to Sheryl Crow joining Fleetwood Mac and then not, and now proposing to use a female "back up" singer to flesh out the Fleetwood Mac sound? One day Stevie is writing as if she is getting ready to put out an album and then the next her sentiment is "why bother, we're getting ripped off?" Talk about mood swings?! I'll just have to say that I'll believe it when I see/hear it.

[BombaySapphire3]

Originally Posted by GoldDustOrphan

Personally, I don't feel that Stevie is creatively bankrupt.

Stevie's choice of numbers (1,000 hardcore fans in relation to 5 million illegal downloaders) is an obvious exaggeration on her part to make a point.

Other than creative bankruptcy I can't think of an explanati0n why that a woman who alway's said" my first love is my songs ..I gave up everything to do this "..and endlessly laments the lost years of creativity from the Klonopin would esstentially do nothing but "oldies" tours for the last 5 years now..after the SYW tour ended she had plans to start work the very next month on a new album ..and so far not a single new song.

[JWS]

A. I have no regrets. I did everything pretty right. The only thing was in 1986, with the tranquilizers (she says it was Alonpin). I got through the pot and the cocaine and the Kool menthols and still worked. But the tranquilizers stole my soul. It was a very sad time. I curled up and didn't do anything. I could have made one or two more Fleetwood Mac records, and my own repertoire would've been 30 to 40 percent bigger.

That's KLONOPIN.

[strandinthewind]

Originally Posted by BombaySapphire3

Other than creative bankruptcy I can't think of an explanati0n why that a woman who alway's said" my first love is my songs ..I gave up everything to do this "..and endlessly laments the lost years of creativity from the Klonopin would esstentially do nothing but "oldies" tours for the last 5 years now..after the SYW tour ended she had plans to start work the very next month on a new album ..and so far not a single new song.

Again, I wonder if she is having difficulty getting the producers and musicians she wants. For her to produce a record the way she wants to produce it would cost at least a million. And, I am unsure she can be produced on a smaller budget in that her songs require a great deal of work based on the final products of the demos I have heard. But, she allegedly was recording something in Nashville. So, we'll see. In the end, she is 60 and likely wants to take it a little easier, esp. with a FM record and tour coming up (hopefully).

[BombaySapphire3]

Originally Posted by strandinthewind

Again, I wonder if she is having difficulty getting the producers and musicians she wants. For her to produce a record the way she wants to produce it would cost at least a million. And, I am unsure she can be produced on a smaller budget in that her songs require a great deal of work based on the final products of the demos I have heard. But, she allegedly was recording something in Nashville. So, we'll see. In the end, she is 60 and likely wants to take it a little easier, esp. with a FM record and tour coming up (hopefully).

Id be interested to know what Bella Donna would cost now adjusted for inflation.Most of that album was done in one or two takes ..I bet it would only be around 250,000 for the production of the album itself.I can't really believe that they would expect to have a new FM album done for a 2009 tour that they have not even begun recording.