Nikolaj
03-10-2010, 11:18 PM
Sorry for the re-post, but I think maybe many forum readers don't read the Chit Chat page, I only found it a couple of months ago. So, I wanted to put it here, because I don't know if it's been discussed, and if it has been, I think it's still somewhat unknown.
..I meant to mention this on The Ledge 2 weeks ago, when I'd just finished reading 'Rough Mix' by Jimmy Bowen, who was a major producer and record-label president, he was behind tons of majorly huge careers from the 1960s to the late 1990s. He was considered to be on the level of a Clive Davis or David Geffen, perhaps (before Geffen expanded his empire into film with Dreamworks, at least.) Well, anyway, about midway through his book, Bowen mentions that in 1974 he was "in the process of signing 'folk singer-songwriter Stevie Nicks' as A SOLO ARTIST, 'the year before she had released the Buckingham Nicks album with her at the time boyfriend Lindsey Buckingham, but it didn't do anything, and I was going after her for a solo contract. They both went on to have huge musical careers in Fleetwood Mac before their eventual breakup." (paraphrasing, but darned close)--
He wanted Stevie as a solo act, he was President of Polydor at the time, but the overseas office put a freeze on him signing any new acts, he was left with egg on his face (over many matters) and left the Polydor-MGM label which at the time was merged, and went to another company to develop the country acts of a major label, he changed jobs more than a few times, but was always powerful and was able to sell records by many acts he'd sign.
I should have written this when I had just finished reading it and it was completely fresh, but there were no other details, really. I just was surprised to read that Bowen (who was behind major career-saving hits by Sinatra and Dean Martin in 1965 during the height of Beatlemania, and later went on to sign Garth and Reba when he changed musical genres and labels) wanted Stevie Nicks as a solo act.
I don't think he has any reason to lie, his book is pretty much warts and all, including his own warts. It doesn't seem he'd have a reason to include this information if it were untrue, he has plenty of other stories to tell.
But, if it is true that Lindsey knew a major record man was after Stevie to be signed as a solo act, though it fell through, it may explain why he was so loyal to Stevie when he told Mick that he and Stevie were a package deal. Maybe LB knew other industry players thought Stevie had solo potential all along, which I find very interesting.
Nice they stuck together. And keep getting re-stuck.
..I meant to mention this on The Ledge 2 weeks ago, when I'd just finished reading 'Rough Mix' by Jimmy Bowen, who was a major producer and record-label president, he was behind tons of majorly huge careers from the 1960s to the late 1990s. He was considered to be on the level of a Clive Davis or David Geffen, perhaps (before Geffen expanded his empire into film with Dreamworks, at least.) Well, anyway, about midway through his book, Bowen mentions that in 1974 he was "in the process of signing 'folk singer-songwriter Stevie Nicks' as A SOLO ARTIST, 'the year before she had released the Buckingham Nicks album with her at the time boyfriend Lindsey Buckingham, but it didn't do anything, and I was going after her for a solo contract. They both went on to have huge musical careers in Fleetwood Mac before their eventual breakup." (paraphrasing, but darned close)--
He wanted Stevie as a solo act, he was President of Polydor at the time, but the overseas office put a freeze on him signing any new acts, he was left with egg on his face (over many matters) and left the Polydor-MGM label which at the time was merged, and went to another company to develop the country acts of a major label, he changed jobs more than a few times, but was always powerful and was able to sell records by many acts he'd sign.
I should have written this when I had just finished reading it and it was completely fresh, but there were no other details, really. I just was surprised to read that Bowen (who was behind major career-saving hits by Sinatra and Dean Martin in 1965 during the height of Beatlemania, and later went on to sign Garth and Reba when he changed musical genres and labels) wanted Stevie Nicks as a solo act.
I don't think he has any reason to lie, his book is pretty much warts and all, including his own warts. It doesn't seem he'd have a reason to include this information if it were untrue, he has plenty of other stories to tell.
But, if it is true that Lindsey knew a major record man was after Stevie to be signed as a solo act, though it fell through, it may explain why he was so loyal to Stevie when he told Mick that he and Stevie were a package deal. Maybe LB knew other industry players thought Stevie had solo potential all along, which I find very interesting.
Nice they stuck together. And keep getting re-stuck.