Stevie's Mirage submissions

[porkpie]

Besides the three tracks that made it onto Mirage, does anyone know what other songs of hers they demoed or considered for the album? (Just started listening to it again last week after a few years and am hooked on it - a very underrated album of theirs)

[Artemis]

Smile At You and If You Were My Love, were two tracks from the Mirage sessions, iirc. I think at one point Smile At You was actually going to be on the album, but was replaced with Straight Back cause it was too angry.

[ontheEdgeof17]

This is the only Fleetwood Mac record where I think Stevie should have had more sings present. She was coming off the high of Bella Donna and was at the peak of her songwriting skills. A Lindsey song could have been dropped for Smile At You or for If You Were My Love. I'm sure they recorded more that have not surfaced as of yet. If Nothing Ever Changes was written around then, it would have fit, too....or Sable On Blond

[fringed n fab]

But Nothing Ever Changes and Sable On Blond belong and fit perfectly on The Wild Heart :nod:

[Dodfather]

This is the only Fleetwood Mac record where I think Stevie should have had more sings present. She was coming off the high of Bella Donna and was at the peak of her songwriting skills. A Lindsey song could have been dropped for Smile At You or for If You Were My Love.

Hear hear!!

[porkpie]

It is surprising she only got 3 songs and generally you can't hear a lot of her on the album (a foreshadowing of Tango perhaps...)

Can anyone pm me how to get a copy of the angry Smile At You. I never knew this was an old song and thought it was one of the most boring tracks on Say You Will - then I discovered the demo on You Tube and it's awesome! Lindsay really f*^$ed up that track on SYW.

[Jondalar]

Gypsy was the first World Premiere Video on MTV, fyi. And Straight Back is a song about Jimmy Iovine and having to leave her newly successful solo career to go back to Fleetwood Mac.

[Josh2003]

I think Mirage has, by far, Stevie's weakest collection of songs. Obviously, Gypsy is the stand-out track on the whole album, but I always seem to forget that the other two even exist.

[Dodfather]

I love That's Alright but it's so overlooked by fans. It's real hidden gem!

[darklinensuit]

I think Mirage contains some of Stevie's best work. Her vocals are excellent & her writing is strong. Based on outtakes alone, I think she definitely should have gotten more songs on the album (even though, in fairness, her songs are longer), but even with only three tracks, the album showcases how diverse she is an an artist: "Gypsy" is mid-tempo pop that builds in power, even as she plays it cool; "That's Alright" is simple in all the right ways and lets her voice and words capture the listener; and "Straight back" is pure Stevie weirdness and charm.

- Jake

[Travis]

I think Mirage has, by far, Stevie's weakest collection of songs. Obviously, Gypsy is the stand-out track on the whole album, but I always seem to forget that the other two even exist.

Oh Josh, I agree with you almost all the time but not on this :distress:. I absolutely love all 3 tracks. And her vocals soar. Believe it or not, I would take Stevie's 5 contributions from Mirage over Tusk. That's Alright, Gypsy, Straight Back, If You Were My Love and Smile At You. Stevie was on fire back then.

[porkpie]

That's Alright is a great song - just not so keen on Straight Back - the vocals are great but the song is kind of eh. It reminds me of Nothing Ever Changes - IMO it's just one of those songs that goes nowhere.

[vivfox]

What Has Rock and Roll Ever Done For You

[fringed n fab]

I love Straight Back. It's one of my favorite vocals and songs from Stevie.

[porkpie]

Does anyone have an mp3 of this version of Smile At You

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJOQbq6P-zw&feature=related

It sounds really high quality (better than the bulk of her demos), I wonder where it came from

[WildHearted]

Does anyone have an mp3 of this version of Smile At You

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJOQbq6P-zw&feature=related

It sounds really high quality (better than the bulk of her demos), I wonder where it came from

I have it, but I'm not sure where I got it from... I can try and find it though.

The only bad thing about this version is toward the middle-end where she overdubs but changes the lyrics so it doesn't match up and throws everything off.

[chiffon head]

I love the SAY demo!:thumbsup:

[Macfanforever]

I love That's Alright but it's so overlooked by fans. It's real hidden gem!

That song should of gotten country airplay.It would been a great follow up to After The Glitter fades from the BD album which did get some country airplay.

[MariaA37]

I hope it's all right to post these:

Smile At You Second Vocal:

https://www.yousendit.com/download/ZUd2V0oxeWFxRTFFQlE9PQ mp3

Smile at You First Vocal:

https://www.yousendit.com/download/ZUd2V0o4Q1BFc0pjR0E9PQ mp3

Smile At You Studio Version:

https://www.yousendit.com/download/ZUd2V0p4SU9ubHhFQlE9PQ mp3

~Maria

[MariaA37]

I love Straight Back. It's one of my favorite vocals and songs from Stevie.

Straight Back has always been one of my favorite Stevie songs. I love the extended version where she sings at the end "Remember this."

~Maria

[WildHearted]

I hope it's all right to post these:

Smile At You Second Vocal:

https://www.yousendit.com/download/ZUd2V0oxeWFxRTFFQlE9PQ mp3

Smile at You First Vocal:

https://www.yousendit.com/download/ZUd2V0o4Q1BFc0pjR0E9PQ mp3

Smile At You Studio Version:

https://www.yousendit.com/download/ZUd2V0p4SU9ubHhFQlE9PQ mp3

~Maria

Holy crap, I love you. That Studio version is what I have been looking for for AGES - essentially, the version I have, but without the distracting layered vocals that don't match up...

<3

[Aussie W/Heart]

Thanks MariaA37, love that studio version of SAY.. also you mentioned Straight Back extended version, would you mind posting that too. I only have the Johnny Thunder one, which is good but not very clear... thanks in advance:wavey:

[PenguinHead]

I love That's Alright but it's so overlooked by fans. It's real hidden gem!

Same here! "That's Alright" is one of my favorites. I consider it as one of her country songs.

[MariaA37]

Thanks MariaA37, love that studio version of SAY.. also you mentioned Straight Back extended version, would you mind posting that too. I only have the Johnny Thunder one, which is good but not very clear... thanks in advance:wavey:

Here you go, enjoy.

Straight Back extended version:

https://www.yousendit.com/download/ZUd1ak85NEhYSHhFQlE9PQ mp3

~Maria

[Aussie W/Heart]

Here you go, enjoy.

Straight Back extended version:

https://www.yousendit.com/download/ZUd1ak85NEhYSHhFQlE9PQ mp3

~Maria

Thanks heaps, listening to it now:wavey:

[tabruns]

I think Mirage has, by far, Stevie's weakest collection of songs. Obviously, Gypsy is the stand-out track on the whole album, but I always seem to forget that the other two even exist.

Nah, that honor either goes to Tango In The Night or Behind The Mask.

[tabruns]

Here you go, enjoy.

Straight Back extended version:

https://www.yousendit.com/download/ZUd1ak85NEhYSHhFQlE9PQ mp3

~Maria

Very cool. Thank you!

[tabruns]

I love Stevie's songs on Mirage. "That's Alright" is a great, compact country song. I only wish they had mixed the woodblock higher up in the mix, I think that would have added some nice atmosphere to it. "Straight Back" is nicely atmospheric and I love the dense production on it.

IMO Stevie was contributing top notch songs to all four of the first Fleetwood Mac albums. She only slipped on Tango and Behind the Mask.

[BombaySapphire3]

Vocally Stevie was at or near her peak for the Mirage sessions as well IMO.The sessions where the bulk of her vocals were recorded came right after the recording of Bella Donna.She left for France right after Bella Donna wrapped so she was kind of a captive at the" Honky Chateau" for a few weeks otherwise Fleetwood Mac probably wouldn't even gottens as much out of her as they did.For Tango she probably did a total of less than two weeks of work on an album that took eighteen months.

[tabruns]

Vocally Stevie was at or near her peak for the Mirage sessions as well IMO.The sessions where the bulk of her vocals were recorded came right after the recording of Bella Donna.She left for France right after Bella Donna wrapped so she was kind of a captive at the" Honky Chateau" for a few weeks otherwise Fleetwood Mac probably wouldn't even gottens as much out of her as they did.For Tango she probably did a total of less than two weeks of work on an album that took eighteen months.

Yeah. Its amazing that her voice was so shaky on Tusk but came back so strong on Bella Donna and Mirage.

[On Ice]

I agree that Stevie's Mirage contributions are among her best. Her voice just soars at every turn and I don't think there is a single weak moment in her delivery. The only thing wrong with the album is that Smile at You and If you Were My Love weren't brought to completion. It would have been amazing for the band to have done at Nicks dominated album, especially after Bella Donna. 5 Stevie, 4 Christine and 3 Lindsey would have been a stellar album. Too bad she faltered so badly on Tango in the Night, such a shame.

[Artemis]

I agree that Stevie's Mirage contributions are among her best. Her voice just soars at every turn and I don't think there is a single weak moment in her delivery. The only thing wrong with the album is that Smile at You and If you Were My Love weren't brought to completion. It would have been amazing for the band to have done at Nicks dominated album, especially after Bella Donna. 5 Stevie, 4 Christine and 3 Lindsey would have been a stellar album. Too bad she faltered so badly on Tango in the Night, such a shame.

I think that's precisely what the band wanted to avoid, they didn't want to suddenly push her as the star of the band, and gave her the least amount of songs for that reason. Which is a shame, cause the material kicked ass. :(

Although, I'd say Rumours was the Nicks-dominated album, she's all over that. And, if you count Silver Springs, I think she has the most writing credits... or is tied with Christine.

[tabruns]

I agree that Stevie's Mirage contributions are among her best. Her voice just soars at every turn and I don't think there is a single weak moment in her delivery. The only thing wrong with the album is that Smile at You and If you Were My Love weren't brought to completion. It would have been amazing for the band to have done at Nicks dominated album, especially after Bella Donna. 5 Stevie, 4 Christine and 3 Lindsey would have been a stellar album. Too bad she faltered so badly on Tango in the Night, such a shame.

Agreed....but I also agree with Artemis as to why they didn't. I recall reading an article in Rolling Stone around the time of the making of Mirage, and they described a lot of tension between the band and Nicks.

[On Ice]

Hi Artemis,

I agree that Stevie was out at the forefront on Rumours and to me was mostly responsible for its classic sound, but 5 stellar Nicks tunes on Mirage would have been a complete treasure. Mirage would have been a more exciting album sans a couple Lindsey tunes. My biggest gripe about Fleetwood Mac was not allowing more room for her songs; as we know, there are at least a couple dozen or more missed classics that should be recognized alongside Landslide (which is not by a long shot, her best song).

[tabruns]

Hi Artemis,

I agree that Stevie was out at the forefront on Rumours and to me was mostly responsible for its classic sound, but 5 stellar Nicks tunes on Mirage would have been a complete treasure. Mirage would have been a more exciting album sans a couple Lindsey tunes. My biggest gripe about Fleetwood Mac was not allowing more room for her songs; as we know, there are at least a couple dozen or more missed classics that should be recognized alongside Landslide (which is not by a long shot, her best song).

Yes. And it was basically band politics that I think always led to 5 Buckingham, 4 McVie, 3 Nicks songs. Instead they should have given each writer a reasonable "starting point" (say 3 songs) and let the remaining 3 spots go to simply the best songs. In such a case "Smile At You" and "If You Were My Love" might have ended up on Mirage after all.

[porkpie]

Maria - thanks for the demos!!

Does anyone have If You Were My Love? I've never even heard that one.

Re. her vocals on Tusk, I like the vulnerability in them - her version of Landslide on the Fleetwood Mac Live album, i think, is the definitive version. Mid 90's her voice seemed to get more nasally and quite flat but then bounced back and she sounds great again on IYD.

[Aussie W/Heart]

I'm not sure how to post downloads:shrug::sorry:, but if i were you I'd check out the Demo Thread probs on page 2, there's a mountain load of treasured gems in there including master reels of If you were my love.. Enjoy:thumbsup:

[MariaA37]

Does anyone have If You Were My Love? I've never even heard that one.


I'm in the minority here but this was the first If You Were My Love demo and imho it's the best. I searched for years to find a good quality version of it.

https://www.yousendit.com/download/ZUdzN3RWSWgzeUx2Wmc9PQ mp3

The version with Stevie and Lori and Sharon has grown on me, but I hate the Fleetwood Mac version. I'm sure someone will post them. If not, I'll have to find them.

~Maria

[fringed n fab]

I agree that Stevie's Mirage contributions are among her best. Her voice just soars at every turn and I don't think there is a single weak moment in her delivery. The only thing wrong with the album is that Smile at You and If you Were My Love weren't brought to completion. It would have been amazing for the band to have done at Nicks dominated album, especially after Bella Donna. 5 Stevie, 4 Christine and 3 Lindsey would have been a stellar album. Too bad she faltered so badly on Tango in the Night, such a shame.

I like what we got from Stevie on Tango In The Night. Little Lies sounds just as good cranked up today at full volume as it did in 1987. Christine's lead vocals with Stevie's coming in was pure perfection. :nod:

[ryan4136]

Per KC, the band and the crew were all supporters of Smile at You. But Lindsey vetoed it, even while working on it, he was against it's inclusion. Apparently he was jealous of how little Stevie was willing to mess with the arrangement that her Bella Donna buddies had put together. Since he really had no creative impact on the song he shot it down, and would not back off it.

Seeing how different it sounds on SYW it makes some sense.

[Dodfather]

Too bad she faltered so badly on Tango in the Night, such a shame.

I like what we got from Stevie on Tango In The Night.


I love Seven Wonders! Even though she didn;'t write it it's so much fun.

[holidayroad]

If You Were My Love (Mirage Outtake) mp3
http://www.mediafire.com/?700w836wvcnv6xv

[markolas]

Per KC, the band and the crew were all supporters of Smile at You. But Lindsey vetoed it, even while working on it, he was against it's inclusion. Apparently he was jealous of how little Stevie was willing to mess with the arrangement that her Bella Donna buddies had put together. Since he really had no creative impact on the song he shot it down, and would not back off it.

Seeing how different it sounds on SYW it makes some sense.

I love gossip like this. This is the kind of thing I want to hear more about - this and Iovine's veto of Julia from Bella Donna.

[Jondalar]

I love Gypsy and That's Alright. Not a fan of Straight Back because of the lyrics. Thought the song was very weak.

[markolas]

KC needs to come back and give us some dirt. :laugh:

Yeah, I like Gypsy & That's Alright. I could take or leave Straight Back. Either Smile at You or If You Were My Love would've been more interesting.

[ryan4136]

Agreed, thank goodness LB didn't act that way with Gypsy, and that SN allowed some noticable changes to that song, what a gem we might've missed out on.

[Christopher]

I love Stevie's "Mirage" songs. Her voice on this, just as on "Bella Donna", is at its apex, and she sounds confident and strong. Her vocals on all 3 songs give me goosebumps. After all these years "That's Alright" & "Gypsy" are my favorites from this record. Don't get me wrong "Straight Back" is wonderful too, but it has not aged as well for me. Back in 82' as a teenager SB was the representative FM radio AOR deep cut, not to mention Stevie's archetypical moody, ambiguous mystical contribution. But if they had swapped out "Smile At You" instead of "Straight Back" on Mirage, I strongly suspect SAY would have been a big song & possible hit in Stevie's catalog, instead we have to settle for fan bootleg hall of fame. And yes, there was major tension in the band when they recorded "Mirage" with Stevie coming off her HUGE success with Bella Donna, having stayed on the charts and spawned hits spanning almost a solid year. I believe BD was still practically in the top 40 album charts when "Mirage" was released.:nod: Stevie was the undeniably the biggest female rock singer 81' through 83'

[LilyRose]

The demo versions of Smile At You will always trump the officially released version. It belonged on Mirage, no question. As much as I love If You Were My Love I kind of hope they don't try to officially record it. I don't want the charm to be taken away.

I'm holding out hope for a remastered Mirage re-release; a place to put these songs out to the masses (that is if anyone besides us diehards really care).

[porkpie]

thanks guys for If You Were My Love, it's awesome! So are the musicians the Mac or her solo guys?

Also, are there any demos from the Tango sessions which have Stevie's vocals that Lindsey erased?

[tabruns]

Lindsey erased vocals of Nicks' from the Tango songs?

[Jondalar]

I wish people would stop blaming Lindsey for everything. He more than did right by Stevie Nicks. Tango was definitely her fault.

[CADreaming]

I wish people would stop blaming Lindsey for everything. He more than did right by Stevie Nicks. Tango was definitely her fault.

Thank you!! Even Stevie admitted it and said "that was hard for him"...

[Bandon]

At the time, Gypsy was the first song from a recorded album when Stevie presented her "alto voice." After all these years, her voice does not seem so "alto" on Gypsy, but it did back then. :nod:

Yeah, for anyone who thinks Straight Back is bland, check out the extended version. I always loved that. :thumbsup:

[UndoingTheLaces]

Yeah, for anyone who thinks Straight Back is bland, check out the extended version. I always loved that. :thumbsup:


There's an extended version??? I never knew that! Does anyone have it?

[DeeGeMe]

Check out the article posted on the Nicks Fix from Sept 1982--The Record magazine (it was a short-lived offshoot of Rolling Stone)--whose title is "Where's Stevie?" it describes some of the behind-the-scenes drama around Stevie's contributions or lack thereof in the album and the tour preps and interviews; although Chris, Mick, John, and Linds were very kind in what they said about her; more or less.

[bombaysaffires]

I'm in the minority here but this was the first If You Were My Love demo and imho it's the best. I searched for years to find a good quality version of it.

https://www.yousendit.com/download/ZUdzN3RWSWgzeUx2Wmc9PQ mp3

The version with Stevie and Lori and Sharon has grown on me, but I hate the Fleetwood Mac version. I'm sure someone will post them. If not, I'll have to find them.

~Maria

Definitely the best quality of this version I've ever come across. Thanks so much for posting. It's my favorite also.

[PenguinHead]

Agreed....but I also agree with Artemis as to why they didn't. I recall reading an article in Rolling Stone around the time of the making of Mirage, and they described a lot of tension between the band and Nicks.

I suspect that Stevie, having just proven her ability to be independent and successful on her own terms, came back to Fleetwood Mac with a slight attitude, knowing she had a bit more clout. She probably was less passive and more challenging.

[tabruns]

Check out the article posted on the Nicks Fix from Sept 1982--The Record magazine (it was a short-lived offshoot of Rolling Stone)--whose title is "Where's Stevie?" it describes some of the behind-the-scenes drama around Stevie's contributions or lack thereof in the album and the tour preps and interviews; although Chris, Mick, John, and Linds were very kind in what they said about her; more or less.

I remember reading this article back in the day. Interesting that Mick seems so non-chalant at the time about Nicks possibly leaving. I don't think he'd feel that way now.

[BombaySapphire3]

Stevie was the undeniably the biggest female rock singer 81' through 83'

I'm not a huge fan of Pat Benatar but I'd have to say they were pretty much neck and neck during this time.By 1985 however Pat was pretty much through. Her album Seven the Hard Way released within weeks of RAL stalled at number 28 and had trouble even going gold whereas RAL was platinum within a month.

[ahafan02]

I'm not a huge fan of Pat Benatar but I'd have to say they were pretty much neck and neck during this time.By 1985 however Pat was pretty much through. Her album Seven the Hard Way released within weeks of RAL stalled at number 28 and had trouble even going gold whereas RAL was platinum within a month.


Seven the Hard Way will always be my fav Pat album....she had two hits from the album "Sex as a Weapon" and "Invincible". "Le Bel Age" was a modest hit. I would say she killed her career with "True Love" and has never recovered since.

[drzubritsky]

At the time, Gypsy was the first song from a recorded album when Stevie presented her "alto voice." After all these years, her voice does not seem so "alto" on Gypsy, but it did back then. :nod:

Yeah, for anyone who thinks Straight Back is bland, check out the extended version. I always loved that. :thumbsup:

Yes, there were hints of that alto in parts of "Angel" and "Sisters Of The Moon" but "Gypsy" was the first song where she really let her lower range shine. And that low register has never sounded as good before or since as it did on Mirage. Imagine "FWIW" or "Destiny Rules" being sung in that "Gypsy" voice!

[GoldDustWoman22]

OK one question. I've been reading about how Stevie debuted her alto voice on Gypsy. But wasn't she always kind of more in the lower register? I mean even from Buckingham Nicks she always had that deep sound to her voice. And granted she did sing in a higher register on some early FM albums but I never would have necessarily considered her a soprano. More of a mezzo alto...I think that's an actual register :shrug:?

[LilyRose]

OK one question. I've been reading about how Stevie debuted her alto voice on Gypsy. But wasn't she always kind of more in the lower register? I mean even from Buckingham Nicks she always had that deep sound to her voice. And granted she did sing in a higher register on some early FM albums but I never would have necessarily considered her a soprano. More of a mezzo alto...I think that's an actual register :shrug:?

As far as I can tell Stevie's always been an alto.

[Bandon]

OK one question. I've been reading about how Stevie debuted her alto voice on Gypsy. But wasn't she always kind of more in the lower register? I mean even from Buckingham Nicks she always had that deep sound to her voice. And granted she did sing in a higher register on some early FM albums but I never would have necessarily considered her a soprano. More of a mezzo alto...I think that's an actual register :shrug:?

Even Stevie has stated on numerous occasions that her voice changed during the late 70's. In concert her voice was very different than the voice people heard on the studio LP's and singles after Rumours. The term "alto" may be inaccurate, but my point was she sang "Gypsy" in a much lower register than on her previous recordings.

[GoldDustWoman22]

Even Stevie has stated on numerous occasions that her voice changed during the late 70's. In concert her voice was very different than the voice people heard on the studio LP's and singles after Rumours. The term "alto" may be inaccurate, but my point was she sang "Gypsy" in a much lower register than on her previous recordings.

Yea I definitely did notice that. I was just curious to see what she might have defined herself as. I do know her voice changed...from doing too many Rhiannon's maybe? While I'm glad that a lot of people got to see FM live in the late 70s early 80s I feel like that may have done the most damage to her vocal chords for that time period. Even in that famous video clip of her singing in "Dreams" in 1978 I think it was she does have deeper sound than the one on the record, and you can tell that she is trying to make her voice go higher. So I'm wondering if maybe all the touring and her not being a trained singer might have affected her voice at that time. Because even her speaking voice in the Tusk era sounds really weak. Only to have everything come back 100% during Bella Donna.

[SaidSomething]

The rough crappy version was for Mirage and then offered to Tango. Neat vibe and spooky sound...some intense lyrics but, work was needed...ie...Tradgedy Of Ones Own Soul...neat idea, interesting work in progress...but, like an almost stoner poetry reading, avante garde style set to a sax...

Cool poety...then a line of run on sentences ..."then something in the mail comes and she gets driven into shock..." huh?

The better Joan of Arc demo was cut for Tango...
Jim

[GoldDustWoman22]

Has anyone ever noticed that "Straight Back" almost sounds like it could come right off of "Bella Donna"? I know that these albums were made back to back but to me, that song sounds like it could've been an outtake from the "Bella Donna" sessions. Just the melody and the way it is kind of spooky and has that haunted sound. Anyone else get that vibe?

[SaidSomething]

At the time, Gypsy was the first song from a recorded album when Stevie presented her "alto voice." After all these years, her voice does not seem so "alto" on Gypsy, but it did back then. :nod:

Yeah, for anyone who thinks Straight Back is bland, check out the extended version. I always loved that. :thumbsup:

Youre right about her album vocals....except for the original Landslide from the white album.

I also heard they sped up her vocal tracks and set the music around them. It was high tech for the day....sometimes calling the method, "chipmunking" as it brings the sound of the voice to a higher pitch. So, it was subtle as possible but, noticeable on Rhiannon, Dreams, Seven Wonders...

Plus she admitted to singing with her throat chords instead of properly using her lower vocal chords.

[Stevieforever]

I didn't get the 4 songs Maria posted in time, the 3 "Smile At You"s, and the extended "Straight Back". If anyone has these, could you please post again or renew the link? Thank you sooooooo much if you can!!

[Travisevian]

If Nothing Ever Changes was written around then, it would have fit, too....or Sable On Blond

I had never thought of Sable On Blond for Mirage but it could've been great for Fleetwood Mac.

[justdreamin]

I didn't get the 4 songs Maria posted in time, the 3 "Smile At You"s, and the extended "Straight Back". If anyone has these, could you please post again or renew the link? Thank you sooooooo much if you can!!

Can I second that request? Thank you kindly!!!!