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In Your Dreams
01-10-2023, 10:33 PM
FAR OUT Magazine
Stevie Nicks picks her 10 favourite songs of all time
Jordan Potter
TUE 10TH JAN 2023 17.30 GMT

Stevie Nicks and her former partner Lindsey Buckingham joined Fleetwood Mac in the mid-1970s and helped re-establish the transatlantic group as a pop-rock sensation. The pair first met during her senior year at Menlo-Atherton High School in Atherton, California. Nicks was out one night at the Young Life Club, where she beheld Buckingham playing a cover of Barry McGuire’s ‘California Dreamin”, and she decided to join him in harmony.

Nicks and Buckingham left home to study at San José State University, but both would subsequently drop out to follow their passion for music with their humble beginnings in the psychedelic rock band Fritz. When Fritz disbanded in 1972, Buckingham and Nicks rolled the dice as a duo and released Buckingham Nicks, an album that received less commercial attention and praise than it perhaps deserved.

In late 1972, Buckingham joined the Everly Brothers on tour to play the guitar. Meanwhile, Nicks took to her notepad and penned two of her most enduring classics, ‘Rhiannon’ and ‘Landslide’. The latter was written about her relationship with Buckingham, which was, at the time, descending into the first of many subsequent troughs.

In 1974, producer Keith Olsen introduced the pair to drummer Mick Fleetwood. Fleetwood initially invited just Buckingham to the band, as they required a versatile guitarist. A loyal Buckingham stalled the recruitment process, insisting he comes only as a package deal with Nicks. Mick duly accepted, agreeing that another singer-songwriter wouldn’t hurt. As it transpired, Mick couldn’t have made a better decision. In 1975, the self-titled album Fleetwood Mac would become the band’s most commercially successful to date, bolstered by Nick’s songs’ Landslide’ and ‘Rhiannon’. The rest is history, as you might say.

In 2011, Nicks was invited to partake in BBC Radio 2’s ‘Tracks of My Years’ feature while promoting her album, In Your Dreams. For her introductory selection, Nicks chose Eagles’ 1972 song, ‘Witchy Woman’. “The Eagles were famous before Lindsey and I moved to Los Angeles,” Nicks said, introducing the song. “We drove to LA, and I remember listening to that song, thinking what a great song it was, and of course, I’m sure as all women my age did at that point, we were all hoping that we would actually be the witchy woman. Premonition-wise I would come to know Don Henley quite well. In fact, even do know who the actual witchy woman was; it was someone who became a very famous jeweller.”

“The Eagles were very inspirational to both Lindsey and I because we loved their singing, and we loved their ability to bridge country and rock and roll so beautifully,” she added. “I thought ‘Witchy Woman’ was just the perfect mix of country and rock and roll. And so we were very inspired by that, Lindsey and I.”

Next up, Nicks gave a shout-out to Kate Bush, a contemporary female singer-songwriter of whom she was particularly in awe. Announcing Bush’s seminal 1985 hit ‘Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)’, Nicks said: “That song I really loved because, what a great writer she is, and ‘Running Up That Hill’ was one of those songs that, when I first heard it, I went, ‘Oh I wanna record that song someday.’ As writers, we do that whenever a song comes on the radio that we love, we say, ‘Oh, I wanna record it and reinterpret it.’ Every once in a while, we do it, but you finally smarten up and go, ‘I can’t really do that song better than Kate Bush did, so I’m not gonna do it.’ Because if you can’t outdo her, then don’t bother”.

“And I just really loved her because she was a woman songwriter, and she was really standing out from the fray… a real serious writer who could compare with any of the guys. And then you’d see her in her videos, she’s kind of like a ninja. So she was tough, and yet she was a beautiful dancer. And she wrote beautiful songs. She wrote interesting, on-the-edge songs. As a writer, I really respected her because of that.”

Later in the interview, Nicks revealed an eclectic taste spanning the ages, with selections from Jackson Browne to Justin Timberlake. See the full list of Nicks’ selections below and follow our Spotify playlist if you like what you see.

Stevie Nicks’ 10 favourite songs:

Eagles – ‘Witchy Woman’
Kate Bush – ‘Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)’
Dan Fogelberg – ‘Same Old Lang Syne’
Pat Benetar – ‘Love Is A Battlefield’
Jackson Browne – ‘Somebody’s Baby’
Chicago – ‘Hard Habit To Break’
The Beach Boys – ‘Sail On, Sailor’
Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers – ‘Don’t Come Around Here No More’
Vanessa Carlton – ‘A Thousand Miles’
Justin Timberlake – ‘Cry Me A River’

https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/stevie-nicks-favourite-songs-all-time/

cbBen
01-10-2023, 10:44 PM
Of course her favorite song is "Witchy Woman" :).

Since Jackson Browne (of whom I'm a huge fan) is on the list, please compare the introductions below of Stevie's "Wild Heart" (1983) and Jackson's "Black And White" (1986). Then compare the songs themselves.

Do you think Jackson ripped off Stevie's song intro? If he did, to my ear he nonetheless took it to a better place and made a much better song out of it.

"Wild Heart": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w4iCl9f9vK4
"Black And White": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CuAQOagYeY

Of note: Before he joined FM, Rick Vito was in Jackson's band (and then in Bob Seger's). In fact, he plays on "Somebody's Baby" above, as do Russ Kunkel and Bob Glaub. Though it may be on YT only song by song, there's a pro-shot video of Jackson Browne Montreux '82, with Vito on lead guitar and the above personnel.

Also there's this 1982 tour promo video, again with the same personnel – with interviews including one of Rick at 9:48, and rehearsal footage at 10:30: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDquZ4xg8uw

Straightback
01-11-2023, 02:08 AM
So, no Prince's "Little Red Corvette"?

Macfan4life
01-11-2023, 05:35 AM
Its interesting that Pat's song that knocked Stevie from a Grammy and American Music award is on the list. Its also interesting that Somebody's Baby is a song that Jackson Browne hates so much that he will never perform it live. At least that is what he said years ago. Why nothing from Janis or that era? Hard Habit to break is probably one of Chicago's worst songs IMHO. That's an odd choice IMHO.

cbBen
01-11-2023, 09:43 AM
IIts also interesting that Somebody's Baby is a song that Jackson Browne hates so much that he will never perform it live. At least that is what he said years ago.

Whatever he may have once said, he did continue to perform it – or at some stage resumed doing so. It's on one of his few live albums: Solo Acoustic, Vol. 2 (2008): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solo_Acoustic,_Vol._2#Track_listing

Macfan4life
01-11-2023, 11:21 AM
Whatever he may have once said, he did continue to perform it – or at some stage resumed doing so. It's on one of his few live albums: Solo Acoustic, Vol. 2 (2008): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solo_Acoustic,_Vol._2#Track_listing
I remember an old interview maybe from the 1980s where he said it was one song he does not perform live. He hated the song and purposely gave it to the soundtrack as a throw away that he did not want on his upcoming album.
However I did some online research and his therapist has made him come around to the song.

cut and paste:
Browne has called this an "unabashed pop song." Most musicians would want their most popular songs on their albums, but Browne was OK having it on the Fast Times at Ridgemont High soundtrack, despite the advice of his former label boss David Geffen, who told him he was nuts for giving it up.
Around this time, Jackson Browne was working on songs for his Lawyers In Love album, which was released in 1983. He didn't consider "Somebody's Baby" for the album because he didn't think was an "important" song - just a meaningless pop tune.

Browne's therapist helped bring him around. On the After the Deluge podcast, Browne said he was ragging on the song during one of his sessions, but the therapist set him straight, telling him: "You've got it all wrong. This is about something important. Everybody wants to belong to somebody. Everybody wants to feel loved and this is the most fundamental thing."

cbBen
01-11-2023, 01:33 PM
Yes, plus he has said he regrets not re-recording it (more to his taste) for his 1983 album Lawyers In Love.

David
01-11-2023, 03:00 PM
“And I just really loved her because she was a woman songwriter, and she was really standing out from the fray… a real serious writer who could compare with any of the guys. And then you’d see her in her videos, she’s kind of like a ninja. So she was tough, and yet she was a beautiful dancer. And she wrote beautiful songs. She wrote interesting, on-the-edge songs. As a writer, I really respected her because of that.” Good, surprising choice. Only time I ever heard Stevie praise anyone for being musically edgy. I wonder how much of her catalogue Stevie has heard.

Eagles – ‘Witchy Woman’
Kate Bush – ‘Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)’
Dan Fogelberg – ‘Same Old Lang Syne’
Pat Benatar – ‘Love Is A Battlefield’
Jackson Browne – ‘Somebody’s Baby’
Chicago – ‘Hard Habit To Break’
The Beach Boys – ‘Sail On, Sailor’
Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers – ‘Don’t Come Around Here No More’
Vanessa Carlton – ‘A Thousand Miles’
Justin Timberlake – ‘Cry Me A River’

Some good things, some crap. Interesting choice in the Dan Fogelberg schmaltz. Back when the song he did with Tim Weisberg — “The Power of Gold” — was all over the radio (1978, I think), I figured that Stevie was enamored of it.

But where are all of those classics that Stevie grooved to in her youth? Where is the Motown and R&B she claims she loved? Why such a bland, icky Chicago song done by Peter Cetera when she probably heard them and saw them in their heyday — “Beginnings,” “Make Me Smile,” “Saturday in the Park” and others with Terry Kath and Robert Lamm on lead vocals? THAT was flower power and the quintessence of a counterculture movement, just as much as Dylan. And speaking of Dylan ... uhh, no Dylan? Where are the Fleetwood Mac songs from 1967 on? None of them made her Top Ten, but Justin Timberlake did? Even the Heartbreakers song is not the classic Heartbreakers sound that Stevie says she practiced ballet to — the songs from You’re Gonna Get It and Damn the Torpedoes. None of those, Stevie? Stevie is the archetypal radio listener for the mass-market DJ programmer. It’s no wonder she and what’s-his-name rubbed each other the wrong way for fifty years. It was a clash of aesthetics.

Nifty to see the Beach Boys on there. I wouldn’t have guessed.

mitzo
01-11-2023, 05:00 PM
Good, surprising choice. Only time I ever heard Stevie praise anyone for being musically edgy. I wonder how much of her catalogue Stevie has heard.



Some good things, some crap. Interesting choice in the Dan Fogelberg schmaltz. Back when the song he did with Tim Weisberg — “The Power of Gold” — was all over the radio (1978, I think), I figured that Stevie was enamored of it.

But where are all of those classics that Stevie grooved to in her youth? Where is the Motown and R&B she claims she loved? Why such a bland, icky Chicago song done by Peter Cetera when she probably heard them and saw them in their heyday — “Beginnings,” “Make Me Smile,” “Saturday in the Park” and others with Terry Kath and Robert Lamm on lead vocals? THAT was flower power and the quintessence of a counterculture movement, just as much as Dylan. And speaking of Dylan ... uhh, no Dylan? Where are the Fleetwood Mac songs from 1967 on? None of them made her Top Ten, but Justin Timberlake did? Even the Heartbreakers song is not the classic Heartbreakers sound that Stevie says she practiced ballet to — the songs from You’re Gonna Get It and Damn the Torpedoes. None of those, Stevie? Stevie is the archetypal radio listener for the mass-market DJ programmer. It’s no wonder she and what’s-his-name rubbed each other the wrong way for fifty years. It was a clash of aesthetics.

Nifty to see the Beach Boys on there. I wouldn’t have guessed.

She has always been odd in that she wrote interesting and often complex songs but had extremely pedestrian taste in production. Her solo career was often blighted by dreary production of midtempo songs.

cbBen
01-11-2023, 05:11 PM
That's one thing about Lindsey's production: It's always interesting.

SteveMacD
01-11-2023, 05:29 PM
She said “Little Wing” was her favorite in 1990.

Macfan4life
01-11-2023, 06:29 PM
She has always been odd in that she wrote interesting and often complex songs but had extremely pedestrian taste in production. Her solo career was often blighted by dreary production of midtempo songs.
So true. I agree. Her list changes quite a bit also. I remember her saying Tom Rundgren's Hello Its Me was one of her favorites. Wasn't she a big Elvis Costello fan too? I dont hate the band Chicago but besides "Stay the night", I hated Chicago's 17 with all those cheezy love songs aimed right at top 40 airplay. Chicago has so many better songs. However its very typical when I hear people say Talk To Me is their favorite Stevie song.

bombaysaffires
01-11-2023, 09:09 PM
I don't trust her when she gives these lists to be totally honest. I don't know if LB was really all that influenced by the Eagles or not... when he's been asked, he most consistently cites the Stones, and of course folkies like Kingston Trio. Didn't he not so long ago cite Kate Bush? And now she's on Stevie's list.... :shrug:
I'm actually surprised she didn't cite anything Harry Stiles or Miley Cyrus...or whoever else is currently popular. :eek:

SteveMacD
01-12-2023, 01:44 AM
Why do I get the feeling Stevie's favorite songs lists are the last songs that played on her iPod?

vermicious knid
01-16-2023, 09:16 PM
Do you think Jackson ripped off Stevie's song intro? If he did, to my ear he nonetheless took it to a better place and made a much better song out of it.

"Wild Heart": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w4iCl9f9vK4
"Black And White": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CuAQOagYeY


Wow, that really is similar. Just more mellow in feeling. Stevie has done her share of lifting elements from other people's songs, so I doubt she minded. I think very few songs are completely original. Maybe none. Everyone derives inspiration from everything that came before.

cbBen
01-16-2023, 10:40 PM
No way it was an accident. He lifted it.

But he knew what to do next: Change tempo and the entire feel of the song. Stevie just stayed in the same place.

SteveMacD
01-16-2023, 10:48 PM
Wow, that really is similar. Just more mellow in feeling. Stevie has done her share of lifting elements from other people's songs, so I doubt she minded. I think very few songs are completely original. Maybe none. Everyone derives inspiration from everything that came before.

Reminds me less of TWH than Eo17 reminds me of that Police song.

BombaySapphire3
01-16-2023, 11:19 PM
Jackson has been much more consistent in his songwriting . Stevie had about ten good years and then...

HomerMcvie
01-17-2023, 02:15 AM
Jackson has been much more consistent in his songwriting . Stevie had about ten good years and then...

Bella Donna is pure gold. WH is great. The end.

Macfan4life
01-17-2023, 07:51 AM
Wild Heart frustrates me. Its a fine album but it could have been stellar. It seems Jimmy was steering for a more commercial type of album. Just a few tweaks and the album could have been better. The title track wonders. The reissue version is faster and rocks. There should have been a better combination of the two. I would replace Gate and Garden with All The Beautiful Worlds. I would have dropped Nightbird for Garbo. The album needed some acoustic guitar. I would also have used the outtake version of Sable on Blonde but shortened the ending.

Wild Heart - different recording
Nothing Ever Changes
All the beautiful worlds
I Will Run To you
Enchanted

Stand Back
If Anyone Falls
Garbo
Sable on Blonde
Beauty and the Beast

cbBen
01-17-2023, 12:59 PM
For Bella Donna Jimmy had Benmont Tench go through Stevie's material and search for what he liked best. Benmont discusses the assignment from 38:40-40:53 here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hswqQUUhVYs

If he didn't, Jimmy should have again recruited Benmont (or someone similar) to do the same job on The Wild Heart.

bombaysaffires
01-17-2023, 11:46 PM
For Bella Donna Jimmy had Benmont Tench go through Stevie's material and search for what he liked best. Benmont discusses the assignment from 38:40-40:53 here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hswqQUUhVYs

If he didn't, Jimmy should have again recruited Benmont (or someone similar) to do the same job on The Wild Heart.

Yes. This is a great interview with Benmont. The guys interviewing him clearly aren't Stevie fans and almost start to go snarky about him, but realize he really likes her and catch themselves before the go too far. :distress:

On WH Stevie's ego (and drug use) had started to creep into her judgement... and instead of trusting Jimmy the way she did on BD she began to think she knew better

Macfan4life
01-18-2023, 12:00 PM
Yes. This is a great interview with Benmont. The guys interviewing him clearly aren't Stevie fans and almost start to go snarky about him, but realize he really likes her and catch themselves before the go too far. :distress:

On WH Stevie's ego (and drug use) had started to creep into her judgement... and instead of trusting Jimmy the way she did on BD she began to think she knew better
Yes the drug use accelerated the ego boost. You are correct. It started with Wild Heart and crystalized with RAL where she would rent studios and never show up. Bella Donna is a work of art. Wild Heart is like Swiss cheese to me. There are a few holes in the work. A noble effort and there was still a little magic there. Bella Donna had pressure to be great. Wild Heart sort of had the hangover of tremendous success which hurt the effort. By the time RAL came along she was mailing it in.
Neat how Benmont was blown away by Silver Springs and almost was his inspiration to work with Stevie.