Sisters Of The Moon (Demo)

[thewhitewingedd]

Hi...There is a Sisters Of The Moon Demo posted on www.moniquerenee.com .Its labeled as being "WEIRD"...If you haven't downloaded it yet...GET IT NOW...I think its amazing myself...

[golddustchic]

OMG!!! Adam, you are so right. This demo is so FABULOUS!! Stevie's vocals are phenomenal. This is definitely my new favorite demo. Everyone go get it, you won't regret it!!

[Gypsy-Rhiannon]

Wow....that is am awesome demo!! Love it!

Pip

[David]

Originally posted by thewhitewingedd
Hi...There is a Sisters Of The Moon Demo posted on www.moniquerenee.com .Its labeled as being "WEIRD"...If you haven't downloaded it yet...GET IT NOW...I think its amazing myself...I wish we actually knew where it was from and its time period....
We do!

It's dated March 28/29, 1978.

[Johnny Stew]

I think this is an excellent example of Stevie's appeal, and the reason so many people are endlessly fascinated by her (and why she continues to gain new fans all the time).

This demo blows the full-production album version out of the water. It's just her... her and her imperfect voice, and her unpolished piano playing... and yet the song holds your attention and keeps you enthralled.
It's honest, it's emotional, it's passionate.
There's more going on here than all the guitar parts and keyboard overdubs in the world could ever hope to accomplish.


At least in my humble opinion.
:)

Johnny Stew

[golddustchic]

This demo blows the full-production album version out of the water. It's just her... her and her imperfect voice, and her unpolished piano playing... and yet the song holds your attention and keeps you enthralled.

Couldn't have said it better myself Johnny Stew:)
You always seem to know the perfect thing to say:nod:

[blinker12]

Is that definitely Stevie playing the piano on the track? If so, it's easily her best performance on that instrument on record.
I also noticed that the song as recorded on this demo is pretty much *exactly* how it ended up on record _ from the bass line to the rhythm to the chords. The ideas are all right there. Here's at least one instance where the old saw that "Lindsey forcibly molded Stevie's flaky material into real songs" is clearly not true.

[SmthngOfADreamr]

I'm pretty sure that is definatly her... She talks about starting over if she makes a mistake, very similarly to what she said when she played Rhiannon on Storytellers. And I agree, it's definatly one of her best performances on a demo.

[Johnny Stew]

Originally posted by blinker12
Here's at least one instance where the old saw that "Lindsey forcibly molded Stevie's flaky material into real songs" is clearly not true. Personally I've always felt that the idea that Lindsey had some kind of svengali-like control over Stevie's songs, is terribly misguided.
If a song is great, it's great no matter who produces it (multiple piano-only versions of "Rhiannon" attest to that... as does this piano-only demo of "Sisters Of The Moon." And there are others).

While I do firmly believe that Lindsey's incredible production skills did *enhance* many of these songs... I don't think his influence was the one and only element that made them so great.
Not to mention the fact that Richard Dashut and Ken Caillat might have a definite argument against the notion of Lindsey receiving *all* the credit for the sound of these records.

At any rate, I am by no means bashing Lindsey (that's not something I have any desire of doing)... it just seems to me that sometimes there's a disproportionate amount of credit being doled out to him, for the appeal of Stevie's songs.


Johnny Stew

[estranged4life]

is on a bootleg named "Gems". This bootleg has been making the rounds lately among traders...

It also has a demo of "After The Glitter Fades" which is Stevie playing the piano and describing at the song as "Artsy-fartsy".

There's also a cool demo of "Leather And Lace" which does not contain vocals from Don Henley, Which alot of the other versions in circlation do...Brian J.

PS-For a complete listing of the songs on the "Gems" cd, Please check out the following link:

http://www.angelfire.com/music3/rhiannon/Stevie_Demos.html

[sisterofthemoon]

ooh god I love it...this is one of my all time favorite songs and I love hearing different versions of it...

[ERigby818]

This demo IS gorgeous.
I first got to hear it recently thanks to Brian's fabulous trades :thumbsup: and It knocked me off my feet, as did the rest of the Gems cd. I actually cried!

I'm surprised at the excellent quality of this mp3.

Just for the sake of argument...I wanted to point out that Lindsey took Stevie's demos and made them awesome rock and roll songs. He enhanced them with gorgeous harmonies, rocking guitar solos, and the most carefully crafted production. He didn't make them awesome songs. They were already that.
However, on Tusk I believe he made the least effort out of any album, being that he was reeling from the whole Mick affair and some nasty leftover breakup tension with Stevie. I think Stevie's songs on Tusk, like Sisters, are closest to the original demos, without being quite as developed as, say, her songs on Rumours or Tango. The point is, he didn't need to make much effort to make her songs sound effortlessly amazing...just look at the classic video of them working together on Angel!
We know he didn't contribute much, if at all, lyrically to her songs. As far as melodies go, he didn't need to add much either.
The gorgeous elements of this demo are just that: the gut-wrenching lyrics and melody. She didn't need Linds for that. But he did turn it into an amazing rock and roll song, with (in my opinion) minimal effort. I think that's why it doesn't sound all that different from the final version.
Personally, I don't think any piano version of Rhiannon compares to the full-blown, fast performed version, with Lindsey's screaming guitar solo to support the vocal screaming. That was a time when, as Stevie said, he worked on her music with a "fever." And you can hear it. He loved her so much, and recognized every breath of her singing and word of her writing as the pure talent it is.
This is NOT a Stevie Vs. Lindsey argument...just want to point out exactly HOW he compliments her musically...I realize it even more when I hear these raw demos. And it is so mind-boggling to hear them in that pure form.
:shocked:
But I still believe that at least half of her solo songs would have sounded better with some of Lindsey's influence. Sometimes I think Jimmy Iovine was a waste of space. While I love every single one of her solo songs for their lyric and melody content, sometimes I am lukewarm to, if not horrified by some of the bad production in the 80's (lackluster guitar solos if any, and some keyboards that make me cringe)...:rolleyes:

Sorry to ramble. (I apologize if I offended anyone, I really don't mean to)...:D
-Sonia

[David]

Originally posted by ERigby818
Just for the sake of argument...I wanted to point out that Lindsey took Stevie's demos and made them awesome rock and roll songs. He enhanced them with gorgeous harmonies, rocking guitar solos, and the most carefully crafted production. He didn't make them awesome songs. They were already that.
How beautifully put, Sonia. I agree with you!

[sulamith]

Ok, David, now I AM starting to think you are Lindsey!

C'mon! Fess up! :)!!

[David]

Originally posted by sulamith
[B]Ok, David, now I AM starting to think you are Lindsey! C'mon! Fess up!B]
I confess!

[ahem] I'm ... not Lindsey! But you just KNOW he's here somewhere -- he digs this stuff.

But getting back to "Sisters of the Moon," it is truly "something exquisite." I've been enjoying that demo for years. It knocks me out. And with the leak/release of the reel-to-reel copy of it (with the talk intro), it's even better. I worked out the little piano accompaniment Stevie does; it's fun to play!

I can't really compare the demo with the finished studio version. They're like two entirely different songs in terms of their style & mood. Two completely different effects. Obviously, she wrote it as a ballad -- a beautiful haunting ballad -- & Fleetwood Mac revamped it into a power-chorded dirge, suitable for encores in front of thousands of screaming fans.

Too bad it's only been played on three tours so far. I don't think they'll ever revive it. Is it even on the Very Best Of collection?

[ERigby818]

Hehe, I wouldn't mind if you were Lindsey. The idea of him lurking here is very exciting. :D
I hope they'll revive Sisters for the new tour. Wouldn't that be awesome?!:]
I think Stevie could still sing this song beautifully and make it rock with her current limited note range.
I love the live recordings when Lindsey sings the part...
"Some call her sister of the moon,
Some say illusions are her game...
I want to wrap her in velvet...
Does anyone know her name?"

That's hot. ;)
-Sonia