Landslide at #2!

[blinker12]

Just wanted to give everyone a heads up _ in case you didn't know _ that the Dixie Chicks' cover of "Landslide" is at #2 with a bullet this week on the Billboard country singles chart. Maybe it'll be #1 next week? At any rate, a very impressive showing.

Also, a question: On the official Fleetwood Mac site, Stevie talks about Sheryl Crow doing a pop remix of the Chicks' recording. Anyone heard anything more about this?

[golddustchic]

On the official Fleetwood Mac site, Stevie talks about Sheryl Crow doing a pop remix of the Chicks' recording. Anyone heard anything more about this?

Actually I did see the video of the revamped song one late night on VH1. I was kind of half awake so I didn't get a good listen, but from what I saw, I liked it. It sounded like they added some drums and other more pop oriented instrumentation.

[seteca]

Originally posted by blinker12
Just wanted to give everyone a heads up _ in case you didn't know _ that the Dixie Chicks' cover of "Landslide" is at #2 with a bullet this week on the Billboard country singles chart. Maybe it'll be #1 next week? At any rate, a very impressive showing.

Cool..! Hopefully this will recruit some new Mac fans!!!

:wavey: :wavey: :wavey:

[sara1998]

I was really suprised on how much I like the remake. They did it justice. Very nicely done.

Maria

[Sorcerer386]

This is in part good news and in part bad news. The bad news, or rather annoying news, is that, regardless of WHO covers Landslide, no one's is better than Stevie's and Lindsey's version from The Dance, and no one's ever will be. Not even the FM studio version (this is all my opinion btw). However, when Landslide was released during The Dance as a single, it peaked at #51. The Dixie Chicks are at #2 with Landslide! What the Hell gives here? I mean, I could see if it was just that FM randomly released a single when they hadn't done anything, but 1997 was a big year for Fleetwood Mac, and I remember them being everywhere. I even remember VH1 voting them the "band of the year" or something like that. It was like, some contest between them and a bunch of other big bands, and once I heard the other names I was like, well, FM has no chance. But then the group of people who announced the winner turned this cards over and screamed "FLEETWOOD MAC!" Then it had a short clip with Mick saying something about "we're gonna try to make more music for you in the future." SO, FM was back, active, and known, yet their version hit #51. There's just something wrong there.

HOWEVER, for Stevie fans especially, this is good news because if the song does go to #1, she will have three song writing credits to her name for songs that hit #1 (Dreams, Bootylicious, and now cover of Landslide). People may argue that Stevie DIDN'T co-write Bootylicious, but I say nonsense. It features a sample of her music, and therefore I feel songwriting credit goes to her. Just some ranting from me.

[estranged4life]

because I live in the heart of the country music radio stations here in Oklahoma (At least country ISNT that commercial pop music crud...) and I haven't heard "Landslide" on the air in several weeks...When their album "Home" was first released I heard it often on the local stations, Now it's almost none-existent in terms of airplay...Brian J.

[ricohv]

I agree-I think its too bad that it peaked at #51 for FM. But live releases sometimes have a harder time charting, FM (although riding a wave of popularity again) was still not top 40 pop music in 1997, and actually its surprising that a live release of an already fairly well known song would chart at all. I mean live versions of already released and familiar songs can get some airplay but rarely chart. (Except for Elton John-arghhhh)
I'm not that fond of Dixie Chicks but at least it gets Stevie more mentions and all of these things I'm sure will help the new Mac get more exposure. Also, I think things like this finally give Stevie more credibility. (Courtney Love was the first of the newer stars to sing her praises but that's not exactly gonna help you gain credibility) I don't think the critics have ever been as kind to Stevie as I've seen in the last couple years!
And...whenever I think I don't like this cover of Landslide, I just remember Smashing Pumpkins version, or Tori Amos' version. Then I go run my fingers across a chalkboard because that sounds better than listening to either of those 2 versions. YUCK!! What were they thinking!!

[Mac Fan]

I haven't heard this version yet.
A Radiohead fan once said to me that the Smashing Pimkins version is better than the FM version. I don't why, but I can't imagine that being true.(btw: I haven't heard the Smashing Pumkins cover of it yet)

[Cristian]

The Smashing Pumpkins version is more or less the Fleetwood Mac studio version (i.e. not "improving" anything), but with Billy Corgan singing instead of Stevie. Now could be that better than the Fleetwood Mac version? My answer: NO. You can't compare the voice of Billy Corgan with the voice of Stevie Nicks, thank you very much.

I'd also like to say that apparently I'm one of the few people in this Forum that doesn't like the Dixie Chicks version of "Landslide" either. In my humble opinion there are songs which no matter who covers them, nobody can improve the original. And the original is Stevie Nicks. More important, the original is Fleetwood Mac. Still, it's good to know that new 'generations' are being exposed to Fleetwood Mac culture, if one wants to see the good side of this version reaching so high in the charts, I suppose.


Song of the moment - Hold Me

[Grainuaile]

Originally posted by golddustchic
Actually I did see the video of the revamped song one late night on VH1. I was kind of half awake so I didn't get a good listen, but from what I saw, I liked it. It sounded like they added some drums and other more pop oriented instrumentation.

I think I've seen the video too. I was watching MuchMoreMusic, when Landslide came on. It didn't say it was the pop remix, but there was a conspicuous lack of "country" instrumentation in the song. :shrug: :)

[Sorcerer386]

In my humble opinion there are songs which no matter who covers them, nobody can improve the original.

Well, I really don't think covers have anything to do with improving on the original version...at least not in this case. I like the Dixie Chicks's cover not because I think it is better than Fleetwood Mac's. As I've said, imo NOTHING can top The Dance version of this song. It's only Lindsey on an acoustic guitar but it sounds like a whole band of guitars, and Stevie's vocals are just great on there. I think some of Stevie's songs actually sound better now that her range is lower because she has to push for those higher notes, and that makes it sound more powerful. Gold Dust Woman is another example, and much of Silver Springs too. But getting back to the point, the cover doesn't have to be better than the original in order to like it.

[Cristian]

Originally posted by Sorcerer386
the cover doesn't have to be better than the original in order to like it.

I posted two unrelated things that perhaps you thought I was relating:

1º I do not like the Dixie Chicks' "Landslide";

2º her version (and any other version IMHO) is not better than Fleetwood Mac's version;

but I don't think that one thing leads to the other... Of course one can like covers even if they are not as good as the originals... In this case, it was a coincidence for me: I did not like it plus the original is 1000 times better. But as always, we can disagree peacefully. :)


Song of the moment - Hold Me

[Sorcerer386]

Cristian, I see. No, I seriously thought you meant that you didn't like it because it wasn't better than FM's version. I just didn't understand the concept behind that. BTW, I don't know if you've been to the Stevie forum lately, but Johnny Stew posted an article about the cover of Landslide, if anyone's interested. I think it was very good.

[Cristian]

Will read it, thanks for the info. :)


Song of the moment - Hold Me

[blinker12]

Wow... I just noticed it's #16 with a bullet this week on the Hot 100. That's a pretty major cross-over hit.

On a related note, since starting this thread I've heard what I think is the Sheryl Crow remix on the radio. It sounds like she basically stripped off some of the banjo to give it a less twangy, countrified sound. All the vocals and harmonies are the same.

Stevie's versions of the song will never be bettered, but I do think the Chicks did a respectable job with it. The repetition of "Well maybe..." at the end is a nice touch.

[hayley]

The Sheryl Crow edit of "Landslide" will be available on a limited edition of Home that will be out for the holidays. As far as I know, it'll be the only time it's commercially available.

The difference is very subtle- like everyone said before, it de-countrifies it a bit.

I work at Sony Music- and so I do a lot of work for the Chicks and personally, I like the cover a lot. I've always been a fan of theirs, sicne seeing them live the summer before Fly was released, and I think they do the song justice. It fleshes it out musically, and I think it's an apt tribute. More than that, it's doing EXTREMELY well on the charts, it's still climbing on the Hot 100, and that is very, very good for Stevie and the Mac. It's bringing new fans to the song and the band.

Billy Corgan's version of Landslide is terrible- I hate it. Tori Amos's is not as bad. I do like her new live version of Songbird, though- she's playing it at all her shows. (Including her current shows this week in Chicago- also, if there are any Tori fans, Sony/Epic is doing an in-store signing with her at the Borders on N. Michigan at Water Tower this Friday)

[CarneVaca]

Originally posted by Sorcerer386
People may argue that Stevie DIDN'T co-write Bootylicious, but I say nonsense. It features a sample of her music, and therefore I feel songwriting credit goes to her. Just some ranting from me.

Actually, credit goes to Waddy Wachtel for that bad-ass lick. Really doesn't have anything to do with Stevie's songwriting as far as I can see.

Besides, who cares how high Fleetwood Mac songs go on the charts? The point is that we the fans like the songs, not the whole world. Look at what's on the radio these days... If a song is on the radio, does that make it crap? One can almost make the argument, n'est pas?

[CarneVaca]

Originally posted by Grainuaile
but there was a conspicuous lack of "country" instrumentation in the song. :shrug: :)

The album version is definitely country. There's even a lazy, twangy guitar strum with alternating bass in addition to the banjo. Not sure if the video version is different. I haven't paid close attention to it.

[Grainuaile]

Carne, I was talking about Sheryl's remix. I heard it again, and definitely noticed the stripped banjo. Not to mention the use of a drum machine. I don't really like the remix.

BTW, I agree with you about the Bootylicious thing. If anyone deserves credit, it's Waddy. Stevie had nothing to do with it!

[Johnny Stew]

Bootylicious
written by: Beyoncé Knowles/Rob Fusari/Falonte Moore/Stevie NicksIf I recall correctly, Waddy said that he went into the studio and played the solo the way Jimmy Iovine told him to (with the inspiration coming from a Rolling Stones song, I believe).

I'm sure the solo is based on Stevie's original melody anyway (which, if she wrote it on a piano, probably sounded MUCH different... most likely sounding along the lines of the way keyboardist Christopher Cameron played it on the 'Mirror' tour).

Since sole songwriting credit for "Edge Of Seventeen," goes to Stevie... she therefore receives a songwriting credit on "Bootylicious" (though not on the remixes, which don't use the sample).

So, as far as the RIAA is concerned, Stevie is therefore the co-writer of a #1 single (her second #1).



Johnny Stew

[jwd]

Check this out:

http://www.dotmusic.com/news/May2001/news19656.asp


Of course Stevie should and does get writing credits for Destiny Child's "Bootylicious".

Some other intersesting facts in the article.....Stevie Nicks can play guitar and she really does pull songs from her solo projects for Fleetwood Mac. Just thought a FEW of you may need some enlightening on the talents and generosity of Ms. Nicks. :)

Joe

[Sarah]

Originally posted by Sorcerer386
This is in part good news and in part bad news. The bad news, or rather annoying news, is that, regardless of WHO covers Landslide, no one's is better than Stevie's and Lindsey's version from The Dance, and no one's ever will be. Not even the FM studio version (this is all my opinion btw). However, when Landslide was released during The Dance as a single, it peaked at #51. The Dixie Chicks are at #2 with Landslide! What the Hell gives here?


I work at a group of radio stations, and we have 2 country stations (am & fm) and a (now oldies) station that, at the time of the dance, played top 40, pop, soft rock.. etc etc etc.

I've noticed that anything the Dixie Chicks put out.. is GOING to do well. Even non-single releases that we play occasionally -- christmas tracks, special features-- always get great response. I don't think this has a damn thing to do with Fleetwood Mac or Stevie. I don't begrudge them [the chicks] success with the song at all... they could have totally butchered the song coughcoughsmashingpumpkinscoughcoughtoriamoscoughcough (imo.) but they didn't, and I think that ADDS to Stevie's credibility: she writes songs that can change genre and be equally meaningful/powerful/blahblah.

Plus.. I think that because people have heard Fleetwood Mac do Landslide before and the Dixie Chicks version is a new thing.. that might mean it will automatically do better on the charts than FM's '97 remake of their OWN '75 song.

As far as the videos... I think the bluegrass version (the country video) is a LOT better than Sheryl's remix. I like the Crow mix, but I think the banjo sounds REALLY cool on the song. Lindsey kinda uses a lil banjo style flavor when he plays it on guitar... I guess its just the arpeggiated chords.

Sarah

[Wldhrt315]

Tori Amos's is not as bad. I do like her new live version of Songbird, though- she's playing it at all her shows. (Including her current shows this week in Chicago-


I went to Tori's show on Wednesday the day before Thanksgiving in Chicago and she did NOT play 'Songbird' or 'Landslide'. I was looking forward to a little Mac with Tori. She did however where a very Stevie-esque shawl.