Why Crystal?
 

Fleetwood Mac's recording of "Crystal" came up on the ol' iPod today, and it got me wondering: why did they record this song in the first place?

Did neither Stevie nor Lindsey have another new song to offer for the album? And if they didn't, why did the band choose this particular Buckingham Nicks song? Have any of them ever commented on this?

I mean, it doesn't seem like "Crystal" was a song they were all just dying to include in the Mac catalogue. It wasn't released as a single or anything, and I don't think it was ever a regular feature of their concerts, if they ever played it at all. (Yet "Don't Let Me Down Again" was performed at Mac concerts, though they never recorded it.)

Things that make you go hmm...

It's possible that they were unsatisfied with the way it sounded on the Buckingham Nicks album and wanted to try it again.
Or maybe Mick wanted to re-record it? It's something I can imagine he would suggest.

It just seems a very odd choice, given what eventually happened with the song (that is, nothing - at least until Stevie did her version a few years back). You'd think if it were a song that they really wanted to re-record and breathe some new life into, it would have turned into something more than just an album track that they never even bothered to perform in concert.

I think everyone just liked the song.

I think it was redone because they had a decent keyboard player to do the synth part on the end...the BN version's keyboard part is kind of remedial & infantile.

John in particular....


"John McVie wanted to put that [Crystal] on the Fleetwood Mac album. The first time he heard it he said, "I want this on the album" and I didn't really because it took the place of a new song. Since I write so much I don't like to keep putting old songs which take the place of new songs, which means those new songs are backlogged for the next, for the next, and for the next. But he was so insistent, so I said alright. Christine did a whole beautiful thing which I loved with that little piano thing through the end of it... when I think of Crystal, I think of those days with Fleetwood Mac."
~Stevie Nicks

U put the words right into my mouth

Personally I would have liked a reworking of Frozen Love instead because that could have been transformed into a masterpiece live. However they did Crystal justice on Fleetwood Mac. At the time however they may have felt it was to mellow to do on stage. Doing it live in 2005 is a whole different story. The fans would love it. :nod:

Thank you! That's exactly the kind of answer I was looking for. Interesting...

Of course, there's no reason they couldn't have played "Frozen Love" without having recorded it. They played "Don't Let Me Down Again," after all, and they did one or two of Chris' Chicken Shack songs along the way as well.

And you also have to wonder why Stevie chose to re-record it a third time as a solo artist for Practical Magic....

It's kind of like a Stevie Jeopardy question....

I'll take ""Things that Make you go Hmmmm" for $1000, Alex....

Q: The song Stevie Nicks recorded and released as a solo artist and in all the bands she was ever in?

A: What is Crystal?

Love this song. One of my top favorites.

I think you're right on there. :nod:

That's a cool tidbit. I had no idea that John wanted "Crystal" on the White Album so badly. I love that song and Chris' touches on it are just perfect.

Crystal is such a great song! So much so that I can overlook Stevie's lyrical redundancy (and repetitivness! lol). "Do you trust your First Initial feeling." It's also notable because it's the only song that has been rendered by Buckingham Nicks, Fleetwood Mac and Stevie Nicks.

It is a little curious that they never performed it live. (That song and Sugar Daddy and Warm Ways). However that doesn't mean anything. A lot of songs are written and produced, sometimes with the knowledge that they are essentially studio tracks, with no intentions of them ever being performed live.

Mick stated in his book that they indeed performed it live. However, there are no recordings and/or eye witness reports that justify this. I think he was mistaken.

It's a gorgeous song and it showcased the two new players perfectly.
And I have to agree with Stevie in that Christine's organ work on this song is just flawless...

Having said that, I love the strings on the Buckingham Nicks version better...

rbs

I'm still trying to forget that wretched version.

I dunno, Curtis. They may have done it in those early tour days of 1975. A guy named JJ, who used to post to amfm, saw Fleetwood Mac play one of their first shows with the new lineup in Texas in May 1975, & he says the band played most of the white album, as well as "Angel" (with Christine on lead vox), "Child of Mine" (with Stevie on lead vox), "Sunny Side of Heaven," "Homeward Bound" & the other old reliables ("Station Man," "Spare Me a Little," "Green Manalishi," "Oh Well"). JJ says they played a two-hour set, plus three encores -- & this was when the white album hadn't yet been released.

Didn't one of the guys who toured Buckingham Nicks say they did "Crystal"? If they did it on the BN tours, there's a good chance that Fleetwood Mac would have done it here & there in 1975, since Lindsey & Stevie would have already worked out a live arrangement of it.

That was a synthesizer -- known as a Multi-Moog -- on "Crystal," & my hunch is that Christine is primarily ad-libbing.

However, on the 1998 remake, Benmont Tench plays a beautiful B3 organ part with most of the stops pushed in.

Really? I LOVE Stevie's vocals on this. I prefer her vocals to Lindsey's.

If this is true, those initial shows are the holy grail of set lists! Someone's got to have recordings of them somewhere! Wouldn't it be reasonable to think that they recorded those shows to, at least, reference and critique their initial performances?

I hope not. I'd love to hear a version of it live!!!!:thumbsup:

I don't think she recorded it with Fritz. :P

Pretty, pretty, pretty "Crystal" . . . .

Pretty, pretty . . . no?

(In my best Young Frankenstein voice): You are good.

the FM version sounds so wussy. the vocals are just so blah. go listen to the FM and BN versions back to back, it's so very obvious. and i love stevie's version, minus the whole end blah part. i personally feel that they should rework this song as a duet and perform it onstage during the acoustic interlude. drop landslide, enter Crystal. wouldn't you DIE...

maybe of boredom :laugh:

Yes, there has to be a recording it somewhere, just like there has to be a boot vid of Fireflies somewhere! Oh how I long for things like these to come around one day, although I feel guilty wishing for it, knowing how much Stevie despises bootlegs being passed around.

You know that for sure? She told you personally? :shrug:

Why would there be video of "Fireflies"? It was recorded at a mid-tour rehearsal.
Stevie has never said anything about unauthorized concert recordings.

I was thinking about the white album minus "Crystal," and I'm thinking that the band may have wanted another ballad-like song for the album. They usually have several ballad-like songs per album (four or so), and without "Crystal" there would have only been three ballad-like songs on the white album. The rest of the album is very upbeat pop (Blue Letter, Sugar Daddy, etc.) to bluesy (I'm So Afraid, etc.). The only exceptions are "Warm Ways," "Landslide," and "Over My Head." Maybe, they were trying to keep a type of musical balance on the album. Therefore, "Crystal" seemed like a logical choice to the band, because it was already ready to be rerecorded, and the band probably like the song and its sound. After all, it was a ballad. :shrug:

Actually, she has done the same with Rhiannon, except that it wasn't recorded by Buckingham Nicks (it would have been on Buckingham Nicks II, most likely). She has performed it live with Buckingham Nicks.

I think it is one of the most beautiful songs Stevie has ever written! I enjoy bot the FM version and the PM Soundtrack version!

I was at the taping of Storytellers and a freind of mine asked about her songs " The Tower " and "Forest of the Black Roses" and would she be doing an Enchanted 2 ? Stevie expressed her anger at these tapes having been stolen from her house, how these songs were hers and how no one had the right to steal them and that she does not like bootleggers. This did not make the tv version. I asked her a question too , that did not make the tv version. I have a poor quality vhs tape of the unedited Storytellers. My freind who works at Sony Studios has been promising me a great clear copy.. We'll see- still waiting!

As for your first question I am guessing since that since Fireflies was done for family and freinds, along with One More Night and Farmers Daughter, some one MUST HAVE taped it not that any of us will ever see it ;) ! As for your second question
I was lucky enough to be at the taping of Storytellers and a friend of mine asked about her songs " The Tower " and "Forest of the Black Roses" and would she be doing an Enchanted 2 ? Stevie expressed her anger at these tapes having been stolen from her house, how these songs were hers and how no one had the right to steal them and that she does not like bootleggers, period. This did not make the tv version. I asked her a question too , that did not make the tv version. I have a poor quality vhs tape of the unedited Storytellers. My friend who works at Sony Studios has been promising me a great clear copy.. We'll see- still waiting!

Yes, but she was talking about her demos. She mentioned being angry about the demos being pilfered & circulated way back in 1981 on WMMS in Cleveland. We know she doesn't like her demos out there in public.

But I thought you were talking about concert recordings. She hasn't ever specifically addressed that phenomenon, AFAIK.

Stevie was really upset when my friend asked her that question and the way she responded I took it as she doesn't like any type of bootlegs period- IMO.

It wouldn't surprise me. Stevie doesn't seem to be of the "warts and all" philosophy, IMO. Look at what she did on the Red Rocks and "Tango" videos. There were even overdubs on "The Dance" and LIB. The thought that somebody might have something where she's less than perfect (no pun intended...Homer) probably freaks her out a bit.