Rockin' at 60 & recording probably in October
 

Stevie Nicks performs tonight in St. Louis

BY SCOTT KIEFER
Special to the News-Democrat
http://www.bnd.com/entertainment/story/368689.html

Rock icon, artist, songwriter, aunt and inspiration to millions, Stevie Nicks just reached the milestone of turning 60 years old on May 26. She sees it as a defining moment in her life that has brought about some realizations about her personal life, her career and what she needs to maintain and to change.

"It's been a wonderful, hectic, glamorous, miserable, exciting, tumultuous life," said Nicks in a telephone interview from Florida last week. "Who could ask for more?"

Nicks will perform at 8 p.m. tonight at the Chaifetz Arena at St. Louis University.

Although Nicks has this persona of being mysterious, elusive, mystical, and hard to reach, she has always been an open book during interviews ... which aren't granted often.

"My life has been such an open book anyway, so when I do interviews, there's really nothing to not talk about," said Nicks jokingly. "Sometimes I even get to set the record straight."

Nicks isn't really bothered by her recent birthday.

"Really, it is just a number," said Nicks, "but an important one. Better that the alternative. I would say. I've never been one to be obsessed with my numerical age. I really do believe you are as young as you feel, and as long as you are happy within yourself and good to others, your youth shines through, no matter what your age. It's all about change.. in lifestyle, diet, and emotionally. Age is about learning and growing, not your number."

Nicks shows no signs of slowing down.

She is currently working on writing the story for the production of a movie based on the hit Fleetwood Mac single of 1976, "Rhiannon."

"I have been working on this for quite some time," said Nicks. "It's really been a work in progress for 30 years. This is it, though. As soon as this tour is finished, I'm off to a secluded place in Europe (she didn't disclose where) to finish the writing, and do some tweaking on the finished product. After that, we are meeting with people like HBO or Showtime to hopefully do a mini-series type of movie. It is such a wonderful story, and there is so much more to be told about Rhiannon."

After that, Nicks will sign on for the all-original Fleetwood Mac tour.

"Yes, we are going to do it, at least once more," said Nicks. "All of us except Christy (Christine McVie). She is just so 'over' that whole thing. She has done it, again and again, she just doesn't want to do the touring anymore."

Nicks stated that the group will start working on material and recording probably in October, and finish an album.

"We should be getting into tour rehearsals in January or February, and get out on the road in the spring of next year."

Asked about the rumors surrounding the replacement of McVie by Sheryl Crow, Nicks said it would not be happening.

"Actually, Lindsey and I will be taking some of the songs that Christine sang on record, and we will be sharing the vocals," said Nicks. "After all, we wrote most of them anyway, and we feel it was best for us to do them instead of bringing someone else in to take her place. We want to show her our respect, and include her in the show, because she was such an important part to our group."

The lives of the members of Fleetwood Mac were definitely the rock 'n' roll soap opera of the late '70s and '80s, but Nicks doesn't like to dwell so much on the negativity and the hype that surrounded the group.

"We definitely had our moments in the spotlight," said Nicks, "and some hellatious ones out of the spotlight too. But, it's all good now. In fact, Lindsey and I are really doing good, we are friends ... for now at least."

Nicks attributes much of the high drama within the band to the creativity each member possesses.

"When you have creative people such as we are, and we are all artists, you have high emotions and feelings, and that is how we expressed ourselves -- and still do really," said Nicks. "It's hard to live with, work with and be constantly around someone who has such creativity and emotion spilling out of them all of the time, and not have conflict. It's just the way it is. But we're all fine right now."

With the movie script and the band reunion, you would think that Nicks has enough on her plate.

"I also will be working on some of my paintings, and I'm always writing new songs, poems, things like that," said Nicks.

Will there be a new solo album soon?

"That's something that I can't say will or will not happen," said Nicks. "As I said, I am constantly writing, but not just for me. Some of the stuff I do may turn up on a Mac album, or maybe I will have a solo album, I'm not ruling out anything."
Nicks has just moved into a large apartment on the oceanfront in Santa Monica, where she lives alone.

"I am in 'Stevie's Place' now," said Nicks, "all by myself. I loved my large home in Phoenix, but it was more of a bother than it was enjoyable to me. I was always wondering about redecorating this room or that room or the landscaping or the kitchen or whatever. Kind of a pain in the a--, really."

"See, that's what I mean about the creativity flowing," said Nicks. "Where I am at now, I am by myself, and can concentrate on the movie script ideas, my paintings, and my songwriting. I can get up in the middle of the night and see the moonlight on the water and watch it make a glisten on the waves, and work on whatever it is I need too, until I can watch the sun rise over the ocean. Or, I can just do whatever the h--- I want."

Nicks sees this as an advantage to herself and her family.

"I can do these things when they come upon me, and I can be in my world," said Nicks. "This is why, I realize, that I never had children, and that I will never be married. Things in my life are kind of like coming together, and yet starting over, all at the same time."

Nicks is currently on a short tour of only 15 dates in North America in promotion of the "Crystal Visions" CD and DVD project.

Nicks is also appearing this season on the PBS Soundstage music series in a two-episode concert.

"Doing the show for PBS was a thrill, and an honor," said Nicks. "Public television is something that is very important, not only for it's entertainment value, but for the educational opportunities it provides.."

During this tour, Nicks is doing all of the expected hits such as "Rhiannon," "Stand Back" and "Edge of Seventeen," but has thrown in some exciting covers as well.

"We have to do the hits that the fans expect," said Nicks, "but, we've thrown in a Dave Mathews song, and a Bob Seger song, plus a couple of other surprises."

"This is gonna be more of a rock and roll show," said Nicks. "I can't wait to perform at St. Louis, because it was one of the better shows I did last year with Tom Petty.

"Tom asked me to come out and do six shows, and do just six songs on each date," said Nicks. "And I was thrilled. I've always had this fantasy about being a member of the Heartbreakers. Tom helped me to make that dream come true. It was so much fun that we ended up doing 23 days. And for Tom to foot the bill for my expenses for that many dates -- and believe me it ain't cheap -- says a lot about my friend.

"After the tour was over, he gave me a gold, five-point sherriff's badge with five diamonds on each point with an inscription on the back that read 'To Stevie, our honorary Heartbreaker.' That was one of my most special moments in life, and I will probably never get the chance to do something like that again."

Nicks is really looking at a new lease on life.

"With all that I have going right now, it seems as though I have just started my life all over again. To h--- with counting my birthday numbers, who needs 'em anyway?"

At a glance

Who: Stevie Nicks with Peter Cincotti

When: 8 p.m. today

Where: Chaifetz Arena at St. Louis University

How much: $65 and $45

How:www.metrotix.com, or 314-534-1111.

If she really gets this, then why all the blaming? I guess she's just getting crotchety in her advanced years. :rolleyes: "Hey you kids, get off my lawn!"

Hmmm... two months to record a new Fleetwood Mac album? N***a, puhlease. :rolleyes:

Is there any doubt that this was supposed to be Lindsey's "rock" album? :shrug:

So here is Ms. Contra Diction yet again. Why are they bothering with a new album if only 1000 people are going to buy it? What happened to another singer handling Christine's vocals? What happened to not touring with FM without Christine? With all of this flip flopping, you'd think she was running for president.

Have we all moved into the after life? I thought she wasn't going to make another FM record without Christine "in this lifetime" because they "tried it once and it didn't work"

Oh well I suppose it's a woman's prerogative to change her mind.

I can't see them recording an album in 3 or 4 months though.

Gail

Stevie contradicting herself is hardly a new thing. She's been doing that for years. My favorite contradicting moment was in 1989, it might be on the "Reflections From The Other Side Of The Mirror" interview disc, if not it's on the "Up Close" radio show. She's talking about the songs on the album and when discussing "Fire Burning" she says she's afraid of fire and will never die in fire. Then she says that she's lucky that she's never had a house fire or anything, then she pauses and says "Well that's not true, the song was inspired by a fire at my house." I just assume it was the after effects of the drugs!!

I would adore it if Fleetwood Mac could make an album in three months. It would be a very cool thing, and I would buy it in an instant.



I would also like to play in the NBA



Seriously though, I would love it, but I don't think it's going to happen.

Ahhh...so that's where that hideous sheriff badge came from that she's wearing in that recent Preston photo shoot.

Interesting article. Gail, I agree with you. "We tried it once and it didn't work." I'm guessing Lindsey's got some material already (HOPEFULLY not ALL of his rock solo album, unless he can't get anyone to put it out at this point in time) and Stevie has said she's been writing "constantly." Money is a powerful motivator for this band. It's their last hurrah. I think this whole venture is on shakey ground anyhow. Don Henley said this band had "thrown in the towel" with their last outing.

Who knows. If we're lucky, maybe there's some song by Stevie (in some cloaked lyrics) about how we all steal from her.

It's entitled: "Why Bother:"


At this point , (and I find it hard to believe I feel this way) I really have no desire to see Fleetwood Mac. You know they are going to charge an outrageous price. Despite Stevie saying how she LOVES the Heartbreakers, Fleetwood Mac has NEVER tried to keep the costs down the way the Heartbreakers have. Front row Tom Petty/Heartbreakers show: about $95.00. Front row Fleetwood Mac show: "The Sky Is The Limit."

Tom & The Heartbreakers: have a similar sized band, a great looking set on the stage, and talented rockin' musicians. Mike Campbell! They tour CONSTANTLY. And with their low LOW ticket price they can still manage to buy Stevie a gold star. With diamonds. The Heartbreakers must budget better. They DO work harder.

I'm sure there are 10's of millions out there that haven't been reading Stevie's recent comments or lived through some of the other dealings of Fleetwood Mac that won't feel the same way as some of us. The band will make their sacred cash cow. There are those that will come to worship at it's alter. But, right now, as I look at this band, borrowing from Lindsey's "Surrender The Rain," 'it feels cold. It feels like sin.'

I think she changed her mind. What is so bad about that :shrug:

Who knows, maybe she met with LB and they hashed it out. I also think they keep the drama alive in the press on purpose.

Personally, I think they have several songs left from SYW and they are using LB's rock album. Such is life.

As for the film, I think that is a very creative and cool thing for her to do.

It is a FM tradition that an LB album has to be hijacked to become a FM album so perhaps you are right.

Gail

Usually, by his own salivating financial palate :cool:

Also, what is up with her comment:

"After all, we wrote most of them anyway . . . ." To my knowledge, CM wrote most of her songs.

BINGO!!!!!!

She's a Gemini. What do you expect? :shrug:

Obviliously, she's out of touch with that one. She means her "casual" fans. Sure, she should sing her hits....but maybe make it a 6-8 minute medley.

Like someone once wrote and sang .".So today she says well I've changed my mind.That's a woman's right they say":laugh:

And what's this "we"? Hasn't she gone on the record saying that she and Lindsey never wrote together? And she was hurt when Lindsey and Christine met early on and created 'World Turning'??

"We"?

She's become the Queen of England, I'm telling ya..
Oh Stevie you need to STOP making us mad at you. You're walking a thin line.

Lies. I have heard her say in interviews that she LOVED to fuss around in her rooms, moving furniture etc. And that she loved the huge house with huge fireplaces that were lit even in summer with the a/c blasting.

BTW, besides the Rhiannon painting and that weird thing she did in watercolor for Robin (the one that looks like there is a crease folded down the middle) has anyone seen one of her paintings? Are they nice? Is she as good in oils and acrylics as she is on piano?

Here's a Stevie Nicks painting I particularly love:

http://www.telesavoirs.com/Images/jp...de-l'A.jpg

I would like to know one thing...what are the "couple of surprises" she's referring to regarding her present tour? I must have missed them when I went to pee and buy a t-shirt! :laugh::laugh::laugh:

Frankly, these interviews are starting to bore me.

I LOVE The Greek!!!!!! as well as the Opening of the Fifth SDeal, though its application here is suspect ;)

My fav., of many, is

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...eco_jerome.jpg


I like the View of Toledo as well, which likely is more applicable to La Nicks

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6..._of_Toledo.jpg

I have a feeling that the Soundstage release in September will be the last Stevie solo release for quite a while, or maybe, ever. But I'm fine with that because she will finally have an official live album as a solo artist, plus she and Fleetwood Mac are recording a new album in October, so to me, it's just as good, and in some ways better than an all-original solo album because we're still getting brand new songs. :D

In August, Fleetwood Mac will celebrate its 40th anniversary as a band and the iconic co-founder said that by late fall, he, Stevie Nicks, John McVie and Lindsey Buckingham will return to the studio to record a few songs (not an album, that’s too old school). Prior to that, Fleetwood will perform some gigs in Europe with his blues band

http://www.ledge.fleetwoodmac.net/sh...ad.php?t=36020


Mick says in this interview we're not getting a whole album of new music. Looks like we might see another greatist hits package with maybe four new songs to help promote it.

She is going to finish writing. . . a script? I think she would have said that if it were the case. The fact that she thinks she will have a "finished product" makes me wonder if she knows anything about filmmaking. And she doesn't even know exactly who she is meeting with (just people like HBO or Showtime), but it is going to happen before joining up with the band in October? This meeting sounds like a lofty fantasy that she is presenting as a certainty.

I guess I don't blame her for falsifying why she moved into an apartment. I mean, isn't the real reason that Chris and Lori got a divorce? It seems that subject is verboten, because I have only heard of the divorce (if it is true) like fourth-hand from people here who heard it somewhere else.

I think the "we" she is referring to is Fleetwood Mac. It's a FM song. Not that she and Lindsey literally wrote the song.

Those are quite conflicting reports from Stevie and Mick. I guess we'll get the real story in October, when they get in the studio and decide what they really want to do.

Oh, I think this article is being mis-interpreted due to the utter incompetence of the writer. For one thing, this paragraph was not a direct quote. Secondly, I think the writer is the one who interjected the "album" comment to imply that "album" is an old school term, especially since albums are downloaded as individual songs these days. Thus "album" equals "a few songs." As to whether Mick actually used the phrase "a few songs" rather than "some songs," and whether the term "few" was meant literally vs. figuratively is probably up for debate. I'm sure everybody has said phrases like, "yeah, I made a few bucks," when you really meant you made hundreds/thousands. All I know is that releasing yet another hits collection is absolutely unfathomable, especially since their last album was a live CD/DVD.

If Stevie says we're getting a new album, we're getting a new album! :p

I think maybe some of those that seemed to be upset at the comments in the previous St Louis interview can hose themselves down just a bit now.:nod:

Well, she still seems pretty resolute about not giving a firm answer about a new solo album. :shrug:

Yeah,that's probably true, but I look at it this way. And I think you and I have been fans for a long time so we can maybe appreciate this more, is that Stevie could've very easily died from the cocaine she did over the years and then we'd have NOTHING to talk about now. Just my 2 cents I guess.:nod:

I'm 38 now, and If a new album of new Stevie material appears before I'm 40, I'd be shocked and suprised.
I'd like to fly to LA, buy a bag of the white stuff and lock her in a studio. "You're not coming out until that whole bag is gone and you've finished Rock A Little II."

Might also mean they've got left overs from SYW to use... and with a few, in equal parts of course, from Lindsey and Stevie, maybe that will be enough to fill an entire album...

Agreed. However, if that did happen, and I'm so very glad it didn't, you know that someone in the Stevie estate cough, Chris, cough would have been raiding the vaults and releasing compilations left and right a la Tupac and Jeff Buckley. I mean, we might have been seeing/hearing shizz we didn't even know existed! :eek: Anyway, it is sad to think that most of Stevie's work will probably not be released during her lifetime. :distress:

Me neither so it's probably going to be A GH with a few new tracks...

OMG.. I just lost it (AGAIN) laughing on that one Tango! ROTFL..:laugh::laugh: Isn't that the truth?? Maybe there will be one song on the latest FM album called "Christine Won't Sing With Us- And My Fans Are Thieves".. Probably haveing some "Gold Dust Woman - type of lyrics and beat... :distress::laugh:

Watch it be a remake of Buckingham Nicks with some extra new stevie/lindsey stuff....haha...I cant blame Stevie, she and I are both crazy ass gemini's!:blob2:

In case everyone hasn't figured it out yet, Stevie is a Gemini, which is the sign on the twins. Meaning she has two totally different and conflicting personalities. Every Gemini I know is this way, and Stevie is no exception. I think the real root of Stevie's flip flopping and building Lindsey up/tearing him down routine, and her own vanity, is a greater sign of something very simple: insecurity. For her not to care about what Lindsey thinks, she sure does spend her life revolving around him. He didn't like the way her stage clothes looked, so she broke out the Italian Widow Granny look for Say You Will. She says he's the best at making her songs special/then she hates what he did with them on Say You Will. It's a never ending thing... it reminds me of an insecure adolescent. I know some incredibly attractive, successful people who are totally insecure, it makes no sense... but I truly think it's a disease of sorts.

Did Stevie love living in Phoenix in that beautiful mansion with her brother and sister in law/best friend? No doubt! But the reality is Lori and Chris's marriage ended, killing that happy home. So Stevie's insecure side had to invent a story of why it benefits her more to live alone in a condo... you NEVER hear her speak of the dissolution of Chris and Lori's marriage. I think Stevie kinda had to do the condo thing because she didn't have a choice. Who would want to live in a huge house by theirselves that's a broken home? I suspect that living by herself has really brought some things home to her too... she doesn't have anyone or anything to distract herself from her own self... she has nothing but time for self reflection, no one to influence her, etc. Of course the mighty dollar is no doubt calling her to rejoin Fleetwood Mac, as I'm sure the notoriety and fame that comes with it. Fleetwood Mac sells more albums and concert tickets than her solo shows do, she gets more attention and recognition from the press and fans alike. I'm guessing she's also realizing how alone she truly is now with her little family being a broken home, and her father dying.... that Fleetwood Mac is pretty much the only family she has left.

Regarding the whole Mac album/not album thing... why in the hell would they record a few songs and leave it at that? I think it's a "lost in translation" moment.

Although the thievery has nothing to do with why Stevie isn't releasing new, official material, I wonder if she is upset about all the demos we circulate amongst ourselves. She knew they were leaked a long time ago, but with the internet, the whole ball game is changed. The demos and unreleased copies spread like wild fire and I'm sure they have been passed around to 5 million people at the very least. I'm wondering if that is what she was complaining about, in her foggy way.

Michele

Of course she's upset, but I don't think there is any way that Stevie could understand the sheer magnitude of what has been spread around the internets. I also doubt that Stevie can truly understand how much these demos help to galvanize her loyal fans, which only helps her to sell more official product if/when it gets released. And considering how unprolific she has become, these demos are the only things tiding us over between releases.

I'd like to hear what Johnny Stew has to say about all this. I'm really confused about it. :nod:

Good luck! He doesn't have time to post for his fans. He finds it trivial and inconsequential. Rumour has it though that he's off to Europe to finish his story of what it's like to be a gay super-hero on The Ledge!! Stay tuned......

Love ya Brian :xoxo: