"Well, I wonder what Greta would say..." A Street Angel Appreciation Thread
 

I was just listening to (my expanded version of) Street Angel, and, just like the first time I heard it, I got chills the final time Stevie sings the line:

"I wonder what Greta would say..."

Wow!!!! That background Stevie just comes out of nowhere and takes over ~ I LOVE it when Stevie does that!

"Greta" remains my favourite song from Street Angel, from 1994 to now. I got a huge amount of outtakes a few weeks before Street Angel was released in May 1994, and, even with all of the fabled classics, "Greta" had me the most excited.

One reason I love this song is Stevie's voice and ONLY Stevie's voice on this song (and "Blue Denim"). No damn pack of superfluous backing vocalists! (Sorry, Sara ~ don't UnFriend me!). I just think Stevie can harmonize herself the best. And "Greta" showcases this so amazingly.

Ooh! And if you listen to the end and crank it up, there's Stevie wailing away as the music fades, overdubbing herself...

She also does it wonderfully at the end of "Docklands". Just LOVE the ending, as the keyboards and guitars are swirling wildly, one of the Stevies is begging, "Give me your HAND!" as another Stevie implores, "Hold on..." The backing girls are okay on this song, but Stevie is the star, as she should be.

"Hold on..." just in the background... "I-I-I-I-I-I beg of you!!!!"

Listen, the very last thing is Stevie saying, "Hold on..."

This is just a rambling post about my love for Street Angel. No one will know how much my heart was broken in April 1995 when I first got on the old AOL Stevie Board, and every single poster (it seemed) absolutely hated Street Angel. I mean it, I was heartbroken. I love Stevie's music, and I took it personally to see her savaged so.

All these years later, I try to just ignore the Anti-Stevie "Fans", and just focus on my love for her wonderful music. Sure, I think I've improved the running order of Street Angel's tracks, including the three b-sides and "If You Were My Love", but the songs themselves are all good and feature some of Stevie's BEST vocals of her career.

As much as I love The Wild Heart version of "Destiny" (recorded here in Dallas in 1982), with all of its darkness and wild vocals, I still prefer the Street Angel version. Despite the sadness of some of the lyrics, Stevie still seems hopeful. Oh! Her voice on "Well,it wasn't like the others... it was nothing at all..."!!!!!! Listen to her, Unbelievers!!! ;)

Enjoy/hate my rave/rant. I'll be listening to Stevie rambling at the end of "Destiny" ~

"Heartbroken... unspoken..."

I love Street Angel! Blue Denim, Destiny, and Greta are among my favorite Stevie songs. The Street Angel era was just incredible anyway, and the album showcases those amazing vocals she had. Is it as great as Trouble in Shangri La? No. But it is still an exceptional album. For me, it is a million times better than Rock a Little.

There were some parts of Street Angel that I thought were great, and I thought she was in much finer voice. It was a lot more rocking and throaty than OSOTM or her BTM tracks.
My favorites are:

Blue Denim (dislike the mix she put on the Enchanted set though)
Kick it
Greta
MLWCYM
Destiny
Jane

and Inspiration (wish it were on the release here)

The Blue Denim mix on Enchanted was her preferred one, right Mike? That's why she included it on Enchanted? To me, it's vastly inferior to the album mix. My ear just can't find a comfortable spot to listen in that mix, it's missing something important and that's a shame, because it's a great song.

Are those old AOL postings still available somewhere? Remember, I used to post there too back then! That's how I came to know you, all those years ago.

Greta is my favourite song on Street Angel, there's just something wonderful about it that I can't quite put my finger on. It's just superb.

I'm not sure why (if) Stevie preferred the Enchanted mix of "Blue Denim" ~ I thought she did not like Glyn Johns' mixes. ?? To me, it is flaccid and weak. My favourite is the CD-single remix, same as in the video ~ just rocking like crazy!

This is just me, but I also love the official "Maybe Love Will Change Your Mind" and its single remix as well. Sure, it's cool to have the original version(s), but the 1994 post-Klonopin re-recording is far superiour, IMO. Stevie's voice is so strong and pretty! It was actually a pretty big hit on Houston radio, which was very hard to do in mid 1994, when everything was Cranberries and Belly and Counting Crows.

Same with "Jane". I love having the original piano-based version, but the new one is better overall (IMO).

But I'm not even talking about outtakes, but the actual official Street Angel and its official b-sides. When I make my own Street Angel, I always put "Playing In God's Garden" in the middle. It's kind of a Stevie cliche to end the album with the slowest song, so I put this one in the middle. Sometimes, I follow it with "Unconditional Love", to ease the playlist into high gear, and other times I'll go right to "Listen To The Rain" ~ taking no prisoners! ;)

BTW, are there outtakes of the actual album cover shots? Not other photo shoots (which have some amazing pics of Stevie ~ brown wigs and all!), but actual other photos from when the official front & back cover were taken?

Oh! Alicia once sent me a copy of a signed pic of Stevie from 1994, one of the shots with the black brimmed hat. This pic has Stevie smiling big time, and looking up and to her right. But the amazing thing is her sig, which quotes different lyrics of "Blue Denim"!

I forget right now what Stevie wrote, but it was like maybe a different line to go with the chorus.

Mike, you're my new best friend for a SA appreciation thread!

I could rant on and on, but i won't. Street Angel is my ABSOLUTE FAVORITE STEVIE ALBUM. It inspired my username and is one of the most underrated album's of Stevie's and remains the only Stevie album that hasn't been nominated for a Grammy, which is just insane. Her voice is absolutely INCREDIBLE and it's the album with my favorite guitar work and just all around has a great atmospheric sound - Especially on Kick It. Stevie was going through a rather rocky time in her life at this time and i think the last thing she needed was for all her fans to hate the album. (I'm exaggerating!) Regarding B-Sides, Street Angel has by far the best selection. "Inspiration", "If You Were My Love" and "Thousand Days" remain forever and always on my favorite Stevie songs list.

Bottom line, if you haven't really listened to the album and only go by popular opinion, give the album a chance...you may be pleasantly surprised!

Oh, that's so nice to read!

I loved in interviews how Stevie talked about "Love Is Like A River", when Joe Walsh dumped her, telling her that her life was too wild. Stevie said something like, "My life?! You think my life is wild? Compared to what lifestyle?! Yours? Give me a break!" LOL!

I know Stevie wrote it in 1984, but 10 years later it was still relevant, especially after Stevie finally revealed in 1991 that Joe was the one True Love of her life. And her vocals are SO wicked on it!

However, someone online once described "Love Is Like A River" (a little accurately!) as a song you'd hear on Hunter when Detective DeDe McCall would go undercover as a rock singer in a nightclub to suss out some bad guys, and this was like a song you'd hear her do in the Early Nineties. Okay, I always thought that was pretty funny and got the humour in that description.

Oh, but I love the Street Angel version of "Love Is Like A River"... even the gals shrieking: "Straight back!!!" and "Worth it!!!" ;)

And Stevie is SO cutting when quoting her fight with Joe:
"I think you're uptight, lady!"
Ooh, outta sight!
"Well, that's just I wanted to hear!"

And fading... "Ooh, outta sight, outta sight, baby! Ow!!!"

BTW, contrary to how some "fans" refer to Street Angel as outdated and a throw back, I feel Stevie had some clarity when she was trying to fix the problems she saw with the album Glyn Johns turned in. The 1994 version of "Maybe Love Will Change Your Mind", produced by Stevie & Roy Bittan, actually sounds more in line with then-current jangly guitar bands that were hitting it big in the Early to Mid Nineties, like Toad the Wet Sprocket, Gin Blossoms and others. Much more so than the original version, which was pretty typical rock and not very distinctive.

"Maybe Love Will Change Your Mind" is a great single and was on several hits collections in the UK. I remember being so excited in Houston when I got the 2 different UK CD-singles back in June 1994! The single remix makes the guitars crisper and the drums a little more distinctive, as well as refining the backing vocals. A wonderful remix!

She actually released If You Were My Love as a B Side? I thought that was just a Mirage Demo that she also Demo'd for Street Angel, at least, I have a Bluesy sounding version of If You Were My Love that I always thought was a Street Angel Demo...

No, it wasn't a b-side, but it also wasn't a "demo". It is a fully-produced song that was on the original line-up for Street Angel and turned in to Atlantic in February 1993 with the rest of the songs (including a Street Angel version of "I Call You Missing").

"If You Were My Love" and "I Call You Missing" were on the final track listing as of March 1994, but were both eventually cut from the final release.

BTW, "If You Were My Love" was written and demoed in 1980, long before Mirage, and was also recorded for Bella Donna.

The Street Angel official extra songs are:

"Inspiration" ~ B-side of "Maybe Love Will Change Your Mind" UD & UK; Bonus track on Japanese release of Street Angel.

"Thousand Days" ~ B-side of Dutch "Blue Denim" CD-single; Longer version on Enchanted.

"Playing In God's Garden" ~ Bonus track on Japanese release of Street Angel.

The version of "Mirror, Mirror" from the US cassette-single of "Blue Denim" is a 1984 recording from the Rock A Little sessions.

"If You Were My Love" is the only known outtake from the sessions in mass circulation amongst fans, although some claim to have the Street Angel version of "I Call You Missing".

You know, I should have known that. As I was reading your post, the Bella Donna demo of IYWML comes on shuffle. I feel silly xD

I love how every version of that song is different, but potent in it's own way. It's such a shame it's never been officially released!

I love when Mike posts like this.

Street Angel is pretty okay, overall - Greta is just amazing. 'Alone in his chamber, he dreams of his home..well, outside!!' Of course, the RAL versions of it are much better.

Docklands is another great track. 'And there are ship passin' in the night!!'

Love Is Like A River. 'Well, I believed in love - I called it worth it'.

I much prefer the earlier versions of If You Were My Love though.

The Bella Donna outtakes are fabulous. 'Where is the wiiiiild white rose...'

Street Angel was the first Stevie new materials album I got as a fan. My parents saw a used copy in a store and brought it home for me. I didn't know anything about it, but played it twice within the next two hours and immediately loved it. It has since remained my fave. We even named our newest cat Greta!!!

What did all of you thought about the tour?

Mike, you mention having an extended version of Street Angel with added tracks and improving the running order. Would you post your track list for us? I'd love to make a playlist; I love Street Angel!

I always say that this should have been a hit. It was 'right' for the time, I agree.

As for 'I Call You Missing', I also LOVE the part where she sings "Well you're uptight lady! Outta sight!"

If the authors of the Wikipedia article are to be believed, the 'Blue Denim' on Enchanted was Stevie's mix. To me, her mix sounds like she took important, ear-friendly components off the song- resulting in a duller 'Blue Denim'. Why take off all the Hammond organ???

The record label rushed the production so Nicks would be ready to promote the album once out of rehab, but this meant that she had no input into the overall sound or tracklisting of the album - these duties were overseen by co-producer Thom Panunzio, who had previously worked with Nicks' close friend Tom Petty. On coming out of rehab, Stevie returned to the studio, minus Johns, to overdub and re-record a lot of what had already been done. Despite her efforts, the album did not turn out how she wanted. She was, however, able to present some of the album's tracks ("Street Angel", "Destiny", and "Blue Denim") in her own final mixes on the 3-disc Enchanted retrospective in 1998.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Street_Angel_(album)

Those 4 songs on Enchanted are the mixes of the 1993 Street Angel that Glyn Johns turned in in February 1993. I just listened to all 8 back-to-back ~ identical.

Somebody better wiki that out, 'cause it's erroneous.

As she said in interviews, Stevie added Waddy to "Street Angel" and "Rose Garden" in 1994 to beef the songs up. If she did that, those are her visions of the song, not the stripped-down Enchanted versions.

I personally think the studio guys just grabbed the original mixes, since the point (mentioned in the ICE article) was to use the original album versions, not the TimeSpace remixes, and slapped them on Enchanted, not realizing these were not the final versions from the released Street Angel. Maybe Stevie didn't catch it.

But those are Glyn Johns mixes, not Stevie/Thom.

Nathan, somehow, you always know those same lyrics that rock me as well:

"Well, I believed in love ~ I called it worth it!" :)

Max, since my Street Angel fest yesterday, I've decided to change up my running order again, but I will post my newest Street Angel track listing today!

Macfanforever, I thought the 1994 tour was one of Stevie's best! Incredible, strong vocals ~ that "Rhiannon" was in her best performances of all-time. "Talk To Me" ~ wow!!! "Destiny" was so beautiful, and I loved how she changed the lyrics to: "Well, he wasn't like the others, it was nothing at all. He wasn't like anyone, it was easy to fall..." Stevie explained the real meaning of the song a few times, and it was hilarious (In 1973, Stevie almost left LB, and "Destiny" is about this other guy Stevie almost left him for!!! :laugh: )

I loved seeing Stevie wear the Bella Donna shawl on "Blue Denim" and the white crystal sparkly one on "Edge of Seventeen".

Of course, I went to the Dallas and Houston shows, so it was amazing to watch Stevie perform "Rooms on Fire" and "The Chain"! Ooh, and after the music ended on "Maybe Love Will Change Your Mind", Stevie wailing out:

"A kiss ~ for luck!"

Well that makes sense then. The Stevie/Thom version of 'Blue Denim' is meatier and more pleasing to the ear. You can tell they added production to it to 'fix' it (successfully, I might add). Why the Johns one wound up on 'Enchanted' is a mystery, since we've always heard Stevie say in interviews that she loves sequencing her own albums. She probably didn't give it a final listen, she probably made a sequence list and said 'put Blue Denim here' and didn't specify which version.

Yeah, I just think that makes the most sense. Or, Stevie was trying to give her fans a "bonus" with the previously unreleased mixes?

I think you phrased it right, John, that Stevie just said something like, "Put 'Blue Denim' here, put 'Rose Garden' after so-and-so', etc." Yes, Stevie made it clear she sequenced Enchanted, "making it seem like one big recording session" with all the songs from different eras together. But I'm not so sure she dictated: "Dig out those old Glyn Johns tapes that I hated and spent thousands of dollars trying to fix, and slap them on Enchanted! Get to work! Chop chop!" ;)

Ooh!!!! While working on my latest re-sequencing of Street Angel, I found a track listing that Atlantic had as the final lineup on January 1, 1994. I was at a record store in Dallas where there was this computer that showed you current in stock releases as well as upcoming releases, and Street Angel was in there!

Interestingly, "Jane" is not on the track listing, but the following songs are:

"If You Were My Love"
"Inspiration"
"I Call You Missing"
"Playing In God's Garden"

I remember an interview where Stevie said she had to fight to get "Jane" on the album. Hmmm... This was January 1st, 1994, right as Stevie was coming out of Klonopin rehab/withdrawal, so she hadn't yet re-recorded "Jane" (and "Maybe Love Will Change Your Mind"). Maybe by re-recording the song, she convinced the record company to let "Jane" be on the record after all. Just a guess.

that would've made the album PERFECTION.:nod:

I wish there was a fight to get 'I Call You Missing' on SA too. Sigh, such a spooky, creepy, dark song. About Joe, most likely, right?
"Well, I cared about Saturday night!!!"

Well, since Stevie said "Love Is Like A River" is specifically about Joe, and "I Call You Missing" shares some of the most cutting lyrics Stevie has ever written:

"You used to call me 'wicked'
I used to call you 'friend'
'They say your life is wild!'
Compared to what lifestyle?!"

... Yes, I would say that "I Call You Missing" is also about Joe.

Also:
"Some call it love...
Some are above that..."

But not all lyrics are shared; they're not the same song. "I Call You Missing" is even darker, more obsessed, desperate... "Love Is Like A River" seems angrier and more defiant, while "I Call You Missing" is sheer loss of control. It really sounds like something you'd write drunk. Well, something I'd write drunk. ;)

I just love:
"So, life begins again
The outlaws are gone..."

Maybe, Stevie, but it doesn't sound like you're actually moving on with your life after getting dumped by Joe. She's still leaving a candle burning for him every night. Only in "Love Is Like A River" does Stevie seem to move on, with:

"Everything all around me
Is electric now...
But I haven't burned a candle
In a real long time...

And then Stevie stresses:
"And only when your heart
Says it's over
Does it die..."

But, of course, there are also the shared lyrics with "Whole Lotta Trouble". Why do people think this is about LB??? It's clearly another Joe Walsh song! (And another thread!)

"Well, that's just what I wanted to hear!
Outta sight!!!!"

I've never heard of anybody thinking this song was about Lindsey! That's interesting....

I'd say that line is about Joe, something about 'The Outlaws' calls to mind The Eagles.

Don't you love how Stevie and the ladies sing in almost unison at the beginning? Don't you love Sharon's out of control shrieky "Well I cared about Saturday night!"??

"No one said it would be fair..."

Okay, with this Street Angel track order, I was very nostalgic for 1994 and stuck fairly closely to the officially released version. I moved a few things around for a few reasons. One is that I don't like two songs Stevie didn't write being back-to-back. Weird, huh? However, in today's nostalgic mood, I broke that rule with "Maybe Love Will Change Your Mind" and "Inspiration". The reason is because that's how I first heard these two songs in May 1994. My ex-husband Eric & I were living in the dreaded Houston at the time, and were about to leave for a Memorial Day Weekend trip to Dallas when I bought the US CD and cassette singles for "Maybe Love Will Change Your Mind". Eric's car only played cassette, so that's how we listened to the two songs on the trip to Dallas. So, looking back in nostalgia on great memories, those two songs just go together, even if Stevie did not write both (breaking my rule).

Another of my "rules" when making expanded versions of Stevie's albums is not to put together two of the unreleased/b-side/outtake songs back-to-back. I cheat on my Bella Donna compilation and I cheat here with Street Angel. I refuse to leave out "If You Were My Love", but finding the right place for it has always been a challenge. I think I've solved having the right song flowing after it, but it's another song not on the official release: "Thousand Days". It's either that, or swap "Thousand Days" with "Unconditional Love", but I love those pounding drums and saxophone right after the end of "If You Were My Love". We'll see. Edit: I did move things around and like this much better.

I've done other Street Angels with the song order nowhere near the official version, but, like I said, this is a nostalgic version.

Oh, and, unless noted, all versions are from the official release of Street Angel (I used the Japanese CD since it sounds a bit crisper to my ears). "If You Were My Love" is the only song from the Street Angel Masters, and I did not use any of the mixes from Enchanted (except "Thousand Days").

1. Blue Denim ~ US CD-single remix
2. Greta
3. Street Angel
4. Thousand Days ~ Enchanted version because it's longer
5. Docklands
6. If You Were My Love
7. Unconditional Love
8. Destiny
9. Playing In God's Garden
10. Listen To The Rain
11. Rose Garden
12. Maybe Love Will Change Your Mind ~ UK CD-single remix
13. Inspiration
14. Love Is Like A River
15. Just Like A Woman
16. Kick It
17. Jane

Yes! Exactly, John!!! "Out of control shrieky" is a perfect description!!!!! Sharon sounds so creepy and scary there!

"Who understands?
Well, that's not fair!
Sorry!"

A lot of things are the same, but some differences were needed because of the flow. I just think "Love Is Like A River" sounds so kick-ass after the lovelorn "Inspiration", just kicking off that dust at the train station and spitting nails! And "Listen To The Rain" never worked for me after "Docklands". It needs to come after a ballad (or it needs to kick off the album, as I've sequenced it many other times in the past!).

And I think the flow of "Street Angel", "Thousand Days", "Docklands" and "If You Were My Love" goes great, and, after much deliberation, I really do like "Unconditional Love" after the end of "If You Were My Love" after all. :)

is there a particular reason as to why Mirror, Mirror wasn't used? i was trying to figure out where i'd put it and i can't seem to find a good spot...:shrug:

That is a 1984 recording from Rock A Little ~ music, vocals, everything. (This has been gone over at length many times).

No reason to put it on Street Angel, although it is definitely on my expanded Rock A Little!

no, i have one that is a B-Side to the Blue Denim Cassette...unlesss....oh, wait...but it totally sounds like SA!!!! OMG i have so been living under a rock!!! gahhhh

this one, right???

http://www.mediafire.com/?wumr0wmyykd

The b-side of "Blue Denim" is from 1984 ~ music, vocals, everything. It's just one of many takes Stevie did of the song in 1984 for Rock A Little. No idea why Stevie or Atlantic put this very old recording on a 1994 single. A very good friend of mine (a well-respected Ledgie) has had this very same version of "Mirror, Mirror" since 1984. Same exact version, same exact vocals, everything.

To repeat: The b-side of the US cassette single is a 1984 recording of "Mirror, Mirror". It is not from the Street Angel sessions, but rather, from Rock A Little.

And I will be repeating no more of the many reasons why this (and all versions of) "Mirror, Mirror" is a 1984 recording. Others can debate it, but I'm done.

Sorry to bring up a sore topic, but thanks for the clarification, Mike.

Quick question- is the SA version of IYWML the tropical sounding one?

Yes, it is. That version of "If You Were My Love" is from the original Master recordings of Street Angel that Stevie & Glyn Johns turned in to Atlantic in February 1993 of the completed album, and it was on the album's final track listing as late as Early 1994.

SA95, I'm sorry to have sounded so strident about "Mirror, Mirror". Yes, misidentifying song eras is a pet peeve of mine, but I don't need to be such an ass in my explanations. I'm very sorry.

If by "tropical" you mean horrible, then yes.