New Stevie Interview "Love is fleeting for me..."
 

Worth the read, imo!

"It's a summer evening in a classy London hotel.

The first thing you notice entering the suite Stevie Nicks calls home ahead of her first British solo show in two decades is a scattering of large, lit, white candles. It's daytime, but in terms of ambience they speak volumes. Because if Stevie Nicks, poet-sorceress of the popular imagination, is ever off-duty, she won't let it show.

From a young age, Stephanie Lynn Nicks was a dreamer. Even when working as a waitress or a cleaner in Hollywood to fund the failed debut album she recorded with her lover Lindsey Buckingham in 1973, Nicks was already imagining herself a romantic gypsy princess. This persona took flight in 1975 when the Buckingham-Nicks duo were recruited into Fleetwood Mac, transforming the washed-up British blues band's fortunes. Despite legendary narcotic excesses and mind-boggling inter-band relationships, Fleetwood Mac reached unimaginable heights with the sensual, scarf-swirling singer Nicks as their talisman. Their 1977 record Rumours remains one of the top 10 biggest-selling albums of all time. And, as she launched a parallel solo career in the Eighties, Nicks never left magic and mystique behind.

Today, all the accessories you'd expect are present: the crescent moon pendant, the lacy black blouse, the ankle-snapping stiletto boots (a habit adopted so she wouldn't look so tiny sharing a stage with the giant Mick Fleetwood), and, on the third finger of each hand, a ring encrusted with dazzling diamonds. At 63, she remains a rare beauty: that silky blonde hair, those sultry eyelids, and those flared nostrils into which she once joked that she'd shovelled "so much cocaine you could put a big gold ring through my septum". Sometimes she'll speak a syllable which flutters into the honeyed vibrato you've heard on "Sara", "Seven Wonders", "Rooms on Fire" or "Dreams". When you meet Stevie Nicks, she doesn't disappoint.

Curling into an armchair draped with a sheepskin rug, she begins to explain why her new album, In Your Dreams, comes 10 years after her last. In 2005, she spent a long, difficult day at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington DC, to which badly injured soldiers from the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan are invalided. Her eyes well up at the memory. "I can honestly say I walked in there, Stevie Nicks, a rock'n'roll star, without a care in the world. And I walked out of there a mother. With a whole lotta children."

Ever since, Stevie's been a frequent visitor to army hospitals, a rock'n'roll Florence Nightingale, giving autographed iPod Nanos to patients loaded up with songs she chose herself. The experience inspired a song on the new album, "Soldier's Angel", whose royalties will go to the Walter Reed rehabilitation centre. She carries a British Legion poppy in her handbag to honour the British fallen, too. She's very clear that supporting wounded soldiers does not imply an endorsement of the invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan. "It does not! You take them cake and iPods, and you sit on the end of their beds while they tell you their story. You're not going there to say 'I don't believe in this war!'"

Another recurring theme on In Your Dreams is the idea of love as fleeting. "Certainly it is for me, in my life as a travelling woman who is never anywhere for long, and will be gone the morning after the big show. There's a line on In Your Dreams that goes 'I'm always in and out of your light', and to lovers, ex-lovers, people we used to love, people we don't even love any more, I'm saying 'You'll never be rid of me, I'm right down the middle of all your dreams'."

Without any prompting, Nicks brings up Buckingham, whom she met as 16-year-old at school in California and stayed with for 11 years.

"It's like Lindsey and me: no matter how many children or grandchildren you have, Lindsey, I'm always gonna be there. Lindsey has these three marvellous children, and that has given him unconditional love, which is what he always wanted. I couldn't give him that. But I know a lot of Lindsey's songs are about me, because a lot of my songs are about him. I call us 'our Miserable Muses'. In a band like Fleetwood Mac, you have arguments, and it makes for great art."

She's warming to her theme, the slightest smile playing about her lips. "So is he sorry that our relationship broke up in 1976? Yes. And if he had to do it all over, would he not move to LA, and maybe try to find our record deal in San Francisco? Yes. Because we both believe that we might still be together. Probably not, but it's possible .... When we're together, and people see the two of us walking towards them, we are a force of nature. Absolutely."

The first Fleetwood Mac song I ever heard was "Tusk", the berserk tribal majorette march which was the title track of their notoriously deranged 1979 double album, the making of which Nicks remembers as "13 months of hell". When asked for her memories, she doesn't hold back.

"Well, here's a big one for ya. I had started to see Mick Fleetwood romantically. I had a very dear friend whose name was Sara [Recor] who just went after Mick. And they fell in love, and the next thing, Sara's husband is calling me to say 'Sara moved in with Mick this morning. And I just thought you might wanna know.' That was three months into a 13-month album. So I lost Mick, which honestly wasn't that big of a deal because that was a rocky relationship. But losing my friend Sara? That was a huge blow. Sara was banished from the studio by the rest of the band ... No one was speaking, and I wouldn't even look directly at Mick. That went on for months. And it was great fodder for writing! The songs poured out of us."

Her early solo career brought the prospect of another potentially combustible relationship. It's rumoured that the keyboards on her 1983 single "Stand Back" were played uncredited by Prince. "I wrote 'Stand Back' based on 'Little Red Corvette', and if you actually listen, you'll hear it. He's a little magical being, a real god-creation. In the Eighties, he kinda wanted to have a relationship, and I just wanted to write. And I knew that if we had a relationship, we wouldn't write."

There's a persistent rumour that Lindsay Lohan has plans for a Nicks biopic. At the mention of Lohan's name, Nicks snaps. "Oh please! She's in the slammer. She's not gonna be doing anything except hang out at the morgue or go straight to the big house! You know what? I wish for her to straighten herself out and become a really great actress. People say, 'Do you wanna talk to her?' and I say 'No', because you can't talk to drug addicts. People said that to me too, and I didn't really listen."

Stevie knows whereof she speaks; she underwent rehab in the Eighties for cocaine addiction, and then in the Nineties for Klonopin dependency.

We return to the defining relationship of Stevie's life. During every Fleetwood Mac concert, there's a poignant moment when she and Lindsey Buckingham slow-dance around the stage. Does she have any idea what that does to their fans?

"It kills them! It's the fairytale happening. Of course they love seeing that connection. It's Beauty and the Beast. And who is the beauty and who is the beast? Am I the beast, and Lindsey the beauty? It's quite possible."

Two beauties, perhaps?

"Two beasts," she replies under her breath.

Stevie Nicks plays Hard Rock Calling in Hyde Park, London, tonight, as a special guest of Rod "

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-en...n-2302744.html

I guess they're talking about Stevie and Lindsey's little iceskating thing that they sometimes did? Otherwise I don't recall any slowdancing. Unless they're talking about the Tusk charade, but I was trying to forget that ever happened haha. I know it's not the first time she's said it, but I still feel like it's just a bit disrespectful of Lindsey's marriage to say that he wishes he and Stevie hadn't broken up and wouldn't have moved to LA and all that jazz, but she clearly doesn't think twice about bringing it up... :shrug: Also, she mentioned Prince wanting to date her again. That would have been an interesting relationship :lol:

Thanks for posting this. I found the most intriguing tidbit to be about Sara... how she was banned from the studio during the recording of Tusk by the rest of the band. It's interesting how the band would close ranks when something detrimental to their unity came about. The most glaring incident being the Tango In The Night incident at Christine's.

Ah, yes. That was interesting to me as well - I don't recall hearing before that Sara was banned from the studio.. She and Stevie eventually rekindled, right?

Indeed, they've been friends for decades. Sara actually lived with Stevie after her divorce from Mick up until a few years ago. Sara is pictured with Stevie, Lori, Sharon, and the famous blue lamp in the Enchanted booklet. Sara was a back up singer in Stevie's Blue Denim video as well. Sara's also a member on the Ledge... she might pop in and give you some more details herself. :)

Sara is a Ledgie? I had no idea! What is her screename?

I think it's SaraFleetwood. She's only posted a couple of times and not in the last year, though.

Ha, I knew it! I hypothesised this months ago, that Sara was a bigger loss to SN than Mick ever was. And Sara being 'banned' fits with what Carol Ann Harris said in her book about the band members being exempt from criticism. So just as Mick would not be the one to be censured for hurting Stevie, there would be no repercussions for Stevie over her affair with Mick whilst he was officially still with Jenny (and, again, certainly none for Mick).

As for SN's comments about Lindsey Lohan in this interview: they're almost verbatim what she was quoted as saying in an interview posted on here a couple of months ago that some people around the Ledge thought was somehow invented, because there was no way Stevie would speak that harshly or hypocritically about LL. Well, there you go.

Her comments about shredded emotions making great art are always worth listening to, and never more than in the light of the consensus that her Tusk songs are the best 'set' she ever had on an FM album.

I also think she speaks the truth when she says that she believes she is LB's 'miserable muse'. I don't think that's disrespectful towards his marriage (some of her other remarks are borderline). It's just an observation about how songs get written - the grit in the oyster that makes the pearl, kind of thing.

Loz

She posted last week in one of Mike Bise's threads.

I love good dish like this. I love reading magazines like Star, Us, Life & Style etc. because they are very colorfull and filled with this type of gossip. This is also the first time Stevie has talked about making the Tusk album and didn't mention how it was like being held hostage in Iran with Lindsey being the Ayatolla.
Ever wonder what it was like for some of the other band members being in the studio with a drugged out and drunk Stevie? Bring it on Lindsey!

No, I agree, I believe that assessment of her's is pretty spot on and I don't think it's disrespectful at all. Just a truthful observation, as you said.

What I always wondered is how was Sara Fleetwood (Recor) related to Jim Recor. Jim and Christine co wrote Love in Store for Mirage, which was after Tusk......

They were married, I thought?

I guess they're talking about Stevie and Lindsey's little iceskating thing that they sometimes did? Otherwise I don't recall any slowdancing. Unless they're talking about the Tusk charade, but I was trying to forget that ever happened haha. I know it's not the first time she's said it, but I still feel like it's just a bit disrespectful of Lindsey's marriage to say that he wishes he and Stevie hadn't broken up and wouldn't have moved to LA and all that jazz, but she clearly doesn't think twice about bringing it up... :shrug: Also, she mentioned Prince wanting to date her again. That would have been an interesting relationship :lol:[/QUOTE]

First of all I think love is a fleeting thing for her because she doesn't want to stick around long enough for it to work it's always I gotta go here and do this or do that which is always her excuse anyways. :rolleyes: I also think it's kind of disrespectful to say the things Stevie always says about Lindsey's marriage she always says that they BOTH agree they wouldn't have broken up if they had stayed in SF, but I do wonder if they ever talk about their relationship in private whenever their alone together.

And she emailed me, too. She's very nice.

Did Sara give you any insight to the questions you had about the tour rehearsals and the making of Street Angel?

Hopefully, we'll talk more. She said Sharon sang lead on the 1994 rehearsals because Stevie had to protect her voice. On the rehearsals, you can really hear Sara a lot. And Liza Jane sounds like Stevie to me.

Sara also remembered when Glyn Johns played (his) Street Angel for them all the first time, and it was a special time.

Ooh! Thank you. I'd love to know what Glyn's version was.

I think she was referring to the original mixes, from the Master Reels dated 02/23/1993.

I love the Street Angel master reels. I can see why they thought they were so special. There's a real buoyancy and happiness there that somehow didn't make it to the final procuction.

:lol:This actually made me laugh when I read it.

- Jake

I'd like to know when exactly people see her and Lindsey together walking towards them. If this is happening somewhere in the world, I'd like a map as to the destination.

This reminds me of her saying the same thing about Fleetwood Mac. She said that when people see the five of them together, it's like they are movie stars.

Michele

Mike Bise, I'm curious to know if Sara had anything to say about the tapes from her storage locker being sold?

I still don't understand how that storage unit got away from her.

Are she and Stevie still friendly? Something seems a little off to me.... she's not mentioned or thanked anywhere on the new album, and Stevie's comments about "I used to have a very good friend named Sara" is kinda odd.... I would have expected her to say something more along the lines of "My good friend Sara started seeing Mick..." YMMV.

She set the record straight on the unit in the other thread:

As for her relationship with Stevie, some may have ideas but no one but Sara and Stevie knows the full story. I'd avoid speculation since Sara still checks in here from time to time; I can't imagine she'd be pleased to read these things. Who knows--maybe she'll address it herself.:shrug:

LOL Me too. Oh, Stevie. Lindsey is forever at the forefront of her mind.

Which could be a pretty good way to get yourself out of the Nicks' inner circle, if you ask me. :shrug:

Not necessarily. :)

What are we to make of this, JC? Is Stevie your bridge partner these days or something?:shrug::cool:

- Jake

^^^ I'm picturing you stroking your chin, JannieC. :D

Further edit: if you do (as implied) happen to have an 'in' with our girl, can you please tell her to come back to the UK and do a couple of proper gigs? Ta. Oh, and I like the glasses. And the gloves. Also, please don't buy your dog diamonds, Stevie, coz I nearly tore up my Chiffonhead membership when I read that. Otherwise, as you were.

Same here, I had a chuckle. It was funny to see it acknowledged by the interviewer. :lol: Oh, Stevie.

I'd feel weird having an "in" with Stevie. I don't want anyone to think I'm using them to get dirt on Stevie or her songs. There's just that line in the sand... :shrug:

Sorry if I offended anyone. I think it's great that people like Sara F. and Bob Welch come by this place. I was just intrigued by the manner in which JannieC contradicted my suggestion. Might just have imagined something that wasn't there, though, so I'll shut up now.

A little off-topic, but important trivia (to me, anyway), so I hope someone remembers....

The versions we have of those mixes dated 2/23/1993.... I thought those were not sourced from actual physical Reel-to-Reel Master tapes, but instead were from a DAT tape that the Reel group bought off eBay (back during the "Good Ol' Reel days").

Does anyone remember the details? Thanks!

- Jimmy ('s Come Back)

Oh dear, I have NO in with Stevie! I was just trying to say that perusing these boards would not mean a banishment from Stevie's circle of friends. :sorry:

Sure thing. Sorry again for getting the wrong end of the stick. :angel:

I kind of get where Stevie was coming from with the "it wasn't a big deal because the relationship was rocky," because it's always kind of a relief to break up an uncertain relationship. However, I do remember her saying for a while Mick was one of her great loves.

Synonyms for great
1. immense, enormous, gigantic, huge, vast, grand. Great, big, large refer to size, extent, and degree. In reference to the size and extent of concrete objects, big is the most general and most colloquial word, large is somewhat more formal, and great is highly formal and even poetic, suggesting also that the object is notable or imposing: a big tree; a large tree; a great oak; a big field; a large field; great plains.


Well . . . he's big alright.

Hehe. Maybe this is what I was thinking of:

"I wasn't displeased with anything Mick said about me," says Nicks. "I knew the truth would come out someday. It was a great love affair - something I would never trade in a million years."
-- Boston Globe, 1991

:lol::lol::lol:

Right! And, she's got like a million "best friends" and the bellboy sneezing in her hotel room "broke her heart".... :rolleyes: Seriously, I love this about her though.

I know Sara in person and I really think that these discussions should stay in private messaging out of respect for her.



Precisely. This very well could be a sensitive subject and since Sara is a board member (and, you know, a human being), we shouldn't be talking about her personal life without her participation.

What discussion? About Stevie and Mick's relationship? This is a forum about Stevie Nicks after all. Maybe we shouldn't talk about Lindsey because people who know him or his wife might come on here. Maybe people who know Joe Walsh come on here...

Listen, I know nothing about Sara and have no ill feelings about her WHATSOEVER. But come on, this is a fan blog for people to talk about Stevie and her work and her life. This is all fair game. If someone were slamming Sara, different story.