Was Imperial Hotel a single?
 

Guys

I just read on Liesipedia that Imperial Hotel was a single from Rock A Little. Is this correct? We know how unreliable that site can be but who knows... If it was then how well did it do? Any pictures of the artwork? B-side etc? I've just never heard that it was a single and very intrigued... It seems such an odd choice!

It wasn't an official single for retail purchase but it did receive airplay on rock stations back in the day when they played deeper album cuts. At least I know it was played here in DC on DC/101.

I miss those days!

Well, in Texas... We had SO MANY deeper album cuts played constantly of Stevie back in 1981-1990:

"Blue Lamp"
"Fireflies" (CONSTANT in Austin in 1981-1982!!!)
"Outside The Rain"
"Straight Back"
"Wild Heart"
"Nothing Ever Changes"
"Rhiannon" - FMLive
"Enchanted"
"Gold Dust Woman"
"Violet And Blue" (THIS should have been a single!!!)
"The Nightmare"
"Imperial Hotel"
"No Spoken Word"
"Battle Of The Dragon"
"No Questions Asked"
"Love Is Dangerous"
"Freedom"

Imperial Hotel was indeed a single, released to radio but not to consumers. There was a 12" promo version in the U.S., with an I Can't Wait remix on the b-side.
http://cgi.ebay.com/STEVIE-NICKS-Imp...item1e54c010ac

Imperial Hotel was also released in Australia as a 45 promo single on the Parlophone label.

Was it remixed any?????

It was played on 97 Rock out of Buffalo, NY yrs ago. DC 101.....LOVE this station, so glad I can listen to it streaming on the internet! I can't get it home on the radio, so once I get to Culpepper it picks up!

Yes, DC 101! They also played "One More Big Time Rock and Roll Star" too. And in the early 80s, right before Howard Stern's morning show, I would often hear "Sleeping Angel." Good times. :thumbsup:

I have the 12" promo single and as far I recall it is not remixed, it's just the album version.

I remember having a rock mag that had the lyrics to V&B, always thought that was odd since it wasn't a single, but it must have been getting airplay to print the lyrics in a magazine. Was a full page print too if I recall correctly. Top half a RAL era live shot and then the lyrics below. Wish I hadn't cut that all apart as a wee child. :rolleyes:

I had that, too. I think it was Hit Parader or Rock Stars, and it came out in June 1984. It was a 1983 live shot of Stevie singing into her mic, with the red shawl with purple in there, too (like in David's current sig pics).

The printed lyrics are the film version lyrics, not the final soundtrack version.

Good times indeed. Mike listed a hefty list and while I don't think DC/101 ever played all of those, I do remember hearing the following non retail singles:

Outside the Rain / The Highwayman (back to back) ... they did it just as a one off thing
Enchanted
Nothing Ever Changes
Violet and Blue
Imperial Hotel
One More Big Time ... now that you mention it I do think I recall hearing it a couple of times
Long Way To Go (major airplay)
Alice (they played this a few times before OSOTM was released. I remember the DJ saying something to the effect, "I'll think I'll flip over the single (ROF) and play the b-side" and he did)
Affairs of the Heart
Love Is Dangerous

And I do remember they used to play album sides. I once heard them play side A of "Timespace" but they stopped at Stand Back and did not play Beauty and the Beast. And I'm almost certain the played side B of Street Angel, and that was the last time I heard them play album cuts from Stevie and the Mac.

Here is the 45 pic sleeve from Australia, (same photo as the HAEWAFY US Sleeve)


http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c2...s/imperial.jpg

The B-side is the dub mix of I Can't Wait.
http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c2...ck001_crop.jpg

And interestingly, Imperial Hotel was also the b-side to the US single of HAEWAFY.

Garbo you are absolutely right. I had the same rock magazine with a picture of Stevie and the lyrics to violet and blue. I kept the clipping for years

Mike I remember the pic like it was yesterday.....Stevies nostrils were bait too flared and she was sweating a bit too much for my taste. I think Phil Collins lyrics for "against all odds" were on the opposite page. Phil had always admitted that he ripped off "stand back" for his song "take me home" so I never liked him ....lol

Now all I can hope for is a live (or lip synched!) performance of it to surface but I highly doubt it! I'd love to see her do Imperial Hotel and Sister Honey from back in the day!

i remember when "violet and blue" was played on rock stations...when i first heard thsi song...i was like "wow!! this is epic" wat a great under rated song..."wid heart" song also was played alot when "wild heart" was released...THAT song...i still get goose bumps..so raw and soooo perfect...yes whoever said "thise were the days" you are absolutely right

I have always loved Imperial Hotel. To my way of thinking, it's the strongest performance (though no necessarily song) on Rock a Little. Her voice is on fire and the tune sounds like any number of great rock-n-roll tracks from Tom Petty albums.

In fact, in the original Rolling Stone review for RAL, the critic (I think Mark Coleman?) noted that it was the highlight of the record.

Oddly, almost none of her fans like it--or they like it less than anything else on the record. No idea why.

I've found this too but I really like it! It's so ridiculous-teeth on edge-coked out-hot mess-crazy!

Agree 100%. It's one of the few moments in the RAL days when she seems completely in control of her instrument. The lyrics are also surprisingly cohesive for the period.

- Jake

Imperial Hotel is one of Stevie's best mid-80's rockers. It's a pity it was left off of Enchanted as well as her live setlists. It would be nice to hear it remastered.