Request - Unconditional Love
 

Hi everyone. :wavey:

A while ago someone posted an early version of Unconditional Love and I was wondering if anyone could re-upload it. Somehow I've lost it off my computer. It starts out with the music and a few seconds in there's this high pitched squeal. It's very faint, I don't know what it was. But other than that the whole version is incredible. Anyone know what I'm talking about?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwRpG2BCDaQ

Here you go, person who doesn't even post here anymore.

I'm using what appears to be the only thread ever created for Unconditional Love to talk about how bizarre its lyrics are. I never paid attention to them before and I am now marveling at what I can only interpret as lyrics about a burgeoning open relationship. The speaker is making it clear that there is no such thing as being betrayed: she is unfazed by the confession that her lover has made to her, and doesn't mind because her love truly is unconditional. This is certainly an unexpected use of a trite title.

Don't explain
Just lay back and watch the rain
Cause darling I'm right here
And nothing's changed

Don't you know by now
I would not even know how
To keep myself from falling for you
I'll be around

Unconditional love
I'll be there when you fall
The one condition of love
Is there are none at all

Why would I
Be a fool and break these ties
When all the dreams that I believe
Are in your eyes

Don't you see at last
You don't even have to ask
I'll give you so much more
Than just a second chance

Hey, hey, hey my precious one
Hey, hey, hey my precious one

What a trainwreck. To think that the trite mess that is "Unconditional Love" was originally slated to be the first single from the doomed album "Street Angel". The single would have been dead on arrival - not that the eventual selection was any better.

I agree. I loathe this song. And get this......I actually like Street Angel as an album. But this cheezy thing is like nails down a chalkboard IMHO. The first time I heard it I was like.....really? Stevie really thinks this is a good song? I don't care for her vocal in it either. When I found out years later that it was supposed to be the first single surprised me. Its just as bad as her lead single off her next album Everyday.

The main thing that was wrong was the yelling of the title words to the chorus, complete with an overdubbed response of "UN-COND-I-TION-UUUULLL!!" It needed to be sweet and pretty, not strident.

That fix, combined with using the original Glyn Johns production would have salvaged the song for me.

The only point of interest for me about this song is that a music video was reportedly shot but never released because Stevie didn’t like the way she looked in it. There are some stills floating around from the vid - white dress, curly hair and lots of white candles. At this point it seems like it’ll never be leaked, if it even still exists in any form, but would be super interesting to see as a curiosity from the low point of Stevie’s career.

You mean these? Yes she doesn't seem to be at her best. And the concept fits more with Phantom of the Opera than with Unconditional Love.

https://i.pinimg.com/564x/26/d5/d4/2...ef81ea3c47.jpg

https://64.media.tumblr.com/aeaec133...cf32f99a9c.jpg

https://64.media.tumblr.com/1896d79d...7abf06be80.jpg

The video was shot before rehab? I can't remember the timeline on this one. She nearly finished Street Angel or finished Street Angel prior to rehab. When she got out she rearranged the album some booting off some tracks. I wonder if the video was shot in her klonopin haze and when she got sober she saw it and cringed.

In my opinion Unconditional Love is definitely not the worst song on Street Angel. I like it much better than Love is Like a River.

I’m with you, BLY. While I can’t disagree necessarily with the reasons other folks have said they don't like the song, for some reason despite the flaws, I like it a lot. I really enjoy the music and backing vocals, as well as the inflections in Stevie’s voice. It’s a pretty vague song, I mean I have no idea what the lyrics mean, but I certainly never got the idea that it was about open relationships LOL but to each their own.

Exactly! I love her voice and the backing vocals. I always loved Stevie’s songs for vocals and the music. I have never focused too much on the lyrics. That also goes for Fleetwood Mac and any of my other favorite musicians.

You used to call me wicked. I used to call you friend.

In the first picture she looks like Baby Jane. :laugh: Actually I like Street Angel and thought that she sounded amazing on that tour.

A lot of co-writers on that album too I think. And maybe three not written at all by Stevie? A Phantom of the Opera.

Is this really the single version they had ready to release? Good grief this is bad. I am guessing she was under the influence of tranquilizers when singing this?
Who is the male voice singing back up during the bridge?

BTW, the most cheeziest line ever: One condition of love is there are none at all.
That is so bad IMHO.

Just listening to this gives me side effects of klonopin. If there was a video of this no wonder its buried in a swamp somewhere.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XExN9bye6xc

I mean, “the children of the world… the forgotten chimpanzee” is a better line?

Stevie has plenty of cheesy lines, and while I agree the line is bad, it’s genius when compared to Jane. And you can take that to the laundromat uh, I mean bank!

Another cheesy line reference.

She wrote Jane. She did not write Unconditional Love.
Jane is a dedication about someone caring for chimpanzees so why would it be odd to have that word? I also don't understand the freakout over the word laundromat in a song. Big deal.

We are on completely different wavelengths. You love these sappy songs that she would never write like Unconditional Love, Talk To Me and probably Everyday.

The reason I said it was a cheezy line is not because of word which was your counter response. Its what the line says. Love has one condition that there are none at all.
Its just plain dumb. Your examples are not cheesy lines. You hate a word in the line. But those words are telling a story. No one was trying to be clever. Whoever wrote Unconditional Love was trying to be clever. And guess what. Its not clever!

Sappy is not a word I would associate with Talk to Me, but as you said, we’re on different wavelengths.

I appreciate that Stevie wanted to write a song recognizing Jane Goodall, but good intentions are not enough to make a song good. I can actually tolerate Jane now, especially since you linked me to an alternate recorded version on YouTube, but the lyrics are too “on the nose,” as those two Podcast guys said. A much less literal celebration of Jane’s career would have made the song less cheesy. And if you think Talk to Me is sappy, I can certainly think Jane is cheesy. But I respect different tastes. I really dislike Everyday, but appreciate that it may very well be someone else’s favorite.

Yeah that was my thought exactly… Baby Jane. And she wasn’t even THAT old, 45 or 46. The middle photo she looks OK — you can see a shadow of peak Stevie in there.

I will say something controversial that may irk Stevie fans. Sandy Stewart ruined Stevie's career. She tanked the Wild Heart with the dreaded Nightbird keyboard intro. Her amateur piano playing on the title track was meh.
She tanked Tango In The Night with Seven Wonders. Tango was in the top ten when Seven Wonders was released. It fell fast on the charts and ruined the momentum for the album. The album's biggest hit had difficulty making the album recover since it fell so hard. Just imagine Tango having 2 top 5 singles in a row. The album would have climbed on the charts. Instead we got the curse of Standy Stewart. Unconditional Love is one of the worst songs she has ever recorded and slapped on an album. Its slapped on the album in the key spot for a lead single.....first track side two. Did you listen to that single version that I posted? OMG not only are the lyrics horrible its probably the worst vocal she has done. If I ever get a family of raccoons in my attic that refuse to leave, I will play them this song.

Interesting analysis. I always questioned why Sandy Stewart did not contribute to the "Rock a Little" album. Sandy was also over "The Wild Heart" album. Then, Stevie worked on "Cat Dancer". After, Sandy disappeared for awhile until "Seven Wonders" and "Unconditional Love" and "Too Far From Texas".

I was being tongue and cheek with my post. Stevie is always better singing her own songs IMHO. She needs help sometimes in crafting them but she is not short in the lyrics department. She does not need to sing other people's songs. She also lost her way when she brought her friends into her professional circle. Her brother never did a great job with concert stuff. Her friend Sheryl Crow did a bad job with TISRL. And I don't like Sandy Stewart anywhere near Stevie's music.

Stevie brought nothing to the Tango sessions that was single-worthy. [Don't care what she had in the vaults, it's what she brought for that album]. She and her management would have a sh*t fit if at least one single wasn't hers, but she couldn't deliver. So she picked a song from someone else to save her a$$. Don't blame Sandy for it. She wasn't demanding Stevie record one of her songs. SMFH. Blame Stevie and her drug and fame addiction that seriously damaged her writing.

Yes, while I agree that Nightbird is a horrible song mostly due to Sandy Stewart’s keyboard playing, Seven Wonders is actually a fantastic song, even though it didn’t hit the top 10- look at Love in Store and Everywhere.

We should actually be thanking Sandy for providing a song for Tango in the Night. I shiver to think what other Stevie song could have been recorded instead- regardless of what our personal feelings are about Welcome to the Room Sara and When I See You Again, I think we can all agree neither one of those would have been top 40 hits!

At no point am I blaming Sandy. I am blaming the person who hired her to play on her album.
Hint hint

I think many times Stevie was underestimated because of her flakiness. Bella Donna did not need SDMHA. Jimmy said he loved the album but feared no one would hear it because it had no singles. That was a wrong assumption. I understand his concern. He did not want to see Stevie flop. The musicians crafted her songs so well. Each version of How Still My Love is excellent. Such great playing. I think when the drugs over took Stevie, no one had the patience to craft her songs. She was not serious about music anymore. It was all about the party. It was much easier to bring her cheezy pop songs to sing to get played on the radio.

1. Street Angel has no good songs. It is a bad album.

2. I love Nightbird and see it as a prime example of Stevie's good stuff. Doesn't matter that Sandy Stewart was involved.

I am only responding to what you posted..:shrug:

I don't see anything here that says "I blame Stevie for hiring Sandy" or "I blame Stevie's managers/producers for hiring Sandy" :sorry:

And I disagree she tanked Tango...again, quite the opposite, she saved Stevie's butt by giving her a song that would be far, far more successful than anything Stevie was able to provide.

You're funny.
It was always an urban legend that Sandy forced her way on to the Wild Heart. I am glad you confirmed those rumours :lol:

Whatever you're smoking must be good.:D

The irony. Both famous coke heads. I'm pretty certain Tanya still is(I'm friends with 3 guys that have been in her band). They have other similarities, too. Stevie outgrew her bad habits(drugs and ho-ing). Tanya never did. With either.
Even now.

Was she auditioning for an upcoming role of Miss Havisham ?
Or maybe a blonde Kate Bush.
She liked the hair so much she has the same style now…
She does look just a tad spaced out …poor woman.

Can you please delete my quote because I can't seem to add anymore. She wasn't 41. She was like 45 or 6. Sad to hear about Tanya though.

My favorite story of her is her offer to a bass player. "I'll pay you 50k for this tour, or I'll pay you 40k for this tour, and you can F me any time you want". He said, "I'll take the 50k".:lol:

My other friend's wife was going to leave him if he couldn't get off coke. He said he literally had to quit her band to get away from it, because it's rampant in her camp.

She's still the party girl she was 40 years...uh....50 years ago. Color me a little jealous. ;)

Oh, my word!! Tanya Tucker? She's still hitting the blow? At her age?

Yes! Sex and drug addict, still. I kind of admire her dedication. :D