The Girls Light Em Up on Unreleased Versions
 

From Nicksfix Backup Singers Q&A

Hi Lori! Thank you soooo much for taking time to answer our questions. Here's mine. We all know how Stevie feels about this but you and Sharon haven't really put in your two bits. How do you feel about all the demos and "unfinished" songs being out on the internet for fans to download and have? Do you think anything should be done about it or should they be able to have them to enjoy? I for one LOVE "Julia" and one called "Prittiest Girl in the World" and hope that they make it onto an album soon!!!

Lori's answer:

Hi "Desrtangl"! (That's one of my favorite songs!) Welllll..... you want to know my feelings? You may not like what I have to say, but here goes..... I think it is sinful that people have "stolen" Stevie's unfinished/unreleased songs. If there were something that could be done about it, I would say, ABSOLUTELY... do it!!!! That having been said... I will try to explain: All of Stevie's songs are, well, STEVIE'S... and nobody has a right to them except for Stevie. They are personal, and private... until she is ready to share them with the world. Listen... there were reasons why those songs were not put on records previously. In alot of cases it was because the song was not finished, or had not been recorded and/or represented the way Stevie meant for them to be. "Julia" (one of my favorite unreleased songs) is a good example of a song that is quite personal to Stevie, and wasn't done quite the way she wanted. We always intended to re-do it, but for various reasons, it hasn't happened yet. Now that people have made these songs available everyone, it's possible she may never do them again, even the right way, which is sad. I think if these people thought about it, they wouldn't like it if someone read their diaries, without their permission... it's the same thing.



Hi Sharon ,My question is a a hard one I bet ..Do you think Stevie Knows that her Demos and other unfinished works have been sold and traded within her fan base? There all great and I want to tell you there is a outtake of you singing Leather and Lace, just you on vocal and it must be the best version I have ever heard! Take care!

Sharon's answer:

Hi Angie,
Stevie does know that her demos and other unfinished works have been sold and traded as "bootlegs". As you can read on her "Ask Stevie" page here on the Nicks Fix site, in her own words, "It greatly upsets me that people came into my life and stole my tapes". Of course it upsets me greatly as well, that this would happen to Stevie. As interesting as it might be to the fans to hear these recordings, it is still a violation of Stevie's privacy. Please consider that it would be much more appropriate to leave the decisions about circulating versions of a "work in progress" to the artist.

As concerns your comments about my vocal on "Leather and Lace", I only recently found out that there was a version of me singing the song going around. In this case, I was singing what is called a "guide vocal" for a Stevie recording session, so that the musicians would know where the lead vocal parts would be going while they were learning the song and working on the arrangement. This would be similar to a stand-in reading a part for a lead actor on a movie set, to give the other actors and camera men a chance to work out their parts and ideas for the actual filming. Please keep in mind, if this had been intended for public release, an entirely different process would have been used in order to get the best possible performance. Anyway, I'm glad that you enjoy Stevie's music so much, and thanks for your kind words about my vocal.

It's pretty clear now just what that whole camp thinks of all the demos leaking. I can't say it's much of a surprise. Don't most pop singers & bands hate it when their demos leak?

Someone should ask Sharon about why the "official people" allegedly didn't respond to the announcement about the Modern storage facility auction. Did they think it was all a joke? or that Stevie's fans didn't want to get their hands on all of it?

To be a rock star, you should have to pass the class on What Is a Fan 101. Fleetwood Macsters just seem so naive & so stupid, although I fully appreciate their disgust over the demo issue. If I were in their shoes, I wouldn't want my unfinished songs leaked, either, although I doubt I'd mind my concerts being recorded.

I agree... I probably wouldn't be too happy either if something I did that wasn't finished was taken or found and then distributed... But. On the other hand... It in a way has kept alot of us going through the lean years when we thought it was over to the point that we may not be around today had this stuff not surfaced.

Not to mention, the tapes that were stolen contained how many songs? 10? We've seen many, many more since then. Stevie herself has circulated her unfinished works at times. Why else would she go looking for a piano demo of Rhiannon to put on her box set?
While I can understand anger at "the tapes" being stolen, I think we're talking about a lot more material than "the tapes." :shrug: It had to come from somewhere.
Besides, some of them are quite brilliant.
Stevie didn't like the end result Julia? :confused: It's not that different from that first version she recorded with Shelley Yakus.
Sometimes she is surrounded by too much love. :)

I truly stuggled with the demo issue after she said she resented people having them. But, I think that maybe if she knew the absolute JOY songs like Julia, The Dealer, Space Needle, The Tower, POTU, etc. provided me and I am very sure many, many others - she maybe would reconsider her position. I also think she has aquired many fans that way. I know one I played The Tower and POTU for that went to three of the TISL concerts and had no intention of going to those concerts prior to hearing those two. So, maybe if she knew that, she might not be as prone not to record these songs, be so angry, etc. In the end though, they are her songs and it is her right - period. I just think maybe the people around her do not let her know how much people really like those old demos and love her work. Also, witnessing the transformation from start to finish, which in some cases is 30 years, is beguiling to me and many others. I know we are taking the choice from her and that is wrong. I just wanted to point out that none that I know download them with derision. In fact, it usually is with glee and excitement because it is further insight into one of the greatest performers and songwriter of their time - I certainly feel this way. Anyway, that is my $0.02 offered in a friendly way and with no disrespect to Stevie :cool:

My 2 pennies
 

When? What songs? According to who? Do you just mean Enchanted Rhiannon, or are you talking about other material too? You've peaked my curiousity.

According to her in interviews for the release of the Enchanted Box Set.

I completely respect what Sharon and Lori had to say and largely agree with them. But, for me, it's just too tempting knowing these things are floating around and that me refusing to acquire them will not put and end to them floating around, especially since I never exchange money (is that just my way of freeing myself of guilt?! :angel: ). At least I feel like most of the people who are trading (as opposed to buying) care enough about that artist to not exchange money, therefore they are not likely to judge them harshly by their unfinished works. It does upset me to see Lori compare it to someone stealing your diary. But I do have a show from the TISL tour where Stevie displays a sense of humor on the issue. Before either "Sorceror" or "Planets" she says something like, "You've all probably heard it on some bootleg already!" with humor in her voice.

Well, now I want to hear their response to a question asking how they feel about people booting live shows. Anyone already asked?

Given the choice, I'm sure Stevie would rather they had never leaked in the first place, but since the barn door was left open and the horses escaped years ago, she's probably come to terms with it.

One of those things in life that you're not happy it happened, but that you deal with because you know there's no changing it now.

Something I've wondered for a while, is how Lindsey felt/feels about his entire 'Gift Of Screws' project leaking out, long before he was ready for the tracks to be heard.

As a rabid fan who can never get enough new music from Fleetwood Mac, et al., I do download the demos and outtakes when they pop up... but I do so with the complete intention of purchasing them if they should ever be made available through legitimate channels.

I just find it laughable when fans grumble that Stevie used an "old song" on one of her new albums, when, by all rights, we never should have heard those songs in the first place.

demos...
 

I agree about Lindsey. The whole GoS thing was sad. Of course I grabbed it as soon as it was available but I hated how some fans then later complained when his songs sounded different on the SYW album. (commonly Stevie was to blame as if Lindsey was obligated to release the tracks exactly as the boots were.)
As far as Stevie's boots..there have been too many leaks over the years. Honestly, the stolen tapes was a small part of this whole fiasco. There has to be someone continually leaking stuff for things like Thrown Down, Space Needle, My Heart, etc to keep being released. That is what is baffling to me. They claim they are so angry and it is so wrong and an invasion of privacy but why does it keep happening year after year? Plug up the holes if it bothers you that much.

I remember at one of the TISl shows I went to she said something before Planets..."I know many of you have heard this a long time ago and that is great..."...I guess she has just accepted it.

I don't really collect demos, but the few demos that I do have (My Heart, Space Needle, Christian, ummm that is it) are great and I don't feel bad about listening to them b/c it makes me love Stevie even more and I've paid ridiculous ticket prices and purchased every single album she has put out. So in my opinion, she owes me one!

However, I don't have that many demos because I prefer to just wait and get the final version. If I had heard the Not Make Believe demo before I got the SYW collectors edition, then the song would not be very special, now would it?

I don't think she is upset that people listen to her demos. I think she is upset that people stole them and leaked them out. But what is done is done so she has to accept the fact that we've heard them and we love them! :xoxo:

Does the camp realize that its mainly only us geeky fans that download the demos? We are the same geeks that will buy anything and everything she puts out commercially anyway. So no money is lost.

I believe that the whole selling/buying bootlegs is obsolete now anyway. Everyone and their brother has a cd burner now and can download music. Back in the 90s, 80s we might have bought bootlegs bc we didnt have the means at the time to trade them. I never bought any. I wonder if Stevie knows the days of selling her stuff illegally are over?