Tom Petty talks about Stevie
 

There's a new book coming out in November called "Conversations with Tom Petty," by Paul Zollo. I got an early copy at work.
Stevie comes up a few times, and I thought I'd transcribe the sections where she's discussed at any length. I never knew Tom made an attempt at producing her first record!
There's a small photo included of Tom and Stevie, from what appears to be the "Insider" video.

Q: A lot of people thought you crafted SDMHA to be a hit single for the two of you.
A: The song wasn't crafted for Stevie. If you hear the original on the boxed set, all they did was take that track and overdub Stevie onto it.

Q: Which is surprising because it seems like she is singing the melody but she is really singing harmony and you are singing the melody, right?
A: Yes, on the choruses I am. They put her in singing the verses. But in the choruses I'm really singing the melody and she is singing harmony.
Stevie came to me around '78. And she was this absolutely stoned-gone huge fan. And it was her mission in life that I should write her a song. And we were a little wary of Stevie. We didn't quite know whether to like Stevie or not, because we kind of saw this big corporate rock band, Fleetwood Mac, which was wrong, they were actually artistic people. But in those days, nobody trusted that sort of thing and we just kept thinking, 'What does she want from us?' And then, of course, she turned into one of my great, great friends forever. But Stevie was really adamant about me writing her a song.
And so I think that around late '78, she approached me about producing her first solo record. Now Stevie, there's a Cecil B. DeMille movie. This is a person that's larger than life in a hundred ways. And I loved her voice. I thought she sang great. And I said okay and I went down to the session to produce a record for her. I went down and I did one track and it was a completely different world from anything I had seen. Dealing with girls was a whole different thing and Stevie was in a whole different place than we were.

Q: Emotionally?
A: [Laughs] Every kind of way. She was very sweet and we liked her. But she had just a whole different kind of work ethic than we had, and there were a lot of people, a lot of hangers-on. The whole Elvis kind of theme of a big entourage. We'd never been a very big fan of that. And so after a track I went, 'Look, I can't do this. I don't have the time. I'm too busy and I don't think that I'm going to be a big help to you. But I know a guy who might be good for you named Jimmy Iovine.' And so, as time went by, and we hung out a bit, we got to know her more and more, she would come over to my house and just hang out and play records or whatever. And we'd sing a bit. We used to sit around and play the guitar and sing.

Q: Harmony?
A: Yeah, just anything.

Q: She's a great harmony singer.
A: She's incredible. We could make a pretty good sound, singing with the acoustic guitar. And so finally I wrote her this song called "Insider" and I brought it down and Jimmy just flipped over the song. He thought it was incredible. Really great, and I really liked it. I was really proud of it.

Q: Had you ever written a song for someone else?
A: No.

Q: Did you write it with her voice in mind?
A: Yeah. And I loved it. I thought it was one of my best songs to that point and I cut it there, just me and my guitar. And then Stevie sang it with me. And then we put the band on after. And by the time the track was coming to fruition with the band and everything, I was getting a little depressed about giving away this song. [Laughs]

Q: I understand you felt your single "A Woman in Love" would have done better if not for the duet for Stevie.
A: I'm sure of it. 'Cause they came out roughly the same time, and Stevie's record was huge. And so it was an awkward position for us because it was billed as Stevie Nicks with Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers and a lot of the radio programmers didn't want to have two TP&H songs around the same period. Especially while one was getting this extreme amount of airplay. So it was a little awkward for us.

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More about "Insider":

Q: "Insider" is a cool title. Was that one you had before writing the song?
A: No. It came as I was writing, if I remember correctly. It just came out of the verse. I wrote that on my own at home. I remember spending a good day on it. And I was just knocked out with it when I got done. And Iovine was really knocked out with it. Extremely excited about it.

Q: Did you tell him it was for Stevie Nicks?
A: Yeah. He asked for a song. He was going to produce [Stevie's album, Bella Donna]. He wanted one desperately. I remember bringing it to him, and he said, 'God, when I asked for a song, I didn't expect this!' And I was really attached to it. And it really hurt me when I did the track and the vocals. And I said, [softly] 'Stevie, I can't give you this.' And she said, 'Well, I can relate to that. I completely understand. I'll take something else.'

Q: Was there any thought of making "Insider" a single?
A: No, they always wanted something more upbeat for singles. Very rarely did they put out a ballad for a single. I don't think ever. "Free Fallin'" was the first time, I think, that I ever had a ballad out for a single. And even then it was the third single from the album.

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"The Apartment Song" (from the Playback box set)

Q: The boxed set has a wonderful home demo of "The Apartment Song" with Stevie Nicks singing the harmonies.
A: [Stevie and I] used to do that from time to time, just sit around and sing. And sometimes run a tape recorder, and we'd play it back, have some drinks. She used to visit me quite often. Come over, and we'd always wind up singing. So I love to sing with Stevie.

Q: You recorded that song for Full Moon Fever. Was there the thought of bringing Stevie in to sing on it?
A: No. I think at that point, I wanted it to be solo. I had never really pictured it being a duet. But Stevie was there, and I showed her the song I'd written. And she liked it, and sang along on it. Probably only got recorded once.

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"Don't Come Around Here No More"

Tom: I met [Dave Stewart] in the Eighties. When music really turned to ****. People were trying to do something, but it was all these fakey keyboard sounds. A lot of prancing and posing. So Jimmy Iovine was looking for songs for Stevie Nicks. And he came to me. I said, 'I don't really have anything left over. I don't have anything I can give away.'
And he said, 'Well, you know I'm frustrated, I'm trying to find writers. Who do you think would be a good writer?' And Dave had just come out with that "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)," which I thought was a really good song. And then I heard one or two more that I thought were really good. I said, 'You should try this guy Dave Stewart. He's in England. I don't know him, but he seems consistent as a writer. He seems really good.' So the next thing I know, not many weeks later the phone rings, and it's Dave Stewart. And he says, 'Hey, I'm here, and Jimmy told me I got the gig from you. I've come over to write some stuff for Stevie and other people. And why don't you come down? Let's get together. I'd like to see you.'
[They wrote "Don't Come" in the studio, and they spent a month producing it.]

Q: I like the stops in it, where you sing the word, "Stop!"
A: That was [Dave's] idea. To go, 'Stop!' And we used girls, which was kind of an accident. Because when we started it, we were working at Sunset Sound, and Stevie had booked the time. And the girls that sing with her had turned up for the session, but Stevie had cancelled the session. So the girls were still there. Dave said, 'Let's get them out here and see what they can do.' And then they did that great bit. [Sings "Ah ah ah ooh ooh."] And then there's a girl named Stephanie who we brought in to sing that really high, wailing thing at the end.

(Note: I'm assuming Stephanie is NOT Stevie. ;) Also, there's no mention of the song being offered to Stevie.)

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Only mention of Lindsey, discussing "Walls":

Q: You have one version of it called "Walls (Circus)" with amazing vocal harmonies by Lindsey Buckingham.
A: He's amazing. He was kind enough to come down and sing that.

Q: Was it your idea to call him?
A: Yeah, yeah. I'm a big fan of Lindsey's. And I called him and was really knocked out that he came down and helped me with that. [Having two versions of the song] was Ed Burns' idea. He wanted one version of "Walls" to start the movie, and another arrangement to end the movie. So I did two different arrangements of it. And Lindsey's just amazing on that track.

Q: Did he come up with those harmonies?
A: Yeah, it was all him. He came down and did it all in one session. I kind of just sat back and watched him go. Just going, 'Yep--that's what I would've done!' [Laughs]

Q: It's cool you've worked with both Stevie Nicks and Lindsey.
A: Yeah. I worked with [Lindsey] again on The Last DJ. He sang on "The Man Who Loves Women."

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I don't see a single mention of "I Will Run to You," unfortunately; I love that song. He also doesn't mention Stevie's involvement in the Australia tour with Dylan, nor her live performances on "Pack Up the Plantation." So that's pretty much all, folks!

I have to get this book! I love this: "Now Stevie, there's a Cecil B. DeMille movie. This is a person that's larger than life in a hundred ways." :laugh: I can just visualize her hanging around Tom and him not knowing what to think of her and just kind of looking at her sideways. Also, how he felt depressed at the thought of giving up Insider. I love "A Woman In Love", too. Awesome Petty song.

Thanks for posting this! When is the book out in stores? Is there much more on Stevie in it? :cool:

You're welcome! I just checked the book, and actually it doesn't come out til November. :shrug:
This is by far the biggest chunk about Stevie. It seems there are random mentions elsewhere, but nothing else major.

I love the way he is with her. He seems so matter-of-fact and so practical and Stevie is such a storm..like a little tornado blowing in. They were so meant to be friends. I love this line too: "Stevie came to me around '78. And she was this absolutely stoned-gone huge fan." That is priceless! :laugh:

I know! I think it's that tension between their personalities that made for some great music.
He also seems like one of the very few people in her life who is totally straight with her. He doesn't feel the need to dance around her or treat her like a star, and I love that. I think Lindsey is the only other person like that -- though even he seems cowed by her at times in "Destiny Rules." Maybe Don.

Oh wow, I love to read Tom talking about Stevie! Love it!

Thanks so much for typing all that out for us!

I just wish they would work together again. There's so much more potential for that musical relationship.

And if the two of them went on tour together, I'd be over to the States in a shot.

I think Tom might still look at her sideways sometimes. :laugh:

I just watched the Destiny Rules thing again recently and I saw something I never noticed before. It was the scene where Lindsey is *instructing* her on the rules of grammar :rolleyes: and I always watched Stevie when she said "you wouldn't say that to Bob Dylan." It's a split screen and I never looked at Lindsey while she was saying that, but the look on his face is precious! He gets this expression like he's about to come unglued, like "here we go again." :lol: I'm not sure if he was cowing down to her. I think he was probably gritting his teeth a lot. That's probably one of the reasons they don't get along. She gets on his last nerve and vice versa. Tom just knows what's coming and how to handle it. :laugh:

This part gets me too because I was dating this biker 1976-1977 and his dad's friend gave us an advance copy of TP&THB first album. The guy said he was promoting them or knew some record guy... something like that. Wish I could remember that guy's name. Anyway, I remember looking at the cover and saying I thought TP looked kinda geeky but like he was trying to be cool by wearing the leather, a la Fonzie. Like I was sooo bad back then, yanno? But we gave it a listen and instantly fell in love with it. Even recorded it onto 8 track so we could listen to it in the van. We listened to it everywhere we went. So my bf and I quickly became big fans too. I don't recall that TP&THB came smashing onto the scene tho. It really wasn't until 1979 that they "took off." So ... I dunno... I just always thought it was kinda cool that the dude gave us the promo LP and we loved TP immediately and then they became huge and long lasting and I was a fan ever since andd the whole Stevie connection l... sigh... life is kinda cool that way.

Laura

No problem on the typing! Though my fingers are a bit sore, lol.
I would like to see them work together again too. But I admire Tom for maintaining limits on their musical relationship -- as he did during the infamous "That Made Me Stronger" conversation. I think Stevie tends to be a little too dependent on him when he lets her be, and he recognizes that and therefore keeps some distance. After all, his saying "no" to writing songs for her in the late 90s is what got Stevie writing again -- even if she couldn't quite come up with music for the actual song about that exchange! :laugh:
As a Stevie fan I thank him for that...

What Sharon said. :thumbsup:

I love Tom Petty's (early) stuff, this was a great read...

(now I'm wondering, would the joint-thing be something Stevie picked up from Tom or the other way around?)

Mari, your signature file... It's so vicious, but so GOOD! :lol:

thanks :D
it's my favorite 'homemade' banner sofar :cool:

Gawd, you have the coolest stories! So, you heard Tom before he became big.. :thumbsup: He is kind of geeky, but in a sexy, I'm-a-huge-rock-star kind of way. :nod:

I love it! I've never heard of Mick referred to as a *twat*. So appropriate. :lol:

The inspiration came from a movie poster for 24 hr Party People, so that's where the 'twat' comes from.. but it is very appropriate, yeah :D