New Interesting Stevie Article
 

http://www.thesundaymail.news.com.au...001182,00.html

Stevie's buzzing
RITCHIE YORKE
30oct05
AT HOME in her beloved Santa Monica mansion, Stevie Nicks (pictured) is feeling the thrill of a returning songwriting buzz.

For the first time in more than 18 months, the 57-year-old sex siren of the shimmering '70s has put pen to paper.

The new song is an ode to New Orleans, as yet untitled, but bound to wring a few more drops of emotion from that familiar Southern whipping post.

"I'm in the middle of writing a happy song – not a sad song – about the plight of New Orleans.

"I have so many memories of New Orleans because we always play there.

"I'm not gonna write a really miserable song," she ruefully declares. "I'm going to write a song about the New Orleans that was – and hopefully will come again.

"This is the first song that I've written in over 18 months. The last songs I wrote were the four tunes I wrote for the Say You Will project (2003). Since then I've written nothing."

But she's certainly had her eyes tightly focused on other balls, such as performing.

"Well yes. After we, Fleetwood Mac, left you guys in 2004, we went back to the States and did another four months of shows. Then I went into pre-production for myself and started out with four shows in Virginia in May.

"Then I did 10 shows with Don Henley and that was lots of fun. Then I followed up with 20 shows by myself and I'm into a little break time now. But we're rehearsed and ready to go."

Accompanying Nicks on her double header with John Farnham at the Entertainment Centre on February 20, will be a distinguished nine-man band under the direction of the redoubtable Waddy Wachtel.

Some observers might suggest that Wachtel's talents alone are worth the price of admission. But that might cast unfair aspersions at the feet of two honest triers such as Nicks and Farnham.

"Waddy is my musical director and he plays guitar for me. He really doesn't go out on the road with anyone else except me. He's like my Keith Richards and I'm happy, frankly, that he's not out doing everybody's stuff. He stays in town, mainly working on film and TV projects," she says, with just a touch of elitism.

"There's parts of this band of mine that go way, way back."

With an extensive punter-friendly repertoire that includes such gems as Bella Donna, Stop Draggin' My Heart Around, Edge of Seventeen, White Wing Dove and Leather and Lace, Stevie operates from a pretty special place in the public psyche.

The Australian response to last year's Fleetwood Mac-athon was a key reason driving Stevie's desire to get back Down Under. But equally significant was a timely invitation from the tuned-in Melbourne Symphony Orchestra for Nicks to join them in a high profile union.

She's flown out to Australia this weekend to announce the symphony gig and to attend Tuesday's big puntathon at Flemington.

If she seemed a tad flustered during our conversation, there was ample reason for it.

"My father passed away about six weeks ago. It was sad but it's OK. He was in a lot of pain and needed to move on. But it put me into a bit of a different space.

"So I should remember to tell you that there's a Best Of retrospective coming out to tie-in with the tour. But there won't be any new tracks. When I came off the road six weeks ago, I just didn't have the time to do some new recording. And anyway, I didn't have any new material until I started writing this song about New Orleans."

Stevie Nicks will perform with John Farnham at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre on February 20.


I am surprised she hasn't written any other songs since SYW. I thought she was always writing and would have some good material while being on the road for so long.

thanks for posting
interesting indeed :nod:

Hmmm. This means no solo album. There is no new material.

Rehearsals for Mac at the end of 06, and back on the road in 07.

Maybe a solo record in late 08 ?

I don't see another solo record at all.

When all else fails slap on some obscure rarity or something... I don't know. Seems a shame to have a best of without at least one new track! Everyone puts at least one new track don't they? Actually include the Dreams Deep Dish thing... There's your song and it just might sell a few extra copies because of it.

Is this even for a North American release?

"I'm totally writing. I could go into the studio tomorrow and start a solo record. I think I get better as a writer every day because I work on it constantly. So it's not like I couldn't do it, but ..."
--7/28/2005

Which is it, Stevie?

She pisses me off sometimes.

It is a contradictory statement, but perhaps none of what she was writing ended up developing into complete songs?

I wonder whatever happened to the song she was reported to have recorded sometime during the 'Say You Will' tour. It was a cover tune, and had "Angels" in the title, I think.
I had assumed it was being recorded for a soundtrack, but nothing ever came of it.

Would have been cool if she had included something like that on the "best of" set.

One Million Angels was the song.

If there is anything we have learned from Stevie by now is that her comments about her career and her plans are simply not to be trusted. She's a friggin Gemini. It certainly keeps things interesting.

She could do a cover song... Record Circle Dance and dedicate the cd to her dad:nod:

What? :confused: I'm totally shocked by this.

That doesn't really make me want to buy it. :shrug:

:lol:

Stevie I love you dearly.

Chris is the same way, as much as I love her. She retired and we thought that was the end for her...BOOM...In the Meantime! :lol:

Dude, who knows? :confused:

Not everyone includes a new track, but it does help sales when they do. I doubt she could have found something to include that we haven't all heard anyway, but it would have been a nice opportunity to give one of the vaulted songs an official release.

As far as "Dreams"... she might not be able to include it on her album when Deep Dish is still promoting their own.
I think that, unless there's a contractual agreement from the get-go that both parties can include a song on their individual releases, that there's a standard "waiting period."

I remember Bonnie Tyler once stating that she couldn't use a soundtrack song for one of her (MANY) "best of" albums that was being readied for release, unless she "waited another six months" or something like that. :shrug: