Trouble in Shangri-La Demo
 

I have to admit...I rarely listen to the Trouble in Shangri-La album. I know...I know...shame on me. I recently came across the demo on YouTube and it really reminded me old school Stevie from the mid 80s. I'm sure everyone already knows about this song so please forgive me. I'm not really up-to-date on the Trouble in Shangri-La era. haha

This is one of my favorite demos! "Just who are you anyway? 'Cause you are no one to me at all!" Love it! But I think most everyone here hates it :shrug:

I most certainly love it!

I've still never decided if I like or dislike this song. The whole Stevie Nicks love affair with fairytales has always been both endearing and annoying.

I think my fav unreleased demo from TISL is probably "My Heart" though:



I really like "Space Needle" as well, but it's so dark. I'm doubting we'll ever see this one released:



I'm still upset with what "Thrown Down" morphed into as well. To me, the TISL demo is far superior.

I'm liking these demos more than the songs on the album!

I loved My Heart when I first heard it, but I over played it and got burnt out on it. Also, what TISL demo of Thrown Down do you love??? I only have the "wall of sound" one, but I thought that was a Mac demo??

The Wall Of Sound outtake has long been speculated to be from TISL, and that it was a Sheryl Crow produced song. It first surfaced I'd say at least a year before SYW came out (my memory is getting fuzzy). There was also an interview about a decade ago where Sheryl talked about producing a song with Buckingham and Nicks that the world was going to be blown away by.

But there is an earlier demo of Thrown Down that I'm talking about. It's pretty skeletal... kinda like the demo of Space Needle I posted above. Just simple synthesized drums/sound machine noises. It was just so pure and emotive... I feel like that quality was lost in the SYW version. I no longer have a copy of the demo, but I'm sure somebody on the board here does.

I'm the same way. Even the demo versions of the songs that made the album are superior in my opinion. Take this outtake of Bombay Sapphires:



To me, the verse in this version that was cut for the album version is what really made the song. The verse that goes:

"That's my dream, so it seems... to still see dreams even when there are none"

That's just such a beautiful, very Stevie sentiment. It's sh!t like that which makes me love Stevie Nicks. I even love the little Stevie double harmonies that were cut in favor of Macy Gray's vocals.

There are two demos for "Thrown Down" timed at 4:37 and 5:36. Both are complete songs, with the second one containing more Stevie overdubs, more guitar, more percussion. Both are very nice.

There is an outtake of "Thrown Down" from Trouble In Shangri-la, timed at 4:41. Not sure why this is always referred to as the "Wall of Sound demo", since it's not a "demo" and Phil Spector didn't produce it. :shrug:

Anyway, this outtake of "Thrown Down" was on the original 16-track CD of Trouble In Shangri-la, along with "My Heart", "Touched By An Angel" and an alternate version of "Bombay Sapphires" (and different mixes of "Every Day" and "I Miss You"). This CD was playing at the party after Stevie's September 2000 Benefit in Arizona. Several of these 16-track CDs were given out to VIPs at the benefit as well. That is how "Thrown Down" and "My Heart" were circulated amongst fans. (A woman in Germany made copies for me and several other fans).

This outtake from Trouble In Shangri-la of "Thrown Down" does have Mick on drums and LB on guitar, but it's not a Fleetwood Mac recording. However, when it came closer to release date, it was decided to trim down TISL to 13 songs, so Stevie decided to pull "Thrown Down" so Fleetwood Mac could record it.

I love this alternate outtake of Bombay Sapphires as well, and think it is superior to the version w/ Macy Gray that ended up on the record. It just has a darker, crystal cool vibe going through it that enhances the narrative. And the extra bridge and Stevie's double harmonies are awesome.

I would just like to know who produced this version? Some have speculated that perhaps it was from the Dallas Austin sessions. Anyway the story goes that Bombay Sapphires was in danger of being cut from TISL as they narrowed the record down to 13 tracks cause they(suits at warners) thought it was one of the weaker tracks (which is bull... and many ledgies have confirmed this through many polls down the years) But that Stevie didn't want to let go of this track, cause she felt it fit integrally with the TISL concept and the whole "I can see past you...to the white sand." also symbolically meant a lot to Stevie so she attempted to go in the studio and re-record it for the 3rd time with another producer (she is credited) and w. Macy Gray on harmony thus it being saved and earning it's place on TISL. Stevie stated this in an interview right after the release of TISL.

I always felt that Stevie went in the studio and spent thousands of dollars to destroy her songs.

Has this German CD ever been posted? I'd love to hear the alternate mix of Every Day. I have a version of I Miss You that has an instrumental bridge near the end, is that from this CD?

^^^^
Yes, that's the alt.mix.

Ah cool. Thanks.

Is the alternate version of Everyday worth hunting down?

I would also love to hear these unreleased mixes please!!