Early Gypsy with Tom Petty and Heartbreakers
 

By her voice, I would assume this was recorded around 1980 or maybe earlier. I wonder if Gypsy was ever considered for Bella Donna but then discarded for the other great songs. This early arrangement is very similar to the actual song so Lindsey had a good form to work with. Everything happens for a reason. Gypsy is a very classic Fleetwood Mac song that defines the band especially in the MTV age of 1982. They say everything happens for a reason.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XuDH2El7S9g

Apparently it's from 4/3/80: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-qTulMlZWQ

According to the Warren Zanes biography of Tom Petty, Stevie initially tried to get Tom to produce her first solo album but Tom soon decided he didn't have time. Passing over "Gypsy" for Bella Donna was a mistake, but proved to be good fortune for Fleetwood Mac, who made something brilliant of it.

I disagree. Bella Donna was a fine opening track that set the name and bar for the rest of the album. While Gypsy is nice, Bella Donna's lyrics really tell the story of Stevie going solo. Plus the music track is amazing. I would take Gold and Braid over Gypsy on Bella Donna any day.

I meant passing it over for inclusion on the album, not as a replacement for the song "Bella Donna." "Gold And Braid" should probably have gone on there too (don't know what Fleetwood Mac was doing recording "Welcome To The Room Sara" and "When I See You Again" with a song like "Gold And Braid" available).

Back in those days 10 songs were the standard of an album. IMHO Bella Donna is like Rumours, I would not touch a thing. If I could make one change, I would swap The Highwayman for Gold and Braid. However, The Highwayman is a great closer. Albums in those days always had the "closer."
I would not mess with destiny. The Mac really made Gypsy the wonderful song it is today. The overdubs, Lindsey's guitar solo, and the classic Mac sound with Mick on drums. It all fits perfect with the song.

And never forget it was and is the best video of all time!

"Gold and Braid", "Sleeping Angel", and "Blue Lamp" and even "Julia" are all so stellar. I'd add them all to "Bella Donna" if I could. "The Highwayman" is the only one I could think of axing though, maaaaybe "Think About It" as it has always kind of come off as filler when "After the Glitter Fades" did the country bent a bit better. I still love that song though.

I'm trying to picture "Gold & Braid" on Tango with the ethereal 80s keyboards and drum machines and it's hurting my head a bit :lol:. Of her demos at the time, "Running Through the Garden" and "At the Fair" would've been my picks to replace "...Sara" and "When I See You Again", respectively. Maybe "Night Gallery" too. I could see 80s Lindsey doing some really cool stuff with those songs.

What this demo shows us is that "Gypsy" was far more fleshed out than many of us have presumed before Stevie brought it to FM, presumably as a leftover from BELLADONNA. I have heard the original demo Stevie recorded by herself with just her plunking chords. But Petty's take on it sounds a lot like the live version FM did while supporting MIRAGE.

Mind you, Lindsey's imaginative touches and inspired guitar work, as well as Mick and John's sturdy back beats, lift the song from an average mid-tempo rocker to something glorious.

Exactly. That is what I commented on in my original post...how the demo arrangement is very similar to how it turned out with the Mac. Lindsey is still a genius but had an excellent rough draft to work with.
Many of the early runs of Gypsy were piano based and not much else.

Oh, yeah, didn’t see your first post. You called it....