Sister Honey

[strandinthewind]

I happened to listen to it yesterday. Here are the words to Sister Honey - which was written by Stevie and I. Dudek and it was on Rock A Little (1985). I think it is just a great. albeit funky, song, esp. the words. I assume Stevie wrote the words and I. Dudek wrote the music. I think it means she and Chris, her brother, got into a fight and resolved by saying they could still be friends as always.

I think alot of people do not care too much for this song because it is just so different from SN on BD and TWH, which she was discredited for and was called formulaic. So, I give her kudos for branching out and think this song is killer. My 0.02

Alright, baby
Well, I think you will like Sister Honey
She will help you
Make up your mind
even if you don't need her
Tell her you need her
She needs you brother
She needs you brother


Strange fascination
Some kind of temptation
To know Sister
Never having allowed yourself
Do you understand the word, pleasure
Well, you say it's just never crossed your mind
And she believes you


Can we still be friends
the answer's always yes
Even best intentions turn around one day
Saying...


Nobody's right, baby
All the time
And a fool never knows what he's leaving behind
So take some time to know the real story
Cause a soul that's true is your ride to glory
Don't let that golden hair get in your way , baby


Can we still be friends
the answer's always yes
Even best intentions turn around one day
Saying...


Come back solemn stranger
It's your last chance
She's almost gone, now
And she'll go fast like a jet plane
And then fast like a star stream
She'll hit you with a fury
Whispering the words one more time, baby
One more time
And she says don't let that golden hair
Get in your way now

[dissention]

Cause a soul that's true is your ride to glory

I think that line alone is the songs *only* saving grace. The rest of it just, well, stinks, IMO. The vocal on it is one of the more tolerable on the RAL album, but the background vocals drag it down and the eighties feel is just TOO eighties. But I still listen to it *occasionally.*

I don't see it as Stevie branching out at all. I see it as her and the producer getting more hip to the fact that this eighties sound is in most of the music that is selling and they wanted another #1. It was just the sound that was popular, as was the sound on BD was popular at the time.

Also, IMO, this is when Stevie began to change her image (I Sing For the Things, anyone?) and a lot of people didn't respond well to it. It was just such an abrupt change in her music that that's the reason I don't think it sold as well.

[darklinensuit]

I think a lot of the change was her voice, which the mainstream no longer loved as much.
I love her songs and voice on RAL, all except for ISFTT. Sister Honey is a fun song, but I didn't think it was about Chris.
Stevie did write that Talk to Me was hard song to sing, and I cannot imagine anybody else doing it as well. Her young voice could not have handled it.
The RAL album always lifts my mood. I had a rough night Friday and when I got in my car, thank goodness it was already playing.

- Jake

[gldstwmn]

I like the song. IMO the drug references are pretty blatant. I think she was feeling the heavy Prince influence for this one.

[Johnny Stew]

By the way, Stevie's co-writer on "Sister Honey," was Les Dudek.
They wrote another song together too, that remains unreleased, but the title is escaping me at the moment.

Beyond his own solo career, Les also toured with Stevie in 1991.

[gldstwmn]

Les used to date Cher back in the day. I think he and Stevie were romantically involved as well.

[Johnny Stew]

Hmm... I did a quick search on Google, to find the name of the other song Stevie & Les wrote (I have it written down somewhere, but I'm not sure where, and it was going to bug me until it found it)... anyway, the song is called "Freestyle," and I also found this little interview from Les, circa 2000....

Gritz.Net: Are you doing the album now?

Les Dudek: Yeah. I had some things already in the can that I wanted to put out. I have two tracks that Jeff Poccaro from Toto played on. Those tracks are smoking! And I have this track called "Boomerang" that will fry your head. And I have a song on there that I co-wrote with Stevie Nicks that Mick Fleetwood was about to beat me up for, because he wanted it for Fleetwood Mac. I tried to get Stevie to do it, when I went on the road with her. The song was called "Free Style," and I may even call my album "Free Style."

Gritz.Net: What's Stevie like?

Les Dudek: Oh, she's a sweetheart. I did the "Whole Lot of Trouble" Tour with her. And that's what it was man, a whole lot of trouble. (Laughs) Not because of us, but because it seemed like the devil was throwing his pitch fork at us every way we turned. We were in the rehearsals before the tour, and I got in a motorcycle crash on Sunset. The road manager got in a bike crash on the same night. I broke my right arm and wrist, and ended up putting it a velcro cast, and I did the whole tour playing with my fingers! I was supposed to be the hot rod guitar player on that tour, but the roles got switched.


I did more searching, and apparently he did release "Freestyle" on an album of the same title, in 2002.
I never knew this song was released... did anyone else?

You can hear a sample of it
here.

Now, i need to find the full-length track.

[Johnny Stew]

The lyrics....


Freestyle
(written by Les Dudek & Stevie Nicks)

(Intro)
She’s not tellin’, she’s not tellin’
She’s not tellin’, she’s not tellin’
Ooh ooh, ooh ooh, ooh ooh, ooh ooh
She’s not tellin’
Ooh ooh, ooh ooh, ooh ooh, ooh ooh

(First Verse)
I haven’t seen you in a long time
It’s been too long
And if she knows she’s not tellin’
It’s been too long
But that’s not a one thing to her
‘Cause only a fool knows

(Chorus)
Freestyle run away leavin’ tonight
With an empty heart on an all night flight
Freestyle
Long distant stranger time replaced
With freestyle love on a brand new face
Freestyle

(2nd Verse)
Well it’s still not known to her heart
She’s very alone tonight
She’s up in arms for open hearts
She’s very alone
Only a fool would lie
‘Cause only a fool knows

(chorus section)

(solo section)

Freestyle, Freestyle

(3rd Verse)
Would you do it once for her right now
She’s very alone tonight
Well you just might have won the race
But you won’t be alone tonight
Still your heart cries out
And you fall face down
But you don’t learn - You don’t learn
That it’s crazy here right now
But you don’t learn – You don’t learn
Freestyle
You don’t learn – You don’t learn
Freestyle
You don’t learn – You don’t learn
Freestyle, Freestyle
Freestyle, Freestyle

[gldstwmn]

Thanks Johnny. I can totally hear Stevie singing this.

[DeeGeMe]

The oooohhhs are sooo Stevie. And although this belongs in another thread where we were talking about some of Stevie's more interesting romantic choices (i.e. Just how nearsighted was she?) I'd like to point out that Les Dudek is no looker either. But you have to give the guy props--he managed to hook up with Cher & Stevie. Then again, Cher doesn't have great taste in men either: Sonny & Greg Allman (love his music, hate his look).