New Stevie Interview "Love is fleeting for me..."

[WildHearted]

Worth the read, imo!

"It's a summer evening in a classy London hotel.

The first thing you notice entering the suite Stevie Nicks calls home ahead of her first British solo show in two decades is a scattering of large, lit, white candles. It's daytime, but in terms of ambience they speak volumes. Because if Stevie Nicks, poet-sorceress of the popular imagination, is ever off-duty, she won't let it show.

From a young age, Stephanie Lynn Nicks was a dreamer. Even when working as a waitress or a cleaner in Hollywood to fund the failed debut album she recorded with her lover Lindsey Buckingham in 1973, Nicks was already imagining herself a romantic gypsy princess. This persona took flight in 1975 when the Buckingham-Nicks duo were recruited into Fleetwood Mac, transforming the washed-up British blues band's fortunes. Despite legendary narcotic excesses and mind-boggling inter-band relationships, Fleetwood Mac reached unimaginable heights with the sensual, scarf-swirling singer Nicks as their talisman. Their 1977 record Rumours remains one of the top 10 biggest-selling albums of all time. And, as she launched a parallel solo career in the Eighties, Nicks never left magic and mystique behind.

Today, all the accessories you'd expect are present: the crescent moon pendant, the lacy black blouse, the ankle-snapping stiletto boots (a habit adopted so she wouldn't look so tiny sharing a stage with the giant Mick Fleetwood), and, on the third finger of each hand, a ring encrusted with dazzling diamonds. At 63, she remains a rare beauty: that silky blonde hair, those sultry eyelids, and those flared nostrils into which she once joked that she'd shovelled "so much cocaine you could put a big gold ring through my septum". Sometimes she'll speak a syllable which flutters into the honeyed vibrato you've heard on "Sara", "Seven Wonders", "Rooms on Fire" or "Dreams". When you meet Stevie Nicks, she doesn't disappoint.

Curling into an armchair draped with a sheepskin rug, she begins to explain why her new album, In Your Dreams, comes 10 years after her last. In 2005, she spent a long, difficult day at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington DC, to which badly injured soldiers from the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan are invalided. Her eyes well up at the memory. "I can honestly say I walked in there, Stevie Nicks, a rock'n'roll star, without a care in the world. And I walked out of there a mother. With a whole lotta children."

Ever since, Stevie's been a frequent visitor to army hospitals, a rock'n'roll Florence Nightingale, giving autographed iPod Nanos to patients loaded up with songs she chose herself. The experience inspired a song on the new album, "Soldier's Angel", whose royalties will go to the Walter Reed rehabilitation centre. She carries a British Legion poppy in her handbag to honour the British fallen, too. She's very clear that supporting wounded soldiers does not imply an endorsement of the invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan. "It does not! You take them cake and iPods, and you sit on the end of their beds while they tell you their story. You're not going there to say 'I don't believe in this war!'"

Another recurring theme on In Your Dreams is the idea of love as fleeting. "Certainly it is for me, in my life as a travelling woman who is never anywhere for long, and will be gone the morning after the big show. There's a line on In Your Dreams that goes 'I'm always in and out of your light', and to lovers, ex-lovers, people we used to love, people we don't even love any more, I'm saying 'You'll never be rid of me, I'm right down the middle of all your dreams'."

Without any prompting, Nicks brings up Buckingham, whom she met as 16-year-old at school in California and stayed with for 11 years.

"It's like Lindsey and me: no matter how many children or grandchildren you have, Lindsey, I'm always gonna be there. Lindsey has these three marvellous children, and that has given him unconditional love, which is what he always wanted. I couldn't give him that. But I know a lot of Lindsey's songs are about me, because a lot of my songs are about him. I call us 'our Miserable Muses'. In a band like Fleetwood Mac, you have arguments, and it makes for great art."

She's warming to her theme, the slightest smile playing about her lips. "So is he sorry that our relationship broke up in 1976? Yes. And if he had to do it all over, would he not move to LA, and maybe try to find our record deal in San Francisco? Yes. Because we both believe that we might still be together. Probably not, but it's possible .... When we're together, and people see the two of us walking towards them, we are a force of nature. Absolutely."

The first Fleetwood Mac song I ever heard was "Tusk", the berserk tribal majorette march which was the title track of their notoriously deranged 1979 double album, the making of which Nicks remembers as "13 months of hell". When asked for her memories, she doesn't hold back.

"Well, here's a big one for ya. I had started to see Mick Fleetwood romantically. I had a very dear friend whose name was Sara [Recor] who just went after Mick. And they fell in love, and the next thing, Sara's husband is calling me to say 'Sara moved in with Mick this morning. And I just thought you might wanna know.' That was three months into a 13-month album. So I lost Mick, which honestly wasn't that big of a deal because that was a rocky relationship. But losing my friend Sara? That was a huge blow. Sara was banished from the studio by the rest of the band ... No one was speaking, and I wouldn't even look directly at Mick. That went on for months. And it was great fodder for writing! The songs poured out of us."

Her early solo career brought the prospect of another potentially combustible relationship. It's rumoured that the keyboards on her 1983 single "Stand Back" were played uncredited by Prince. "I wrote 'Stand Back' based on 'Little Red Corvette', and if you actually listen, you'll hear it. He's a little magical being, a real god-creation. In the Eighties, he kinda wanted to have a relationship, and I just wanted to write. And I knew that if we had a relationship, we wouldn't write."

There's a persistent rumour that Lindsay Lohan has plans for a Nicks biopic. At the mention of Lohan's name, Nicks snaps. "Oh please! She's in the slammer. She's not gonna be doing anything except hang out at the morgue or go straight to the big house! You know what? I wish for her to straighten herself out and become a really great actress. People say, 'Do you wanna talk to her?' and I say 'No', because you can't talk to drug addicts. People said that to me too, and I didn't really listen."

Stevie knows whereof she speaks; she underwent rehab in the Eighties for cocaine addiction, and then in the Nineties for Klonopin dependency.

We return to the defining relationship of Stevie's life. During every Fleetwood Mac concert, there's a poignant moment when she and Lindsey Buckingham slow-dance around the stage. Does she have any idea what that does to their fans?

"It kills them! It's the fairytale happening. Of course they love seeing that connection. It's Beauty and the Beast. And who is the beauty and who is the beast? Am I the beast, and Lindsey the beauty? It's quite possible."

Two beauties, perhaps?

"Two beasts," she replies under her breath.

Stevie Nicks plays Hard Rock Calling in Hyde Park, London, tonight, as a special guest of Rod "

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-en...n-2302744.html

I guess they're talking about Stevie and Lindsey's little iceskating thing that they sometimes did? Otherwise I don't recall any slowdancing. Unless they're talking about the Tusk charade, but I was trying to forget that ever happened haha. I know it's not the first time she's said it, but I still feel like it's just a bit disrespectful of Lindsey's marriage to say that he wishes he and Stevie hadn't broken up and wouldn't have moved to LA and all that jazz, but she clearly doesn't think twice about bringing it up... Also, she mentioned Prince wanting to date her again. That would have been an interesting relationship

[louielouie2000]

Thanks for posting this. I found the most intriguing tidbit to be about Sara... how she was banned from the studio during the recording of Tusk by the rest of the band. It's interesting how the band would close ranks when something detrimental to their unity came about. The most glaring incident being the Tango In The Night incident at Christine's.

[WildHearted]

Originally Posted by louielouie2000

Thanks for posting this. I found the most intriguing tidbit to be about Sara... how she was banned from the studio during the recording of Tusk by the rest of the band. It's interesting how the band would close ranks when something detrimental to their unity came about. The most glaring incident being the Tango In The Night incident at Christine's.

Ah, yes. That was interesting to me as well - I don't recall hearing before that Sara was banned from the studio.. She and Stevie eventually rekindled, right?

[louielouie2000]

Originally Posted by WildHearted

Ah, yes. That was interesting to me as well - I don't recall hearing before that Sara was banned from the studio.. She and Stevie eventually rekindled, right?

Indeed, they've been friends for decades. Sara actually lived with Stevie after her divorce from Mick up until a few years ago. Sara is pictured with Stevie, Lori, Sharon, and the famous blue lamp in the Enchanted booklet. Sara was a back up singer in Stevie's Blue Denim video as well. Sara's also a member on the Ledge... she might pop in and give you some more details herself.

[LorraineRN]

Originally Posted by louielouie2000

Indeed, they've been friends for decades. Sara actually lived with Stevie after her divorce from Mick up until a few years ago. Sara is pictured with Stevie, Lori, Sharon, and the famous blue lamp in the Enchanted booklet. Sara was a back up singer in Stevie's Blue Denim video as well. Sara's also a member on the Ledge... she might pop in and give you some more details herself.

Sara is a Ledgie? I had no idea! What is her screename?

[mezzoforte]

Originally Posted by LorraineRN

Sara is a Ledgie? I had no idea! What is her screename?

I think it's SaraFleetwood. She's only posted a couple of times and not in the last year, though.

[jellyman10]

Originally Posted by WildHearted

"So I lost Mick, which honestly wasn't that big of a deal because that was a rocky relationship. But losing my friend Sara? That was a huge blow. Sara was banished from the studio by the rest of the band ... No one was speaking, and I wouldn't even look directly at Mick. That went on for months. And it was great fodder for writing! The songs poured out of us."

Ha, I knew it! I hypothesised this months ago, that Sara was a bigger loss to SN than Mick ever was. And Sara being 'banned' fits with what Carol Ann Harris said in her book about the band members being exempt from criticism. So just as Mick would not be the one to be censured for hurting Stevie, there would be no repercussions for Stevie over her affair with Mick whilst he was officially still with Jenny (and, again, certainly none for Mick).

As for SN's comments about Lindsey Lohan in this interview: they're almost verbatim what she was quoted as saying in an interview posted on here a couple of months ago that some people around the Ledge thought was somehow invented, because there was no way Stevie would speak that harshly or hypocritically about LL. Well, there you go.

Her comments about shredded emotions making great art are always worth listening to, and never more than in the light of the consensus that her Tusk songs are the best 'set' she ever had on an FM album.

I also think she speaks the truth when she says that she believes she is LB's 'miserable muse'. I don't think that's disrespectful towards his marriage (some of her other remarks are borderline). It's just an observation about how songs get written - the grit in the oyster that makes the pearl, kind of thing.

Loz

[vivfox]

Originally Posted by mezzoforte

I think it's SaraFleetwood. She's only posted a couple of times and not in the last year, though.

She posted last week in one of Mike Bise's threads.

[vivfox]

Originally Posted by WildHearted

The first Fleetwood Mac song I ever heard was "Tusk", the berserk tribal majorette march which was the title track of their notoriously deranged 1979 double album, the making of which Nicks remembers as "13 months of hell". When asked for her memories, she doesn't hold back.

"Well, here's a big one for ya. I had started to see Mick Fleetwood romantically. I had a very dear friend whose name was Sara [Recor] who just went after Mick. And they fell in love, and the next thing, Sara's husband is calling me to say 'Sara moved in with Mick this morning. And I just thought you might wanna know.' That was three months into a 13-month album. So I lost Mick, which honestly wasn't that big of a deal because that was a rocky relationship. But losing my friend Sara? That was a huge blow. Sara was banished from the studio by the rest of the band ... No one was speaking, and I wouldn't even look directly at Mick. That went on for months. And it was great fodder for writing! The songs poured out of us."

I love good dish like this. I love reading magazines like Star, Us, Life & Style etc. because they are very colorfull and filled with this type of gossip. This is also the first time Stevie has talked about making the Tusk album and didn't mention how it was like being held hostage in Iran with Lindsey being the Ayatolla.
Ever wonder what it was like for some of the other band members being in the studio with a drugged out and drunk Stevie? Bring it on Lindsey!

[WildHearted]

Originally Posted by jellyman10

I also think she speaks the truth when she says that she believes she is LB's 'miserable muse'. I don't think that's disrespectful towards his marriage (some of her other remarks are borderline). It's just an observation about how songs get written - the grit in the oyster that makes the pearl, kind of thing.

Loz

No, I agree, I believe that assessment of her's is pretty spot on and I don't think it's disrespectful at all. Just a truthful observation, as you said.

[jcalzaretta]

What I always wondered is how was Sara Fleetwood (Recor) related to Jim Recor. Jim and Christine co wrote Love in Store for Mirage, which was after Tusk......

[WildHearted]

Originally Posted by jcalzaretta

What I always wondered is how was Sara Fleetwood (Recor) related to Jim Recor. Jim and Christine co wrote Love in Store for Mirage, which was after Tusk......

They were married, I thought?

[njova]

I guess they're talking about Stevie and Lindsey's little iceskating thing that they sometimes did? Otherwise I don't recall any slowdancing. Unless they're talking about the Tusk charade, but I was trying to forget that ever happened haha. I know it's not the first time she's said it, but I still feel like it's just a bit disrespectful of Lindsey's marriage to say that he wishes he and Stevie hadn't broken up and wouldn't have moved to LA and all that jazz, but she clearly doesn't think twice about bringing it up... Also, she mentioned Prince wanting to date her again. That would have been an interesting relationship [/QUOTE]

First of all I think love is a fleeting thing for her because she doesn't want to stick around long enough for it to work it's always I gotta go here and do this or do that which is always her excuse anyways. I also think it's kind of disrespectful to say the things Stevie always says about Lindsey's marriage she always says that they BOTH agree they wouldn't have broken up if they had stayed in SF, but I do wonder if they ever talk about their relationship in private whenever their alone together.

[mikebise]

Originally Posted by vivfox

She posted last week in one of Mike Bise's threads.

And she emailed me, too. She's very nice.

[gldstwmn]

Originally Posted by mikebise

And she emailed me, too. She's very nice.

Did Sara give you any insight to the questions you had about the tour rehearsals and the making of Street Angel?