Stevie in Billboard Q & A

[michelej1]

Stevie Nicks On 'In Your Dreams' Film, Christine McVie's Fleetwood Mac Return?
Articles / News

By Keith Caulfield, L.A. | December 07, 2013 2:15 PM EST

http://www.billboard.com/articles/ne...ood-mac-return


"The year of making ('In Your Dreams') was the best year of my life," says rock legend Stevie Nicks in her documentary of the same name.

The film, which was released to home video on Dec. 3, captures the writing and recording of Nicks' most recent studio album. Released in 2011, the set was co-produced by Dave Stewart (of Eurythmics fame), and was her first solo studio effort since 2001's "Trouble In Shangri-La."

Billboard sat down with Nicks at her home in Los Angeles -- the same house where much of "In Your Dreams" was recorded -- to talk about the new DVD and more. Highlights of that extended chat are in the video below.


"It was just the year that I was the most happy," says Nicks of recording "Dreams." "Every day I woke up and went 'I can't wait to get up, jump in the bathtub, put on a little make-up and run downstairs and greet Dave at the door.'"

Stewart's attitude towards recording helped push Nicks towards releasing an album -- something she had been reluctant to do for a long while. "Dave would just go, 'It's just one more great adventure, darling. And if it doesn't work out, it doesn't work out. Who cares?'"

"Before I started this record, I wasn't gonna make another record. Because I was really so bummed out by people trying to explain to me why the music business wasn't the same (as it used to be)."

Used to be: As in, when album sales were still robust and artists didn't have to worry about their music being freely shared on the Internet.

Stewart convinced Nicks to take a different view on the business. "'It doesn't matter Stevie!'" she says he said to her. "'We're in our 60s. If this whole record goes to hell, it doesn't matter! We're OK! We're financially stable. We'll be just fine. So we can do anything we want. We can try anything we want.'"

The spark that set the entire album in motion was Nicks' viewing of "The Twilight Saga: New Moon." She was so moved by the film, she was inspired to write the song "Moonlight" (which appears on "In Your Dreams").

"I said, 'you know what, now I'm gonna have to do a record,' because I can't just put this little song out without a record to back it up. So even if it doesn't sell any records, I'm ready to make a record now."

And with that, she set out to make "In Your Dreams" into a reality.

Fast-forward a few years later to 2013, and Nicks was back on the road with her old band, Fleetwood Mac, for an international tour. Fans were no doubt jazzed by a very special guest that joined the group for two shows in September: former band mate Christine McVie.

The singer/songwriter left the group in 1998, and hadn't performed with the band since. "I think she's probably been asked 5 million times to come back to the band," Nicks says. "By all of us. By every one one of us. And she has said, in no uncertain terms, 'No. No. Absolutely not. No way.'"

So then it may have come as a surprise to many, when McVie told the Guardian in November that she would be "delighted" if the band were to "ask" her to play with them again. "But it hasn't happened, so we'll have to wait and see."

But Nicks says, "If Chris wants to come back to the band, I said to her, 'It's your band. I don't really think you have to ask. Because it's your band. McVie. Fleetwood Mac-vie? So, it all depends, Chris, on you. How you feel. Do you want to take this on again?'"

"This" meaning the "two-hour and 45 minute show" each night, which Nicks describes as a "job of champions" that "is not easy, 'cause we are not young. And we are out there rocking for almost three solid hours."

With that said, Nicks says "I don't know what she'll do. Story to come. To be continued."