What about Cecelia?

Rainman · #1 10-29-2002, 12:21 PM

Someone sent me an MP3 of an old, never-released FM song called Cecelia. Well, I think it's FM--it's just Stevie, an accoustic guitar and very subtle drumming. It's amazing.

Anyway, someone told me it might go clear back to the Tusk era. I just don't know. It's a haunting, dark and beautiful song. I'm sure others on this board must have heard it. I was just wondering why this song (which IMO would be terrific for the new album) never went anywhere.

Does anyone have any info on it?

Rainman · #2 10-29-2002, 03:39 PM

Thanks, Adam. I might have the Master version. It's 7.5 mins long and the quality is pretty good.

Have you heard it?

seteca · #3 10-29-2002, 06:31 PM

I downloaded Ceceilia ages ago...I never really knew where it came from. My version is 2:44 and it cuts out while the song is still in full flow. The quality is very bad. Very nice song though.

Can somebody please confirm the origins of the song for us?

Cheers,

David · #4 10-29-2002, 08:26 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by seteca
Can somebody please confirm the origins of the song for us?

It was a muffled demo that fans had about 3 or 4 minutes of for the past ten years. No one really knew what it was from, but everyone assumed it probably pre-dated Stevie's solo career.

A year or two ago, the contents of some boxes in a storage room or facility previously used by Modern Records were auctioned on eBay. The contents consisted of several reel-to-reels of Stevie Nicks material, including "Cecelia" (or "Cecilia") with improved sound.

I am dubious of the song's alleged connection to Fleetwood Mac session work. But now that Mick Fleetwood is "chatting" & "interacting" with us over on his official home page, we can ask him!

sodascouts · #5 10-30-2002, 03:20 AM

I have a live version of "Sisters of the Moon" from 1979 where, at the end, Stevie launches into the lyrics of Cecelia. "Where have the white birds flown, have they flown so very far? No, they're just asleep...therein..." I'd guess she was either working on it or finished with it by then. By the way, the lyrics really blend right in to SOTM nicely.

DownOnRodeo · #6 10-30-2002, 08:15 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by David
now that Mick Fleetwood is "chatting" & "interacting" with us over on his official home page, we can ask him!

LOL!! I know, it's pretty funny, the whole 'Hey Mick here, your best buddy pal now on the inter-net'. But it's good to have something.

The Cecilia master sounds nice. As for it reappearning on the new album, you never know!

Rainman · #7 10-30-2002, 12:02 PM

Thanks, everyone, for all the information. I just listened to this thing again, and it really is beautiful.

I got Cecilia from a techie-nerd guy who works on my office floor. He got it from "some obscure MP3 site that not too many people know about."

I'd told him I was a real FM fan and out of the blue he e-mailed this to me the other day. He's real proud of the fact that I've never heard of it.

And you're right, David--it is "Cecilia" and not "Cecelia". Brain freeze here.

seteca · #8 10-30-2002, 04:10 PM

Thanks everyone.

David · #9 10-31-2002, 11:16 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by sodascouts
I have a live version of "Sisters of the Moon" from 1979 where, at the end, Stevie launches into the lyrics of Cecelia. "Where have the white birds flown, have they flown so very far? No, they're just asleep...therein..." I'd guess she was either working on it or finished with it by then. By the way, the lyrics really blend right in to SOTM nicely.

"Sisters of the Moon" & "Rhiannon" made excellent previews of other songs. There's the one you mentioned with "Sisters," & on "Rhiannon" 1980 she used to add a line from "Blue Lamp." And I guess you could even argue that the "Rhiannon" Tokyo 1977 has a little bit of the "Maker of the Birds" demo.