Sara Question

Jack615 · #1 03-26-2009, 02:54 PM

I've read mentions of a 8 or 9 minute version of the song, but with a quick check, as far as I can tell there was a 6 min album version of the song and 4 min single version. Now what is this other version? Is it on the Tusk album or is it a demo ie the infamous cleaning lady one, which i havent yet downloaded it. I'm fairly new to FM so if this seems like a simple question im sorry.

Jack

LukeA · #2 03-26-2009, 03:10 PM

It was officially released in 2004 on the 2-CD remaster of Tusk.

http://www.amazon.com/Tusk-Fleetwood-Mac/dp/B00009RAJJ/

David · #3 03-26-2009, 03:19 PM

The story is that "Sara" was released on the vinyl "Tusk" in 1979 at a certain length (about 6.26 mins.), but a whole stanza was edited out for the first CD issue in the late 1980s.

The song's been restored to its 1979 length on subsequent CD issues, like Fleetwood Mac's Greatest Hits (1988), The Chain (1992), The Very Best of (2002), & the already mentioned Tusk Reissue (2004).

The only officially released version longer than the 6.26-min. version is an 8.48-min. version on the Tusk Reissue (2004).

wheart · #4 03-26-2009, 07:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by David

The story is that "Sara" was released on the vinyl "Tusk" in 1979 at a certain length (about 6.26 mins.), but a whole stanza was edited out for the first CD issue in the late 1980s.

The song's been restored to its 1979 length on subsequent CD issues, like Fleetwood Mac's Greatest Hits (1988), The Chain (1992), The Very Best of (2002), & the already mentioned Tusk Reissue (2004).

The only officially released version longer than the 6.26-min. version is an 8.48-min. version on the Tusk Reissue (2004).

Didn't she say in some interview that Sara was orginally 16 minutes long?

CADreaming · #5 03-26-2009, 07:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wheart

Didn't she say in some interview that Sara was orginally 16 minutes long?

Doesn't she say that about most of her songs?

Phoenix · #6 03-26-2009, 08:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CADreaming

Doesn't she say that about most of her songs?

alotta her songs ARE really long

ESPECIALLY the demos!

I know ive got one for outside the rain that (i love), but it goes on and on like 10 minutes. AND how long is Edge of seventeen? LONG. I know a lot of artists (especially today) will cap it off at 3min! but ooooh no, not Stevie,

skuncles · #7 03-27-2009, 11:51 AM

There is also a 10:45min version of Sara out there. It sounds a lot like the "cleaning lady" version (but doesn't have "I don't want to be a cleaning lady" at the beginning).

As for the 3-4 min time limit, that's for radio. "Edge Of Seventeen" was released in a shortened version for radio, as was "Stand Back" among others.

David · #8 03-27-2009, 11:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wheart

Didn't she say in some interview that Sara was orginally 16 minutes long?

Well, yes, I guess. But in her typically vague way, what is she actually talking about? Her demo? Her poem? The Fleetwood Mac track? The pickup demo band track?

Remember that "Nightmare" demo of Stevie voice & Stevie piano that lasts for ... seems like decades?

If Stevie has tapes of her playing "Sara" for 16 or 18 or 20 minutes or more, I doubt we're missing much. If she wrote a bunch more stanzas, let her publish them on the Nicks Fix for the kiddies to read.

StreetAngel86 · #9 03-27-2009, 06:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phoenix

alotta her songs ARE really long

ESPECIALLY the demos!

I know ive got one for outside the rain that (i love), but it goes on and on like 10 minutes. AND how long is Edge of seventeen? LONG. I know a lot of artists (especially today) will cap it off at 3min! but ooooh no, not Stevie,

when Mama goes, she goes all the way

isn't the Nightmare like 15 mins

and one Doing the Best i Can is like 8 or 9 mins

hell, release all of them that long
more to listen to

wheart · #10 03-27-2009, 07:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by David

Well, yes, I guess. But in her typically vague way, what is she actually talking about? Her demo? Her poem? The Fleetwood Mac track? The pickup demo band track?

Remember that "Nightmare" demo of Stevie voice & Stevie piano that lasts for ... seems like decades?

If Stevie has tapes of her playing "Sara" for 16 or 18 or 20 minutes or more, I doubt we're missing much. If she wrote a bunch more stanzas, let her publish them on the Nicks Fix for the kiddies to read.

I can't remember the details of that Sara interview and I'm too lazy to go search for it. I think she was referring to the demo but I'm not sure. I've never heard the Nightmare demo but that song was never a favorite of mine. The album version is quite long enough for me.