A response to promoting IN YOUR DREAMS. Why?

[iamnotafraid]

I was going to respond to one of the many
posts commenting on Stevie continuing to
promote In Your Dreams in the various
other threads. Not wanting to single anyone
out, I figured I would post it here.

The album is done. It's almost a year old now,
why keep banging your head against the wall?
Right now it's #1,115 on Amazon's best seller
list. And unless there's a deluxe edition on the
way (someone at WB/Reprise didn't have any
info on it or the documentary) it's toast.

This is not a negative review of the album or a
comment on it's relatively decent showing on
Billboard's Charts, all things being considered.

Stevie's fanbase bought the album up in the first
few weeks of release. Like we always do.
So who else is going to buy it? Who's it being
promoted to?

Someone suggested she's touring to bankroll
the IYD Documentary. Honestly, how
many shows do you think it would take for this
type of project? Unless she's going to pull an
Avatar on us.

She's touring to pad her bank account. Nothing
wrong with that. I personally wish it was with
someone other than Stewart this time around.
But she's got to pick someone around her age.
You wouldn't want a young audience would you?

If she really cares about the album and her fans,
I wish she'd tour the 2000 seat theatres among
us. And sing several songs off the new album.
A pay cut for sure, but isn't it all about the music?

[chriskisn]

Originally Posted by iamnotafraid

...but isn't it all about the music?

Nope, probably never has been...

[Jondalar]

Well, promoting the album has done some good. And Stevie knows how to beat a dead horse 6 feet under -- hence, landslide, which is well on its way to becoming Fleetwood Mac's first platinum single. After so many not up to par albums, she believes in this one and wants people to hear it. I think there are going to be surprises on this package too.

[olive]

"Someone suggested she's touring to bankroll
the IYD Documentary"

why would she be bankrolling her own projects ?
she couldn't possibly need to tour just to meet her day to day expenses , she must have enough to live out her life comfortably, If Christine can do it on money made during her time in Fleetwood Mac .

Where do you guys get this information?

[TrueFaith77]

I wish Stevie would embrace that she is a catalogue artist. Nothing wrong with that. Her new material will never charge out the gate, but she will always sell consistently and new fans will join the fold. ... And one of the best things to encourage her enduring catalogue status artist is to tour with the Mac...

Touring with Rod is a bummer for me, because I will NEVER go back into that situation again. It was not fun, being treated that way for standing up during Edge of Seventeen--and having to endure a dour Stevie set.

[HejiraNYC]

It's true that Stevie has plenty of money and that she never has to work another day for the rest of her life. But she isn't really a major catalogue artist. Her own solo back catalogue is largely out of print or not selling at all. The only reliable source of income she has is from Rumours and a couple of the greatest hits packages. But all of that gets split 3/4/5 ways, so her share is relatively modest. Unlike Christine, Mama got bills. As a working artist, she's got assistants, band members and probably other domestic employees on payroll (or on contract). Sure, she can take a year off, but she still has to pay all of these salaries, which means she can end up in the red for the year after expenses if she doesn't do something. I don't know about everyone else, but I would hate the thought of making a negative income, even if I was super-wealthy, especially if I am near retirement age. Hence, this is why she does at least a handful of shows every year- just to pay the overhead, if nothing else.

[iamnotafraid]

Originally Posted by olive

"Someone suggested she's touring to bankroll
the IYD Documentary"

why would she be bankrolling her own projects ?
she couldn't possibly need to tour just to meet her day to day expenses , she must have enough to live out her life comfortably...

Yes, I'd read where others think she might be
doing the upcoming tour to pay the expense
of the documentary. I have a hard time believing
that. Two reasons come to mind. First it won't
sell. And second why would she risk much of
her own money? Not even counting the fact that
the documentary will probably be a low cost project.

I'm not so sure she has the money to live out
the rest of her life comfortably, at least in Stevie
Nicks' view. Most artist seem to go through their
money fast. It's happened time and time again.

[fairydust75]

There is no way Mama NEEDS the cash, she just WANTS it. More power to her. But she has plenty of millions she just doesn't like to spend it w/out putting new money in the bank to replace it. I think she's doing what her management and Liz tell her is best for her long-term. She believes in IYD's hopefully
the Doc will come out before I kick the bucket...lets see I'm in my mid-thirties now......

[Richard B]

Maybe the money is not about Stevie adding to her bank account, but perhaps the myriad of support staff, family and musicians she wants to take care of. She employs many people in her circle.

[HejiraNYC]

Originally Posted by iamnotafraid

Yes, I'd read where others think she might be
doing the upcoming tour to pay the expense
of the documentary. I have a hard time believing
that. Two reasons come to mind. First it won't
sell. And second why would she risk much of
her own money? Not even counting the fact that
the documentary will probably be a low cost project.

I'm not so sure she has the money to live out
the rest of her life comfortably, at least in Stevie
Nicks' view. Most artist seem to go through their
money fast. It's happened time and time again.

I suspect the IYD documentary is more of a Stevie-Dave collaboration, with Dave realizing most of the net proceeds, that is, assuming there are any net proceeds. All Stevie had to do was... do her hair and makeup and show up every day for work. Dave is probably the one who had to pay for the crew, the equipment and the post-production. Suffice it to say, the IYD documentary probably did not cost much to make, since the vast majority of it was (supposedly) shot in or around Stevie's house. Dave is probably gambling on the potential upside of the documentary playing in small art house theatres in select cities, which is conceivable if it's marketed strategically and if critics actually publish glowing reviews a la Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work. And if it gets picked up by HBO or Showtime, it will definitely be worth the investment.

Stevie most definitely has enough money to retire comfortably. She's not a big boat and fancy car type. And she's not exactly a fashion plate either. Her homes are already paid off and are relatively modest in scale- she's not living on a private island. She's been around the block long enough to understand money and she probably has people giving her advice as well. Without the overhead of a small workforce, she can easily afford a luxurious life of leisure.

[Macfanforever]

I hate to say this .I still think its a flop.No radio support.Alittle support from the record label.The cd drop was absent do Stevie getting sick probably from doing the first trip with Rod.Not recognized for nomination for awards from the industry.Backing out from some major tv programs.Thats my feelings about this cd.Its sad to see this cd go to waste.

[David]

Originally Posted by Macfanforever

I hate to say this. I still think its a flop. No radio support. A little support from the record label. Not recognized for nomination for awards from the industry.

I think it flopped too. "Flop" isn't an absolute all the time; sometimes it's a relative concept. Her album flopped because it didn't measure up commercially to dozens of other albums at the very same time. Of course, there's also the idea of artistic flop. But if you judge the critical reception, it did not flop.

Stevie probably feels about "In Your Dreams" the way Lindsey felt about his first three or four solo albums. You put everything you've got into an album & you love the results so much that you believe millions of people will "get" what you wanted to do, too. When that doesn't happen, disillusion settles over you like dust.

I would imagine that the two of them have much more in common to talk about these days.

[KarmaContestant]

Originally Posted by iamnotafraid

I was going to respond to one of the many
posts commenting on Stevie continuing to
promote In Your Dreams in the various
other threads. Not wanting to single anyone
out, I figured I would post it here.

The album is done. It's almost a year old now,
why keep banging your head against the wall?

Interesting post, really. Not being Stevie or being in a position to ask, I can only speculate. I think that in her world, her life is defined in album-eras. Right now, she's in the In Your Dreams era. If she stops touring, if she starts recording a new album, if she teams up with Lindsey for a Fleetwood Mac project - all of these would put an end to the In Your Dreams stage of her careeer.

She loves that album, she's believes (as do I) that it's some of her best work and she's proud of it. She simply isn't ready to start a new era, so she's touring to continue to promote IYD so she doesn't have to walk away and start a new era of her career.

Personally, I think this is why it takes her so damn long to do anything. She wants to savor every last drop.

[MrStevie]

In Your Dreams is done. She's not touring to promote that. No more than she's been touring a little almost every year the past decade with no new music to promote.

Stevie is touring to promote STEVIE!

That's what she's always done. Stevie is a brand. Since the begining of the last decade she's been working it the best way she can. She's touring with Rod because she can do the least amount of work to reach the widest possible audience. It's also a way for her to bank the easiest paycheck. Mama has overhead. Breaking even is still worth it to her if her people can make a living while she keeps the "legend" going for as long as possible without falling into the red to do it.

Touring with the Mac comes with a huge can of worms for Stevie. The politics of that situation changes everything. If making money was her ultimate goal, she'd run the Mac into the ground while singing all the way to the bank. Fleetwood Mac is a brand too, but with a different agenda. Stevie is only one link in the chain.

Question is, if not for the money or promoting new music...why keep the Stevie thing going? She can collect her Social Security now. No matter how much we think she lives for her music, she won't die if she stops working. Her solo image/legacy is about a solid as it's ever going to get.

Best guess: if Fleetwood Mac ever does another project it doesn't hurt that Stevie, and Lindsey, too, have continued to work and keep themselves in the public eye since 2003. Maybe they've got something else up their sleeve?

[Johnny Stew]

Originally Posted by iamnotafraid

but isn't it all about the music?

Originally Posted by chriskisn

Nope, probably never has been...

I don't understand the cynicism around here, regarding Stevie wanting to make money in the latter days of her career. She's paid her dues & she's earned the right to go out and tour for however long people still want to pay to see her. That doesn't negate her as an artist. For a considerably long span of time, she wrote more songs & recorded more music than anyone else in Fleetwood Mac. So now she's "resting on her laurels" more often than not. Big whoop.

She loves her music and she loves to make money. One doesn't cancel out the other.