Missed Opportunity

[Jondalar]

Stevie Nicks turns down "These Dreams": Known for her her trademark fairytale-style lyrics, in 1984 rocker Stevie Nicks was seeking to record new material for her next album, 1985's Rock a Little. Songwriters Martin Page and Elton John collaborator Bernie Taupin pitched a song they had written for her called "These Dreams." She turned it down.
But the song was pitched to Heart, and they decided to record it for their self-titled 1986 album. The song ended up being Heart's biggest hit with both the song and the record itself hitting No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and Billboard 200 charts, respectively. Furthermore, it heralded a major comeback for Heart, whose sales had been down since the early '80s.

As for Nicks, Rock a Little didn't sell as well as her previous two albums and she checked into rehab to treat a cocaine addiction after the Rock a Little tour was over.

You can read more here:
http://blogs.houstonpress.com/rocks/...rs_that_tu.php

[HejiraNYC]

Stevie should record an album of songs that she (supposedly) turned down or just could not record for one reason or another:

-"These Dreams"
-"Love Will Find a Way" (Yes)
-"Don't Come Around Here No More" (Tom Petty)
-"Call Me" (Blondie)
-"Malibu" (Hole)

I suspect there must be others that we don't know about...

[BombaySapphire3]

She was right to pass on These Dreams .I think she recognized it for the tacky sell out that it was.Heart was so desperate after a few bomb albums that they were willing to record it and a truly silly song like Never to have a comeback.Stevie would have her own tacky career nadir with the Jon Bon Jovi and Poison songs on Timespace but at least she had the alibi of Klonopin addiction by then.

[loubird98]

I didn't know that Stevie was offered "Love will find a way" by Yes. I LOVE that song...one of my favorites. Interesting.

[BombaySapphire3]

Originally Posted by loubird98

I didn't know that Stevie was offered "Love will find a way" by Yes. I LOVE that song...one of my favorites. Interesting.

As far as I know she was offered the track with no lyrics and would have needed to come up with some herself.I do like the song ..much more than the vapid These Dreams.

[HejiraNYC]

Originally Posted by loubird98

I didn't know that Stevie was offered "Love will find a way" by Yes. I LOVE that song...one of my favorites. Interesting.

Supposedly Trevor Rabin gave Stevie the song and she started working on it, even changing some lyrics, before someone else in Yes decided it should be kept for the band. I love this song too, but it's a bit odd in the sense that there is virtually no melody in the verses- just two notes! As such, it's not the kind of song you give to a singer.

[BombaySapphire3]

Originally Posted by HejiraNYC

Stevie should record an album of songs that she (supposedly) turned down or just could not record for one reason or another:

-"These Dreams"
-"Love Will Find a Way" (Yes)
-"Don't Come Around Here No More" (Tom Petty)
-"Call Me" (Blondie)
-"Malibu" (Hole)

I suspect there must be others that we don't know about...

Like the notoriously awful "We Built This City"..see Stevie did have some sense.

[Macfanforever]

Originally Posted by HejiraNYC

Stevie should record an album of songs that she (supposedly) turned down or just could not record for one reason or another:

-"These Dreams"
-"Love Will Find a Way" (Yes)
-"Don't Come Around Here No More" (Tom Petty)
-"Call Me" (Blondie)
-"Malibu" (Hole)

I suspect there must be others that we don't know about...

Thanks Ed .How depressing she turn down 3 number one tunes.

I did alittle checking on Wikipedia.


"These Dreams" peaked at number one


"Love Will Find a Way" number one spot for three weeks.

"Don't Come Around Here No More" number two on U.S. Billboard Album Rock Tracks 13 on the hot 100.

"Call Me" number one tune.

"Malibu" US Modern Rock Tracks 3 US Billboard Hot 100 at 81 not good.

[Macfanforever]

Originally Posted by BombaySapphire3

Like the notoriously awful "We Built This City"..see Stevie did have some sense.

Was this tune pitched to Stevie.This tune does not fit her.

[MikeInNV]

Although Giorgio Moroder presented Blondie with a completed song, Debbie Harry wrote ALL new lyrics; it wasn't even originally titled "Call Me." Whenever I hear people talk about how it could have been a Stevie song (which I heard a DJ do just last week), I always want to point out that we don't really know what Stevie would have been singing. I recall an interview where Debbie said the original lyrics were rather awkward, perhaps because English is not Giorgio's first language, so it's probably good Stevie passed unless she too was willing to write new lyrics.

[vivfox]

Originally Posted by Macfanforever

Thanks Ed .How depressing she turn down 3 number one tunes.

I did alittle checking on Wikipedia.


"These Dreams" peaked at number one


"Love Will Find a Way" number one spot for three weeks.

"Don't Come Around Here No More" number two on U.S. Billboard Album Rock Tracks 13 on the hot 100.

"Call Me" number one tune.

"Malibu" US Modern Rock Tracks 3 US Billboard Hot 100 at 81 not good.

We all know with the right singer, promotion, money and timing a good song will do well on the charts. Even if Stevie had sung lead on any of these does not mean they would have had the same success. She would have arranged them differently to suit her vocals. I personally love(d) These Dreams by Heart. At that time in 1985 it was thrilling to have a single sung by Nancy and then to see it attain such success.
Call Me is such a classic song by Blondie. I couldn't imagine anyone else doing a better job with it. I've never been a big Tom Petty fan. I do enjoy some of his songs but was never a fan of Don't Come Around Here No More. I wouldn't even have wanted Stevie to waste her time with that one. It's all a matter of taste and opinion though. In the 1980's I would have sworn that everyone who heard the song Jane by Stevie would have despised it like I do. I've come to learn that that song is loved by some and deplored by many, but it still has its fans.

[BombaySapphire3]

Originally Posted by Macfanforever

Was this tune pitched to Stevie.This tune does not fit her.

It was rumoured that it was offered to her .It was written by the same team as These Dreams.To think that the person at least half responsible for the brilliant string of Elton John albums from 1971-1975 could be responsible for such drek.

[Macfanforever]

Originally Posted by BombaySapphire3

It was rumoured that it was offered to her .It was written by the same team as These Dreams.To think that the person at least half responsible for the brilliant string of Elton John albums from 1971-1975 could be responsible for such drek.

I did not know that.

Originally Posted by vivfox

We all know with the right singer, promotion, money and timing a good song will do well on the charts. Even if Stevie had sung lead on any of these does not mean they would have had the same success. She would have arranged them differently to suit her vocals. I personally love(d) These Dreams by Heart. At that time in 1985 it was thrilling to have a single sung by Nancy and then to see it attain such success.
Call Me is such a classic song by Blondie. I couldn't imagine anyone else doing a better job with it. I've never been a big Tom Petty fan. I do enjoy some of his songs but was never a fan of Don't Come Around Here No More. I wouldn't even have wanted Stevie to waste her time with that one. It's all a matter of taste and opinion though. In the 1980's I would have sworn that everyone who heard the song Jane by Stevie would have despised it like I do. I've come to learn that that song is loved by some and deplored by many, but it still has its fans.

I agree.Nobody would of known if Stevie grab and cut these tunes and get a hit with them.
Thats like when the Dixie Chicks did "Landslide".I was shocked when that song march up the country chart to the top.I probably could not see Stevie recording any of these songs mentioned.I just played Malibu" on Youtube and the song does not ring a bell.Probably because I don't listen to Hole.

[Rod~A~Little]

These are some awesome songs Stevie turned down for whatever reason or another. But, I have to say These Dreams would probably not be the same smash as with Heart. It would have been a typical "Stevie" song.

Call Me...another one...such a classic for Blondie...can't imagine how Stevie could top this.

I actually liked the song Malibu by Hole. (Actually that album was superb although Courtney sabotaged her own career)....but it has some really interesting chord changes and I think Stevie would have done a GREAT job with this song.

Still have to agree though...would have been great to hear what could have been if Stevie had tackled these songs.

[David]

Wasn't there a Springsteen song that was written for Stevie, but yanked right back again when the two quarreled over changing the title?

Also meant to add that I wish Heart had recorded Blue Lamp. They could have made it sound like Straight On For You, with the same chaka-waka guitar.