1981 Toronto Interview

Macfan4life · #1 10-04-2026, 06:46 AM

This interview is so fascinating. He sort of bashes Bella Donna and says SDMHA is not "typical" of the album and is Tom Petty and his band. "Its more Tom Petty than Stevie." Then he questions if she wants to step out of the shadows of Fleetwood Mac then why use Tom Petty and Don Henley as the new shadows. The interviewer calls Lindsey out sounding bitter. He says Stevie's involvement in Fleetwood Mac is limited because she does not produce or play music. "Stevie is not an effective member in the studio" OUCH!
He is asked directly if he is still in love with Stevie and he gives a very murky answer. He then says people tell him all the time that Stevie is still in love with him the way she looks at him.

Its funny when he says SDMHA is not "typical" of Bella Donna "from what he's heard." He does not want to admit he's heard the album.

I suppose this was the era when he called her solo concerts a "lounge act."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SAsLxxR3fOU

Villavic · #2 10-04-2026, 10:24 AM

Do you know if the interview continued? Looks like that was it, so it really made me angry. I mean, the video title is New Music, Toronto TV 1981 * Law & Order * Fleetwood Mac. So I though the main subject was about L&O. But no. It was about another person. I admire Lindsey for not just getting up and walking out. Or at least tell the guy to change the subject. Sure, that would have given the journalist even more to talk about, but it’s actually incredible that he didn’t ask a single thing about his solo album. Unless that is only part of the interview.

“To be totally candid”??? I would describe you with a different word, mr. journalist.

Macfan4life · #3 10-04-2026, 12:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Villavic

Do you know if the interview continued? Looks like that was it, so it really made me angry. I mean, the video title is New Music, Toronto TV 1981 * Law & Order * Fleetwood Mac. So I though the main subject was about L&O. But no. It was about another person. I admire Lindsey for not just getting up and walking out. Or at least tell the guy to change the subject. Sure, that would have given the journalist even more to talk about, but it’s actually incredible that he didn’t ask a single thing about his solo album. Unless that is only part of the interview.

“To be totally candid”??? I would describe you with a different word, mr. journalist.

Why did Tusk sell so little?
What do you think about Stevie's album?
What do you think about her success?
Are you jealous of her?
You sound bitter?
Are you still in love with Stevie?

He was annoyed, high or both because he keeps playing with his fingers the entire interview. His distain for Bella Donna was clear:
From what he's heard, SDMHA is not typical of the album
Not sure how its going to work out
She is in the shadow of other famous male singers
Stevie is very limited since she does not play or produce

His body language says it all. I think this is why Stevie never brought up Bella Donna to the band. I see her bringing Jimmy to France annoyed the hell out of Lindsey both in a competitive and romantic sense. When asked directly if he still loved her he buckled with the question and said you always love parts of people.

BrownEyedGirl26 · #4 10-08-2026, 05:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Macfan4life

This interview is so fascinating. He sort of bashes Bella Donna and says SDMHA is not "typical" of the album and is Tom Petty and his band. "Its more Tom Petty than Stevie." Then he questions if she wants to step out of the shadows of Fleetwood Mac then why use Tom Petty and Don Henley as the new shadows. The interviewer calls Lindsey out sounding bitter. He says Stevie's involvement in Fleetwood Mac is limited because she does not produce or play music. "Stevie is not an effective member in the studio" OUCH!
He is asked directly if he is still in love with Stevie and he gives a very murky answer. He then says people tell him all the time that Stevie is still in love with him the way she looks at him.

Its funny when he says SDMHA is not "typical" of Bella Donna "from what he's heard." He does not want to admit he's heard the album.

I suppose this was the era when he called her solo concerts a "lounge act."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SAsLxxR3fOU

When the interviewer asks Lindsey, how he feels about SDMHA, Lindsey says, "It's a great song, no doubt about it!", and then asks him "How do you feel about her success with the album?" Lindsey says, "She deserves it!"

BigAl84 · #5 10-09-2026, 10:38 AM

I don't really take the comments as bashing at all. Acknowledging a couple of maybe slightly uncomfortable truths? He's mentioning the same point that we've all discussed a million times over - she wanted a solo career because she had such a backlog of material, but needed a completed Tom Petty track as the lead single.

Villavic · #6 10-09-2026, 11:01 AM

I think it was Paul Fishkin in the Behind the Music - Stevie Nicks 1998 who said that when they were recording Bella Donna they wanted a rock album, or songs that had a rock sound, something like that. I suppose to distinguish it from the usual Stevie Mac songs. I'd look for that in YouTube, but this is Lindsey's forum. I already criticized the interviewer for asking Lindsey only about Stevie stuff and not about his album. I won't make that same glaring mistake myself.

HomerMcvie · #7 10-09-2026, 03:31 PM

It was EXTREMELY calculated, having Don Henley and Tom Petty on her debut album. I wish she'd stuck with this formula, and Jimmy, for future albums. I mean, she'd be saving the landfills of America!

Macfan4life · #8 10-09-2026, 05:19 PM

I think everyone underestimated Bella Donna especially Jimmy telling Stevie the album was good but no one was going to hear it since it had no singles. SDMHA worked perfectly coming from a woman's perspective. However I see Lindsey's point. She is singing lead in another band that is established. Is that really going solo?
Bella Donna would have been fine without SDMHA. Imagine Edge of 17 as the lead single. It probably would have made the top 10 instead of 12 as the 3rd single. But it all worked out for everyone involved. Tom got enough money from the song to buy a new house. Stevie had multiple hit singles from the album.
The Weakness of Wild Heart is its too calculated for pop radio. There are some fine songs but it was nowhere near as good as Bella Donna. It almost could have been though.
I cherry picked Lindsey statements as well as someone else. His direct questions he says he's happy for Stevie. But his body language and other statements you can see her success irked him. He even dodged the question if he still loved her.