[The Nicks Fix]

MSN Online Chat
May 15, 2001
This is a transcription of the online chat on May 15 with Stevie.

 

DishDiva : Welcome to MSN Live. Today we are pleased to present Stevie Nicks to MSN.com. Stevie's new CD is "Trouble in Shangri-La."

DishDiva : Stevie, welcome to MSN Live! It's great to have you here for your first online chat!

Stevie_Nicks_Live : Hello from Shangri-La!

DishDiva : Stevie, you're known not only for your music, but also for your style. How important is your outward appearance to you and how would you describe your style? Has it changed over the years?

Stevie_Nicks_Live : My style, I think, I pretty much put that together in 1976, and the reason being, the first concert, I just had a suitcase of clothes, and that didn't work. It's like trying on a bunch of dresses the night before prom knowing one would work. When I got back from the tour, I sat down with a designer and we made up my outfit I've been wearing ever

Stevie_Nicks_Live : since that is made up of a layered skirt out of silk chiffon, and a leotard, and then anything that went on that. Also the platform boots, that was my uniform, it was the boots, tights, skirt, and top. All through the years I've worked with that pattern, I've made new coats, scarfs, anything that can be added to the 4 things, and that's where I've

Stevie_Nicks_Live : stayed. That outfit is very skinny, not just on me, but on anyone. And that has made it easy and fun for me. If you don't know what you're going to wear, you think of that and stop thinking about music and become vein and stop thinking about what you do, so that's why I did that in the begining.

DishDiva : alibear says: Have you ever thought of selling your designs?

Stevie_Nicks_Live : No, I haven't. I pretty much figured people that saw pictures of them would get the idea and made a design of their own. I never kept the design secret.

DishDiva : fleetwoodmary says: Hi Stevie! I adore adore adore this new CD! Can you tell me about working with some of the great talents you worked with on "Trouble in Shangri-La"?

Stevie_Nicks_Live : Sure. First of all Sheryl Crow, who I became friends with a year ago, after I met her I asked her to produce this record. We wanted to form a good relationship and sing together and the best way was to work on a album together. We have since, making this album, have become great friends and that's the best part of this, making a new friend.

Stevie_Nicks_Live : The rest were just great, like with Sara McLachlan. The spirits above were just moving the chess pieces. We went to Vancourver and Pierre was also working with Sarah and he suggested that she do the piano. That's how that happened, I have spoken to her a couple of times on the phone, it was made perfect from me having to go there and out of all the

Stevie_Nicks_Live : cities, I ended up in the city she lived in.

Stevie_Nicks_Live : Sandy Stuart who has written on other albums, I had just been aware of The Dixie Chicks, Natalie's voice just went by me and I thought I would call her some day. I played "Here's Your Trouble" for Sheryl, and asked if I should call her, and Sheryl said she knew Natalie and called her, and in a few days we were cutting "Too Far From Texas" live,

Stevie_Nicks_Live : We only had Natalie for a couple of days, and we had to get it done, so if Sheryl wouldn't have known her, I wouldn't have gotten through to Natalie. People seem to love "Too Far From Texas." I can just hear my grandfather. talking down to me from heaven, if he bugged me enough I would end up on a country station.

Stevie_Nicks_Live : I wanted to ask Sting to sing with me, but I knew he was busy, and I didn't know who I could get for "Bombay Sapphire" and I thought who had that raspy voice and I thought of Macy Gray. She was called and came over and it was perfect, this record to me is a collection of just little special gifts that were sent to me from heaven.

Stevie_Nicks_Live : It was all just too perfect.

DishDiva : YogurtBabe Asks: Hi Stevie. I heard you say in an interview once that one of the members of Fleetwood Mac wrote a song for you named Stephanie right? Is it recorded on an album? I'd love to hear it since I share your name.

Stevie_Nicks_Live : The song is on "Buckingham Nicks" and it's called "Stephanie" and I think I intimidated him enough that he called it "Stephanie." I'm sure it's out there somewhere, floating out there somewhere.

DishDiva : JoshW2003 Asks: Hey Stevie! You have worked with SO many other established artists, from Tom Petty, Don Henley, Kenny Loggins, Sheryl Crow, and Kenny G...who are some people that you would absolutely LOVE to work with that you haven't had the chance to yet?

Stevie_Nicks_Live : This question has been asked several times, and I have to say, I would like to work with everybody, all the great singers, Barbra Streisand, Robert Plant, Aretha Franklin, I have a list a mile long, but I try and have relationships with these people. I started out to be a harmony singer, not a solo, so the most fun for me is singing with other

Stevie_Nicks_Live : people, so over the next 20 years, maybe I'll be able to sing with them.

DishDiva : FrozenLove0 Asks: What is your favorite song to perform onstage?

Stevie_Nicks_Live : The song that gives me the biggest thrill is "Dreams" and that's at the begining of my show.

DishDiva : It must be hard to even choose what your favorite song is.

Stevie_Nicks_Live : As you're writing the songs, each one is your favorite, because once I write them, unless they're recorded, or are a hit, there's no reason to play any of them again.

DishDiva : akamike says: What did you think when "Trouble in Shangri-La" debuted so high up the charts?

Stevie_Nicks_Live : That was just one of those special moments. I was at the Destiny's Child's video for "Bootylicious" and we found out that their record came in at #1 and mine at #5. And to be there at a video that stemmed from "Edge of Seventeen" was like Twilight Zone (Stevie Sings) Doo Do Doo Do. It's like a little part of my heart knowing this isn't over.

DishDiva : 1954 says: It seems like this is the first record you've made where you seem to be more inspired by happiness than heartache--fair?

DishDiva : smartinez5 Asks: Hi Stevie! I'd like your opinion on destiny. Do you think that it is something you create for yourself, or that it's something that is chosen for you?

Stevie_Nicks_Live : Yeah. I would think so yeah. In this record I was more writing about it than being in the mixed of it. Sometimes it's good when you're going through the tragedy of it, but sometimes it's better to go away from it and then write it in a way that is interesting, this is really a lot of different experiences for me.

Stevie_Nicks_Live : I think you can make your own destiny personally. Let's say Destiny's Child and Stevie Nicks were both at Rosie's sound stage and we both met, our records came out at the same time, and we did a video together. That's destiny, there was a reason for us to meet.

DishDiva : compkooma Asks: Have you ever consider using symphony orchestra on your concert?

Stevie_Nicks_Live : I've considered it many times, it's very difficult to do. If I ever made enough money to do it, I would, but that's another whole step up. Someday, someday I would love to do that.

DishDiva : Laterm learn more about Stevie Nicks and your favorite music at the new MSN Music Channel at http://music.msn.com

DishDiva : BothWill Asks: Did this new album teach or reinforce anything about the art of collaboration?

Stevie_Nicks_Live : I don't really collaborate when I write my songs, I write them and then give them to who is going to work with them whether it's John Shanks, Lindsy, Sheryl. My songs are pretty much done when they're done by me.

Stevie_Nicks_Live : I can't make an appointment to write with somebody, I just can't do that. The collaboration was more on how to present the songs, because if we couldn't find a way to present them, a lot of the songs may not have made the record. It's really about the producers vision, from my demo vision, to what goes out to a bunch of people.

DishDiva : LaurensMoon Asks: What do you think of Sandra Bernhardt's comedic portrayal of her experience of hanging out with you?

DishDiva : bellaggio Asks: Stevie, what is one thing that you have always wanted to do, but haven't?

Stevie_Nicks_Live : I thought it was pretty hysterical. I know Sandra and I like her, so it's ok, I even sent over one of my shawls so she could have the real thing. She makes me laugh, and she's a great person. She calls it homage, and isn't that the most wonderful thing, I'm glad I'm that famous.

Stevie_Nicks_Live : I like to go back and really see Europe, I've always been on tour there and would much rather sleep than sight see, or we were just in the cities one day. I've been there but I never saw it.

DishDiva : stevienicksfanatic Asks: After performing, are you on a high or are you drained?

Stevie_Nicks_Live : Totally on a high, the natural adrenaline rush that comes after the show. I use that to write like "Love Changes" when everyone goes and plays after a show, I go to my room and write. It's the perfect time to write, you're excited about what you've just done, it's cosmic and in that situation it's very easy. So where everyone else partied, I wrote.

Stevie_Nicks_Live : You can turn them right back around and make them work for you.

DishDiva : beatifulchild Asks: Stevie, I consider you, Sheryl and Sara all to be poets as much, if not more than musicians. I think that is a special gift, but can also be emotionally draining. Is is so? And if so, how do you deal with that rollercoaster?

Stevie_Nicks_Live : My poetry to me, is anything but emotionally draining. It makes me feel better, to write down the situation, I can walk away from it a little bit and feel better. It's a blessing, I use my writing as my therapy.

DishDiva : rcorey Asks: If it had not been music, what other career would you have picked?

DishDiva : madmick349 Asks: Hi, Stevie you were my first crush.Who was yours?

Stevie_Nicks_Live : I would have chosen something involved with music. I might have gone back to school, some kind of music teacher. And if I hadn't have done that I would have been a disc jockey, I would want to talk to people. I'd be the one that played the classic song 5 minutes before the end of my shift.

Stevie_Nicks_Live : My first crush was someone I met at 15 in L.A. and he is the very same person I wrote my first song about. I was really in love with him, if he would have asked me to marry him, I would have. That's when I knew what I was going to do, be a song writer, and it really made me know what I wanted to do with my life.

DishDiva : Did he know you had such a crush on him?

Stevie_Nicks_Live : I went out with him, and then we broke up, and I was heart broken, and then had my 16th birthday. It was fodder for writing for months, it took me a while to get over it. I still know him and he'd be thrilled to know I just gave him credit for my entire career. (laughs!!)

DishDiva : travelmissy Asks: What is your most treasured songwriting experience and performance experience?

Stevie_Nicks_Live : That's a hard question to answer because they're all really special. Whenever I'm really on a role, that's my best songwriting experience. I like to feel that I progress and that each time I get a little better at what I do.

Stevie_Nicks_Live : On stage is the same thing, depending on the mood I'm in. Sometimes I can't get through a song like "Golddust Woman" and then another night I'll be remembering the dark days.

DishDiva : olivergirl13 Asks: I know your grandpa was influential in nurturing your musicianship. Was there a school teacher who encouraged you to pursue writing?

Stevie_Nicks_Live : You know what, there really wasn't. I went from 8th-9th grade at one school and moved and then moved again as a senior. I never got to get attached to any teacher because I moved so much. I liked all my teachers, but I didn't go for 5 years with the same group of people and one set of teachers.

DishDiva : Later, learn more about Stevie Nicks at http://www.stevienicksweb.com

DishDiva : musicguy says: Are you interested at all in different musical genres: jazz, hip hop, different beats for your songs?

Stevie_Nicks_Live : Very much. I'm really a percussive person, that whole thing appeals to me. It's a fine line between full percussion to full rock and roll depending on what you turn up more.

DishDiva : LilliBlue_1 Asks: Was the song "Silver Springs" written for Lindsay?

Stevie_Nicks_Live : Yes, absolutely.

DishDiva : dtkrs Asks: Will any of the special guests who apear on Trouble in Shangri-La show up with you on tour?

Stevie_Nicks_Live : I think absolutely. I think Sheryl will be on the first 6 shows, she's not EVEN going to let me go without her. As far as the others I don't know yet, I go into rehersal in 2 weeks and will know a whole lot more then.

DishDiva : iamjustagirl_31 Asks: What is the story behind the song Landslide?

Stevie_Nicks_Live : It was written in Colorado, in snow covered hills of Aspen, in 1974 and it was really the only time Lindsey and I were really going "what if this didn't work out"? when they dropped the record "Polydor" and I had to get a job and we didn't know how we would survive. It was about setting new priorities, we had to figure out how to get out of that li

Stevie_Nicks_Live : little rut we were in.

DishDiva : WildFireGirl Asks: First, I want to say the album is fantastic. Second, I was wondering if this sucess is sweeter after all you have been through and survived?

Stevie_Nicks_Live : Yes, I think what you really do, that saying "stop and smell the roses" you're more aware of stopping and smelling the roses. I remember 5 years ago, sitting in a club listening to music, I realized it was the down side. This was the bottom of the cycle. I knew I would climb back up and I had to realize that wasn't a good time, but I couldn't only

Stevie_Nicks_Live : I could only go up from there. I started making new priorites and I had to really start writing and get over what had happened over the last 8 years. I realized my career was really on the line. Would I be able to write 8 songs people would love, would I be able to lose 35 lbs., would I be ok? That day I promised myself I would appreciate everythin

DishDiva : We are talking with artist, Stevie Nicks whose new CD is "Trouble in Shangri-La." If you have a question for Stevie, whisper your question to Ask_Questions_Live.

Stevie_Nicks_Live : everything when it came. When I find myself not appreciating things, I get mad at myself, success if fleeting and it can be gone in the blink of an eye.

DishDiva : Tinkerbell50421 Asks: If I could meet just one person in this world, it would be YOU! Who would you choose, living or dead, and why?

Stevie_Nicks_Live : I don't know, I'll have to think about that.

Stevie_Nicks_Live : Just because there's so many people, it's hard to pick just one.

DishDiva : DeeEllen Asks: Do you perfer this medium over things like appearing on live talk shows?

Stevie_Nicks_Live : This is all very new for me, this is great. I don't love doing TV so I would have to say I prefer this. (laughs)

Stevie_Nicks_Live : Television makes it all about being filmed, makes you immortal, you'll be on re-runs, and you're nervous. I'm not nervous right now because you don't say what you'd say when you're nervous. When you're calm it's a much nicer way to answer questions, so people know how you feel.

DishDiva : Let's clear up some rumors. SeattleFan2 Asks: How old is your daughter now and is she following in your footsteps?

Stevie_Nicks_Live : I don't have a daughter. I have a niece who's 10 and she's fabulous.

DishDiva : pocono5 Asks: How do you rate the impact of videos on your success & do you think that is a good thing, or do you feel iy distracted from the music?

pocono5 Asks: How do you rate the impact of videos on your success & do you think that is a good thing, or do you feel it distracted from the music?

Stevie_Nicks_Live : I think videos can be one or the other. You can hear a song and really like it and see the video and not like it and therefore not like the song as much. I think it goes the other way, you hear a song you don't know how much you like, then see the video and like the song more. I think you have to make a video everyone likes or you're dead.

DishDiva : gchaz Asks: We are very excited to see you this summer. How do you determine the songs you sing at a concert

Stevie_Nicks_Live : When I go into rehearsal in 2 weeks, I'll decide. I'll be able to have new songs in the show because I have been using some of the new songs already. I will do a whole 2 hour show with all the old songs, but I'll be doing a lot of new songs, and it's been a long time since I've done new songs, and I really like that.

DishDiva : beatlebaby says: What do you see when you look out a crowd from onstage?

Stevie_Nicks_Live : I used to not see anything, but I had laser surgery, and now I see them well, so now I actually see the people's faces, it's very clear out there now. When you're near-sightened you don't see that. So if someone thinks I'm looking at them, I am now. (laughs)

DishDiva : Jamie51 Asks: I know you've talked a lot about Tom Petty kinda giving you a jumpstart to work on this album. Do you think perhaps you and Tom might join each other on stage again sometime?

Stevie_Nicks_Live : That is always a possibility. I love singing with Tom. It's up to him, if it was up to me, we'd sing together all the time. Hopefully we will. We got to do the Christmas thing, so hopefully we will get to do more things together.

DishDiva : pearljam says: I read liner notes. How much thought goes into your liner notes and do you read other musician's liner notes?

Stevie_Nicks_Live : I do. A lot of work goes into the whole art project of the artwork, the dedication, the colors, we did it, it's all our idea.

DishDiva : SomethingOfADreamer Asks: What do you think the new Fleetwood Mac album will be like without Christine?

Stevie_Nicks_Live : I think it will be more guitar oriented, less keyboard, and if the trio is no longer the trio, it's a duo which leaves Lindsey and I where we were when we first started. We're very excited about it, it will be very different.

DishDiva : NDog68 Asks: Do you play any instruments on your new album ?

Stevie_Nicks_Live : I do, I play keyboards on "Planets of the Universe" and "Bombay Sapphire" which is the first time I've ever done that.

DishDiva : Why?

Stevie_Nicks_Live : Because no one has asked me to do that before.

DishDiva : etain9 Asks: I read somewhere a long time ago that you didn't like green and orange and i noticed those were the colors of your latest cd cover! was that true?

Stevie_Nicks_Live : I don't look at those colors as green an orange, more like Salmon Pink and Jade Green, Hotel California colors. If your copy looks orange, complain to the record company. (laughs!)

DishDiva : Appearance Asks: Stevie... If we could change one thing... in your past...what if anything would you change?

Stevie_Nicks_Live : The eight years I took Klonopin because I feel very lucky to have survived those eight years at all. Everything else I would leave the same.

DishDiva : Your honesty is refreshing.

Stevie_Nicks_Live : I just hope that the name will wedge into people's brains and knows someone who is taking it, they will say something to them. I'm a tough old bird, and it nearly killed me.

DishDiva : Stevie, as we close this event, any final thoughts for your fans?

Stevie_Nicks_Live : I just hope that everybody loves these songs as much as I do. I tried really hard to make these songs understandable and have a message. There's not a song on this record that I didn't think was really important to go out to the world. Between Me, Lori and Sharon, we faught to get this record out and I hope we're right and touch a nerve out there.

DishDiva thinks: Stevie Nicks newest CD, "Trouble in Shangri-La" is now available. Pick it up

Stevie_Nicks_Live : That I was able to come away from Klonopin and lose the weight, and come back to #5, that's where all these songs came from, the journey of this record has healed me.

DishDiva : Stevie Nicks newest CD, "Trouble in Shangri-La" is now available. Pick it up

Stevie_Nicks_Live : Thank you so much!

DishDiva : Pick it up now at http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00005AXEL/msn-musicfo/103-6342693- 750383 1

DishDiva : The transcript will be available tomorrow at http://chat.msn.com/msnlive

MSNLive_Bot : The preceding is ( c ) 2001 MSN Live Thanks to our guest, hosts and to everyone that came to today's chat! Please remember that due to the number of questions received, it was not possible for our guest to answer each one individually. Thanks for coming to MSNLive!

DishDiva : Want to learn more about Stevie Nicks? Check out the new MSN Music Channel at http://music.msn.com

DishDiva : You can also learn more at Stevie's sites at http://www.repriserec.com/ and http://www.stevienicksweb.com/

DishDiva : Thank you to Stevie Nicks and Reprise Records for tonight's great show.


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