MSN Live
Chat
May 16, 2001
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 : 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 : 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?
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.
DishDiva : bellaggio Asks: Stevie, what is one thing
that you have always wanted to do, but haven't?
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?
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.
DishDiva : madmick349 Asks: Hi, Stevie you were my
first crush.Who was yours?
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 : 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 Lindsey?
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 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 could only
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 fought to get this record out and I hope we're right and touch a
nerve out there.
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!
