Charles Ramos4
Member
27 messages
joined May 2022
I’ve been feeling the urge to write lately, so I figured I’d start this thread about the ventilator—I mean, the record.
While working and performing with her main band, Fleetwood Mac, Stevie Nicks kicked off her solo career in the early 80s with her debut album, "Bella Donna." To get things moving, she pulled together a great crew—mostly session musicians who eventually joined her on tour—but she also had some heavy hitters helping out. Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers lent their talents to a few tracks (I'll circle back to them later), along with guys from the Eagles—specifically Don Felder on guitar and Don Henley handling drums and backing vocals on "Leather and Lace." There was also Bill Payne, the co-founder of Little Feat, and Roy Bittan from the E Street Band played a bit of a role on keys. Actually, Roy co-wrote "Think About It" with Stevie, and he ended up joining her for that first big tour after the debut dropped.
The album itself has 10 tracks. Stevie wrote almost all the lyrics and music herself, with the exception of "Stop Dragging My Heart Around," which was a Petty lyric paired with Campbell's music. Aside from Roy, the only other co-writer mentioned is Benmond Teach from The Heartbreakers, who worked with Stevie on "Kind of Woman." As for production, besides the inevitable Tom Petty, Jimmy Iovine was in the booth—he’s actually the one "responsible" for "Stop Dragging My Heart Around." Apparently, after reading through the letters Stevie prepared, he told her everything was beautiful, but the album just didn't have a single. So, they brought in Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers to play on it, which turned out to be the biggest hit on the album—and maybe even her solo career, at least according to Billboard.
I already mentioned the duet with Petty, but for "Leather and Lace," Don Henley from the Eagles provided those backing vocals, and honestly, it's one of my absolute favorites on the record. The way their voices blend and respond to each other is just perfection. I should also mention "After the Glitter Fades," which was actually written way back in 1972 when Stevie was still far from the spotlight. If you believe some of the stories, she was actually picturing Dolly Parton singing it while she wrote it—which probably explains why that country vibe is so present. Along with those three, I think "Edge of Seventeen" really rounds out the four strongest tracks on the album, though maybe that isn't fair to some of the other songs that carry a lot of weight too. I'm thinking specifically of the final track, "The Highwaymen." I also have a soft spot for "Think About It"—which she dedicated to her Fleetwood Mac bandmate Christine McVie—as well as "Kind of Woman" and the title track, which both have their own special qualities. Since I’ve pretty much singled out almost every song, I guess it’s only right to leave the rest to you, so you can decide which ones hit home for you. 😁
Stevie Nicks - Bella Donna
