“I wouldn’t sing with anybody else”: The Led Zeppelin record that could have featured Stevie Nicks
In 1977, Rumours changed everything. Up until then, many rock spaces were quickly becoming stale, but Fleetwood Mac not only proved that raw emotion could enhance the excellence of the music but that blending different genres was, in fact, the future of rock ‘n’ roll. Led Zeppelin was also an exception to the rule with explosive stadium rock that resonated globally, but Robert Plant was no different when it came to appreciating the distinctive raspiness of Stevie Nicks’ voice and her whimsical musical style.
With all of the lasting hype surrounding Fleetwood Mac and Rumours, it’s easy to forget just how unique it actually was. Nicks had wanted to perform for a living before the days of Buckingham Nicks, so when the offer came to join Fleetwood Mac, she knew it was her destiny. No, really: she said as much during an old interview with Jimmy Fallon, proving that her “witchy” disposition is anything but a façade.
“Like the day that Mick [Fleetwood] called Lindsey [Buckinghm] and I and said, ‘Do you want to join Fleetwood Mac?’ And [he was] like, ‘Oh, well, I don’t know.’ And I’m like to Lindsey, ‘No. We’re joining this band.’ It was a moment of destiny,” she said. Granted, she had also just given the host a small opium container and told him it was the holder of dreams, so the moment for whimsical mantras had already happened, but labelling her involvement with Fleetwood Mac as “destiny” seems completely justified.
The joining forces of all musicians exuded a kind of magic that other musicians felt impacted by, not just musically, but in how authenticity became a guiding principle in the recording studio, even when it was driven by anger and frustration. To this day, you can hear the emotion in Nicks’ voice, as though she offers a gateway into their tumultuous world the moment the needle drops.
This quality captivated the Led Zeppelin frontman, who became so endeared to her vocal delivery that he wouldn’t have wanted to collaborate with anybody else. This was sparked the moment he heard Rumours, and had they decided to include any external collaborations on 1979’s In Through The Out Door, there’s no doubt that Nicks would have been Plant’s first port of call.
During a 1977 interview with Interview Magazine, he discussed his appreciation for the singer and explained why he enjoyed Nicks’ material, even though he didn’t immediately remember her name. “That little lady ought to come and sing on one of our albums. If she were to come sing on one of our albums — it would…What’s her name? — Stevie,” he said.
Continuing, “I think it would only be impromptu. On other albums maybe just guesting for a track — on a very light-hearted level. I can’t see any serious turn one way or another. We just enjoy playing with each other. I wouldn’t like to go and sing with anybody else at all.”
If a collaboration had occurred for their 1979 album, it could have even saved the record from its fatal depths. Both artists were interested in otherworldly themes, with voices that would have intertwined naturally, creating a deep emotional appeal. Plant went on to collaborate with numerous artists, but there’s no denying that there will always be a frustrating space where the rock world’s most powerful convergence should have been.
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