“Exactly like something I’d sing”: The classic Stevie Nicks thought she should have sang
There is no mistaking the ethereal voice of Stevie Nicks. Even today, as she performs before hundreds or thousands, her voice—now slightly grittier and weathered by time and a lifetime of rock-fuelled escapades—remains unmistakably and inexplicably hers. Now a legacy act, she exudes confidence, captivating audiences with the same magnetic energy that made her a standout all those years ago.
Nicks has always possessed an endearing raspiness in her voice, a quality that allowed her to oscillate between the considered, heartfelt pacing of tender ballads and the emotionally charged intensity of scorned rock anthems. From day one, it was almost as though her voice became a conduit for emotion, breaking down any barriers between herself and the listener like a wrecking ball.
This ability is also what, in today’s world, has earned her a reputation as one of the most iconic and influential female rock musicians in history. Even during her most successful years with Fleetwood Mac, she was celebrated to an extent but with talents that were often eclipsed or overshadowed by other members’ abilities, particularly that of her male counterpart, Lindsey Buckingham.
While this could be due to several factors, including changing attitudes to female rock musicians in predominantly male-centric areas, Nicks has more than earned her share of praise, and it’s her voice that continues to endear countless others to her craft. Like a gateway to her soul, her voice holds the key to everything she has ever felt and experienced, like a singular force of mystique that exercises both darkness and enlightenment.
It’s not that difficult to discover this appeal, either—almost every Nicks song comes with its own whimsical narrative; from the innocence of the Buckingham Nicks days and the explosive nature of Rumours to the solo mastery of Bella Donna, Nicks’ voice adorns any song with a sort of dreamlike lucidity, like suddenly discovering a dull itch that had been long lingering beneath the surface of the skin.
Moreover, Nicks has long recognised the distinctiveness of her own voice, surprisingly even in moments when she does not hear herself at all. There are many songs she wishes she had sung or written, but a unique case appears with Atlanta Rhythm Section’s ‘Imaginary Lover’. Nicks was faced with a strange reality when, one day, she discovered that a radio station had played the song at the wrong speed, making it sound not only exactly like a Fleetwood Mac tune but one that also boasted her own voice.
Nicks enjoyed the sped-up version of the song and the feeling of hearing herself from a distanced viscera so much that she went and bought her own copy—of the wrong version. “I got chills,” Nicks later told Rolling Stone. “It sounds exactly like something I’d sing, the way I’d sing it. I even played it for Christine [McVie], mixed in with some other demos from the new album. She complimented me on it.”
Nicks’ endearment to the adjusted version makes sense, as it doesn’t sound like someone else’s poor attempt at changing the sound and speed of a song to sound like another artist at all. In this case, it sounds uncannily identical to Nicks’ voice, adding a kind of haunting quality and enhanced emotional appeal that stems from her own raspy vocalisation and distinctive delivery.
