The song that inspired Stevie Nicks’ style
It’s safe to say that without Stevie Nicks, the iteration of Fleetwood Mac that bewitched the masses in the 1970s and beyond might not have done so. One of the finest rock frontwomen of all time, Nicks has a distinctive vocal ability and an incisive approach to lyrics. She supports this with a tangible sense of character and stage presence that only the true greats do.
Nicks’ story is a famous one. She and her former partner, Lindsey Buckingham, joined Fleetwood Mac in the mid-1970s and were instrumental in helping the band re-establish themselves as a cultural force, as well as taking them to untold heights. Nicks and Buckingham met during the former’s senior year at Menlo-Atherton High School in Atherton, California. One night, Nicks was at the Young Life Club, where she first saw her future romantic and creative partner covering Barry McGuire’s ‘California Dreamin”.
Before too long, the pair left home for San José State University. Yet, their time in academia was short, as they dropped out to pursue a career in music with the psychedelic rock band Fritz. The group then disbanded in 1971, and the following year, the pair’s relationship produced the overlooked 1972 album Buckingham Nicks, their only studio-length offering as a duo. However, it would verify their brilliance and set the scene for them to join Fleetwood Mac.
In 1974, the producer Keith Olsen introduced Buckingham and Nicks to Fleetwood Mac leader Mick Fleetwood. Impressed, he initially invited Buckingham to join his group, as they needed a new guitarist. Despite their relationship being already on the rocks, the loyal Buckingham said he would only accept the offer if Nicks could join Fleetwood Mac as well.
Sensing a coup, Fleetwood accepted the counteroffer, maintaining that another singer-songwriter wouldn’t hurt the band’s chances of a resurrection. It proved to be the most significant decision of his career. It prompted their second self-titled album in 1975, which would become one of their most successful. It features the Stevie Nicks classics ‘Rhiannon’ and ‘Landslide’, a pair of classic tracks evidencing the young Nicks’ talent, which were a clear sign of her growing importance to the transatlantic group moving forward.
Since Stevie Nicks is such a consequential musician, she has been asked to describe her influences over the years. Back in 2011, when featuring on BBC Radio 2’s Tracks of My Years, she listed her favourite songs of all time.
As her first choice, she named Eagles’ 1972 hit ‘Witchy Woman’, a number written by Don Henley and Bernie Leadon, featured on their eponymous debut album. The track is highly significant for Nicks, as she explained that it inspired much of her style.
“The Eagles were famous before Lindsey and I moved to Los Angeles,” Nicks recalled, introducing the song. “We drove to LA, and I remember listening to that song, thinking what a great song it was, and of course, I’m sure as all women my age did at that point, we were all hoping that we would actually be the witchy woman. Premonition-wise I would come to know Don Henley quite well. In fact, even do know who the actual witchy woman was; it was someone who became a very famous jeweller.”
“The Eagles were very inspirational to both Lindsey and I because we loved their singing, and we loved their ability to bridge country and rock and roll so beautifully,” she continued. “I thought ‘Witchy Woman’ was just the perfect mix of country and rock and roll. And so we were very inspired by that, Lindsey and I.”
