Rock a Little is the third studio album by American singer-songwriter and Fleetwood Mac vocalist Stevie Nicks.
Released in late 1985 while Fleetwood Mac were still on a lengthy hiatus following their Mirage success of 1982, the album peaked at #12 on the U.S. Billboard Charts, and was certified platinum within three months of its release. Although sales did not match Nicks' earlier albums, Bella Donna and The Wild Heart (both selling in excess of 4 and 2 million copies in the U.S. respectively), Rock a Little produced the hits "Talk to Me" (US#4), "I Can't Wait" (US#16), and the mainstay encore for Nicks' live shows, "Has Anyone Ever Written Anything for You" (US#60). The album peaked at #5 in Australia, #8 in Canada, and #30 in the UK.
Recording for her follow-up project to 1983's multi-platinum The Wild Heart originally began in 1984, under the collective heading of "Mirror, Mirror". A selection of dark, angry songs were recorded, including "Running Through the Garden" (which finally surfaced in a completed version in 2003 on the Fleetwood Mac release Say You Will) and "Mirror Mirror". However, Nicks scrapped these recordings and in 1985 began work on what is now recognised as the "Rock a Little" project.
The album is reputed to have cost $1 million USD to record (according to Mick Fleetwood in his autobiography), and is seen as a watershed in the singer's career. The vocal style is distinctively more husky and nasal (many claim this was due to increasing cocaine abuse) than on previous recordings, and, uncharacteristically, some of the album's tracks were not written by the artist herself. It was later revealed that Martin Page and Bernie Taupin had written the track "These Dreams" for inclusion on the album, but Nicks turned it down. It was later the first US #1 hit for Ann and Nancy Wilson with their band Heart.
The album's chequered creation would be characterised by many such decisions by Nicks, with the non-inclusion of self-penned stand-out cuts such as "Violet and Blue", an uptempo country rocker, and "Battle of the Dragon", a moody contemplation of the stormy relationships between Fleetwood Mac members at that time, as cases in point - both were given to movie soundtracks (Against All Odds and American Anthem respectively) and all but disappeared until their resurrection on Nicks 4-disc 1998 retrospective Enchanted. A beautifully melodic duet with Eagles drummer and former lover Don Henley entitled "Reconsider Me" would also see the cutting room floor, and a rousing rock ballad "One More Big Time Rock'n'Roll Star" was relegated to the b-side of the Talk To Me single. Many other discarded demos from the sessions have never seen the light of day, but a few, including "Thousand Days", "Greta", "Love is Like a River" and "Listen to the Rain", were dusted off for her 1994 album Street Angel.
Jimmy Iovine was originally brought in to produce the album and worked on the original demo's in 1984. However, he parted ways with Nicks mid-way through the recording sessions, claiming he did not like the direction in which Nicks wanted to take the album. It was later revealed that the two had been in a relationship for several years, and he left production of "Rock A Little" due to their break-up and Nicks subsequent relationship with Eagles member Joe Walsh, for whom she penned her much-loved ballad "Has Anyone Ever Written Anything For You". Keith Olsen, Rick Nowels and Nicks herself took over production duties after Iovine's departure.
Upon release in November 1985, "Rock a Little" received very mixed reviews, and some negative word-of-mouth, combined with tour performances which were destructively self-indulgent due to an ever increasing addiction to cocaine (she would famously check in to the Betty Ford Clinic at the tour's conclusion), meant that the album did not achieve sales or chart positions expected of such a hugely successful rock star as Nicks was at the time.
The album is, however, a firm favourite with Nicks fans, a testament to the resiliance of Nicks songwriting and vocal brilliance, and is far more favourably regarded by critics in recent years, with the UK's "Q" magazine observing that it is a seminal work by Nicks and deserving of formal re-evaluation. With the wealth of non-released studio tracks from the original sessions, as well as remixes and alternate takes of album tracks and key single releases, Rock a Little stands as the album in the Nicks canon most overdue for re-release and reconsideration.
Since 1991, when sales of albums have been tracked by Nielsen SoundScan, Rock a Little has sold a further 100,000 copies in the US as of 2008.
Track listing
- "I Can't Wait" (Stevie Nicks, Rick Nowels, Eric Pressly) – 4:37
- "Rock a Little (Go Ahead Lily)" (Nicks) – 3:39
- "Sister Honey" (Nicks, Les Dudek) – 3:50
- "I Sing for the Things" (Nicks) – 3:45
- "Imperial Hotel" (Nicks, Michael Campbell) – 2:53
- "Some Become Strangers" (David Williams, Amy Latelevision, Peter Rafelson) – 3:30
- "Talk to Me" (Chas Sandford) – 4:10
- "The Nightmare" (Stevie Nicks, Chris Nicks) – 5:23
- "If I Were You" (Rick Nowels, Nicks) – 4:31
- "No Spoken Word" (Nicks) – 4:14
- "Has Anyone Ever Written Anything for You?" (Nicks, Keith Olsen) – 4:34
Alternative Versions and 12-inch Releases
"I Can't Wait" was released as a 12-inch single in an extended 6:00 rock version in many territories, but the UK release exclusively included a longer and different version of the album track "Rock a Little (Go Ahead Lily)" running at 5:40, currently unavailable on any other release.
"Has Anyone Ever Written Anything for You?" was also released in a 12-inch version in the UK, and included a 'dub' rock version of "I Can't Wait", clocking in at 5:50.
All 7-inch and 12-inch releases of "Talk to Me" included the non-album track "One More Big Time Rock and Roll Star", written by Nicks, and which later appeared on her 1998 retrospective boxset "Enchanted".
The highly sought after 5-track US 12-inch release of "I Can't Wait", in one of the most iconic picture sleeves of Stevie's career, includes:
- "I Can't Wait" (Rock Mix) - 6:00
- "I Can't Wait" (Instrumental Dance Mix) - 6:20
- "I Can't Wait" (Dub Dance Mix) - 4:23
- "I Can't Wait" (Rock Dub Mix) - 5:50
- "The Nightmare" (Special Extended Vocal Remix) - 6:40
Collectable Promotional Releases
Very collectable 7-inch promotional singles of "I Can't Wait" and "Talk to Me" were also released to US radio stations in 1985 and 1986. The "I Can't Wait" promo features an alternative picture sleeve to the conventional 7 inch release, and includes two exclusive versions of the song specially created for radio. 12-inch vinyl promos of both singles were also released to US radio stations, with that of "Talk to Me" being especially sought after for its glossy sleeve.
A very limited US 12-inch DJ only vinyl featured "Imperial Hotel" as the A-side, with the Rock Mix of "I Can't Wait" as the b-side.
A Spanish 7-inch promo of "Talk to Me" features an exclusive picture sleeve unreleased in any other territory.
Videos
Two promotional videos were shot for the single releases of "Talk to Me" and "I Can't Wait". The former featured a startlingly maturer-looking Stevie, whilst the "I Can't Wait" video is now regarded as the most iconic of her career. Such was its instant cult-status on release that David Letterman famously showed a clip of the instrumental bridge night after night on his talk show, to the point where Stevie flew from her tour in Australia to give the single more promotional support than previously planned. Surprisingly, the single stalled at #16 in the US Billboard 100, despite reaching #1 in several US states, such as California.
In 1986 a 6-track VHS tape entitled "I Can't Wait" was released in many territories, and featured the following promos:
This release is notable for including a live solo performance of "Leather and Lace" from the last night of Nicks' 1981 Bella Donna tour, which was cut from the VHS release of "White Wing Dove: Stevie Nicks Live", a 9-track edit of the selfsame concert.
Five of these promos are included on the DVD supplement to Nicks' 2008 collection Crystal Visions - The Very Best of Stevie Nicks, but the only DVD availability of the live version of "Leather and Lace" is the Australian release of Fleetwood Mac's Mirage Tour concert, for which the special feature is all six of the "I Can't Wait" promo collection.
Tour
The US leg of the "Rock a Little" tour kicked off in 1986 and concluded with a show at the famous Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado, which was captured and released on video (and later on DVD). Evidence of Nicks' drug abuse is apparent in both performance and vocals, but the show is noticeably 'cleaned up' with re-shot close-ups, inserts and vocal overdubs. The video/DVD is also a very much shortened version of the actual setlist, clocking in at only 57 minutes, 15 of which are devoted to a very lengthy and powerful version of "Edge of Seventeen".
Opening night tour setlist:
- Gold Dust Woman
- Outside The Rain#
- Dreams#
- Talk To Me#
- I Need To Know#
- No Spoken Word#
- Sara
- Beauty And The Beast#
- I Can't Wait
- Leather And Lace
- Stand Back#
- Stop Draggin' My Heart Around
- Edge Of Seventeen#
Encore:
- Rhiannon (piano version
- Rhiannon (full rock version)
- Has Anyone Ever Written Anything For You?#
(# Included in the VHS/ DVD release "Stevie Nicks - Live at Red Rocks")
Tour Dates:
- April 11 - Houston, Texas, The Summit Arena
- April 12 - Austin, Texas, Frank Irwan Center
- April 15 - Dallas, Texas, Reunion Center
- April 16 - Oklahoma City, Oklahoma The Myriad
- April 19 - Iowa City, Iowa
- April 20 - Lincoln, Nebraska, Devany Sports Centre
- April 22 - Lexington, Kentucky, Rupp Arena
- April 25 - Baton Rouge, Louisianna
- April 26 - Biloxi, Mississippi, Gulfport Colosseum
- April 30 - Knoxville, Tennessee, Stokely Athletic Center
- May 2 - Hartford, Connecticut, Hartford Civic Center
- May 3 - Providence, Rhode Island
- May 6 - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- May 7 - Baltimore, Maryland, Civic Center
- May 11 - Tampa, Floria, USF Sundome
- May 30 - Indianapolis, Indiana, Market Square Arena
- May 31 - East Troy, Wisconscin, Alpine Valley
- June 3 - Worchester, Massachusetts, Centrum
- June 4 - Worchester, Massachusetts, Centrum
- June 7 - Wantaugh, New York, Jones Beach
- June 8 - Wantaugh, New York, Jones Beach
- June 11 - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Civic Arena
- June 17 - Holmdel, New Jersey, Garden State Arts Center
- June 18 - Holmdel, New Jersey, Garden State Arts Center
- June 21 - Chicago, Illinois, Poplar Creek
- June 22 - Clarkston, Michigan
- June 28 - Tempe, Arizona, Compton Terrance
- June 29 - Orange County, California, Pacific Amphitheatre
- July 14 - Mountain View, California, Shoreline Amphitheatre
- July 17 - Sacramento, California, California Expo
- July 18 - Los Angeles, California ,The Forum
- August 2 - Landover, Maryland
- August 5 - New York City, New York, Madison Square Gardens
- August 7 - Atlanta, Georgia
- August 8 - Daytona Beach, Floria, Ocean Center
- August 11 - Canandaiqua, New York, Community College
- August 12 - Saratoga Springs, New York, Saragota Springs PAC
- August 14 - Toronto, Canada, Canadian National Centre
- August 15 - Weespot, New York, Cayuga County Fairgrounds
- August 17 - Middletown, New York, Orange County Raceway
- August 20 - Morrison, Colorado, Red Rocks Ampitheatre
- August 28 - Long Beach, California, Long Beach Sports Arena - "Tough On Toxics" Benefit
- September 24 - Sydney, Australia, Sydney Entertainment Center
- September 25 - Sydney, Australia, Sydney Entertainment Center
- September 27 - Brisbane, Australia, Brisbane Entertainment Center
- September 29 - Melbourne, Australia, Melbourne Festival Hall
- September 30 - Melbourne, Australia, Melbourne Festival Hall
- October 1 - Melbourne, Australia, Melbourne Festival Hall
- October 4 - Melbourne, Australia ,Melbourne Festival Hall
- October 6 - Sydney, Australia, Sydney Entertainment Center
Notes:
- Sara was dropped from the setlist after the Kentucky show
- Sometime in mid-May, I Can't Wait and Leather And Lace were switched
- Gold Dust Woman was dropped from the setlist by mid-June
- The DVD/VHS Stevie Nicks: Live At Red Rocks was filmed in Morrison, Colorado on 20th August and broadcast as a HBO special in 1987.
- The August 15th show in Weedspot, NY was recorded for a radio broadcast
- Don Henley and Lindsey Buckingham were guest performers at Long Beach for the "Tough On Toxics" benefit show.
- Opus were the opening act until Tampa, FL. Peter Frampton was the opener from Indianapolis, IN onwards. Paul Kelly was the opening act in Australia.
References
