[The Nicks Fix]

Rosie
May 3, 2001
The Rosie O'Donnell show was transcribed by Renee (studyinscarlet), from the Ledge boards.

 

John Kinney's friend Lauren opens the show. She's standing in the audience.

Lauren: Hi! I'm Lauren Ganaway from Tulsa, Oklahoma and this is the Rosie O'Donnell Show. On today's show, Will Ferrell, Stevie NIcks. Hit it John.

(John McD and the band play through the intro.)

And now, here's Rosie! (applause. Rosie walks out on stage.)

Rosie: Hi! Sit, relax (to audience) How are you? (to Lauren).

Lauren: I'm great. How are you?

Rosie: I understand you're a huge Stevie Nicks fan?

Lauren: Oh, my gosh! I want to be her when I grow up.(laughs)

Rosie: No kidding?

Lauren: I do. I so do.

Rosie: Do you have all the CD's?

Lauren: Got all the CDs. I've been to every concert. I just, need the clothes.

Rosie: Have you ever been this close to her before?

Lauren: No. Well, actually, I have. I've been on the front row at concerts.

Rosie: Yeah, yeah.

Lauren: So...

Rosie: But that's not what... that's feet.

Lauren: I did touch her hand once.

Rosie: You touched her hand?

Lauren: I touched her hand.

Rosie: Yeah. Was she appreciative, or was she...

Lauren: No, she was like shakin' hands at the concert. It was, like, really cool.

Rosie: Well, she's gonna be here today.

Lauren: Oh, my gosh. (cheering from the audience.)

Rosie: Two songs. It doesn't get better than that.(Rosie mouths). It doesn't get better than that. And we have the CD for everyone in the audience.(audience cheers)

Lauren: That is so good.

Rosie: Well, you did a great job. Thanks for being here. Sit back and enjoy because Lord knows I will.

Lauren: I will too.

Rosie: All right! Say hi to John McD and the McDLT's. (Rosie's band plays)

Rosie is behind her desk now.

Rosie: Oh, John. I am so excited!

John: Hi. I am too.

Rosie hits a button at the left side of her desk--"Gypsy" plays. Rosie sings along, "Oooh, and it lights up the night and you see your gypsy..." She stops the song.

R to John: I love her so much. I can't bear it. I can't bear how excited I am.

John: Very cool. Very good!

Rosie: She's gonna be here in a matter of moments.

John: I know! (cheers from audience)

Rosie: Let me hit another button. (Rhiannon plays) "...all your life you've never seen woman taken by the wind/ would you stay if she promised you heaven, will you ever win..." Rosie's singing along, but mouths something else to the "would you stay" part.

Rosie: Ok, I'm just gonna keep doin' that all through the...

John: That's good. You should.

Rosie: And also, um, Stevie Nicks is here! Did I tell you? (She hits button and "Everyday" plays and Rosie sings along) Okay! (She scrunches her face and makes a "Keh!" sound) It's just very exciting.

John: Very cool.

Rosie: You know, because this is year five. We've had pretty much everyone on this program. But we have never had, Stevie Nicks!(She hits button and "Edge of Seventeen" plays) When Stevie sings the, "Oooh baby,ooooh" part Rosie sings along and puts her hands up, opening them while singing, "Oooh". (She stops the song and grins). I think that's the best one. Let's do that again. "Edge" starts again. "Just like the white winged dove..." Only Rosie sings along, puts up one finger and mouths, "Just like the one winged dove..." She stops the song after the chorus, then sings,"Well, I hear you in the morning..." The audience yells, she stops and covers her mouth.

Rosie: Sorry, I thought I was at home, in the shower, for a moment. (audience and John laugh) She then goes on to talk about a t-shirt selling on e-bay and signs it. Talks about AmeriCares charity.

Rosie: ...also, what else do I have to tell you? Oh, have I mentioned that...(hits button and "Seven Wonders" plays) Rosie sings along, but instead of singing," I'll never live to match the beauty again..." she sings, "to match the beauty of you..."

Rosie: That's... Stevie Nicks is here. Did I tell you that?

John: She is. (applause)

Rosie talks about her magazine, "Rosie". Hits button again. "Edge" plays, "Just like the white winged dove..." Rosie points at the camera on every "Ooooh" and sings.(stops song)

Rosie: When we get back from the little break...you will see, Stevie Nicks. Here. (audience cheers)

Rosie is standing on stage holding up TISL CD. You can see Stevie, in the dark, behind her and Waddy on guitar on Stevie's left. There is a black screen, dotted with different colored candles, hanging down.

Rosie: I'm so excited. Through her poetic songs and unique voice, our next guest has become one of the most influential women in the history of rock music. Her new CD, TISL is her first solo album in 7 years. Please welcome, for the first time, the one and only Stevie Nicks. TISL cover comes up on the screen. The lights come up on stage. The stage floor is lit with blue and a pink swirl, with white lights, like stars. Stevie is in her black dress with black sequin sleeves. She sings "Everyday". The camera comes in from our right and there are different shaped crystals suspended from the ceiling. Stevie looks very relaxed and sounds great. When she finishes the audience cheers and Rosie comes in from our left. Stevie tucks her head down and does this little running in place dance. She's wearing her black tennis shoe thingy's.

Rosie: So exciting to me. (They hug)

Stevie: Thank you.

Rosie: Ah, it's so exciting. More with Stevie Nicks. She's gonna sing again. Don't go away.

Back on the interview set. Stevie is sitting on our left and is strumming and talking to Rosie. Rosie is behind her desk.

Rosie: No way(to Stevie). Stevie Nicks is here and I'm so thrilled I can't even begin to tell you. Trouble In Shangri-La is the new CD(puts CD on desk for camera) And I absolutely love it.

Stevie: Thank you, Rose.(Stevie says it in a funny way, shakes her head a little and laughs.)

Rosie: It's just so great. It is. And Fall from Grace, I was just saying, is my favorite cut on the record.

Stevie: And if almost didn't make it.

Rosie: Yeah, people...

Stevie: It was... I was...

Rosie: Well...

Stevie: Yeah, yeah. Go ahead.(These two talked over each other A LOT)

Rosie: You have to like, you have to fight with, with yourself...

Stevie: You have to find the right person...

Rosie: Yeah.

Stevie: ...to do a song. Because,um, I just was telling you that my little friend Sheryl Crow, she could not figure out what to do with Fall from Grace. And she just said, I can't figure it out so we've got to find somebody who can. You know. And luckily for me John Shanks said, "I can do it. I get it." Cause it was this close to not being on the record.

Rosie: Well, I'm glad it is. It's my favorite song. But the whole CD is amazing.

Stevie: So, thank you. Thanks.

Rosie: How did the Sheryl Crow collaboration get to... how did that come about?

Stevie: Well, it... I met her, ah, a long time ago. Remember the movie,"Boys On The Side"?

Rosie: Yes.

Stevie: I met her at the premier, kind of party for that at the House Of Blues. Cause I did one of her songs on that record. And, at that point, I think we probably said a little something about working together. I didn't see her again for about a year and at that time I asked her. Would you,like, I asked her to produce the whole record. And so, she kind of produced as much of it as she could, and then she had to go and do her own thing. Then she came back and helped me with a little more of it and really has been, my saving grace. I mean, she's like, my angel.

Rosie: And she...

Stevie: I thought, you know, oh my God what am I gonna do?

Rosie: I know she told me that. It was totally overwhelming to her that you, you know, wanted to work with her. I mean, I can't imagine. Sheryl Crow, who obviously grew up listening to Fleetwood Mac, and you, with your solo...

Stevie: We're all so insecure. You know, we're all so insecure.

Rosie: Right. The DVD that I have from the FM reunion tour, I have to say I've almost worn it out. Because, it's ah, it's amazing.

Stevie: You, and all the stereo stores in the world. I mean in, in every mall that's how they sell their equipment. They play that.

Rosie: Right.

Stevie: So, I'm going, that's pretty darn good.

Rosie: Well, the Silver Springs... You and Lindsey... Silver Springs... and you lookin' over at him... and then at the end... and then me with the crying and the whole. Ah, c'mon! It was like, killer! (applause)

Stevie: It was that way too. It was, you know, it was, that was like a magical night that night that we filmed that show.

Rosie: Yeah.

Stevie: That was a magical night. We filmed Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. And we didn't get it until Friday. And it was like we only have one more night. So we have to get it tonight. So we all went on stage with a a mission to really be great. And we walked up there, there was, like, no more excuse now. That fact that we haven't played since 1983 does not matter now.

Rosie: Right.

Stevie: We have to be so good. Just knock people out.

Rosie: Well, you did above and beyond. I don't know if you can get it because, you know, it took me a long time to get it. I had to order it and order it, because it sells out of the stores right away. But you should get that, if you can. We don't have it to give away. But the DVD, it's just. It just really is amazing.

Stevie: Thank you.

Rosie: Is it true that you had writer's block for a long time?

Stevie: It wasn't for a long time. It was for just, maybe about a year. And, you know, it really wasn't writer's block. It was just, I was just, you know. I was just a little bit depressed about my life.

Rosie: Sure.

Stevie: And when you're kind of depressed it's not so much when you write. You can be in the middle of a tragedy and you can write. Or, you know, something dramatic. But when something just is... you're just bummed out.

Rosie: Yeah.

Stevie: That's when you really don't write.

Rosie: Yeah.

Stevie: But that's all it really was.

Rosie: It's kind of like a malaise...

Stevie: Yeah.

Rosie: cause I had that myself.

Stevie: It's just a... it's just a thing where you just don't really feel like... you really don't feel like listening to music. At all.

Rosie: And it was Tom Petty that helped you?

Stevie: So, it was Tom. My friend Tom who, ah, who came to Phoenix to play, um, at you know, Blockbuster or something. And, uh, I went and had dinner with him the night before.

Rosie: Right.

Stevie: And, I, you know, I said to him, "So, Tom when you come back to LA could you, like, help me write a song?" And he really said to me, "Why are you asking me to write a song for you? You know, this is what you do. You gave up husbands and babies and that life so you could write your songs. And now you're telling me that I have to help you write a song? I don't think that's true, Stevie. So you need to get in your car, go home and start writing some songs." And I guess when somebody that you love and that you trust and that you respect says something like that to you... it's pretty... it snaps you.

Rosie: Right.

Stevie: And he, it snapped me. Cause everybody else in the world could say, get over it, let's get going here, you have an album to do. But when Tom said it, it was almost like, oh right, okay.

Rosie: Do you know what was the one you wrote right after that? What was the one that sort of broke the...

Stevie: The next song that came was Trouble In Sangri-La.

Rosie: Oh, it was?

Stevie: Yeah.

Rosie: How about that?

Stevie: But "Love Is" was written about 3 months before I saw Tom that night.

Rosie: Right.

Stevie: And then TISL was written a couple of months later.

Rosie: Is it true that you once vowed to never sing in public?

Stevie: Oh, at 170 pounds, I said I am never coming on stage again, at 170 pounds. Yes.

Rosie: Just so you know, Stevie. 170 is my goal weight. (Stevie laughs)

Stevie: Yes, but I'm... Rosie, I'm only five one.

Rosie: All right. I'm on weight watchers, that's what I put down(pretend writes on her palm) as my hopeful goal.

Stevie: I'm only five foot one. So, 170 on a five foot one person is a lot.

Rosie: And it really is, you know, it's not about numbers. It's really about how you feel...

Stevie: Yes.

Rosie: so, you felt like you couldn't face it.

Stevie: Like my little wrists were gone, and I was, like, horrified.

Rosie: Yeah. And,and,and... You got yourself together. What, what, what was the impetus?

Stevie: Um, it's taken a long time.

Rosie: Yeah.

Stevie: It really has. I mean, I really started in 1995. And it's been, it's been slow.

Rosie: Right.

Stevie: And it is the last, um, in the last year, I've really kind of gotten back where I... I can never go back to 105 pounds. I know that, so...

Rosie: No. But you look amazing. You're really absolutely, just beautiful.(audience cheers)

Stevie: So, I figure that's okay. You know. So, I'm trying now, and now my... the most important thing is, I just want to stay healthy. I want to exercise, not to be thin. I want to exercise so that I'm never sick.

Rosie: Right. You know our good friend, Liz, told me about your health regime. That you're on Libididome. (Rosie and Stevie laugh)

Stevie: Oh! I was at the party on the boat! Of course, Libididome.

Rosie: (to audience) You know what that is...

Stevie: They don't know.

Rosie: From General Hospital (wrong soap opera) Forget it. It's an inside joke. You'll get it later and boy will you laugh. Oh, can you stay when we take a break and come back? Because, you know, I have about four hours worth of questions for you.

Stevie: Okay.

Rosie: Cause I adore you in a sick, kind of sycophant, psycho-stalker way.

Stevie: Okay.

Rosie: All right? Stevie Nicks. We'll be back in a minute.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

Rosie: Trouble In Shangri-La is the new CD and it's absolutely amazing. Stevie Nicks. Now, you told me, a new DVD coming out. What... tell everyone.

Stevie: A new, I think that, uh, you'll be surprised to know since you were talking about Silver Springs. That FM is putting out the original Rumours record in 5.1 DVD surround.

Rosie: I cannot believe that.

Stevie: And it's incredible, because they're putting the old Silver Springs back on the Rumours record where it should have been all the time.

Rosie: Right.

Stevie: Until they kicked it off the record.

Rosie: Exactly.

Stevie: But now it's, they're going to put it back on. And it's like, it's amazing. Because I was gonna go out to the Valley to hear this. And I really didn't want to go. I've heard Rumours, I've heard the songs. I do them every time I'm on stage...

Rosie: Right.

Stevie: And they said, well no, you have to OK it. And I went out to listen to it, and I sat in the studio and, I swear I started to cry three different times. Because I heard things that I have never heard since the day that we were in the studio doing them. Because in stereophonic sound you can only put so much. So a whole lot of that great stuff is like mush.

Rosie: Right.

Stevie: And you don't hear it. On this you can hear all the incredible instrumentation that went on on that record. That you didn't hear.

Rosie: I can't wait.

Stevie: I'm very excited about that too.

Rosie: When does that... do you know when that comes out?

Stevie: In the next 2 months. I'd say two or three months.

Rosie: Oh, well we're definitely gonna give it away to the audience.

Stevie: Thank you.

Rosie: I, you know, I, I live by my other one. I really do. Now, some of the songs that you've written, what... can I ask you the inspiration for some of them? Like Rhiannon? Now, where did you hear that?

Stevie: Rhiannon came from a book that was a book about two Welsh women. Rhiannon and Branwen. So, I named an afghan Branwen, and wrote a song called Rhiannon.

Rosie: There you go.

Stevie: It's just names that I really liked.

Rosie: You see, I never knew that was a name. I know all the lyrics to it, but I thought maybe it was like, a spirit...

Stevie: But then, come to find out later, that it is Rhiannon, the goddess of Steeds, birds. Birds and steeds. So, she really is a mythological goddess, but I didn't know that.

Rosie: You didn't?

Stevie: So, when I wrote the song it really is a little scary. That I wrote about the birds, and she lives her life like the bird, and flies and everything. And, in fact, Rhiannon is the goddess of birds. She whittles them and they come alive in the myth.

Rosie: Yeah. This is why people are so... fanatically, obsessed with you. The people who find you... but no, honestly, like mystical and magical and... I mean (audience cheers)

Stevie: And I didn't even create that, you know. That was like an accident, I mean, I write the song named Rhiannon and two years later I get a book in the mail from somebody, who has, who sends me a book called Song of Rhiannon, by Evangeline Walton, which is one of four books that are the whole story of the whole mythological lives of Rhiannon and all these characters. The Mabinogion. The Welsh Mabinogion.

Rosie: Right. Has...

Stevie: And who knew?

Rosie: And who knew? But somewhere you knew.

Stevie: I must have.

Rosie: Has Anyone Ever Written Anything For You. This song, once I sent, uh, to my dad. Some of the lyrics to my dad. Because it's so profound. About someone who is eternally sad...

Stevie: Right.

Rosie: What was the inspiration for that?

Stevie: Um, the inspiration to that actually was... well, right before I wrote it was my friend Joe Walsh had told me a story about a little girl that he lost, when she was five, in a car accident. And he drove me up from Denver to Boulder to this park. Where he had built a little drinking fountain for her. That said,"for anyone who isn't big enough to get a drink. For Emma Kristen." And I was so touched by this story that I couldn't hardly talk for a couple of days. And I went straight back to my house in Phoenix and wrote that song. Because I thought there's really nothing I can say to somebody who has had a loss like that.

Rosie: Right.

Stevie: So, I just wrote the song instead.

Rosie: And in your darkest hour.

Stevie: And in my darkest hour.

Rosie: Right. It's beautiful. It's one of my favorite songs of yours, too.

Stevie: We should have done that today.

Rosie: Really? See, I would have cried then. I would have cried the whole time.

Stevie: Me too.

Rosie: It would have been really bad for the make-up and everything. Now, what is it about Phoenix that you love? I love Arizona. I love Miami. I love the heat and the... What is it about that place?

Stevie: I just love the desert. I was born there. You know, so I have a connection that way. But I live at the ocean in Los Angeles. And I always think ,when I go to Phoenix, that I'm gonna really miss it. But when I get to the desert there, I don't. It's like the desert in itself is as astounding as the ocean is.

Rosie: Yeah. And the colors and the...

Stevie: The wind. The air.

Stevie: ...The way it smells. The Honeysuckle. The, you know, it's like it's really magical also.

Rosie: And it is definitely your home? Where you feel most at home.

Stevie: Yes. Yes,yes.

Rosie: Do you like touring? Are you gonna tour with this record?

Stevie: I'm gonna tour with the record.

Rosie: Oh, I'm so excited.(audience applauds) Are you gonna go all over? Are you going in Europe as well?

Stevie: I'll be in Europe. Yeah, absolutely.

Rosie: Now, does that provide you with some angst or excitement?

Stevie: No, that's good. Because that's what we were talking about a minute ago. The show. So, my big pay-off, if I have this long day, is getting to go on stage and play for an hour and a half at nine tonight. That's kind of what I live for. So, in fact, it's easier being out on the road. Because that's all you do on the road. When you're home we're doing press, we're working, we're going here and there. When you're on the road that is what you do, and you have your schedule. You do your vocal lesson and you work out for half an hour and you go there and get your make-up done. It's very kinda easy because it's all mapped out. There's a note under your door says to be in the lobby at eleven. You know, so it's like...

Rosie: Structured?

Stevie: ... you don't have to think. So, you can just be an entertainer and really enjoy what you do.

Rosie: And the response that you get back, is that hard to deal with? Because once like, I was on stage at a big venue like that, and I thought, man, rock stars feel that all the time. It's a lot of energy.

Stevie: It's terrific.

Rosie: Yeah.

Stevie: I think if you went out there and there wasn't that energy you probably would be bummed. Because once, once you have experienced that you know, there is a certain level that you always have to be at.

Rosie: Right. Well, you're gonna get it this tour. The CD really is amazing. It is. And, uh, you know I have adored you for so long it's weird that I know you now. And I'm talking to ya. Like this. Right on my show.

Stevie: I am so glad your hand is OK.

Rosie: Yes. Thank God. It is. Everything is good. (Stevie gets this funny/serious look on her face as she looks at the audience and claps)

Stevie: Thank God. Whoo!

Rosie: You're gonna sing again. Yes? She will sing again. And the CD, Trouble In Shangri-La is available now. Go buy it, right this moment. (shows CD) Uh, Stevie Nicks. Don't go away, she's gonna sing.

Back at the stage. Rosie is holding TISL CD.

Rosie: The new CD, Trouble In Shangri-La is available now in CD stores everywhere. But right now, welcome, once again singing Landslide, Stevie Nicks. (applause)

On our left there are lights hanging down at different lengths. Behind Stevie the stage is dark.

Stevie: And Rosie asked me to do this song. So, this is for her.

Stevie sings Landslide. Applause. Rosie walks on and hugs Stevie.

Rosie: Thank you. Stevie Nicks. Trouble In Shangri-La. Go buy it. We'll be right back after this.


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