Back in the late 70’s women rockers were getting out there and finding respect with voice shredding vocals from the likes of Pat Benatar and Stevie Nicks. Her work with Fleetwood Mac is smooth California rock like the Eagles and Linda Ronstadt, but her rock and roll performances on “Bella Donna” definitely put her in league with the likes of Bruce Springsteen.
Pat Benatar released “Heartbreaker” in 1979 and it really grabbed me! Her pyrotechnical vocals matched the fiery explosion of the music track. I ran out and bought the album and played it so much I had to replace it twice.
Then I heard this funky guitar sawing away on the radio and the “Just like the white winged dove” lyric and I knew it was Stevie. I believe that is one of the most exciting songs in her catalog, “Stand Back” notwithstanding. The purity and force of her voice on each song turned me back onto rock. That was Roy Bittan on piano, Waddy Wachtel on guitar, Russ Kunkel on drums and Bob Glaub on bass.
Stevie was shocked by the murder of John Lennon and had just lost her Uncle to cancer. Creatively it manifested itself in the lyrics of “Edge Of Seventeen” and it made her rock icon. She mentions she was in Australia when she found out about Lennon, touring with producer Jimmy Iovine. Iovine had worked often with Lennon throughout the 70’s and regaled Nicks with personal stories of their friendship on the long flight back to Phoenix, Arizona.
She explained that the white dove represented John Lennon and peace during an interview. She went further saying he had the “words from a poet and a voice from a choir”. The line she wrote about standing in the hall was about trying to find help as the Uncle died in front of Stevie and her cousin and she ran around trying to unsuccessfully find family.
She gave up and went back and finished the song. She also confirms that it is her most loved solo single ever and that the song will never lose its intensity saying that she will never forget how she felt at Lennon’s death.
The song peaked at #11 on the Hot100 and the Canadian charts, peaking at #4 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart.
