Why Stevie Nicks Found It “Exhilarating” To Work Without This Fleetwood Mac Member on ‘Bella Donna’

In 1981, Stevie Nicks released her debut solo album, Bella Donna, which included ten tracks. Nine of these were written by Nicks. This was quite the contrast from her work with Fleetwood Mac, in which the songwriter remarked she would usually only get “two or three songs on an album.”

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In a 1981 interview with Blair Jackson, Nicks spoke about what it was like to work on her own on songs rather than with her bandmate, Lindsey Buckingham. The pair had been dating throughout much of their time with Fleetwood Mac until their breakup during the recording of the Rumours album in 1977.

When it came to collaborating for Fleetwood Mac, Buckingham would play instruments and write songs. Nicks would also write songs, and Buckingham would alter them.

“When you work with somebody who is that much in control,” Nicks shared, “and who has always been that much in control, from like 1970 on, you forget that you’re even capable of doing something yourself. I’d write my song and then Lindsey would take it, fix it, change it around, chop it up and then put it back together. Doing that is second nature to Lindsey, especially on my songs.”

When asked if she found it challenging working by herself on Bella Donna, this is what Nicks had to say.

“No, it was exhilarating! Instead of just sitting around hour after hour, I got to be a part of it,” she shared. “Working with Lindsey, it’s so easy to just let him take it. On this album I didn’t have to fight to do my songs the way I wanted to. The other players just did them the way I wrote them and they came out great.”

Bella Donna ended up being a No. 1 album for Nicks. It would also spend almost three years on the Billboard 200.

Nicks Says Buckingham “Puts the Magic In” Her Songs

Buckingham and Nicks originally met as high school seniors in the 60s. By the early 70s, they were collaborating musically on the Buckingham Nicks album, which they wrote while being romantically involved. In 1974, following the limited success of Buckingham Nicks, the duo joined Fleetwood Mac, which wanted to recruit Buckingham for his guitar skills. The band released their iconic Rumours album in 1977, which still remains one of the best-selling albums ever.

Personally and collaboratively, it’s no secret that Nicks and Buckingham had their struggles. However, in a 1980 cover story with Rolling Stone, Nicks actually gave Buckingham quite a bit of credit.

“I write my songs, but Lindsey puts the magic in,” she explained, “and there’s no way … well, I could pay him ten percent. I could walk up to him and thank him. If I were to play you a song the way I wrote it and gave it to them, and then play you the way it is on the album, you would see what Lindsey did.”

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