Beauty and the Beast (Stevie Nicks song)
Encyclopedia
"Beauty and the Beast" is a song by the American
singer-songwriter
Stevie Nicks
. It is the final track on her second album The Wild Heart
, released in 1983. It was later released in a live version from Nicks 1986 Rock a Little tour as a B-side to the UK single "Whole Lotta Trouble" in October 1989. It also appears on two compilations: Timespace – The Best of Stevie Nicks, released in 1991, and the boxset, Enchanted
, released in 1998. A new studio version appears on her album, The Soundstage Sessions
, released in 2009.
's 1946 film Beauty and the Beast
, one of Stevie Nicks' favorite classic films. It was written for Mick Fleetwood
, founding member and drummer of her band Fleetwood Mac
, as a reminder to love and care for people while they are alive and to not let time slip away. The song is both representative of their brief love affair and a memento mori for Fleetwood as his father was dying of cancer around the time of its recording. Nicks explains the importance of the song to her, both during live performances and in various interviews, as one that encompasses her whole life and represents how everyone is either a beauty or a beast, usually both
On its re-release in Timespace – The Best of Stevie Nicks (1991), she dedicates the song to Vincent and Katherine.
String section
String section
DVD. Instead, a new studio version recorded in Nashville in January 2008 appears on the accompanying album, The Soundstage Sessions
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
singer-songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
Stevie Nicks
Stevie Nicks
Stephanie Lynn "Stevie" Nicks is an American singer-songwriter, best known for her work with Fleetwood Mac and an extensive solo career, which collectively have produced over forty Top 50 hits and sold over 140 million albums...
. It is the final track on her second album The Wild Heart
The Wild Heart (album)
The Wild Heart is the second studio album by American singer-songwriter and Fleetwood Mac vocalist Stevie Nicks. Released on June 10, 1983, a year after Fleetwood Mac's successful #1 album, Mirage, it reached #5 on the U.S. Billboard 200 charts and achieved platinum status on September 12th, 1983...
, released in 1983. It was later released in a live version from Nicks 1986 Rock a Little tour as a B-side to the UK single "Whole Lotta Trouble" in October 1989. It also appears on two compilations: Timespace – The Best of Stevie Nicks, released in 1991, and the boxset, Enchanted
Enchanted (Stevie Nicks album)
-Disc 2:-Disc 3:-Charts:Album - Billboard...
, released in 1998. A new studio version appears on her album, The Soundstage Sessions
The Soundstage Sessions
The Soundstage Sessions is the tenth album released by the American singer-songwriter and Fleetwood Mac vocalist Stevie Nicks. Although it is the first live album of Nicks' solo career, it was produced to sound like a studio album.-Album information:...
, released in 2009.
Inspiration and Interpretations
The song receives its titles and initial inspiration from French filmmaker Jean CocteauJean Cocteau
Jean Maurice Eugène Clément Cocteau was a French poet, novelist, dramatist, designer, playwright, artist and filmmaker. His circle of associates, friends and lovers included Kenneth Anger, Pablo Picasso, Jean Hugo, Jean Marais, Henri Bernstein, Marlene Dietrich, Coco Chanel, Erik Satie, María...
's 1946 film Beauty and the Beast
Beauty and the Beast (1946 film)
Beauty and the Beast is a 1946 French romantic fantasy film adaptation of the traditional fairy tale of the same name, written by Jeanne-Marie Le Prince de Beaumont and published in 1757 as part of a fairy tale anthology . Directed by French poet and filmmaker Jean Cocteau, the film stars Josette...
, one of Stevie Nicks' favorite classic films. It was written for Mick Fleetwood
Mick Fleetwood
Michael John Kells "Mick" Fleetwood is a British musician and actor best known for his role as the drummer and namesake of the blues/rock and roll band Fleetwood Mac. His surname, combined with that of John McVie, was the inspiration for the name of the originally Peter Green-led Fleetwood Mac...
, founding member and drummer of her band Fleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac are a British–American rock band formed in 1967 in London.The only original member present in the band is its eponymous drummer, Mick Fleetwood...
, as a reminder to love and care for people while they are alive and to not let time slip away. The song is both representative of their brief love affair and a memento mori for Fleetwood as his father was dying of cancer around the time of its recording. Nicks explains the importance of the song to her, both during live performances and in various interviews, as one that encompasses her whole life and represents how everyone is either a beauty or a beast, usually both
On its re-release in Timespace – The Best of Stevie Nicks (1991), she dedicates the song to Vincent and Katherine.
Studio session
"Beauty and the Beast" was recorded during a single three hour session in Gordon Perry's recording studio. It is recorded with a full string orchestra and grand piano. During the recording session, Stevie Nicks and her back-up vocalists wore long black gowns and served champagne to the visiting musicians.Personnel (1983 studio version)
Main performers- Stevie Nicks – vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
- Sharon Celani – backup vocals
- Lori Perry – backup vocals
String section
- Roy Bittan – pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
- Gene Bianco – harpHarpThe harp is a multi-stringed instrument which has the plane of its strings positioned perpendicularly to the soundboard. Organologically, it is in the general category of chordophones and has its own sub category . All harps have a neck, resonator and strings...
- Jesse Levine – violaViolaThe viola is a bowed string instrument. It is the middle voice of the violin family, between the violin and the cello.- Form :The viola is similar in material and construction to the violin. A full-size viola's body is between and longer than the body of a full-size violin , with an average...
- Julien Barber – viola
- Theodore Israel – viola
- Harry Zaratzian – viola
- Jesse Levy – celloCelloThe cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
- Frederick Zlotkin – cello
- Seymour Barab – cello
- Jon Abramowitz – cello
- Marvin Morgenstern – violinViolinThe violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
- Herbert Sorkin – violin
- John Pintavalle – violin
- Max Ellen – violin
- Regis Eandiorio – violin
- Harry Glickman – violin
- Peter Dimitriades – violin
- Paul Winter – violin
- Matthew Raimondi – violin
- Harry Cykman – violin
- Raymond Kunicki – violin
- Lewis Eley – violin
- Ruth Waterman – violin
- Paul Gershman – violin
Personnel (2009 studio version)
Main performers- Stevie Nicks - vocals, producer
- Sharon Celani - backup vocals
- Lori Nicks - backup vocals
- Jana Anderson - backup vocals
String section
- Eric Roth - conductor
- Janice MacDonald - flute
- Deb Stevenson - oboe
- Greg Flint - horn
- Christine Worthing - horn
- Guillaume Combet - violin
- Jennifer Cappelli - violin
- Carmen Llop-Kassinger - violin
- Christine Keiko Abe - violin
- Carol Cook - viola
- Jocelyn Davis-Beck - cello
- Eddie Bayers - drums
- Michael Rhodes - bass
- Joe Thomas - keyboards
Live performance
During her 2006 and 2007 tours, Stevie Nicks performed "Beauty and the Beast" as her encore. For this number, she changed into a black dress and styled her hair into an up-do to resemble Belle from the 1946 film. Footage from the film played in the background as well while she performed. Due to issues obtain copyrights for the 1946 film, a performance of the song was cut from the final edit of her 2009 Live in ChicagoLive in Chicago (Stevie Nicks DVD)
Live In Chicago is a DVD by the American singer-songwriter and Fleetwood Mac vocalist Stevie Nicks. It was filmed for PBS's Soundstage, and her episode aired in July 2008. Its release is also accompanied with the live album, The Soundstage Sessions...
DVD. Instead, a new studio version recorded in Nashville in January 2008 appears on the accompanying album, The Soundstage Sessions
The Soundstage Sessions
The Soundstage Sessions is the tenth album released by the American singer-songwriter and Fleetwood Mac vocalist Stevie Nicks. Although it is the first live album of Nicks' solo career, it was produced to sound like a studio album.-Album information:...
.
External links
- Stevie Nicks on Beauty and the Beast Quotes by Nicks about the song, gathered from interviews throughout the years.
- Beauty and the Beast at The Nicks Fix Lyrics and information about the song.