Prince Sought Stevie Nicks‘ Collaboration on “Stand Back,” But Sheโข Declinedโ a Romanticโค Angle
LOS ANGELES, CA – Before โit became a signature hit for Prince and a defining moment in both artists’ โcareers, “Stand Back” began as a request for collaboration,โ wiht โฃteh iconic musicianโ initially seeking Stevie Nicks’ songwriting assistance. โคHowever,โ Nicks revealed she โขturned down a potential romantic involvement that she believed would have jeopardized their โcreative dynamic.
the story resurfaced following recent interviews withโ Nicks,โฃ highlighting a โpivotal moment in music history โand offering insight into the complex relationships between artists.While flattered by Prince’s โคinterest, Nicks โprioritized maintaining a purely musical โconnection, recognizing that a romance could have stifled the song’sโ creation and prevented a unique โartistic partnership. The revelation underscores the delicate balance between personal โฃand professional lives,notably within the creative โฃrealm,and explains why the pairโ never performed the song together live-a regret Nicks expressed in a recent rolling Stone interview.
According to Nicks, โฃPrince approached her with โthe initial concept forโค “Stand Back,” and the process “felt like a movie.” She contributed to theโค song’s advancement, but ultimately steered clearโฃ of a romantic entanglement. “I โฃthink Prince would have liked a romance, but I didn’t want that,” Nicks โฃexplained. “If that had happened,we wouldn’t have hadโ a musical relationship.”
The โขresulting track,released in โ1985,became a Topโ 10 hit and remains a staple of Prince’s catalog. Nicks continues to feel aโค personal connection to โthe โขsong, stating, “I โขalways feel like there’sโ a littleโ bit of me inโ it.” โคDespite โnever โฃsharing the stage for a live rendition of “Stand Back,” Nicks maintains โขa strong connection โto Prince’s memory, โoften speaking to him โคfor โguidanceโ when she feels nervous and invoking his spirit duringโ performances of her song “Moonlight.”