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Thursday, April 4, 2019

"Has Anyone Every Written Anything for You" by Stevie Nicks

Song#:  2728
Date:  05/17/1986
Debut:  80
Peak:  60
Weeks:  6
Genre:  Pop



Pop Bits:  Nicks' third solo disc, Rock a Little, would be a platinum seller thanks to two Top 20 hits including the #5 "Stand Back." To keep interest in the album going, this third single was issued out. The plaintive ballad was a change of pace for Nicks whose previous singles were mainly mid or uptempo tunes. It may have been just a bit too low-key for listeners as the song couldn't quite find an audience and it stalled in the bottom half of the chart to become her lowest peaking solo single to-date. It also couldn't make any inroads at AC peaking at #31. It would be the last single from the album to be released in the US.

ReduxReviewRock a Little didn't have a lot of standout tracks, but this beautiful song was one of them. However, being a lovely tune with a meaningful background (see below) doesn't mean it was something single-worthy. I remember being surprised at the time when I found out this was set to be the third single. It was just too subtle of a song to make an impression on the radio. It was perfect for an album closer, but it wasn't something that I'd want to hear on pop radio. It should have remained a notable album track rather than a single. That said, there was little else on the album that would have done any better, so it probably was worth a shot to release it.

ReduxRating:  7/10

Trivia:  Around the time this album was being recorded, Nicks was involved in a relationship with former Eagle Joe Walsh. Walsh had been the opening act on Nicks' tour supporting her previous album The Wild Heart and on one Colorado stop, Nicks was complaining and having issues about something so Walsh decided he'd try and help out in a way. He rented a car and drove her to Boulder. On the way he told her the story of his three-year-old daughter Emma who loved to play in North Boulder park, but always complained she was too small to get a drink from the water fountain there. Sadly, in 1974 when Walsh's wife at the time was taking Emma to nursery school, a car ran a stop sign and plowed into their car. Emma died later that night as a result of injuries. Walsh later wrote a song dedicated to his daughter titled "Song for Emma." It was the closing track on his 1974 album So What. Walsh drove Nicks to the park where his daughter would play and in the park was a drinking fountain that was dedicated to her. Walsh had commissioned the fountain and commemorative plaque, which had been installed in 1976. Walsh thought that by showing the fountain to Nicks and relaying the story of his daughter, it might give Nicks some perspective on the issues she was facing. It certainly had an effect on Nicks who later went home and wrote this song for Walsh.

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