Rock A Little - Album History

Album History

Recording for her follow-up project to 1983's multi-platinum album The Wild Heart originally began in 1984, under the collective heading of "Mirror, Mirror". A selection of songs were recorded, including "Running Through the Garden" and "Mirror Mirror". However, Nicks scrapped these recordings and parted ways with long-time producer and romantic interest Jimmy Iovine, and in late 1984 began work on what is now recognised as the Rock a Little project. "Running Through the Garden" would resurface in completed form in 2003 on the Fleetwood Mac album Say You Will.

The album is reputed to have cost $1 million USD to record (according to Mick Fleetwood in his autobiography), and is seen as a watershed in the singer's career. The vocal style is distinctively more husky and nasal (many claim this was due to increasing cocaine abuse) than on previous recordings, and, uncharacteristically, some of the album's tracks were not written by Nicks herself. It was later revealed that Martin Page and Bernie Taupin had specially written the track "These Dreams" for inclusion on the album, but Nicks turned it down. The track was then recorded by the band Heart and became their first no.1 in 1986.

Nicks had recorded various other tracks prior to the album's release, including the uptempo rocker "Violet and Blue", and "Battle of the Dragon", a moody and intricate contemplation of the stormy relationships between Fleetwood Mac members at that time. Rather than included on her own album, both were featured on movie soundtracks (Against All Odds and American Anthem respectively), though they were both featured on Nicks' 3-disc retrospective Enchanted in 1998. A duet with Eagles drummer and former lover Don Henley entitled "Reconsider Me" would also see the cutting room floor, and the rock ballad "One More Big Time Rock and Roll Star" was relegated to the B-side of the "Talk to Me" single. Many other discarded demos from the sessions have never seen the light of day, but a few, including "Greta", "Love is Like a River" and "Listen to the Rain", were dusted off for her 1994 album, Street Angel. "Thousand Days" was relegated to a B-side. "Mirror, Mirror" was tried out again for 1989's The Other Side of the Mirror, and was again revisited in 1994 for inclusion on Street Angel, but ultimately the original Rock a Little version was only released on a cassette single of "Blue Denim" in 1994 and, as such, has become a highly sought after Nicks recording.

Jimmy Iovine was originally brought in to produce the album and worked on the original demo recordings in 1984. However, he parted ways with Nicks midway through the recording sessions, claiming he did not like the direction in which Nicks wanted to take the album. It was later revealed that the two had been in a relationship for several years, and he left production of Rock a Little due to their break-up and Nicks' subsequent relationship with Eagles member Joe Walsh (for whom she penned the ballad "Has Anyone Ever Written Anything for You"). Keith Olsen, Rick Nowels and Nicks herself took over production duties after Iovine's departure.

Upon release in November 1985, Rock a Little received very mixed reviews. Combined with Nicks' growing addiction to cocaine at the time which hampered her tour performances (she would famously check into the Betty Ford Clinic at the tour's conclusion), the album did not achieve sales or chart positions expected of Nicks at that time. It entered the U.S. Billboard chart at #60. In its second week, it climbed to #20. It then climbed to #14 the third week and remained in that position for five weeks. In week eight, the album climbed one place to #13 and peaked the following week at #12. In week ten, Rock a Little fell to #13 and fell to #14 the following week, where it remained there again for a further three weeks. The album spent 13 weeks in the top 20, 18 weeks in the top 40, 29 weeks in the top 100 and an impressive total of 35 weeks in the top 200.