Stevie Nicks Says Prince Asked Her to Write ‘Purple Rain’ Lyrics
Stevie Nicks says that Prince wanted to collaborate with her on a 10-minute instrumental version of what became his smash hit 'Purple Rain' back in the early ‘80s. However, she was too intimidated to write lyrics for the song, and gave the track back to him to finish on his own.
It’s no secret that Stevie and Prince have been friends for years, but to hear two and a half decades later that Nicks turned down an invitation to partner on this track is a big surprise.
She told the Star Tribune that after their collaboration on her 1983 hit ‘Stand Back’ she asked Prince if someday they might write a song together. It was this query that prompted the multi-talented purple one to send Nicks the cassette that included the upcoming title track from his number one soundtrack album.
"It was so overwhelming, that 10-minute track, that I listened to it and I just got scared," Nicks remembered. "I called him back and said, 'I can't do it. I wish I could. It's too much for me.' I'm so glad that I didn't, because he wrote it, and it became 'Purple Rain.'"
Though, Prince never received official credit for playing synthesizers on Nicks' ‘Stand Back’ single, he’s obviously a man of his word, and that solitary act of honoring that favor could have changed musical history. Nicks is a fantastic writer but can you imagine ‘Purple Rain,' lyrically crafted by the Welsh witch? Who knows? This artistic alliance may go down as the best mistake that never happened.
Nicks will reportedly re-join her Fleetwood Mac bandmates for a tour and possibly a new album next year.