“Edge of Seventeen” – Single by Stevie Nicks from the album Bella Donna
B-side “Edge of Seventeen”
Released February 4, 1982
Label Modern
Songwriter Stevie Nicks
Producer Jimmy Iovine
Charted No.11 in US
According to Nicks, the title came from a conversation she had with Tom Petty’s first wife, Jane, about the couple’s first meeting. Jane said they met “at the age of seventeen”, but Jane’s strong Southern accent made it sound like “edge of seventeen” to Nicks. She liked the sound of the phrase so much that she told Jane she would write a song for it and give her credit for the inspiration.
Although Nicks had originally planned to use the title for a song about Tom and Jane Petty, the death of her uncle Jonathan and the murder of John Lennon during the same week of December 1980 inspired a new song for which Nicks used the title. Nicks’ producer and lover Jimmy Iovine was a close friend of Lennon, and Nicks felt helpless to comfort him. Soon after, Nicks flew home to Phoenix, Arizona, to be with her uncle Jonathan, who was dying of cancer. She remained with her uncle and his family until his death.
“Edge Of Seventeen” has very prominent backing vocals courtesy of Nicks’ longtime accompanists Lori Perry and Sharon Celani. Nicks was very good at finding and retaining top talent for her solo work. That distinctive guitar riff comes courtesy of Waddy Wachtel, who first worked with her pre-Fleetwood Mac when she was a duo with Lindsey Buckingham. Wachtel is one of the most revered but unheralded session guitarists in rock history, with credits on tracks by Randy Newman, Linda Ronstadt, Bob Seger and many others. He, Perry, and Celani all toured with Nicks for years following release of the Bella Donna album (Wachtel is easy to recognize – he’s the guy with hair that looks like electrified spaghetti). Also playing on this track were bass player Bob Glaub, drummer Russ Kunkel, piano player Roy Bittan of Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band, and organist Benmont Tench of Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers.
Nicks always ends her concerts with this song, sticking with the same arrangement. “It’s such a strong, private moment that I share with people in this song.”
