The Musical Oddity of 'Dreams': How Stevie Nicks’ Personal Studio Session Inspired a Hit

'Dreams' is one of the most memorable songs from Fleetwood Mac's iconic album Rumours. This article delves into the story behind its creation, highlighting how Stevie Nicks, in a personal studio session, wrote this unique song with an unusual dance beat and a distinctive drum loop. While Lindsey Buckingham was initially resistant, the song's unique qualities eventually won over the band and catapulted it to 1 Billboard success.

Stevie Nicks' Unusual Studio Experience

Stevie Nicks, known for her ethereal voice and poetic lyrics, shares the fascinating story of how she wrote 'Dreams.' In her own words, 'One day when I wasn’t required in the main studio I took a Fender Rhodes keyboard and went into another studio that was said to belong to Sly of Sly and the Family Stone.' This particular studio, described as a 'black-and-red room with a sunken pit in the middle where there was a piano and a big black-velvet bed with Victorian drapes,' became the place where 'Dreams' was born.

While seated on the bed, she sat down with her keyboard, choosing a drum pattern and composing the song in record time. 'Even though he was mad with me at the time Lindsey played it and then looked up at me and smiled,' Nicks recounts about giving the demo tape to Lindsey Buckingham, her estranged romantic partner.

Band's Initial Reactions and the Birth of the Hit

When Nicks first presented 'Dreams' to Lindsey Buckingham, there was a mix of emotions and opinion within the band. Christine McVie, another band member, admits she found the song 'really boring,' as it was 'just three chords and one note in the left hand.' However, the band's perseverance and Nicks' authenticity resulted in a hit. Caillat, the engineer, explains, 'We were couples who couldn’t make it through. But as musicians we still respected each other — and we got some brilliant songs out of it.'

Ken Caillat’s Ingenious Production Techniques

Ken Caillat, renowned for his meticulous engineering, played a crucial role in molding 'Dreams' into a classic. His choice of the Sennheiser 441 microphone and the innovative method of placing a rubber band around a windscreen to ensure a perfect distance between the mic and Nicks' mouth are just a couple of the techniques he used.

Caillat's adjustment to Mick Fleetwood's drums, creating an eight-bar loop to match the desired groove, was particularly noteworthy. 'We made an eight-bar loop of Mick’s playing which created this fantastic deep hypnotic effect,' Caillat explains, showing how the band used innovative production techniques to enhance the song's texture and consistency. His goal was to ensure that every element was 'rock solid' and perfect—thus inspiring the quote, 'It's funny but when people talk about the classic rhythm section of Mick Fleetwood and John McVie and they point to this one song I'm always amused that they're talking about a drum loop.'