Stevie Nicks (May 19, 1983) Stand Back – 7" / 12" Single (US / UK)
- GlamSlamEscape
- May 19, 1983
- 4 min read
Stevie Nicks releases “Stand Back” as the lead single from The Wild Heart, featuring an uncredited synthesizer performance by Prince. The single becomes one of her signature solo tracks, reaching No. 5 on the US Billboard Hot 100.
Artist: Stevie Nicks
Title: Stand Back
Release Date: May 19, 1983
Label: Modern Records
Format: 7" Single / 12" Single
Catalogue Number: (varies by region) Country: United States / United Kingdom and EU
Length: 4:18 (single edit) / 4:48 (album version)
TRACK LISTING
Side A
Stand Back – 4:18 (single edit)
Writer: Stevie Nicks
Producer: Jimmy Iovine
℗ 1983 Modern Records
Side B
Garbo
Writer: Stevie Nicks
Producer: Jimmy Iovine
℗ 1983 Modern Records
THE STORY BEHIND IT
Nicks has often told the story of how she wrote "Stand Back". She wrote it on the day of her marriage to Kim Anderson on January 29, 1983. The newlyweds were driving up to San Ysidro Ranch in Santa Barbara when Prince's song "Little Red Corvette" came on the radio. Nicks started humming along to the melody, especially inspired by the lush synthesizers on the song. The couple retrieved a tape recorder and Nicks recorded the demo in the honeymoon suite that night.
Later, when Nicks went into the studio to record the song, she called Prince and told him the story of how she wrote the song to his melody. On the night of February 8, 1983, Prince came to the studio and played synthesizers on it, although his contribution is uncredited on the album. He and Nicks did agree however to split the publishing royalties on the song 50-50. Then, she says, "he just got up and left as if the whole thing happened in a dream.
SLEEVE DETAILS
Sleeve Type: Glossy portrait sleeve featuring Stevie Nicks in monochrome against a black background
Photography: Studio portrait of Stevie Nicks, chin resting on hand, lit dramatically to highlight facial features
Design: Stylised typography with “Stevie Nicks” in elongated script and a small heart motif containing “Stand Back”
Variants: UK 12″ edition used the same portrait with alternate cropping and added “Wild Heart” track
TRACK LISTING
UK/European (with an additional track)
A Stand Back 4:47
B1 Garbo 3:28
B2 Wild Heart 6:07
SLEEVE DETAIL
US release
A Stand Back
(Long Version) 4:47
B Stand Back
(Short Version) 4:18
“He just got up and left as if the whole thing happened in a dream.” — Stevie Nicks on Prince’s studio visit
RELEASE PRESENTATION
The US release featured a standard picture sleeve. The UK 12" edition introduced a different glossy sleeve and added “Wild Heart.” A US promotional 12" was issued to radio with a full‑colour sleeve containing mono and stereo versions of the album mix.
OTHER FORMATS
UK 12" single with “Wild Heart”
US promotional 12" (mono/stereo)
2007 remix single “Stand Back – Remixes”
RECEPTION
Billboard described Nicks’ “quirky, stylized singing and moody lyrics” as being “set to a crisp dance beat, complete with synthesizers and pulsing bass line.”
Cash Box called the single “both familiar and challenging listening,” combining Nicks’ traditional “vamp posture” with contemporary dance‑music elements.
CONTEXT AND NOTES
“Stand Back” became a staple of Nicks’ live shows from 1983 onward and later entered Fleetwood Mac’s touring setlists beginning in 1987. Its hybrid of electronic drums, Oberheim synthesizers, and Nicks’ stylised vocals positioned it as a defining moment in her solo catalogue.
CHART PERFORMANCE
Country: United States
Peak Position: No. 5 (Billboard Hot 100), No. 2 (Mainstream Rock)
MUSIC VIDEOS
Two music videos were filmed for “Stand Back.”
The first, known as the “Scarlett Version,” was a lavish Gone With the Wind‑inspired production directed by Brian Grant. Nicks rejected the final cut, feeling she appeared unflatteringly on camera. This version later appeared with commentary on the Crystal Visions DVD.
The lyrics from the third verse of "Vogue", by Madonna, coincidentally mention the same first three people — Garbo, Marlene Dietrich and Marilyn Monroe (with the second and third names flipped) as that which is depicted in the lyrics of "Garbo".
2007 REMIX SINGLE
The song was remixed and released again as a single on August 28, 2007, to promote the compilation Crystal Visions – The Very Best of Stevie Nicks. This release reached number two on the US Dance Club Songs chart and number one on the Hot Dance Single Sales chart.
Track Listing and Formats
Stand Back (Tracy Takes You Home Mix) – 11:26
Stand Back (Tracy Takes You Home Dub) – 11:34
Stand Back (Tracy Takes You Home Mixshow) – 6:53
Stand Back (Ralphi’s Beefy Retro Mix) – 11:12
Stand Back (Ralphi’s Beefy Retro Edit) – 7:30
Stand Back (Morgan Page Vox) – 7:02
Stand Back (Morgan Page Dub) – 7:01
Personnel
Stevie Nicks – vocals
Sharon Celani – background vocals
Lori Perry-Nicks – background vocals
Waddy Wachtel – guitar
David Williams – guitar
Steve Lukather – guitar
Sandy Stewart – synthesizer (possibly credit only)
Prince - Oberheim OB-8, Roland Jupiter-8 and Oberheim OB-X synthesizers, Oberheim DMX programming
David Bluefield – Oberheim OB-Xa synthesizer and Oberheim DMX programming
Marvin Caruso – drums
Russ Kunkel – drum overdubs
Bobbye Hall – percussion
Ian Wallace – percussion
SOURCES
Discogs
45cat
BBC Official Charts
Wikipedia
All artwork, photographs and original text excerpts remain the property of their respective copyright holders. This entry is a transformative, non‑commercial archival summary created for historical documentation and educational reference.
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