Stevie Nicks Revives a Forgotten Song From Fleetwood Mac's Tusk

Stevie Nicks wrote "The Dealer" in 1979 during sessions for Fleetwood Mac's experimental album Tusk, but the band gave the song a lukewarm reception and it was left off the record. Lindsey Buckingham in particular was not enthusiastic, and the group spent far less time on the track than on other songs, so it never made the tracking list.

Engineer Hernan Rojas later said the chord progression was more advanced than Nicks was used to writing, leaving her unable to guide the band on how to approach the piece—another reason it was shelved. Nicks still contributed notable material to Tusk, such as "Sara," and she had previously had to convince the band to record "Dreams" while "Silver Springs" was rejected from Rumours because of its length.

After Tusk, Nicks pursued solo work. While compiling her 1981 debut Bella Donna—featuring "Edge of Seventeen" and the Don Henley duet "Leather and Lace"—she revisited "The Dealer" but couldn't find a place for it, and the song remained in the vault for decades.

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