Today (July 27th) marks the 41st anniversary of the release of Bella Donna — Stevie Nicks' first solo album away from Fleetwood Mac. Although the album only topped the charts for a single week, Bella Donna spent nearly three years on the Billboard 200 albums chart — from July 1981 to June 1984 — and has sold over four million copies to date. Bella Donna featured four Top 40 hits; her first single with Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, “Stop Draggin' My Heart Around” (#3), her duet with former flame Don Henley on “Leather And Lace” (#6), “Edge Of Seventeen” (#11), and “After The Glitter Fades” (#32).
Back in 1978, Nicks had dipped her foot in the solo waters by duetting with Kenny Loggins on his Top Five hit, “Whenever I Call You A Friend.” The song, which Loggins wrote with Melissa Manchester, was featured on Loggins' album, Nightwatch — which credited Nicks — unlike the single, which was credited to Loggins only.
Among the high profile side musicians appearing on the Jimmy Iovine-produced Bella Donna were the E Street Band's Roy Bittan, Elton John guitarist Davey Johnstone, Booker T. & The MG's bassist and Stax legend Donald “Duck” Dunn, along with such top drawer L.A. studio musicians as guitarist Waddy Wachtel, bassist Bob Glaub, and drummer Russ Kunkel.