In the song, the singer remembers a love affair from her past. She sings that even if she should live to see the Seven Wonders of the World, doing so would not compare to the beauty of that romance. The song was released in June 1987, by Warner Bros. Records, as the second single from Tango in the Night. The single became the second of four US Top 20 hits from the album, peaking at number 19 on the US Billboard Hot 100 on 15 August 1987.
The single was also available on the 12-inch single format, which included an extended remix, a dub mix and an instrumental, "Book of Miracles", which later became the track "Juliet" on Nicks' fourth solo studio album The Other Side of the Mirror (1989). A limited edition 12-inch picture disc version was also released in the United Kingdom, where the single reached number 56.
In the accompanying music video, Nicks is singing in the center of a stage with the other members of Fleetwood Mac around her, playing their instruments and contributing vocals. On a background diorama, sketches of seven 'wonders' are pictured, including the Taj Mahal, the Roman Colosseum, and the Great Sphinx of Giza. Greek pillars are also placed around the stage.
Background and composition
The song was written by Sandy Stewart, who had already co-written three tracks with Nicks for her 1983 solo album The Wild Heart. Stewart recorded a demo of "Seven Wonders" and sent it to Nicks without a lyric sheet. Nicks misheard one of the lines in the first verse as "all the way down to Emmaline", a contribution that gave her a writing credit alongside Stewart. Nicks later said, "I had become so attached to the name Emmaline that we kept it in and she gave me a small percentage."[1]
Reception
Cash Box said that "Nicks’ distinctive raspy voice buzzes over the song’s tranquil lyrics and sterling production."[2]The Guardian and Paste ranked the song number 20 and number ten respectively on their lists of the 30 greatest Fleetwood Mac songs.[3][4]
