Walls: The Unheralded Collaboration Between Tom Petty and Lindsey Buckingham
Tom Petty and Stevie Nicks had a successful collaboration that produced several Top 40 hits. However, another member of Fleetwood Mac, Lindsey Buckingham, made a significant contribution to one of Tom Petty's songs in the 90s. After finishing his Wildflowers tour and going through a divorce, Petty moved to a rural-themed home in Los Angeles called "the Chicken Shack" where he started working on new music.
During this time, Petty connected with filmmaker Edward Burns, who asked him to assemble the soundtrack for his movie "She's The One." Instead of seeking songs from famous friends, Petty and The Heartbreakers decided to create all the music for the film. Petty had leftover tracks from the Wildflowers sessions and new songs he had been working on at home, including one inspired by a saying from Johnny Cash.
The song, titled "Walls," was chosen by Burns to be featured at the beginning and end of the movie in different arrangements. Petty enlisted Lindsey Buckingham to provide backing vocals and arrange them for the version called "Walls (Circus)." Buckingham's vocal arrangements added a dazzling effect to the song, turning it into a kaleidoscopic affair. Despite being released as the lead single from the soundtrack, the song did not achieve chart success.
In the end, while Stevie Nicks had success collaborating with Tom Petty on hit material, Lindsey Buckingham's contribution to "Walls" showcased his talent and creativity in enhancing Petty's music with his backing vocals and arrangements.