The unkindest cut

JIMMY IOVINE’S assertion that he found the perfect Tom Petty song -- “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around” -- for Stevie Nicks to record as a duet with Tom is not entirely accurate [“The Music Titans,” Nov. 26]. Both Stevie and Jimmy individually encouraged Tom to write a song for Stevie, but the song he wrote was the beautiful “Insider,” which he and Stevie did record as a duet. When Tom heard how powerful it sounded, however, he regretted giving it away and kept it for himself. To recompense Stevie, he gave her the unreleased but already recorded “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around,” which she happily accepted. They didn’t actually “do a duet” on it; Stevie, with Iovine at the helm, overdubbed her vocals onto Tom’s existing track, singing harmony to Tom’s lead.

Tom related to me that he loved working with Iovine, though was often so frustrated by the producer’s proclivity for being on the phone that on more than one occasion he took scissors to the phone cord to regain Jimmy’s attention.

PAUL ZOLLO

North Hollywood

Zollo wrote “Conversations With Tom Petty.”