Friday, February 01, 2013

Mick Fleetwood: Christine McVie will visit with Stevie Nicks in LA after Hawaii Holiday with Mick

Mick Fleetwood: We miss Christine.. I'm hoping I can get her to rejoin
Jacqui Swift
The Sun


IT was one of the top-selling albums of the Seventies which turned Fleetwood Mac into the biggest superstars in the world.

But with all the broken hearts, tempestuous affairs and excessive drink and drugs, the making of 1977’s Rumours came at a price.

This week, almost 36 years after the seminal record hit shelves, an expanded and deluxe version of the album is released including original B-side Silver Springs, unreleased live recordings, outtakes, and documentary The Rosebud Film.

Rumours was huge, selling more than 40million copies, and made the entangled lives of Brits Mick Fleetwood, husband and wife John and Christine McVie and US couple Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks, one of rock ’n’ roll’s legendary stories.

Songs such as Don’t Stop, Go Your Own Way, You Make Loving Fun, The Chain and Dreams are as popular as ever today. With a world tour opening in the US in April and a UK tour planned for September, Fleetwood Mac are winning over a new generation of fans as well as their hardcore devotees.

When we meet in a west London hotel, 6ft 5in Fleetwood says: “There are young people who are so happy this tour is happening.”

Now 65, the drummer has a healthy tan after years of living in Hawaii but has retained his English accent.

He says: “It’s a new generation that have been turned on to our music. Rumours is our most famous album but it leads to all the others. It’s like someone finding a Neil Young album and going, ‘What? There’s more?’

“Sonically it’s a very clean, un-gizmoed record which has been a huge blessing. We didn’t call in a slick, Hollywood producer and there were none of the sound effects you hear in music today.






Hurt

“We made a beautifully recorded album that worked. It’s all about the music, which I don’t think dates and still speaks for itself.”

The multi-platinum album, which debuted at No1 across the world and spent 31 weeks topping the US charts, looks set to re-enter the UK Top Ten on Sunday.

It’s already spent a total of 493 weeks on the Official Albums Chart to date and, for the band, it represents them at their most accusatory and confessional.

As he tugs away at his white beard, Fleetwood says: “As a band who were experiencing a breakdown of personal relationships, the music was the only way we could talk.”

Buckingham’s Second Hand News, Never Going Back Again and Go Your Own Way were about the guitarist’s troubled relationship with longtime girlfriend, singer-songwriter Nicks.

Her song Dreams has the line: “You say you want your freedom. Well who am I to keep you down?”. You Make Loving Fun, written by keyboardist Christine McVie after she’d started an affair with lighting director Curry Grant, and Don’t Stop had personal messages to bassist husband John, which were hard to bear.

Fleetwood reveals: “We communicated through music — which hurt.

“Imagine hearing what was going on with your partner through a song? As writers, they were saying they were angry and hurt through music which, yes, were pop songs, but had a certain darkness.

“Fleetwood Mac were really accessible musically, but lyrically and emotionally, we weren’t so easy. And it was our music that helped us survive. But all of us were in pieces personally. I was the only one spared as I didn’t have to work with my wife. Jenny and I had broken up and she was involved with someone that I knew really well. It was hard, but I knew why.”

Fleetwood then started a two-year affair with Nicks.

He says: “I had pretty much left Jenny anyhow and I was licking my wounds. It was a mess and there we were in the studio.”

In an earlier chat with Nicks, the singer told SFTW: “No one was willing to give up Fleetwood Mac — it just wasn’t an option.

“Whatever happened between me and Lindsey or the others, the power of the band and the music meant more.”

Fleetwood adds: “It wasn’t heroics, and it wasn’t easy but as Lindsey recently said to me, ‘We were brave — emotionally brave’.

“God, there are worse things that can happen to people, but when couples break up they don’t then immediately spend huge amounts of time with each other.

“It would’ve been easier for us all to run away than make Rumours.”

It wasn’t just in their personal lives that they were suffering. Drugs, especially cocaine, were everywhere in the studio — a bag always stashed under the mixing desk.

Fleetwood confesses: “Stevie and I were the worst offenders. We took it to the ‘nth’ degree.
“We were the last to get off the horse and although we try to put it in good humour, we were very lucky to get through all of that.”

Nicks’ cocaine addiction resulted in a hole in her nose.

She reveals: “A plastic surgeon looked at my nose and told me it would collapse if I carried on.
“My vanity made me stop. I didn’t want to be a dead drug addict — least of all one with a collapsed nose.

“I called Betty Ford (Clinic) straight away but then I was given the tranquiliser Klonopin to keep off the coke. That was worse — I couldn’t move or get up. I was out of it for eight years.”
It was all a long way from the band’s beginnings in the Sixties British blues boom.

Fleetwood Mac started out in 1967 under the helm of legendary guitarist Peter Green.

But when he quit in 1970 and success dried up, the band drafted in first Christine then later the American duo Buckingham and Nicks to give the band a new direction — and the hits just kept coming.

Since Fleetwood Mac last toured in 2009, there has been talk of a new album.

The four band members — Christine McVie quit in 1998 after her fear of flying stopped her travelling — have been in the studio but Nicks’ solo career has delayed work. Fleetwood says: “I did think at one point that we may never tour again. And for once I was public about how I saw it. I am the worrier of the band and need Stevie and Lindsey back or we can’t go on.

“Lindsey had quit quit the band just before the Tango In The Night world tour in 1987 but we got him back in 1992 thankfully. But Fleetwood Mac now could never continue without Stevie especially.

“The truth is she is the only member that can go out and still command a whole audience’s attention span — in her own right in her solo work AND as a member of Fleetwood Mac.

“Anyway, I aired my views and worries and I’m sure it freaked Stevie out because immediately she was asked by everyone if the band would ever tour again. And, of course, she wanted back in.

“Then me, Lindsey and John went into the studio six months ago, because we just wanted to start something. Stevie had been busy with her solo album and tour and she had just lost her mum. So we just put the idea of a new record on the back burner.

“But she’s been in the studio with Lindsey and sung on two or three of his songs and they had a fantastic time. There’s about seven songs in total.

“We’re hoping we can put some new songs out as an EP around the time of the tour. Stevie and Lindsey are singing together more, as it worked so well on stage when we toured. Stevie and Lindsey are in a good place today, which is cool.

“And on the tour we’re intending to play a couple of new songs as well as the ones we have to play or we’d be shot. But we might reapproach some songs in a totally different way.

“I know John is keen for us to play Crystal (from the cult 1973 Buckingham Nicks album) as that’s the song I heard when I invited Stevie and Lindsey into the band.

“We might even let the audience ‘pick a song’ via some technology on the night and do a mishmash of the songs chosen.”

The big news for devoted Fleetwood Mac fans is that the band are reuniting with Christine McVie.
Fleetwood reveals: “I spoke to her just before I walked through that door to speak to you for this interview.

“I’m seeing Chris here in London before I leave and even though she loathes flying and she’s never been back to the United States since the day she left, she is getting on a plane and flying to Hawaii with me. I’m going to hold her hand all the way — even if I have to handcuff it.

“We miss her and love her, and I hope I’m a part in persuading her to return.

“She’s going to come and stay for three weeks in Maui — I’m getting goosebumps just thinking about it. 

John’s going to come over from Honolulu to see her.

“And then she’s going to LA to see Stevie, who misses her terribly and is really excited to see her.

“But it’ll be her decision. But we’d make her very welcome if she wanted to creep on that stage again.

“Fleetwood Mac are back and it’s going to be a great tour. It’s only right that Christine joins us too.”

Details of the September tour will be announced next week. See fleetwoodmac.com. O2 customers can get Priority Tickets to see Fleetwood Mac on their upcoming tour 48 hours before general release. To keep up to date text PRIORITY to 2020 or visit o2priority.co.uk/tickets to register.

20 comments:

Anonymous said...

It's exciting but I still don't think Mick should be saying all of this publicly. If they don't get her to rejoin it's going to be awfully disappointing.

Anonymous said...

Oh God, I hope Christine re-joins. I'm praying on this. When the five of them get together...it's simply the most magical thing that could ever happen to music. Even now I have goosebumps as I write this.

Larry Salerno. said...

I hope Christine tours with the MAC, It would be great to see her on stage singing her hits, As a fan and other fans of the MAC her touring would be magic, I hope Mick can talk her into touring.

Unknown said...

I have a feeling that if anyone can talk Chris into re-joining it would be Mick and Stevie. Chris has a fear of flying...well take a Xanax and get on the plane lol. Whoopi Goldberg had a horrendous fear of flying but took a course on The View of how to get over your fear of flying and now Whoopi flies everywhere ("cheaper than renting a big tour bus and much faster"). Chris can do it! I believe in her!

Does her voice still sound okay? Has anyone heard her sing in the last ten years?

MplsMike said...

Fingers crossed but not holding my breath. I really want more than 2 new songs ... I understand we can't get a complete new CD this year, but an EP of four of five tracks shouldn't be all that difficult. You know Stevie has outtakes squirreled away. Perhaps a new song from Chris if she comes back? (!)

Anonymous said...

I'd hate to get excited about Christine joining, because while I'd LOVE to see her with Fleetwood Mac on that stage again, until I hear it's official, I'm going with the thought that she will not be touring with them. That way, if she does decide to be part of the tour (please let it be at Honda Center!!) I can truly get excited. Interesting thoughts on the audience song choice idea and possibly hearing something from Buckingham Nicks. Rock on!

Anonymous said...

When you think about it this has been the biggest year for Fleetwood Mac since, well, Rumours! They're huge, and I love that. Now if Chris could come back, it would be a real fairy-tale come true.

Joseph Gould said...

I'm somewhat hopeful but not holding my breath. The fact that she's going for a visit to the States for the first time since she left the band - on the verge of a world tour and releasing new songs is all a bit too coincidental for my liking. I have a feeling she has an agenda and hopefully it's allowing herself to be talked into re-joining the band!

Also, notice how Mick didn't mention Chris visiting Lindsey? Maybe my theory isn't all that wrong - maybe Lindsey is the real reason she left the band and hasn't really attempted to re-join.

Fingers crossed everyone!

Anonymous said...

I've wondered that too, Joseph Gould. I've always felt there must have been a blowup fight or a bigger reason they're not telling us other than "Oh, Chris hates to fly and she just couldn't take it anymore, so she just backed out in the middle of the tour".

Anonymous said...

John..the silent one wants them to play Crystal!!! I'm so in touch with that emotion!

Anonymous said...

Obviously serious talks are underway that are changing the nature of everything. Suddenly, the "impossible" notion that Christine might come back is on the table. It's a stunning development and I pray it happens. Then I'll stop complaining. It would just make everyone so happy!!!!! I love and miss Christine and want her back. Coincidentally, I was listening to The Legendary Christine Perfect Album when I read the lines from Mick that she might actually come back. It would mean so much to so many people.

Anonymous said...

They should do the TANGO IN THE NIGHT tour that might have been but never was.

Anonymous said...

At something like 15,000,000 units sold worldwide, TANGO IN THE NIGHT is Fleetwood Mac's second best-selling album. Everyone talks of RUMOURS yet there's a whole other massive base of fans introduced to the band 10 years after RUMOURS - and still almost as popular. While not Stevie's best moment with the band, Christine hit it out of the park with 3 hits - LITTLE LIES, EVERYWHERE and ISN'T IT MIDNIGHT - all of them superbly crafted songs with Christine and Lindsey working very closely together to achieve the unique one-of-a-kind/only-this-time 1980's Fleetwood Mac sound. Awesome!

Joseph Gould said...

Judging from the recent interview with Christine, I've developed the feeling that she's felt unwelcome in the band in recent years. She seemed a bit 'dirty' on them in that interview.

Judging from how Mick has spoken in the past (and Stevie), she left and nobody ever tried to convince her to come back - they were respecting her wishes. Maybe she needed some begging and to feel needed/wanted?

This is the first time Mick's coming forward saying he's going to try to convince her. If this doesn't work (with all of what I said above in mind) - I don't know what will..

Anonymous said...

To do it so publicly almost makes me think that it's already worked out and this process of Mick involving the public is just some savvy reality TV media campaign. If the full, five piece, indivisible with liberty and harmonies for all Fleetwood Mac got together and toured, it would be the event of the year - and followed by a new studio album? Jeez...getting chills here...Wouldn't it be just like Fleetwood Mac to get together once agains and pull off the seemingly impossible?

Anonymous said...

With Christine back in the band, the name FLEETWOOD MAC shines a lot brighter, attracts more people and creates more press and goodwill than without her. Let's hope she comes back. But let's hope she's happier than ever to be back! If Christine's in the show, I'm making an extra effort to be there.....

Brian said...

Theres something there y she left during the dance reunion.I think it was something between her and lindsey for sure. I guess we will never know. But all the band members r going to reconnected with her except lindsey not so sure how much the being afraid to fly plays into it. Anyway want her back in a big way.

Anonymous said...

The minute they announce Christine is back in the band for this tour, I'll rush out and reserve my tickets!

Anonymous said...

And the minute they announce Christine is back in the band for this tour, I'll do a mad tap dance, turn a few cartwheels, scream bloody hooray... and then I'll rush out and reserve my tickets!

Anonymous said...

I would love to see Christine back on stage with the band. I have seen the band without her and I have seen them without Lindsey. I have never seen the 5 members together and it really upsets me. But, in the end it's obviously up to Christine and how she feels. It would be so good to see the full 'Rumours' line-up for the 'Rumours' anniversary tour!

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