Monday, August 10, 2020

LINDSEY BUCKINGHAM'S FIRST LIVE PERFORMANCE SINCE HEART SURGERY

Watch Lindsey Buckingham Sing for First Time Since Heart Surgery

Former Fleetwood Mac guitarist sang four songs via Zoom, including “Never Going Back Again”

Lindsey Buckingham has kept a low profile since he was sidelined by emergency heart surgery in February 2019, but he re-emerged on Friday for a four-song acoustic set via Zoom for the tech company Nutanix.

Buckingham played the Fleetwood Mac songs “Never Going Back Again” and “Big Love,” along with his solo cuts “Trouble” and “Shut Us Down,” marking the first time he’s sung in public since the operation.

“This [pandemic] has been like a couple of years previous in which things occurred that I did not see coming,” he said. “One was my split from Fleetwood Mac. Another one was having a bypass operation, which I did not expect to happen. You could say that this makes it a trifecta of events that were completely off the charts.”

Buckingham’s vocal cords were damaged during the bypass operation. “While it is unclear if the damage is permanent, we are hopeful it is not,” Buckingham’s wife Kristen said in a statement at the time.

His first post-surgery appearance took place at his daughter’s high school graduation ceremony where he played “Landslide,” but the students handled all the vocals. He also announced a solo tour in February 2020 for April and May but had to cancel due to the pandemic.

“There are things that are going to happen that you cannot control,” Buckingham says. “There certainly is a lesson in acceptance there, but there’s also a lesson in looking for what is really essential within those circumstances. Yes, I’ve got my talent and my artistic process that I value greatly…Beyond that, I’m here every day with my wife and my children and that is the gift that is essential to all of this. That becomes the silver lining. You are gently, or not-so-gently, reminded of essentials.”

Near the end of the broadcast, Buckingham gave an update on his solo record. “I do have an album coming out,” he said. “We’re waiting to see where this is all going. We don’t have a release date. I was meant to be out on the road now promoting it. It should be out in the spring sometime. It’s just self-titled: Lindsey Buckingham. We’ll see where that goes.”

Saturday, August 01, 2020

STEVIE NICKS' BELLA DONNA TRACK GOES GOLD IN THE UK

“Edge of Seventeen” a track from Stevie Nicks’ debut album “Bella Donna” was certified Gold in the UK July 31, 2020 representing sales of 400K units.


Wednesday, July 29, 2020

Stevie Nicks Is the Spiritual-Warrior Leader We Need: ‘Wear a Mask and Stay In’

In a recent journal entry imploring everyone to fight COVID-19, music icon is all of us who are missing concerts and other life’s joys


By ALTHEA LEGASPI

Rollingstone

Stevie Nicks shared a recent journal entry that basically encapsulates how many of us are feeling during the COVID-19 pandemic, which has taken more than 660,000 lives worldwide, with more than 150,000 dead in the U.S. to date, and cases continue to surge. As scientists and other health experts have been stressing to help stem the deadly tide, Nicks implores everyone to “wear a mask and stay in” and also addresses the emotional ups and downs that many music and concert lovers who are adhering to health guidelines can relate to in these isolated, insomnia-inducing times.

In her July 17th journal entry, which she shared Wednesday via Twitter, Nicks references Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young’s “Our House” and the Rolling Stones’ “Wild Horses.” She writes the entry when she’s still awake at 6:50 a.m. and is listening to music, which makes her happy. “Feeling slightly euphoric and inspired to be alive and still be able to feel young and safe here,” she writes. However, the “goodness” she is experiencing is fleeting as she explains that her early-morning hope dissipates once she reads the news of the day.

“If everyone could just wear a mask and stay in as much as possible — you might be able to find this magical place I have found, in the early morning when everyone sleeps,” she continues.

“In order for us all to get back to our former lives — we must all change into spiritual warriors. We must make it our mission to fight the virus; otherwise there is nothing left,” she adds, noting that there is no way to “rewind” and emphasizes the necessity to take preventative measures immediately for a promising future. “I want to go back on the road. I want to sing for you again. I want to put on those high black suede platform boots and dance for you again. I want you to forget the world and sing with me.

“Please don’t throw this world away,” she implores. “Please don’t give up on humanity and let this virus win this war. It is up to us now.”

Saturday, July 25, 2020

Peter Green, Fleetwood Mac Founder has died at 73

Blues guitarist Peter Green, a co-founder of the band Fleetwood Mac, has died at the age of 73.



Representatives from the firm Swan Turton released a statement from Green's family on Saturday saying, "It is with great sadness that the family of Peter Green announce his death this weekend, peacefully in his sleep. A further statement will be provided in the coming days."

Green was known for his blues guitar sound even prior to the forming of Fleetwood Mac. He replaced Eric Clapton in John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers in 1965. Just a couple years later in 1967, Green and fellow Bluesbreakers members, drummer Mick Fleetwood and bassist John McVie, formed Fleetwood Mac, along with guitarist Jeremy Spencer.

Mick Fleetwood released a statement on Saturday noting Green's fundamental place in the band's history.

"For me, and every past and present member of Fleetwood Mac, losing Peter Green is monumental! Peter was the man who started the band Fleetwood Mac along with myself, John McVie, and Jeremy Spencer. No one has ever stepped into the ranks of Fleetwood Mac without a reverence for Peter Green and his talent, and to the fact that music should shine bright and always be delivered with uncompromising passion!!!
Peter,
I will miss you, but rest easy your music lives on. I thank you for asking me to be your drummer all those years ago. We did good, and trail blazed one hell of a musical road for so many to enjoy.
God speed to you, my dearest friend.......
Love Mick Fleetwood"

Green's direction can be heard on the group's early albums including their self-titled debut in 1968. He wrote "Albatross," the group's only No. 1 hit on the United Kingdom's singles chart. Green was also behind "Oh Well," "Man of the World," and "Black Magic Woman," the last of which Santana popularized with a cover version.

Green left the band in 1970 following a period of erratic behavior and drug use. His behavior was later diagnosed as schizophrenia and he was hospitalized for some time. Green returned to music in the late '70s, composing and recording albums on his own.

Green was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998, alongside seven other members of Fleetwood Mac.

In February, before the coronavirus shut down large scale gatherings, Mick Fleetwood held a tribute concert for Green in London, featuring a lineup of artists who were influenced by Green's work.

Fleetwood told Rolling Stone that he put the tribute concert together because "I wanted people to know that I did not form this band — Peter Green did. And I wanted to celebrate those early years of Fleetwood Mac, which started this massive ball that went down the road over the last 50 years."

Wynne Davis - NPR

Statement from Stevie Nicks

Thursday, July 23, 2020

Fleetwood Mac Early Years CD / LP Collections Available September 4th




FLEETWOOD MAC’S EARLY YEARS 
SPOTLIGHTED IN TWO NEW BOXED SETS 

8-CD Set Fleetwood Mac 1969-1974 
Includes Remastered Versions Of Seven Studio Albums Plus An Unreleased 1974 Concert

4-LP Fleetwood Mac 1973-1974 Collection 
Features Penguin, Mystery To Me And Heroes Are Hard To Find, Plus 1974 Concert And A 7” Single

Limited Edition, Colored-Vinyl Edition Available For Pre-Order Now Exclusively From Rhino.com

All Three Sets Will Available On September 4, 2020
PRE-ORDER NOW.


LOS ANGELES – After Mick Fleetwood, Peter Green, John McVie, and Jeremy Spencer started Fleetwood Mac in 1967, they quickly found an audience eager for their British-style blues. Over the next seven years, the band would sign with Reprise Records, release seven studio albums, and release many classic tracks that are still beloved today. Fleetwood Mac’s early rise to fame takes centerstage on two upcoming Rhino releases that spotlight the group’s deep-blues roots.

8-CD BOXED SET 1969-1974

The first release is an 8-CD boxed set that includes remastered versions of all seven studio albums the band recorded between 1969 and 1974, several bonus tracks, and an unreleased 1974 concert recorded just a few months before Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks joined the band. On September 4, FLEETWOOD MAC 1969-1974 will be available on CD for $54.98.

The set covers a five-year time frame that encompasses several different band lineups, from founding members Fleetwood, Green, McVie and Spencer; to later additions like Danny Kirwan, Christine McVie, Dave Walker, Bob Welch, and Bob Weston.

The collection includes seven studio albums: Then Play On (1969), Kiln House (1970), Future Games (1971), Bare Trees (1972), Penguin (1973), Mystery To Me (1973), and Heroes Are Hard To Find (1974). Those records fueled Fleetwood Mac’s early popularity in the U.K. and propelled them into the Top Ten with singles like “Man Of The World,” “Oh Well – Pt. 1,” “The Green Manalishi (With The Two Prong Crown),” and the #1 hit “Albatross.”

The CD set concludes with an unreleased recording of the band’s December 15, 1974 concert at The Record Plant in Sausalito, California. The performance captures the band – Fleetwood, Welch and the McVies – on tour supporting their latest album, Heroes Are Hard To Find. Originally, the show was simulcast on the legendary rock radio station KSAN-FM in San Francisco.

4-LP / 7" BOXED SET 1973-1974

For the second release, Rhino continues to bring Fleetwood Mac’s early albums back into print on vinyl with a 4-LP/7” boxed set that will be available on September 4 for $119.98. FLEETWOOD MAC 1973-1974 includes the unreleased 1974 live album along with Penguin (1973), Mystery To Me (1973) and Heroes Are Hard To Find (1974).

To ensure superb sound quality, Chris Bellman at Bernie Grundman Mastering cut the lacquers for all the albums from the original analog masters, which are pressed on 140-gram vinyl and presented in replica sleeves made to look like the original pressings. As a final touch, the set also includes a 7” single with “For Your Love” (Mono Promo Edit) on one side, and the previously unreleased “Good Things (Come To Those Who Wait)” on the flipside.

4-LP / 7" BOXED SET 1973-1974
(LIMITED EDITION COLORED VINYL)

On the same day, a limited edition, colored-vinyl edition of FLEETWOOD MAC 1973-1974 will be available exclusively from www.rhino.com. The studio albums, live recording, and 7” single will each be pressed on a different colored vinyl. Limited to 1500 and individually numbered in Bronze.

  • Penguin (yellow)
  • Mystery To Me (orange)
  • Heroes Are Hard To Find (gold)
  • Live from the Record Plant 12-15-74 (white) 
  • 7” (blue). 

Monday, July 20, 2020

Fleetwood Mac – ‘Before The Beginning Vol. 2’

Peter Green’s 
Fleetwood Mac – ‘Before The Beginning Vol. 2’



Following on from last year’s collection of Fleetwood Mac rarities, Sony Legacy is pleased to announce that Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac ‘Before The Beginning Vol. 2’ will be released on August 7th.

Taken from recently discovered, lovingly restored, live recordings from 1970, the release consists of a triple vinyl set and will also be available digitally.  Information on Volume 1's release last year can be found here


That tracklisting in full:


VINYL 1 SIDE A (all tracks remastered) VINYL 1 SIDE B (all tracks remastered)

Before the Beginning (Live)
Only You (Live)
Madison Blues (Version 2) (Live) 
Can’t Stop Lovin’ (Live) 
The Green Manalishi (With The Two Prong Crown) (Live)                   
Albatross (Live) 
World In Harmony (Version 1) (Live) 
Sandy Mary (Live) 
Only You (Live) 
World In Harmony (Version 2) (Live) 

VINYL 2 SIDE A (all tracks remastered)

VINYL 2 SIDE B (all tracks remastered)

I Can’t Hold Out (Live)
Oh Well (Part 1) (Live) 
Rattlesnake Shake (Live)
Underway (Live)
Coming Your Way (Live) 

VINYL 3 SIDE A (all tracks remastered)

VINYL 3 SIDE B (all tracks remastered)

Homework (Live)
My Baby’s Sweet (Live) 
My Baby’s Gone (Live) 
You Need Love (Demo) 
Talk With You (Demo)
If It Ain’t Me (GK Edit) (Demo) 
Mean Old World (Demo)