Bass Player
May/June 1995
By Alexis Sklarevski
John McVie has been an integral part of several revolutions in popular music. Born on November 26, 1945, McVie grew up in England. He started playing in a group called the Krewsaders while still in school – and he’s never stopped. In the 1960s, he laid down the bottom for the seminal blues-rock band John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers, which paved the way for groups like Cream, Led Zeppelin, and the Jeff Beck Group. Then, in the ’70s, he helped Fleetwood Mac to become one of the biggest and most successful pop acts in the world. McVie’s approach to the bass may not be considered “technical” or “schooled” – but there’s no denying that he can inject more heart and soul into one not than more modern “whiz kids” can summon up on an entire record.
Over the past 30 years, partnered with rock-solid drummer Mick Fleetwood, McVie has provided one stellar bass line after another for an astounding array of Fleetwood Mac hits, such as “Rhiannon”, “Say you love me”, and “Dreams”. I had the opportunity to interview John before the start of a Fleetwood Mac recording session in Hollywood, where the band is preparing to add yet another album to its long and colorful history.
What’s the new Fleetwood Mac lineup?
There are actually two entities right now. There’s the road band, with Dave Mason and Billy Burnette on guitar, Bekka Bramlett (Delaney and Bonnie’s daughter) on vocals, Mick, and myself. Then there’s the recording band, which has (singer/keyboardist) Christine McVie in it. This new band has a little more edge to it, and it’s bluesier than before. Bekka’s playing is very R&B, Billy is rock & roll and rockabilly, and Dave is… Well, Dave! The combination seems to work really well; I’m very happy with it.
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