Category Archives: Fleetwood Mac

Fleetwood Mac, Lindsey Buckingham, Solo Activity

Lindsey Buckingham: Life After Fleetwood Mac | Rolling Stone

Leave a comment

Rolling Stone
By David Fricke
10th Oct 2018

The singer-guitarist on his new anthology, solo tour and getting fired from the band he helped make famous

LIndsey Buckingham in 2018.
Ryan Pfluger for Rolling Stone


Lindsey Buckingham and his wife, Kristen, were at home in Los Angeles on January 28th, watching the Grammy Awards ceremony on television, when the phone rang. Fleetwood Mac’s manager Irving Azoff was calling with a message for Buckingham from Stevie Nicks. The gist of it, Buckingham says, quoting Azoff: “Stevie never wants to be on a stage with you again.”

Two nights earlier, the most popular and enduring lineup of Fleetwood Mac — Nicks, Buckingham, singer-keyboard player Christine McVie, bassist John McVie and drummer Mick Fleetwood — performed in New York at a MusiCares benefit show honoring the group. “We rehearsed for two days, and everything was great,” Buckingham claims. “We were getting along great.”

But on the phone, Azoff had a list of things that, as Buckingham puts it, “Stevie took issue with” that evening, including the guitarist’s outburst just before the band’s set over the intro music — the studio recording of Nicks’ “Rhiannon” — and the way he “smirked” during Nicks’ thank-you speech. Buckingham concedes the first point. “It wasn’t about it being ‘Rhiannon,’ ” he says. “It just undermined the impact of our entrance. That’s me being very specific about the right and wrong way to do something.”

As for smirking, “The irony is that we have this standing joke that Stevie, when she talks, goes on a long time,” Buckingham says. “I may or may not have smirked. But I look over and Christine and Mick are doing the waltz behind her as a joke.”

Continue reading Lindsey Buckingham: Life After Fleetwood Mac | Rolling Stone →

Fleetwood Mac, Release Info

Fleetwood Mac To Release Career Spanning Collection ’50 Years – Don’t Stop’ | Noise11

Leave a comment
September 29th, 2018
By Paul Cashmere
Noise11.com


Fleetwood Mac will celebrate 50 years of service to the music community with their first ever total career package ’50 Years – Don’t Stop’.

After forming in 1967, the first Fleetwood Mac album was released in February 1968. This compilation will open with ‘Shake Your Moneymaker’ from that album.

The original Fleetwood Mac featured Mick Fleetwood, Peter Green and Jeremy Spencer. John McVie and Danny Kirwan were next to arrive for the first album. Christine Perfect (who married John McVie) was there from the second album.

Fleetwood Mac was a revolving door of musicians. California duo Buckingham – Nicks joined in December 1974 and evolved the sound to the contemporary rock band we know today.

The new compilation features rare photos, includes liner notes by veteran music writer David Wild, and highlights the talented musicians who have recorded under the Fleetwood Mac banner over the years, including Peter Green, Mick Fleetwood, Jeremy Spencer, John McVie, Danny Kirwan, Christine McVie, Bob Welch, Bob Weston, Lindsey Buckingham, Stevie Nicks, Billy Burnette, Rick Vito, Dave Mason, and Bekka Bramlett.

50 Years: Don’t Stop is released on 16 November 2018.

50 Years—Don’t Stop 3-CD track listing Continue reading Fleetwood Mac To Release Career Spanning Collection ’50 Years – Don’t Stop’ | Noise11 →

Fleetwood Mac, Mick Fleetwood, UK Articles

Mick Fleetwood speaks out over Lindsey Buckingham’s departure from Fleetwood Mac ahead of North America tour | The Independent (UK)

Leave a comment

Roisin O’Connor
The Independent
6th Aug 2018

Mick Fleetwood has spoken about guitarist and co-vocalist Lindsey Buckingham’s departure from Fleetwood Mac, ahead of the band’s upcoming tour of North America.

Buckingham left the group in April after a 40-year career, and it was later announced that he would be replaced on tour by Mike Campbell [Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers] and Neil Finn [Crowded House].

His departure from the band caused shock for fans, particularly given the conflicting statements issued by himself and the remaining members of the band.

At the time, Buckingham claimed he was fired and accused the band of “losing perspective”. Speaking to Billboard, Fleetwood has now said he remains positive for the future of the band.

“Obviously this is a huge change with the advent of Lindsey Buckingham not being a part of Fleetwood Mac,” he said.

“We all wish him well and all the rest of it. In truthful language, we just weren’t happy. And I’ll leave it at that in terms of the dynamic.”

He praised Campbell and Finn as he spoke about rehearsals for the tour, and added: “If you know anything about the history of this band, it’s sort of peppered with this type of dramatic stuff. It’s a strange band, really.

“It’s ironic that we have a 50-year package coming out with all the old blues stuff with Peter Green, all the incarnations of Fleetwood Mac, which was not of course planned.”

Fleetwood Mac’s tour of North America begins in October this year and runs until April 2019

Fleetwood Mac

Mick Fleetwood Opens Up About His Rock Photography, Fleetwood Mac’s Tour & Lindsey Buckingham’s Departure | Billboard

Leave a comment

by Nicole Pajer
Billboard
5th Aug 2018

When he’s not out drumming alongside Stevie Nicks and John McVie, Mick Fleetwood is paying homage to his favorite hobby: photography.

Mick Fleetwood of Fleetwood Mac showcases his music photography at the Morrison Hotel gallery space in Los Angeles on Aug. 4. // Sarah Haywood

The 71-year-old rock drummer, who has been taking his own cameras out on the road with him since the early days of Fleetwood Mac, has always had an affinity for a great rock and roll shot. In order to share that with the public, he teamed up with the Morrison Hotel Gallery in 2016 to open a gallery space inside his Maui-based restaurant, Fleetwood’s General Store, which features a rotating array of fine art music photography.

On Saturday night (Aug. 4) in Los Angeles, Fleetwood — who is in town rehearsing for the upcoming Fleetwood Mac tour — popped by the Sunset Marquis Hotel in conjunction with the Morrison Hotel Gallery to showcase a selection of his favorite music shots, which included candid photos of the likes of Keith Richards, John Lee Hooker and bandmate Stevie Nicks.

Billboard caught up with Fleetwood on site to discuss his love of rock photography, his secret mission to infiltrate the stash of early Fleetwood Mac shots that McVie has been holding hostage and what he’s most looking forward to about his band’s upcoming tour.

What inspired your partnership with the Morrison Hotel Gallery?

We’re celebrating our sixth year with my Fleetwood’s, and in a restaurant that’s a lot. That’s another way to lose your hair but we’re part of the fabric there now, which is great. We opened up with the Morrison Hotel Gallery about two years ago and it’s been a huge success. Pattie Boyd, who was married to George Harrison and Eric [Clapton], did a little tour with Peter Blachley, one of the owners of the gallery. I met them in Australia years ago when Pattie was doing a show and I went to support. We were on the road and Christine, myself and John went to a gallery opening to support Stevie who was showing a Polaroid shot. She doesn’t really do that but Peter approached her and she said, “Okay. I’ll do it.” I met Peter again. We talked about one day doing something and then he came on holiday to our gallery. We had a regular gallery with open art at Fleetwood’s and I decided to go into partnership with Morrison Hotel Gallery. I said, “This is it.” For me, it’s a perfect fit. It makes a lot of sense because this is my world. We have a lot of fun. Whenever I’m at the restaurant, I pop down into the gallery and talk about some of the pieces that I know and introduce some of the people in the photographs that I was inspired by Continue reading Mick Fleetwood Opens Up About His Rock Photography, Fleetwood Mac’s Tour & Lindsey Buckingham’s Departure | Billboard →

Danny Kirwan, Fleetwood Mac, Obituary, UK Articles

Danny Kirwan obituary | The Times

Leave a comment

The Times

Distinctive vibrato-style guitarist who helped his band top the charts before succumbing to ‘the curse of Fleetwood Mac’ in 1972

From left: Kirwan with Christine McVie, Mick Fleetwood (rear), Jeremy Spencer and John McVie
ALAMY

When Danny Kirwan joined Fleetwood Mac in 1968 his arrival created a three-pronged guitar attack that turned the group into one of the biggest-selling bands in Britain.

His unique vibrato style helped the instrumental Albatross to No 1, and further chart-topping hits featuring his distinctive guitar work followed with Man Of The World and Oh Well. Yet by 1972 Kirwan and both his fellow guitarists had gone, all three of them succumbing to psychotic breakdowns in what came to be known as “the curse of Fleetwood Mac”.

The first of them, Peter Green, quit in 1970, giving away his guitars and his money after a schizophrenic attack brought on by hallucinogenic drugs. Jeremy Spencer disappeared the next year, walking out of the band’s hotel, saying he was going to buy a magazine. He never returned and was later found to have joined a religious cult.

Yet Kirwan’s meltdown was in many ways the most dramatic of all. Sensitive and mentally fragile, he struggled to deal with fame and responsibility, went days on end without eating and developed a crippling stage fright, which in turn drove him to alcoholism.

His career as a rock star came to a shattering halt one night in 1972 on tour in America. Back stage while the band were tuning up before going on, something snapped and he hurled his Les Paul guitar at a dressing-room mirror, showering broken glass over his bandmates. Smashing his fists and head against the wall until they were bleeding, he refused to take the stage and instead spent the gig heckling from the audience as the band struggled on without him. He was sacked and never played with Fleetwood Mac again. Continue reading Danny Kirwan obituary | The Times →

Fleetwood Mac, Fleetwood Mac 2018/19, Lindsey Buckingham

Lindsey Buckingham on Fleetwood Mac Firing: ‘They’d Lost Their Perspective’ | Rolling Stone

Leave a comment

Rolling Stone
By Daniel Kreps
12th April 2018

“This was not something that was really my doing or my choice,” guitarist says of exit from band

Lindsey Buckingham spoke about his firing from Fleetwood Mac for the first time when the guitarist performed Friday night at a California fundraiser. Larry Marano/REX/Shutterstock

Lindsey Buckingham spoke about his firing from Fleetwood Mac for the first time when the guitarist performed Friday night at a California campaign fundraiser.

“It’s been an interesting time on a lot of levels,” Buckingham said at the fundraiser supporting Democratic congressional candidate Mike Levin (via Jeremy Roberts).

“For me, personally, probably some of you know that for the last three months I have sadly taken leave of my band of 43 years, Fleetwood Mac. This was not something that was really my doing or my choice.”

“I think what you would say is that there were factions within the band that had lost their perspective,” Buckingham continued. “The point is that they’d lost their perspective. What that did was to harm – and this is the only thing I’m really sad about, the rest of it becomes an opportunity – it harmed the 43-year legacy that we had worked so hard to build, and that legacy was really about rising above difficulties in order to fulfill one’s higher truth and one’s higher destiny.”

Buckingham, who weaved his remarks about the Fleetwood Mac firing into a speech supporting Levin, remained diplomatic about the rift with his now-former bandmates, even sidestepping an audience member who yelled “Fuck Stevie Nicks.”

The brief comments were Buckingham’s first on the matter since Fleetwood Mac announced in April that the band recruited the Heartbreakers’ Mike Campbell and Crowded House’s Neil Finn to replace Buckingham, who reportedly didn’t want to embark on a Mac tour this year.

“Words like ‘fired’ are ugly references as far as I’m concerned,” Mick Fleetwood told Rolling Stone in April. “Not to hedge around, but we arrived at the impasse of hitting a brick wall. This was not a happy situation for us in terms of the logistics of a functioning band. To that purpose, we made a decision that we could not go on with him. Majority rules in term of what we need to do as a band and go forward.”

Watch Buckingham’s comments on the Fleetwood Mac situation below:

Fleetwood Mac, Lindsey Buckingham, UK Articles

Deep Tracks: Lindsey Buckingham

Leave a comment

By Sharon Lacey
April 19th, 2018

Lindsey Buckingham has been fired from Fleetwood Mac. Again. Well, technically he left in 1987 but he was essentially told he had to leave after he refused to tour. This time too it’s said to be disagreements over the forthcoming tour but in many ways, this has been a long time coming.

Let’s not get into the blame game here because who knows what was said behind the scenes but there has been obvious tensions in the band for quite a while evidenced by Stevie Nicks’s reluctance to tour and even record with the band (last year’s Lindsey Buckingham/Christine McVie album was started as the next Mac record but was eventually released as a duo album after Nicks refused to contribute.)

This high drama was always been a huge part of the Mac and their appeal but to actually fire one of the key members of their most successful line-up is a huge move and, to many fans, a terrible mistake.

Buckingham wasn’t just the third voice and songwriter or guitar god of the band, he was the arranger and producer, the visionary, the man who helped bring out the brilliance in all of their songs. Fleetwood Mac carried on without Buckingham back in the late ’80s and early ’90s but there is no doubt a big part of the magic was gone. It’s hard to imagine, although the new members are both hugely talented, that they can recapture that special chemistry with new members Mike Campbell and Neil Finn so late in the game.

Of course, the Mac has had a revolving line-up over the years with some amazing talents (in particular the legendary Peter Green but also, the often forgotten but wonderful Bob Welch), but the impact of Rumours overshadows it all. Buckingham’s massive contribution to that is not only undeniable but an important part of why Fleetwood Mac still mean so much to people decades after they first formed and it could be argued, why they are still around at all.

Buckingham, after all, gave up plans for solo albums on at least two occasions to keep the Mac going. Fleetwood usually gets all the credit for the Mac soldiering on but there are times when it was Buckingham who actually made it happen. His enthusiasm meant we were just one voice away from getting that final Rumours line-up album that every fan has been dreaming about but at the very least his parting gift to the Mac is the rather lovely Buckingham McVie record. Continue reading Deep Tracks: Lindsey Buckingham →

Fleetwood Mac, Lindsey Buckingham, Tour Info, UK Articles

Not a rumor: Lindsey Buckingham, Fleetwood Mac part ways | Daily Mail

Leave a comment

Daily News
By Associated Press
PUBLISHED: 23:36, 9 April 2018 | UPDATED: 07:51, 10 April 2018

LOS ANGELES (AP) – Lindsey Buckingham will have to go his own way. The singer-guitarist is out of Fleetwood Mac.

The band said in a statement Monday that Buckingham will not be on their new tour. The announcement came in two terse sentences at the bottom of a long news release announcing the new concerts.

“Lindsey Buckingham will not be performing with the band on this tour,” the statement said. “The band wishes Lindsey all the best.”

FILE – In this Jan. 26, 2018 file photo, Fleetwood Mac band members, from left, Stevie Nicks, John McVie, Christine McVie, Lindsey Buckingham and Mick Fleetwood appear at the 2018 MusiCares Person of the Year tribute honoring Fleetwood Mac in New York. The band said in a statement Monday that Buckingham is out of the band for its upcoming tour. Buckingham left the group once before, from 1987 to 1996. He’ll be jointly replaced by Neil Finn of Crowded House and Mike Campbell of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File)

He’ll be jointly replaced by Neil Finn of Crowded House and Mike Campbell of Tom Petty’s Heartbreakers.

Buckingham joined the band with then-girlfriend Stevie Nicks in 1974 and the two became the central faces, voices and songwriters of the group for the four decades that followed.

Buckingham sang and either wrote or co-wrote hits like “Go Your Own Way,” ”Tusk,” and “The Chain.”

Buckingham left the band once before in 1987, returning for a tour in 1996 and remaining a steady member since.

No details were given on what led to the latest split. Buckingham’s agent referred requests for comment back to a publicist for Fleetwood Mac, who said it wasn’t yet clear how to reach Buckingham for a reaction.

The 68-year-old released an album and played a series of dates with the band’s Christine McVie last year.

FILE – In this Oct. 6, 2014 file photo, Lindsey Buckingham from the band Fleetwood Mac performs at Madison Square Garden in New York. The band said in a statement Monday that Buckingham is out of the band for its upcoming tour. Buckingham left the group once before, from 1987 to 1996. He’ll be jointly replaced by Neil Finn of Crowded House and Mike Campbell of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP, FIle)

Fleetwood Mac used most of the news release announcing the departure to tout its two new members. Continue reading Not a rumor: Lindsey Buckingham, Fleetwood Mac part ways | Daily Mail →

Fleetwood Mac, Lindsey Buckingham, Tour Info, UK Articles

Lindsey Buckingham parts ways with Fleetwood Mac before tour | The Guardian

Leave a comment

April 9th, 2018
The Guardian

The longstanding member will be replaced by the Tom Petty guitarist Mike Campbell and Crowded House’s Neil Finn

Lindsey Buckingham has parted ways with Fleetwood Mac months before they are scheduled to embark on a live tour.

In a statement, the band announced: “Lindsey Buckingham will not be performing with the band on this tour. The band wishes Lindsey all the best.”

It’s been revealed that Buckingham will be replaced on tour by the Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers guitarist Mike Campbell and Crowded House’s Neil Finn. “Fleetwood Mac has always been about an amazing collection of songs that are performed with a unique blend of talents,” Mick Fleetwood said. “We jammed with Mike and Neil and the chemistry really worked and let the band realize that this is the right combination to go forward with in Fleetwood Mac style. We know we have something new, yet it’s got the unmistakable Mac sound.”

Finn said in a statement: “Two weeks ago I received a wonderful invitation to be a part of a truly great band. A few days later I was standing in a room playing music with Fleetwood Mac. It felt fresh and exciting, so many great songs, a spectacular rhythm section and two of the greatest voices ever. Best of all, we sounded good together. It was a natural fit. I can’t wait to play.”

The band’s Facebook page has since changed its profile image from one of the band to an illustrated picture.

Buckingham originally joined the band in 1975 and played with them until 1987. In this incarnation, featuring Mick Fleetwood, John McVie, Christine McVie and Stevie Nicks, they released 1977’s Rumors. The album sold over 40mcopies. Buckingham rejoined the band in 1997 and last year released a duet album with McVie.

His most recent performance with the band was during a concert in January honoring Fleetwood Mac as MusiCares Person of the Year. The Fleetwood Mac tour is to start in June. Last week, the band re-entered the US charts with Dreams after it was used in a meme.

Fleetwood Mac, Lindsey Buckingham, Mick Fleetwood, Tour Info

Fleetwood Mac Fires Lindsey Buckingham | Rolling Stone

Leave a comment

Rolling Stone
April 9th, 2018

Mike Campbell of the Heartbreakers and Neil Finn of Crowded House to replace departing guitarist

Fleetwood Mac has fired Lindsey Buckingham after a disagreement over the band’s upcoming tour, Rolling Stone has confirmed. The band announced Monday that Mike Campbell of Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers and Neil Finn of Crowded House will replace him.

News of Buckingham’s departure initially broke when former Fleetwood Mac guitarist Billy Burnette shared an April 4th tweet that has since been deleted, saying: “Breaking news: Lindsey Buckingham is out but I’m not in.” Rolling Stone has confirmed Buckingham’s departure, though no specific tour dates have been announced.

Fleetwood Mac issued a collective statement about the news, saying: “We are thrilled to welcome the musical talents of the caliber of Mike Campbell and Neil Finn into the Mac family. With Mike and Neil, we’ll be performing all the hits that the fans love, plus we’ll be surprising our audiences with some tracks from our historic catalogue of songs. Fleetwood Mac has always been a creative evolution. We look forward to honoring that spirit on this upcoming tour.”

Mick Fleetwood added, “Fleetwood Mac has always been about an amazing collection of songs that are performed with a unique blend of talents … We jammed with Mike and Neil and the chemistry really worked and let the band realize that this is the right combination to go forward within Fleetwood Mac style. We know we have something new, yet it’s got the unmistakable Mac sound.”

Buckingham joined Fleetwood Mac in 1974 along with Stevie Nicks. He wrote and sang many of their most memorable songs, including “Go Your Own Way,” “Tusk” and “Second Hand News.” He left in 1987 shortly before the Tango On The Night tour (where he was replaced by Billy Burnette) and rejoined in 1996 for The Dance reunion tour. He remained active on the road with them for the next two decades. They last played full sets at Classic East and Classics West in July of last year, through they did play a brief set in January at the pre-Grammy MusiCares concert in their honor. The set ended, fittingly enough, with “Go Your Own Way.”

In August of last year, Mick Fleetwood spoke to Rolling Stone about the band’s next tour. “I was in Italy recently and met Stevie out there,” he said. “She said to me, ‘Let’s sit down and really listen to some stuff that sort of almost got forgotten.’ So I know she’s already thinking she wants to do some things we haven’t done in years. I always think that Stevie and Lindsey should do a Buckingham Nicks song in the set. And have Christine do a blues song. I hope it certainly won’t be the same show as we did before. We always played nearly three hours, and we cut it back a little bit for the wear and tear, but we do over two hours. And when you got three singers, which is, like, three bands, really, to get that perfect set, it’s a trip.”