Category Archives: Lindsey Buckingham

Fleetwood Mac, Lindsey Buckingham, UK Articles

Deep Tracks: Lindsey Buckingham

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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

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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

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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.

Christine McVie, John McVie, Lindsey Buckingham, Mick Fleetwood, Solo Activity, Stevie Nicks

Fleetwood Mac’s Lindsey Buckingham Goes His Own Way (Again): A Timeline | Spin

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Written By Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Just three years ago, when Fleetwood Mac was awash in good vibes after the return of Christine McVie, MOJO Magazine asked Mick Fleetwood if it was the classic lineup or nothing. The drummer, who has anchored the British band with bassist John McVie since 1967, responded: “This is it, to me. Emotionally, if you think of the enormity of what has happened, the surprise of what has happened, the doors that have opened to be walked through…if you were writing a book, you’d go, ‘Isn’t it a shame I can’t end it like this?’ We’ve had the chance to end it like that and I wouldn’t dream of it any other way.”

Dreams never last. It was only a matter of time before Fleetwood’s rosy summary of the future of rock’s most mercurial band shattered, and April 9, 2018 brought the news. Lindsey Buckingham–the guitarist/singer/producer/songwriter who sat at the foundation of Fleetwood Mac since 1975–would not joining the band on its farewell tour later this year. Shortly after the story broke in Variety, it was reported by Rolling Stonethat Buckingham was fired over disagreements concerning this tour.

Details remain sketchy but as its surprise reveal fades, Buckingham’s departure seems like the inevitable end to his time in Fleetwood Mac. After all, the group had eight guitarists before he joined and, with this year’s addition of Crowded House’s Neil Finn and Mike Campbell of Tom Petty’s Heartbreakers, there have been six other members that have played with the group once Lindsey left them high and dry. Buckingham may have played a pivotal part of Fleetwood Mac’s story but it was only a part–one that was fraught with so much creative tension, it’s a wonder either of his tenures lasted as long as they did. Here we’ve created a brief history of Buckingham’s time with the band.

***

1973: As Fleetwood Mac release Mystery To Me, their fifth album to feature Christine McVie and guitarist Bob Welch, Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks debut with Buckingham Nicks, a sweet, hazy collection of folky Southern Californian soft-rock produced by Ken Olsen. Buckingham Nicks sinks without a trace, leaving the duo nearly destitute and looking for a break. Continue reading Fleetwood Mac’s Lindsey Buckingham Goes His Own Way (Again): A Timeline | Spin →

Fleetwood Mac, Lindsey Buckingham, Mick Fleetwood, Tour Info

Fleetwood Mac Fires Lindsey Buckingham | Rolling Stone

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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.”

Fleetwood Mac, Lindsey Buckingham

Lindsey Buckingham Leaves Fleetwood Mac | Variety

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April 9th, 2018
Shirly Halperin
Variety.com

Lindsey Buckingham, guitarist and songwriter extraordinaire, has left the group Fleetwood Mac, Variety has confirmed. Buckingham has been a key member of Fleetwood Mac, playing with the band from 1975 to 1987, then, after a decade-long break, returning to the fold in 1997. Fleetwood Mac was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame a year later.

Mandatory Credit: Photo by Stephen Lovekin/REX/Shutterstock (9335827bn)
Lindsey Buckingham
MusiCares Person of the Year Gala, Arrivals, New York, USA – 26 Jan 2018

 

News of the exit was first shared by guitarist Billy Burnette, who tweeted on April 4, “Breaking news: Lindsey Buckingham is out but I’m not in.” The message was deleted a few hours after posting. Presumably, Burnette, who replaced Buckingham in the group from 1987 until it went on hiatus in 1995, was angling for a position in the band.

Buckingham was not a founding member of Fleetwood Mac, which formed in 1967, but was asked to join the group after the exit of Bob Welch in 1974. That incarnation of the band, which also included Mick Fleetwood, John McVie, Christine McVie and Stevie Nicks, went on to release one of the most successful albums of its time, 1977’s “Rumours,” which has sold more than 40 million copies and yielded such classics as “Don’t Stop” and “Go Your Own Way,” the latter written by Buckingham alone, as well as “The Chain” and “You Make Loving Fun.”

As a solo artist, Buckingham has released six studio albums. Last year, he and Christine McVie teamed for a well-received collection of original songs under the banner Lindsey Buckingham Christine McVie.

Fleetwood Mac is managed by CSM and Suretone Management and booked by CAA.

Christine McVie, Fleetwood Mac, John McVie, Lindsey Buckingham, Mick Fleetwood, Original Content, Release Info, Solo Activity, Stevie Nicks, Tour Info, UK Articles, Website Content

UPDATED: Is Stevie Nicks damaging the Fleetwood Mac legacy?

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group-tuskpresskit

Will Fleetwood Mac release a new studio album?
Will Stevie Nicks join the band in recording the album?
Will Stevie Nicks tour again with Fleetwood Mac?
Is there a future for Fleetwood Mac?

So many questions, all without any real answers from the band, other than that Stevie Nicks is touring her 2014 album “24 Karat Gold: Songs From The Vault” making up time she gave to Fleetwood Mac for the “On With The Show” that brought Christine McVie back into Fleetwood Mac.

However, the rest of the band (well that is not technically accurate as John McVie does not generally say anything to the press) have been talking about recording new music for a new potential Fleetwood Mac studio album and the possibility of another worldwide tour that is likely to be scheduled to co-incide with the 40th anniversary of Rumours, as well as the 50th anniversary of the band being formed and the 30th anniversary of Tango In The Night and 20th anniversary of The Dance (Fleetwood Mac seems to have a thing for years with seven in them!!)

But, Stevie Nicks appears not to be committing to the band, is she about to splinter the group and force a Fleetwood, McVie, McVie and Buckingham version of the band to cement their legacy and exploit the huge commercial opening that will begin next year when the anniversary year for Fleetwood Mac commences, this will likely  be the last hurrah for the band  before old father time chimes in. Continue reading UPDATED: Is Stevie Nicks damaging the Fleetwood Mac legacy? →

Christine McVie, Fleetwood Mac, John McVie, Lindsey Buckingham, Mick Fleetwood, Reviews, Stevie Nicks, UK Articles

Christine McVie says Fleetwood Mac got high to try to numb misery of being together | The Mirror

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By Halina Watts
27th Jan 2018
The Mirror

Christine McVie said failed relationships in the band – including splits and affairs – put them all in the depths of despair in the studio

Stevie Nicks, John McVie, Christine McVie, Lindsey Buckingham and Mick Fleetwood onstage during MusiCares Person of the Year at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on Friday (Image: Getty Images North America)

Rock royalty Fleetwood Mac got high to try to numb the ­misery of being together, Christine McVie has revealed.

The singer-songwriter said failed relationships in the band – including splits and affairs – put them all in the depths of despair in the studio.

They turned to alcohol, cocaine and even quaaludes tranquilisers to “cheer themselves up” and get through sessions.

Her candid words came as Fleetwood Mac were honoured at the MusiCares Person of the Year pre-Grammy event.

Christine, 74, said of wild drug use in their heyday: “Everybody was doing it. I don’t have any regrets at all.

“I would not change those days but you have to remember it was uniform – it was a badge of honour, and everybody was doing that kind of thing.”

Christine McVie and Stevie Nicks perform onstage during MusiCares Person of the Year honoring Fleetwood Mac at Radio City Music Hall on January 26 (Image: Getty Images North America)

Explaining their over-indulgence at work, she added: “Our situation in the studio, that was angst and I think we probably needed a little something to cheer us up in that situation. Continue reading Christine McVie says Fleetwood Mac got high to try to numb misery of being together | The Mirror →

Lindsey Buckingham, Solo Activity, UK Articles

The Songs of Lindsey Buckingham | Promo CD Sleeve Notes

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The Songs of Lindsey Buckingham

Promo CD from EMI Publishing
Released in the UK in 2002

Born on October 3rd. 1949. in the upper-middle class suburb of Atherton, near Palo Alto, CA. Lindsey was the third, and youngest son of Morris and Rutheda Buckingham Morris, known as Buck to his friends, owned a coffee plant and was also a member of the Menlo Country Club, where Jeff. Greg and Lindsey were all encouraged to swim competitively (Greg went on to win a silver medal in the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City)

The first Elvis record Lindsey remembers hearing was ‘Heartbreak Hotel’ and he began playing along to Jeff’s 45’s on a toy Mickey Mouse guitar Once he’d taught himself to play a few songs on this, his parents bought him a $35 Harmony guitar. Jeff’s record collection became so extensive that Lindsey recalls, ‘It was like having the story of rock n’ roll unfurled in front of me. Continue reading The Songs of Lindsey Buckingham | Promo CD Sleeve Notes →

Lindsey Buckingham, Original Content, Solo Activity, UK Articles

WHAT IF: Lindsey Buckingham “Out Of The Cradle” (expanded deluxe edition)

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Imagine you are working at Rhino and you have been given the project to curate an expanded and deluxe re-release of Out Of The Cradle by Lindsey Buckingham.

Whilst in this dream state, listed below is the content that I would add that has been culled from various releases throughout the years, the media would be a combination of CDs, Vinyl and Blu-Ray DVD as per the recent Fleetwood Mac deluxe sets…

Please note for anyone reading this, this post is a what-if, this release is neither planned nor scheduled. Continue reading WHAT IF: Lindsey Buckingham “Out Of The Cradle” (expanded deluxe edition) →