Christine McVie, Lindsey Buckingham, Release Info, Solo Activity

Fleetwood Mac’s Christine McVie and Lindsey Buckingham talk about making their first duet album | L.A Times

Leave a comment

Los Angeles Times
Randall Roberts
13th Jan 2017

Longtime devotees of the rock band Fleetwood Mac might be forgiven for letting out a gleeful yelp when registering the news that singer-keyboardist Christine McVie shared with The Times in December while sitting next to her band mate — guitarist, singer and producer Lindsey Buckingham.

Christine McVie and Lindsey Buckingham at the Village Studio in December 2016. (Liz O. Baylen / Los Angeles Times)

“I’ve been sending Lindsey demos in their very raw form,” she says, sitting in the Village Studio’s storied Studio D in West Los Angeles, “and he’s been doing his Lindsey magic on them, which I love.”

The product of that magic is tentatively scheduled to come out in May, and the two are at the Village to work on vocals. Working with them are two familiar names: Mick Fleetwood, whose towering drum kit is in the next room, and bassist John McVie.

The album coming out of these sessions, however, won’t bear the Fleetwood Mac imprimatur.

Rather, the release with the working title “Buckingham McVie” will arrive as the first full-length collaboration between the pair.

For hard-core fans, it’s not news that, save band mate Stevie Nicks, Fleetwood Mac’s members have been holed up at the Village. At various intervals over the past few years, the band has acknowledged working on an unspecified project thought to be a new Fleetwood Mac album.

In fact, during a studio visit in 2014, The Times’ Randy Lewis sat down with Christine McVie and Buckingham to discuss her return to touring after 16 years away from the band.

“I thought, I’m really missing out on something — something that’s mine, that I’ve just given up,” she said to Lewis. “I’m not paying respect to my own gift.” Continue reading Fleetwood Mac’s Christine McVie and Lindsey Buckingham talk about making their first duet album | L.A Times →

Fleetwood Mac, UK Articles

The Life of a Song: Fleetwood Mac’s ‘The Chain’ | FT.com

Leave a comment

JANUARY 9, 2017
by: David Honigmann
FT.com

The hit was born of a romantic geometry complex enough to baffle the Bloomsbury Group

Stevie Nicks and Christine McVie perform in Atlanta, Georgia, June 1977 © Getty

In early 1975, two Americans, Lindsey Buckingham and his girlfriend Stevie Nicks, had just joined a once-famous British blues band now down on its uppers. Buckingham, a perfectionist, buzzed around showing the other members how to play their parts on the songs he was bringing to the project. The bassist was unimpressed.

“The band you’re in is Fleetwood Mac,” John McVie told him. “I’m the Mac. And I play the bass.” And that — as Mick Fleetwood, who was the Fleetwood, records in his autobiography — was that.

A couple of years later Buckingham and Nicks had been integrated into the band, and the new line-up had a successful album under their belt. It was now Fleetwood and McVie together who laid down the signature bass-and-drums riff that would define what was (with all due deference to former members Peter Green, Jeremy Spencer, Danny Kirwan and Bob Welch) the high water mark of Fleetwood Mac: “The Chain”, from their globe-conquering album Rumours. Continue reading The Life of a Song: Fleetwood Mac’s ‘The Chain’ | FT.com →

Solo Activity, Stevie Nicks, Tour Info, UK Articles

Tom Petty and Stevie Nicks announced for British Summer Time festival | The Guardian

Leave a comment

The Guardian (UK)
13th Dec 2016

The American rock band return for their only European show in 2017, bringing the Fleetwood Mac star with them as support

15400503_10211547302664119_268173157196892173_n

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers will celebrate the 40th anniversary of their debut album release with a headline appearance at the British Summer Time Hyde Park series.

At the London event on Sunday 9 July, the American rock band will perform their only European show in 2017. Supporting them on the night will be folk-rock group the Lumineers and Petty’s longtime friend and former collaborator, Fleetwood Mac’s Stevie Nicks. “In 1976, I’d been in Fleetwood Mac for about a year when I heard Tom Petty’s debut,” Nicks told Rolling Stone in 2010. “I became such a fan that if I hadn’t been in a band myself, I would have joined that one.”

Petty’s appearance will be the second visit he and the Heartbreakers have made to the UK in 20 years. Their last was in 2012, when they headlined the Isle of Wight festival and two shows at the Royal Albert Hall.

This year sees the anniversary of Tom Petty’s debut album with the Heartbreakers, a self-titled release which came out in November 1976. Petty has since released 16 albums, a number of hit singles such as Free Fallin’, Don’t Come Around Here No More, You Got Lucky, You Don’t Know How It Feels, I Won’t Back Down, Listen to Her Heart, Don’t Do Me Like That, and has earned 18 Grammy nominations through the years. As well as being part of the Travelling Wilburys with Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Roy Orbison and Jeff Lynne, he and the Heartbreakers toured with Dylan as his backing group in 1986 and 1987. They also played on Nicks’s first two solo records.

James King, senior vice president of the event organisers AEG Live, described the evening as a “one-night-only experience direct from the music gods”.

“Tom Petty’s UK fans will feel blessed to see him and the Heartbreakers in such a rare appearance in this country,” King said. “Celebrating their 40th anniversary with them is their friend and true icon Stevie Nicks. Music does not get better than this.”

Also announced as headliners for the other nights of the series are Kings of Leon, Green Day, Phil Collins and Justin Bieber.

Fleetwood Mac, Release Info, Solo Activity, Stevie Nicks

Stevie Nicks Wants a New Fleetwood Mac Tour, Not a New Fleetwood Mac Album | ABC News Radio

Leave a comment

Stevie Nicks is currently out on her 24 Karat Gold tour, promoting her recent solo album. But as far as recording a new album with Fleetwood Mac, Stevie believes the band shouldn’t waste their time.

Fleetwood-Mac-536890-1

Before Fleetwood Mac launched their most recent tour, they worked on some new tracks without Stevie. While Mick Fleetwood suggested the tracks might be released with just Lindsey Buckingham and Christine McVie singing, Stevie doesn’t buy it. “You can never say never, but I don’t think that will happen,” she tells ABC Radio.

That doesn’t mean Stevie’s ready to join her bandmates in the studio, though.

“The only reason that I don’t really wanna do a record is because I think that, in a year and a half, we’ll probably go out and do another Fleetwood Mac tour, since Christine has come back,” she explains. Christine McVie rejoined Fleetwood Mac in 2014 after a 16-year absence.

Stevie thinks touring is the better plan, simply because of Fleetwood Mac’s dynamics.

“Do we want to go and close ourselves up in a studio for a year, [and] make a record that’s really good but that probably won’t sell, because records don’t really sell that much?” she asks. “And then we’ll have been stuffed together for a year in one room, and…when you come out of that room, we may not want to go on a tour!”

The logical solution, Stevie says, is to skip making a new record, and simply hit the road.

“I think that we should choose the tour over the record,” she tells ABC Radio. “Because touring is much more fun than making a record when you don’t have any idea how that record’s gonna come out.”

Stevie has time to figure out her next move: her tour doesn’t wrap until December 18.

Copyright © 2016, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.

Press Kits, Solo Activity, Stevie Nicks

Stevie Nicks rockin’ 24 Karat Gold Tour adds 20 New Shows in 2017

Leave a comment

STEVIE NICKS ROCKIN’ 24 KARAT GOLD TOUR

WITH SPECIAL GUESTS PRETENDERS ADDS 20 NEW SHOWS IN 2017 BEGINNING FEBRUARY 23 IN RENO, NEVADA

– New Dates Follow 29 Shows in 2016 Which Have Received Rave Reviews –

– Tickets on Sale Monday, December 12 at LiveNation.com –

LOS ANGELES (December 5, 2016) – As Stevie Nicks 24 Karat Gold Tour With Special Guests Pretenders winds down for the year with 8 shows left, Live Nation, the tour’s promoter has announced 20 new shows beginning February 23 in Reno, Nevada. A full list of dates follows this release.

American Express Card Members can purchase tickets before the general public beginning Wednesday, December 7 at 10:00 a.m. through Sunday, December 11 at 10:00 p.m. Tickets go on sale beginning Monday, December 12 at www.livenation.com.

Due to huge ticket demands and stellar reviews for the 24 Karat Gold Tour, the legendary gold dust queen Stevie Nicks, a Rock & Roll Hall of Famer and multi-platinum Grammy Award winning solo artist, has happily agreed to add the new series of shows and continue singing and dancing across the stages of North America performing her classic hits along with longtime fan favorites from throughout her entire career as a solo artist and member of Fleetwood Mac. Nicks has collectively sold over 140 million albums.

“It’s been thrilling to get on stage each night and sing some of my early gems from early in my career along with getting the chance to sing the material from my last two albums, “In Your Dreams” and “24 Karat Gold – Songs From The Vault,” says Stevie Nicks. Rhino Records has also recently released remastered deluxe versions of Nicks’ first two solo albums “Bella Donna” and “Wild Heart”.

RECENT RAVES FROM 24 KARAT GOLD TOUR

“Stevie cast a spell over Houston… Women danced. Men sang along. And Nicks in all her witchy allure proved she still reigns supreme.” – HOUSTON CHRONICLE

“Let’s face it, there’s something downright magical to Stevie Nicks… The sexiest voice on the planet.” – PHOENIX NEW TIMES

“Stevie Nicks enchants faithful fans at the Atlanta show… As women rock stars go, there aren’t much cooler than Stevie Nicks and Chrissie Hynde… A whopping injection of female fused musical power – a love letter to the faithful.” – ATLANTA JOURNAL CONSTITUTION

“Stevie Nicks doesn’t need Fleetwood Mac… I’m so happy she has the Mac but her solo catalogue does fine, filling two hours as she proved to a packed TD Garden. The golden goddess in gossamer has huge instantly recognizable hits… In the ‘80’s she had ten top 40 singles (not including her Mac smashes) but last night proved her “forgotten works have equal force and beauty .” – BOSTON HERALD Continue reading Stevie Nicks rockin’ 24 Karat Gold Tour adds 20 New Shows in 2017 →

Reviews, Solo Activity, Stevie Nicks, Tour Info

The stories behind the songs that Stevie Nicks is singing on her ’24 Karat Gold Tour’ | MLive

Leave a comment

Nicks, who performed at Van Andel Arena on Wed., Nov. 23 and at The Palace on Sun., Nov. 27, 2016, admitted this is not her typical solo tour. She called it a little darker than usual. This slideshow tells the stories behind many of the songs she performed. “It’s something different for me after all these years. I didn’t want to come out here and do the same Stevie Nicks stuff that you’ve seen 5,000 times.”

21605737-standard

Chrissie Hynde and the Pretenders opened for Nicks, performing for one hour. They performed songs from their 10th studio album, “Alone,” and some classics including: I’ll Stand By You,” “Back On The Chain Gang”, “Don’t Get Me Wrong,” and “Brass in Pocket.” Hynde made sure to put a little more emphasis on the line “been driving Detroit leaning” from the song “Brass in Pocket.”

21605755-standard

Story behind “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around”
Nicks brought out Chrissie Hynde of the Pretenders for this duet, originally performed with Tom Petty. The song is from Nicks’ first album, “Bella Donna” from 1981. Nicks says it wasn’t on the album at first, but producer Jimmy Iovine said it needed a hit single.

“Do you want me to go home and write a single? No, I don’t because a friend of ours (Tom Petty) has offered to give you an amazing song. If you don’t take this song and get this single, your record may tank. We have to thank Tom, because without that single, I may not even be standing here tonight.” Continue reading The stories behind the songs that Stevie Nicks is singing on her ’24 Karat Gold Tour’ | MLive →

Fleetwood Mac, Release Info, Solo Activity, Stevie Nicks, Tour Info

Stevie Nicks dusts off rarities for 24 Karat Gold Tour | Miami Herald

Leave a comment

BY HOWARD COHEN
27th Oct, 2016

For fans craving something fresh on the concert stage, Stevie Nicks’ new 24 Karat Gold Tour is truly golden.

Photo Credit: Kristin Burns
Photo Credit: Kristin Burns

She rehearsed 30 songs with her band to come up with the 20 that made the cut for the tour, which comes to Sunrise’s BB&T Center on Nov. 4 with opening act The Pretenders. Her goal was to include tunes she has never (or rarely) done live in a career that dates to the 1973 “Buckingham Nicks” album with then-boyfriend Lindsey Buckingham.

Fleetwood Mac’s recently reissued “Mirage” album from 1982 includes a disc of outtakes. One of the songs, Stevie Nicks’ “If You Were My Love” is featuring for the first time live on her current 24 Karat Gold Tour.

Rarities like “Bella Donna” and “Wild Heart,” the title tracks of her first two solo albums that are also being reissued in expanded versions this coming Friday, are in the set. So is “Crying in the Night” from “Buckingham Nicks” that predates the couple joining Fleetwood Mac.

Fans will also appreciate the live debuts for a couple of tracks from her most recent solo album, “24 Karat Gold: Songs from the Vault” — “The sex, drugs, rock and roll glory songs between 1969 and 1987,” Nicks said of demos she polished and recorded anew in Nashville in 2014.

“I can never write those songs again. Those were songs I am very proud of. I pulled them off Stevie Nicks and Fleetwood Mac records. The reasons were I didn’t like the production or I didn’t like the way they were recorded. I considered those to be my best songs so what I am going to do is go out with those songs and songs off “In Your Dreams” [her 2011 solo album] I didn’t do live, and it will be really fun.” Continue reading Stevie Nicks dusts off rarities for 24 Karat Gold Tour | Miami Herald →

Fleetwood Mac, Mick Fleetwood

Mick Fleetwood Says He Hopes Fleetwood Mac Finishes a New Album “Before We Hang It Up” | ABC Radio

Leave a comment

Before Fleetwood Mac launched its 2014-2015 world tour, Christine McVie, Lindsey Buckingham, John McVie and Mick Fleetwood worked on some new tracks that have yet to see the light of day. Fleetwood says that “before we hang it up,” he hopes the band will complete those recordings and release a new studio album, while admitting that he isn’t sure if that will happen.

Photo from Danny Clinch (via ABC News Radio)
Photo from Danny Clinch (via ABC News Radio)

“We have what we would call a large stash of great music. I’m not quite sure what we’re heading to do with it,” he tells ABC Radio. “I hope that we are able to [put an album together]. It’s just getting everyone on the same page to finish off the work that we’ve been doing.”

Mick admits that one Fleetwood Mac member who currently isn’t on the same page is Stevie Nicks , who will be launching a new North American solo tour on October 25.

“She’s busy doing her own stuff,” he points out. “And in this point in life, we’ve all dedicated so much time to Fleetwood Mac, you go, ‘Hey, it’d be great if we could, but if not, don’t worry about it.'”

Fleetwood tells ABC Radio that even if Nicks chooses not to lend her talents to the project, he hopes the music that’s already been recorded will be released in some form.

“I think there’s some thought that some of that lovely music would come out as a sort of duet album, maybe…from Christine and Lindsey,” Mick poses. “And if not, it will stay in a room, waiting for the day that maybe it would make sense that all of us can contribute to that being a Fleetwood Mac album.”

He adds, “Before we hang it up in the next few years, I truly hope there’s another lovely album that will come out.”

13th Oct 2016

Release Info, Solo Activity, Stevie Nicks

Hear Stevie Nicks’ Intimate ‘Bella Donna’ Demo | Rolling Stone

Leave a comment

Rolling Stone
By Brittany Spanos
13th Oct, 2016

Deluxe reissues of singer-songwriter’s first two solo albums, ‘Bella Donna’ and ‘The Wild Heart,’ out November 4th

Hear a previously unreleased demo version of Stevie Nicks' 1981 track "Bella Donna," to appear on one of two reissues out in November. Herbert Worthington III
Hear a previously unreleased demo version of Stevie Nicks’ 1981 track “Bella Donna,” to appear on one of two reissues out in November. Herbert Worthington III

On November 4th, Stevie Nicks’ first two solo albums — Bella Donna and The Wild Heart — will be reissued via Rhino. Each deluxe release will feature not only the original LP but rarities and bonus tracks, like the previously unreleased demo of her solo debut’s title track, streaming below.

Open stream in new window

Stripped of its backing vocals as well as the raucous live band and synthesizers featured on the original album version, Nicks’ demo is a tender, intimate take on the song. She sings softly above just the piano track, nearly whispering “Bella donna, my soul” and barely reaching the full-throated belt she unleashes on the 1981 recording.

Later this month and just before releasing the reissues, Nicks will embark on a solo tour with opening act the Pretenders. Nicks’ tour is in support of her 2014 album 24K Gold, a collection of songs she had cut from her prior solo releases for various reasons. “These are the glory songs,” she told Rolling Stone of her reason to follow a multi-year world tour with Fleetwood Mac with the solo dates. “These are the sex, rock & roll and drugs songs that I’m actually not really writing right now, and these are the songs I could never write again.”

Fleetwood Mac, UK Articles

Indulgent Showdown: Fleetwood Mac’s ‘Tusk’ vs. The Clash’s ‘Sandinista!’ | The Observer

Leave a comment

Observer Music
By Tim Sommer
13th Oct, 2016

fm

Deep in the heart of every rock musician, from the most credible to the most commercial, there lies someone whining, “Je suis un artiste! If only the world knew what a deep, tortured soul I am, and how complicated my record collection is!”

The more practical of these musicians merely peppers their catalog with maudlin and heartfelt ballads. Let’s call this the Bon Jovi method: “Perhaps you will forgive that Slippery When Wet stuff if I sing another song that is the musical equivalent of the page in the yearbook dedicated to that 11th grader who died.” Other artists make severe left or right turns, and produce albums dripping with uncharacteristic drama and musical complication; here I direct you to Music From ‘The Elder’ by Kiss, a histrionic, incomprehensible, and orchestra-laden concept album from 1981 that very nearly ended Kiss’ career (it’s actually a pretty good record, by the way, and features two songs co-written by Gene Simmons and Lou Reed).

Pop/rock history is absolutely strewn with such artifacts, from Pet Sounds to Bad Religion’s Into the Unknown (a fascinating pop/prog exercise from 1983 that was so offensive to the group’s fans that the band excised it from their catalog). In between these extremes, there’s Springsteen’s bold and courageous Nebraska, McCartney’s remarkable Firemen albums, Neil Young’s fascinating genre exercises (like Trans, Everybody’s Rockin’ and Arc), the Beastie Boys’ game changing Paul’s Boutique, and, of course, the great daddy of all of these sorts of records, Lou Reed’s Metal Machine Music. There are also entire careers that are built on thwarting expectations, e.g. Scott Walker, Beck, Bowie and Prince.[i]

In the autumn of 1979 Fleetwood Mac, a wildly popular and influential band at the peak of their visibility and commercial prowess, released a much-anticipated double album that was interpreted by fans and media as radical, even experimental. Almost exactly a year later the Clash, a wildly popular and influential band at the peak of their visibility and credibility, released a much-anticipated triple album that was interpreted by fans and media as radical, even experimental.

Fleetwood Mac’s Tusk is lean, effective and almost completely without waste or filler. It showcases a great band at their prime. Alternately precise and luxurious, Tusk is one of the most underrated albums of the era. Continue reading Indulgent Showdown: Fleetwood Mac’s ‘Tusk’ vs. The Clash’s ‘Sandinista!’ | The Observer →