Over the past 16 years, seeing the “Soap Opera” escque and long time “#1 selling album” band Fleetwood Mac has been great, however, there has always been something missing. That something is the husky baritone voice of the founding singer and song-writer, Christine McVie, who performed some of the most memorable hits and the completed famous harmonious trio of the band.
Joining the band in the late 60s after Fleetwood Mac had a whirlwind of different guitarist and singers, McVie became the sole singer and writer. The two founding members, Mick Fleetwood and John McVie, considered Christine important to the shaping of the band, especially when they picked there last and final round of band members, Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham. The trio of singers and songwriters, along with John McVie and Mick Fleetwood’s London Blues rhythm section and Lindsey Buckingham folk electric guitar, the band became a hit making machine with their first self-titled album, “Fleetwood Mac”.
Given the rank as the band with the top selling album of all time with “Rumours” (later knocked down by Michael Jackson’s “Thriller”), they also became the band famous for emotional and relationship trite. The band was made up of 3 couples and during the process of their follow up album “Rumours”, the couples broke up. John and Christine McVie divorced and Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham’s 8 year relationship ended tumultuously. “Rumours” was named by Mick Fleetwood after witnessing the emotional tension between his band mates and divorcing his own wife. Each song from the album, co-written by C. McVie, Nicks, and Buckingham, included songs about anger, regret, jealousy, and letting go. Its these songs that fans loved so much, especially “Songbird” by McVie, which for years was the closing number and peace offering to John McVie. I can go on for pages about which song was meant for who and what the songs meant when it came to infidelity and selfishness.
Its been 16 years sense anyone has heard McVie sing “Songbird” live. The band went on to release albums up until the mid 90’s, with McVie producing most of the hits. After their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, with the songwriters all getting separately inducted, McVie announced that she was leaving the band for good. She had convinced the members that she would never rejoin the band and that not even a year ago, Stevie Nicks said:
“Theres more of a chance of an asteroid hitting Earth” when it comes to Christine McVie ever returning to the band.
During Fleetwood Mac’s 2013 tour that traveled to England, McVie joined her former band mates on stage to perform “Don’t Stop,” which was a song written by her and sang harmoniously by all 3 singers. The crowd was roaring with pure classic rock awesomeness and many were overwhelmed by the surprise. It is this overwhelming feeling of joy and applause that lured Christine McVie back into the band. She told Rolling Stone:
“I had some deluded idea that I wanted to live the ‘country lady’ life, but I went through a divorce and I felt isolated in the country. I grew quite ill and depressed. Being back is really a time warp. The tour is going to be great fun. I feel like a pig in poo right now.”
With McVie back, the group will be able to perform songs like “Little Lies,” “You Make Loving Fun,” “Everywhere” and many other songs they haven’t been able to play in nearly 20 years.
Writers Note:
I’m a crazy Fleetwood Mac fan and I’ve seen every tour of theirs sense 2004, which was the year of their first tour without Christine McVie. This year, almost on the same date that I saw them for the first time 10 years ago, I will be seeing them again and it will be their first tour with McVie. How ironic :). I must say, I never thought I would ever get to see this day come and to really experience the band as a whole. Also ironic is that my parents bought me that ticket 10 years ago for my 11th birthday and they will be doing the same this year for my 21st. Thanks Mom and Dad, you rock!