1967

[vivfox]

Monday, August 31, 2009
Peter Green, John McVie and Mick Fleetwood form Fleetwood Mac after leaving John Mayall's Bluesbreakers. The blues-based outfit is rounded out by Danny Kirwan, and Jeremy Spencer.
It's a damn shame they went soft and turned into what we now know as 'Fleetwood Mac.'
Whenever i end up talking music with someone and mention that i like Fleetwood Mac, it's always like "No seriously, they really were a great 60's blues band, honest.."

Fun fact: Since they were founded in 1967, Fleetwood Mac has had more lineup changes while retaining the same name than any other rock and roll band. True story.

http://rockandrolltoday.blogspot.com/2009/08/green-mac.html

[Wouter Vuijk]

Monday, August 31, 2009
Peter Green, John McVie and Mick Fleetwood form Fleetwood Mac after leaving John Mayall's Bluesbreakers. The blues-based outfit is rounded out by Danny Kirwan, and Jeremy Spencer.
It's a damn shame they went soft and turned into what we now know as 'Fleetwood Mac.'
Whenever i end up talking music with someone and mention that i like Fleetwood Mac, it's always like "No seriously, they really were a great 60's blues band, honest.."

Fun fact: Since they were founded in 1967, Fleetwood Mac has had more lineup changes while retaining the same name than any other rock and roll band. True story.

http://rockandrolltoday.blogspot.com/2009/08/green-mac.html

Sorry, just couldn't resist posting a comment there. :D

[dino]

Sorry, just couldn't resist posting a comment there. :D

Hehe... good work, Wouter.
I have to echo the blogger's sentiments - I don't know how many times I've had to explain that there are 2 Fleetwood Macs and I'm a fan of the first one. Most people don't know they started out as a blues band. I kind of like the Rumours edition, but it's a completely different band, of course.

[chiliD]

Hehe... good work, Wouter.
I have to echo the blogger's sentiments - I don't know how many times I've had to explain that there are 2 Fleetwood Macs and I'm a fan of the first one. Most people don't know they started out as a blues band. I kind of like the Rumours edition, but it's a completely different band, of course.

And, you're completely omitting the "Bob Welch years"...there've actually been something like 15 incarnations of the band. The Rumours lineup being #10.

#1: Green, Spencer, Fleetwood, Brunning
#2: Green, Spencer, Fleetwood, J McVie
#3: Green, Spencer, Fleetwood, J McVie, Kirwan
#4: Spencer, Fleetwood, J McVie, Kirwan
#5: Spencer, Fleetwood, J McVie, Kirwan, C Perfect
#5B: Fleetwood, J McVie, Kirwan, C Perfect, Green, Watson
#6: Fleetwood, J McVie, Kirwan, C McVie, Welch
#7: Fleetwood, J McVie, C McVie, Welch, Weston, Walker
#8: Fleetwood, J McVie, C McVie, Welch, Weston
#9: Fleetwood, J McVie, C McVie, Welch
#10: Fleetwood, J McVie, C McVie, Buckingham, Nicks
#11: Fleetwood, J McVie, C McVie, Nicks, Burnette, Vito
#12: Fleetwood, J McVie, Burnette, Vito
#13: Fleetwood, J McVie, C McVie, Burnette
#14: Fleetwood, J McVie, Burnette, Bramlett, Mason
#14B: Fleetwood, J McVie, Burnette, Bramlett, Mason, C McVie
Then here we revert back to #10
#15: Fleetwood, J McVie, Buckingham, Nicks

From the blog:

Fun fact: Since they were founded in 1967, Fleetwood Mac has had more lineup changes while retaining the same name than any other rock and roll band. True story

And, that's not "true story" at all, either. I can name THREE bands off the top of my head that top Fleetwood Mac for lineup changes, and I'm sure there are more:

Savoy Brown
Deep Purple
Jethro Tull

[chriskisn]

actually you missed one because #15 should probably be the dance tour...

Actually if I'm correct in this (and I may not be), what makes Fleetwood Mac unique is that they have had thirteen vocalists not just regular lineup changes (fourteen if you count "These Strange Times" and "Lizard People")...

[SteveMacD]

And, you're completely omitting the "Bob Welch years"...there've actually been something like 15 incarnations of the band. The Rumours lineup being #10.

#1: Green, Spencer, Fleetwood, Brunning
#2: Green, Spencer, Fleetwood, J McVie
#3: Green, Spencer, Fleetwood, J McVie, Kirwan
#4: Spencer, Fleetwood, J McVie, Kirwan
#5: Spencer, Fleetwood, J McVie, Kirwan, C Perfect
#5B: Fleetwood, J McVie, Kirwan, C Perfect, Green, Watson
#6: Fleetwood, J McVie, Kirwan, C McVie, Welch
#7: Fleetwood, J McVie, C McVie, Welch, Weston, Walker
#8: Fleetwood, J McVie, C McVie, Welch, Weston
#9: Fleetwood, J McVie, C McVie, Welch
#10: Fleetwood, J McVie, C McVie, Buckingham, Nicks
#11: Fleetwood, J McVie, C McVie, Nicks, Burnette, Vito
#12: Fleetwood, J McVie, Burnette, Vito
#13: Fleetwood, J McVie, C McVie, Burnette
#14: Fleetwood, J McVie, Burnette, Bramlett, Mason
#14B: Fleetwood, J McVie, Burnette, Bramlett, Mason, C McVie
Then here we revert back to #10
#15: Fleetwood, J McVie, Buckingham, Nicks

That's close for me, but there are a few disagreements:

#12: Fleetwood, J McVie, Burnette, Vito
#13: Fleetwood, J McVie, C McVie, Burnette

I really don't count these as actual variations on the band, since the band really wasn't an entity at that time. The band without girls only did a couple of shows as The Zoo, never Fleetwood Mac. Also, I find it hard to count one box set track as an offical variation. I mean, we could also state that this group, with Stevie, did Heart Of Stone, so would that also count as another line-up? Or, what about the Super Bowl band where it was #13 and Rick Vito? This is a weird period for the band, and I tend to lump it all together under #11, #11B, and #11C, mainly because there wasn't really an "official" line-up, and it was some variation on the Behind The Mask band.


#14: Fleetwood, J McVie, Burnette, Bramlett, Mason
#14B: Fleetwood, J McVie, Burnette, Bramlett, Mason, C McVie

The Time band is something I doubt we'll ever agree on (even though there's more proof on my side that Christine, NOT Billy, was on board from the gitgo, such as pictures and quotes from that period of time, like these...)

http://www.fleetwoodmac.com/sites/fleetwoodmac/files/photos/65340015.JPG
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b313/SteveMacD/Mac951.jpg

http://bla.fleetwoodmac.net/index.ph...2&id=6543&c=18

The band, which founders Fleetwood and bassist John McVie decided to re-form last fall, is working on a studio album that will probably not be out until next summer. Which puts the members of the current band (the McVies, Fleetwood, Mason and vocalist Bekka Bramlett, daughter of Bonnie Bramlett of Delaney and Bonnie fame) in the odd position of recording together without having played much live.

The band's summer tour dates are the only opportunity they will have before finishing the record. That tour stops in Dallas today as the band plays with Foreigner and the Doobie Brothers as part of Freedomfest '94. For the tour, Steve Toma takes Christine McVie's place, and Mac vet Billy Burnett adds second guitar.
:D

So, for me, there are 13 official variations on Fleetwood Mac.

But, really, there are four distinct eras.

1) Fleetwood-McVie-Green-Spencer-Kirwan (through Kiln House)
2) Fleetwood-McVie-C.McVie-Welch (et. al.)
3) Fleetwood-McVie-C.McVie-Nicks-Buckingham
4) Fleetwood-McVie-C.McVie-Burnette (et. al.)


And, that's not "true story" at all, either. I can name THREE bands off the top of my head that top Fleetwood Mac for lineup changes, and I'm sure there are more:

Savoy Brown
Deep Purple
Jethro Tull
Guided by Voices had so many that they just listed who was in the band at any given year on the family tree in their book. It was too hard to keep track. Even harder considering they were really drunk in those days. There are even disagreements as to when certain things were released. (Considering the upcoming Boston Spacships album will be Robert Pollard's 130th or so release since 1987, it's easy to see how those details could get overlooked.)

Also, John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers

[vivfox]

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b313/SteveMacD/Mac951.jpg



I like this photo. I always thought Dave Mason looked like John McVie, (although strangely not in this photo) even B4 he joined FM and Bekka in this photo reminds me of 1975 Stevie, especially in the way she has her shirt tied up in the front. Christine looks so good at this point in time that she could even pass herself off as if this was taken in 1975.