Favorite Instrumental Performance
 

Name your favorite top two performances by each player of an instrument in Fleetwood Mac, save Dave Mason (who only played certain songs on one studio album) and Mike Campbell (who did not play on any live or studio FM album). For me, it was especially hard to restrict two performances for Mick, Peter, and Danny. The performance could be from a studio or live album that was officially released. Here’s my list:


Peter Green — Before the Beginning; Black Magic Woman (original recording)

Mick Fleetwood — Go Your Own Way; I’m So Afraid

John McVie — Miles Away; Little Lies

Jeremy Spencer — Preachin’ Blues (live, BBC); live-in-studio Crazy Bout You Baby (second solo)

Danny Kirwan — Tell Me All the Things You Do; both Madge Jams

Christine McVie — Crystal (organ); Born Enchanter (piano)

Bob Welch — Future Games (arpeggios and jazz chording); Hypnotized (acoustic string guitar)

Bob Weston — The City (electric slide); Why (acoustic slide)

Lindsey Buckingham — GYOW; Rhiannon

Rick Vito — As Long as You Follow; Save Me

Billy Burnette — Love Shines; Talking to My Heart

Rick Vito — Another Woman (live); Love is Dangerous
Christine McVie - Songbird; Silver Springs (live)
Lindsey Buckingham - I'm So Afraid (live); Tango in the Night
Mick Fleetwood - World Turning (live); Not That Funny (live)
John McVie - Go Your Own Way; The Chain

Naming 2 will be hard. I have 3 drinks in me. One is easy.

John McVie - bass on Hypnotized
Christine McVie - organ on Oh Daddy (ending)
Bob Weston - slide guitar on Why
Mick Fleetwood - drums on Straight Back
Lindsey Buckingham - guitar on GYOW
Rick Vito - guitar on In The Back Of My Mind
Christine McVie - keyboards on Nights In Estoril
Christine McVie - piano on Songbird
Bob Welch - guitar on Silver Heals
John McVie - bass on Gold Dust Woman
Mick Fleetwood - Percussion on Hold Me
John McVie - bass on Go Your Own Way
Lindsey - guitar on Isn't It Midnight
Christine McVie - synthesizer on You Make Loving Fun
Lindsey - guitar licks on You Make Loving Fun
Stevie - tambourine on The Chain Live

Lindsey- guitar on Go Your Own Way and the Chain

Christine- piano on Songbird and Warm Ways

Mick- drums on Go Your Own Way and Save Me

Rick- guitar on No Questions Asked and Save Me

John- bass on the Chain and You Make Loving Fun

You have no appreciation of the Bob Welch, or Peter Green years?

Oh yeah, goat free. Check. :p

I love that that’s what you got from my post.

Peter Green - Oh Well part 1 & 2
John McVie - Hypnotized and Keep on going
Danny Kirwan Jigsaw Puzzle Blues and Sunny Side of Heaven
Bob Welch - Hypnotized and Dissatisfied
Christine McVie - Songbird and Sugar Daddy
Lindsey Buckingham - GYOW and I'm So Afraid
Mick Fleetwood - Hypnotized and World Turning
Rick Vito - In the Back of my Mind
Billy Burnette - Love Shines
Stevie Nicks - :shrug: :sorry:

Peter Green: Madge jams, Black Magic Woman, Jumping at Shadows
Danny Kirwan: Madge jams, Only You, Sunny Side of Heaven
Mick Fleetwood: Madge jams, Rattlesnake Shake, Tusk
John McVie: Bare Trees, Sisters of The Moon
Christine McVie: You Make Loving Fun, Wish You Were Here
Lindsey Buckingham: I’m So Afraid, Never Going Back Again, Go Your Own Way
Rick Vito: As Long As You Follow, I Loved Another Woman
Billy Burnette: Love Shines, When the Sun Goes Down
Bob Weston: Why, Miles Away
Bob Welch: Silver Heels, Come a Little Bit Closer
Jeremy Spencer: Dust My Broom, Shake Your Money Maker
Stevie Nicks: The Chain (tambourine)

Peter Green — Man of The World

Mick Fleetwood — Revelation

John McVie — Revelation

Danny Kirwan — Danny's Chant

Christine McVie — Crystal outro and The City

Bob Welch — Bermuda Triangle (Live)

Bob Weston — Why

Lindsey Buckingham — Second Hand News

Rick Vito — In The Back of My Mind

Billy Burnette — Talking to My Heart

Very cool list, sir. One thing: the bass on “Revelation” was provided by Bob Welch. A bit of trivia I picked up from Samuel Graham’s book.

A number of songs on your list almost made mine. Remember the Tusk doc of John playing bass on Sisters? Holy crap, that was hot.

I’d also add what a great musical showcase Oh Daddy is. It’s not always the most loved of Rumours songs, but the musicianship is great. Johns bass is brilliant, Chris’ keys are brilliant. Micks drumming is gentle, restrained and just what is needed.

Oh Daddy is beautifully orchestrated start to finish.

It's shocking and hateful that we're not all devoting acres of space to the wonder of our mistress's tambourine playing ;)


A special shout out for John's bassline on Say you love me. It's magical and just propels the song to another level, imho.

You are so right. The bass on Say You Love me does take the song to another level. But once you start naming great bass parts by John where do you stop? The Chain, GYOW, Everybody Finds Out, Say You Love Me, Gold Dust Woman, Sisters, etc. You cant stop.
BTW, I did mention Stevie for her headbanging tambourine playing on The Chain (live).

Nominees for best spoken part in a Fleetwood Mac song or video:

Bob Welch for Bermuda Triangle - No matter what Chris and Mick thought at the time it was brilliant. When I was 14 I would listen in my dark room to this Bermuda Triangle story and it would scare me. It was almost like telling ghost stories mid song.

Mrs Scarrott for Thoughts on a Grey Day

Mick Fleetwood for Two Sticks and a Drum - Skies The Limit video

The winner is********
Bob Welch for Bermuda Triangle

Don't you ever say that again!!!! :laugh: We are not speaking ever again.

Text you in a few. :)

I quite like this list. :o

Absof*ckinglutely. No mention of anyone PRE-$tevie. Check.

Peter Green — Green Manalishi

Mick Fleetwood — Hypnotized

John McVie — GYOW(come on, his part is f*cking AMAZING)

Danny Kirwan — Child of Mine

Christine McVie — YMLF

Bob Welch — Emerald Eyes

Bob Weston — Why

Lindsey Buckingham — NGBA

Rick Vito — Love is Dangerous

Billy Burnette — Do You Know

Nothing from Time? Typical Homer :laugh:

Well, there’s not really anything on Time that particularly showcases anyone’s skills. Apart from Bekkas vocals. Billy’s best work isn’t really on Time. So….

bwboy….as a New Year’s resolution, I’d urge you to maybe gen up on pre-75. I think you’ll be surprised. I envy you having a lot of great music to discover.

…..it’s like getting all your Christmas presents….and then getting some extra really cool ones you wasn’t expecting from distant relatives days after Christmas.

Much like your prom date, it was easily forgotten.

Chris's keyboards on Nights in Estoril are impressive. Besides being a haunting melody its played rapid and impressive IMHO.

This guy gives a stab at it

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l36YoyV3MDo

Her best work though???? Nah

There is something about that melody that haunts me. I loved it the first time I heard it. I love songs that showcase her playing. She was a fantastic song writer but her playing was so good and catchy. This one just hooked me in and wont let me go. I suppose most times her playing is sort of a supporting measure in the song but its being highlighted in this song.

I’d also say Don’t Let Me Down Again is a great showcase for Lindsey’s playing. It sounds so different to much of his playing with FM (and solo). I guess it’s the use of the LP that stands it apart. It just sounds so much more aggressive and ‘dirty’ than what we’ve come to know.

I came close to buying the boxset of pre-1975 material, but to be honest, as I’ve gotten older, I’ve been downsizing as much as possible my collection of CDs, DVDs, and books. I guess I thought buying that boxset was going in the opposite direction of what I was trying to accomplish, but your post has encouraged me to reconsider. Thanks FuzzyPlum :thumbsup:

Last year on Amazon, I got the box set of pre 1975 CDs for half price. I pretty much paid $6 per CD when you add it together.

Ha, I understand. But in this day and age, it’s not essential to be buying physical box sets. I often just play songs or albums through YouTube. In fact, I presently have Down at the Crown blaring through my TV : )

PS….this may have been asked before….it may be rude of me to ask….but how old are you bwboy? I guess you’re not actually a boy!!!!!
btw….I’m 49

Not at all rude! I’m 52. My parents recently passed and I guess I’ve become more aware of my own mortality. I recently completed my will, and since I don’t have children and never will, I guess I’ve been more sensitive that my siblings and nieces/nephews aren’t going to want to deal with my various collections LOL when I do pass. I can see someone selling my FM Deluxe Editions for a buck, not realizing they could get a lot more for them.

Ok I’ll play

Peter: Green Manalishi, Oh Well
Mick: Sands of Time, Hypnotized
John: Bare Trees, I’m So Afraid
Danny: World in Harmony, Woman of a 1,000 Years
Bob: Future Games, She’s Changing Me
Christine: Come a Little Bit Closer, You Make Lovin’ Fun
Lindsey: I’m So Afraid, Tusk

So IF $tevie was on it, you WOULD own it? Not trying to beat you down, just trying to get you to admit it. :p

Stevie memorised every track on that box set before joining the band.

Back to front

I am one of those who are not so involved in the pre-75 music, except for singles included in The Chain boxset, and the Bare Trees album.

What album do you recomend to start discovering that great music? The full albums are in YouTube so it's easy to start for free before deciding what album to buy.

Well, Bare Trees has a lot of gems on it.
Personally I'd vouch for Mystery to Me as a starter.
As much as anything, even if you do not care for the music of Bob and Danny, those 70-74 albums hold a great insight into the songwriting development of Christine.

I started with Heroes are Hard to Find and bought all the Fleetwood Mac albums from current releases to their earliest. That’s how I got into the pre Buckingham Nicks era. I agree that you can really see how Christine’s songs just get better and better over the years.