Mike Campbell Has A Solo Album In The Can
 

Per the Warren Zanes biography of Tom Petty (which I highly recommend), Mike Campbell recorded a solo album but at Petty's request never released it (Petty felt Campbell sounded too similar to Petty himself and feared it would confuse their audience).

So, subject to Campbell's willingness to cannibalize his unreleased solo album, the current Fleetwood Mac lineup will have an album's worth of original Mike Campbell material from they can draw for their own album, if they make one.

Tp
 

They do sound a bit alike. Really noticeable when Mike sings 'Oh Well' during the shows. I guess the confusion argument is understandable, but that's gotta be one hell of a relationship they had if Mike has held onto that album this whole time.

Mike's priority was always the Heartbreakers. He was co-leader of the band, and respected Tom's judgement and authority unequivocally. It could be misinformation, but someone on a Petty message board said that Tom paid him a million dollars a year.

He also has a Dirty Knobs album in the can.

Might be the same album.

I don't understand this. Wasn't he getting paid anyway from being in the band?

Yes, that's what I meant. He was on salary as a member of the band. I imagine he may have earned producer and publishing royalties too, but not artist royalties as those all went to Tom, who had the band members on salary.

Benmont Tench played last night at the Largo Coronet in Los Angeles. He was joined by a Very Special Guest.

Jealous much?? Imagine spending all that money to produce an album and be told something as ridiculous as this. Mike obliged of course 'cause he didn't want to get on Tom's bad side probably.No one would be confused that it wasn't a Petty song. People would know it was a Mike Campbell solo tune, especially Petty's fans who would most likely be the buyers of such songs. Petty once blasted Stevie for recording a song that was set to one of his music demos without his permission. He also complained to reporters when Stop Draggin' was a huge hit but it was on Bella Donna rather than his record, Hard Promises. His actual words to the reporter were, "on a Stevie Nicks album," shared in his disdain.

Oh I see. I thought you were saying that Mike was being paid not to record outside of The Heartbreakers.

He was merely upset at the timing. His single "Woman In Love" would have been a big hit had "Stop Draggin'" not been released concurrently. Tom was merely upset that they didn't stagger the single releases so both could be hits. He was right.

Stan Lynch?

I saw something about Jackson Browne on Twitter. No idea if that was accurate.

Correction: It's Demos, Not An Album
 

An album's worth of demos, written and sung by Mike, per pages 288-91 of the Warren Zanes book.

The point of confusion is that while the author refers to the recordings as demos, the interview subject (Heartbreakers crew chief Alan "Bugs" Weidel) says, "Mike had made an album."

The full context points to the recordings being demos.

This is good. It give me hope the Fleetwood Mac will take a crack at The Mixdown AKA Love and War.