Wow--Ken has a real beef with Lindsey. So much so that his point of view sounds distorted. Or, as he says, "too negative."
He's bought into the initial story about Lindsey being fired for wanting to delay the tour by one year, which we now know is false. Has he learned that was false and is just holding onto that excuse because it serves his purposes?
This section of the interview is awful and fascinating:
Smashing Interviews Magazine: What did you think the first single should’ve been?
Ken Caillat: Probably “Sisters of the Moon,” or one of Stevie’s or Christine’s songs. That’s what I thought.
Smashing Interviews Magazine: Maybe “Sara”?
Ken Caillat: Yeah. “Sara” or a more up-tempo song would’ve been “Think About Me” because usually you want to lead off with an up-tempo song, and “Sara” is too long. We tried to edit that song down, but it was still over four minutes, and the norm was kind of a three-minute single. But again, the label said, “No. We’re just going to go for the money. Let’s release a double record.” So the weird “Tusk” was released as the first single. It didn’t make a lot of sense. I thought having “Tusk” as the first single was the biggest mistake that we made.
Smashing Interviews Magazine: Many people speculate that the song “Tusk” was about sex.
Ken Caillat: It’s not about anything. It’s just stupid. The road crew used to just sit there and giggle, and Lindsey would get all excited that he made the road crew giggle. He thought he was one of the guys. It’s not the first single. Maybe it’s somewhere down the line, you know. We had to solve a lot of technical problems to make that record like the live horns in Dodger Stadium.
I came to the stadium in a recording truck and said, “Okay. Here’s all the mics. You guys stand in front of these mics, trumpets stand over here.” They go, “Wait a minute! We’re a marching band.” I said, “Yeah?” They said, “We don’t play unless we march.” I said, “No. Stand in place and march.” They said, “No. We can’t do that. We have to move.” I said, “So how do I make my microphones move?” It was hysterical. I had to figure out how to record a marching band that had to march. Anyway, the double record and the “Tusk” lead off were the biggest mistakes.
Smashing Interviews Magazine: What is your relationship with the rest of Fleetwood Mac?
Ken Caillat: Well, I have a relationship with Mick. The band was not really high tech, so they don’t keep their same phone numbers and emails, and I don’t have any way of connecting with Stevie. Stevie’s got a big entourage of people that are paid to protect her from strangers, and I would be considered a stranger in their eyes. The last time I talked to Christine, we were good. I produced a record for her in 2005. But I talk to John. I talk to Mick. I wish John a happy birthday every year, so I think I’m fine with everybody.
I’d probably be fine with Lindsey if I ever saw him. But he’s just got so much hatred now with the band for firing him when he’s the one that brought it on himself. He again demanded that they would delay their world tour for a year or a year and a half while he finished his solo record, and his solo records never sell anything. He gave them the ultimatum that he would quit, so the band talked and said, “You know what? Why don’t we just fire you? You’ve pulled that trick one too many times. We don’t care.”
There's a lot to unpack here.
1. I always thought having "Tusk" be the lead single was an instance of genius AND deliberate sabotage. It made total sense to issue the strangest song on the record as the lead single, a song with sexual overtones that ultimately doesn't mean anything but has a lot of character. A song that is as iconic as GYOW in its own way.
2. I never heard of the initial plan to stagger the release of the two discs, so that the second of the two would come later and fit into the packaging that came with the first disc. Interesting and ultimately problematic--how many people would have declined to buy the second disc? If I were one of the songwriters, I wouldn't want half of my material in limbo with the hope that the initial purchasers would complete the purchase down the line. Moreover, how would the two discs have been reviewed? Would Rolling Stone, for example, devote equal space to both discs. As an artist, I wouldn't want to take that chance. I'm glad WB got greedy and issued both at the same time. This makes TUSK the excessive, spectacular success/failure it is.
3. "The road crew used to just sit there and giggle, and Lindsey would get all excited that he made the road crew giggle. He thought he was one of the guys.--Ken is suggesting that the road crew were laughing AT not with Lindsey. Even if this were true, why would he want to bring this up? It's hurtful. And anyway, time has shown that Lindsey was RIGHT. We're still talking about TUSK in 2019 because it is what it is.
4. "I’d probably be fine with Lindsey if I ever saw him. But he’s just got so much hatred now with the band for firing him when he’s the one that brought it on himself."--clearly Ken would NOT be fine with Lindsey if he ever saw him. He still has a lot of anger over him and lashes out by saying spiteful things.
Of course I enjoyed reading this, but I enjoyed reading this the way I might enjoy the bitchy private camera testimony of a SURVIVOR contestant who may or may not be delusional and is smack-talking the others who have a greater chance of winning the game.
Mind you: I have a lot of respect for Ken's work. I really enjoyed how he made IN THE MEANTIME sound and credit him for helping Dan Perfect allow Christine to sound as great as she did on that solo effort. I also think he probably has a real basis for claiming that working with Lindsey was traumatic--or at least exceptionally difficult. But....But.
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