Ken Caillat Seeks Input for Book

[ThePenguin]

Hi Ledgies,

Ken Caillat has asked for our help on a book that he is writing. Perhaps you could lend an assist by posting questions, comments and info regarding the making of Rumours in this thread.

I know we've had new questions for Ken ever since SYW and In The Meantime were released, but right now, he needs feedback just focusing on the making of Rumours. Let's keep the feedback on that one subject here in this thread and then, if there are any further discussions that arise among us, about some of the questions posed here, then that should go in other threads, for conversation just among Ledgies.

Since Ken plans on contacting anyone he can find from that era, he is also seeking information about people who were employed by the band: crew, security, engineers, receptionists at all the other studios, or rock journalists who ever interviewed the band, etc.--or most recent contact information. So, if you have any leads, send them along. If you have contact or sensitive information that should not be on a public board, send that to caillatcomments[at sign]fleetwoodmac.net.

Otherwise, post all your feedback here. Here's a note from Ken:


Hello everyone, This is Ken Caillat and I need your help. I am writing a
book on the Making of Rumours. It's being published by Harper Collins. I
want this to be the most accurate account of what went in to making this
great album. I'll be contacting everyone I can find who was there for that
epic year of recording including the band and asking new questions. I
know you fans know stories that I may not be aware of or you might
want questions answered that you have about how or why things
happened they way they did.

Well, ask away! Also, I'm looking for lost photos shot during this
album, including studio shots outside the studio shots, etc. If we use your
question, you could be in my book.

Thank you,
Ken Caillat

[Moz]

(It's early, so forgive me if none of this makes sense..)

Cool! I have a question regarding Lindsey's shirt that's shown in the gatefold of the insert that came with the LP. It's the one where Mick is laying on the ground with a bottle of wine near his feet and everyone is sitting/standing behind him. Lindsey's shirt says "Milt" and I was told it was an inside joke regarding their drug dealer.

Also on the insert, near the top, there's a line of six pictures of Lindsey smoking something. It looks like he's wearing a shower cap!

Whose idea was it for Chris to play a chair in Second Hand News? What kind of chair was it?

Who designed the whispering penguins?

What were the easiest and hardest songs to record?

Why is Oh Daddy such an awesome song?

Was there a conscious attempt to make You Make Loving Fun sound sort of "disco"?

When making up his bass parts, did John do it all by himself or did someone else (let's take Lindsey for example) say, "let's play it like this"...? If that makes sense.

Did Lindsey or Stevie do any little 'piano things', or was it all done by Christine? Likewise, did Christine do any stuff on the guitar?

Is it true that Stevie had a cold during the recording Dreams (the take that would eventually make it on to the album. Sounds like she does.)?

Why was a pane of glass broken during the recording of Gold Dust Woman? Also, in the last minute or so of GDW, there's an eerie sort of wailing sound. There has been discussion about whether or not it's Stevie wailing or Lindsey messing around on his guitar.

Why does Lindsey whisper "fffff*ck" at the beginning of the Chain?

I have about a bazillion photos I could put up here, but I'm not sure what Ken's looking for!

What did the band do for fun?

What other songs were recorded during this time that never made it onto the album, aside from Silver Springs? I always figured The Dealer was from this time..

ETA: There are a few hours of outtakes/behind the scenes footage from the band's stop in Japan in December '77. It has been floating around for a few years, I imagine. Anyway, was this footage supposed to be used for some sort of documentary? It's quite amusing ("interviews" with Christine and Stevie, Lindsey noodling around on the guitar and piano and remarking how "at the end of this year we'll have played 98 shows. 98! I'M SICK OF PLAYING!") and there is an excellent version of Gold Dust Woman. While I don't have any information regarding other people employed by the band, roadies and other helpers are shown in this footage.

[Moz]

Okay, here are some Rumours era photos. Not sure if they're as "lost" as Ken would like, but I thought it would be fun.





.



There are two in this post. And here, and here.

[shackin'up]

Ok, Ken (Chicken Shack pun intended ), I admire your work on this epic album, but with all the respect in the world: in this year, 2009, we should
* talk about and
* write books about and
* reissue film- and audio from ....
the best album ever recorded. 30 years ago. TUSK. Why aren't we, and especially the band and all Tusk-coworkers, focussing on that?????????

[Peestie]

Originally Posted by shackin'up

Why aren't we, and especially the band and all Tusk-coworkers, focussing on that?????????

Because publishers aren't interested in putting out a book about a "flop" album when they can put one out about Rumours?

I don't have any specific questions at the minute but I'm sure I'll be back with some. The closest I have to a question is a request that plenty of technical stuff goes in about how the album was produced and how the fantastic sound of that album was produced. What techniques etc. were used? I'll try come back with more specific questions but I'd just eat up any technical information, if it's available.

[shackin'up]

Originally Posted by Peestie

Because publishers aren't interested in putting out a book about a "flop" album when they can put one out about Rumours?

.

But I'm talking to Ken here, Peestie, not to a publisher: Ken KNOWS that Tusk is a artistic masterpiece (and besides, one of the best-selling double-albums ever) with an amazingly important influence on todays new-folk-movement and the lo-fi singersongwriters-wave of the late nineties. That's what the world should be interested in.

[kencaillat]

Originally Posted by Peestie

Because publishers aren't interested in putting out a book about a "flop" album when they can put one out about Rumours?

I don't have any specific questions at the minute but I'm sure I'll be back with some. The closest I have to a question is a request that plenty of technical stuff goes in about how the album was produced and how the fantastic sound of that album was produced. What techniques etc. were used? I'll try come back with more specific questions but I'd just eat up any technical information, if it's available.

Flop album!? Have you hear tusk? Do you know how many albums it sold, double albums??
KC

[TeenageMac]

Originally Posted by shackin'up

Ok, Ken (Chicken Shack pun intended ), I admire your work on this epic album, but with all the respect in the world: in this year, 2009, we should
* talk about and
* write books about and
* reissue film- and audio from ....
the best album ever recorded. 30 years ago. TUSK. Why aren't we, and especially the band and all Tusk-coworkers, focussing on that?????????

Don't worry - A book about the making of Tusk is due out March 2010! http://www.continuumbooks.com/books/...?BookId=131532

[kencaillat]

Originally Posted by shackin'up

Ok, Ken (Chicken Shack pun intended ), I admire your work on this epic album, but with all the respect in the world: in this year, 2009, we should
* talk about and
* write books about and
* reissue film- and audio from ....
the best album ever recorded. 30 years ago. TUSK. Why aren't we, and especially the band and all Tusk-coworkers, focussing on that?????????

Exactly my thoughts! My first work with them was Rumours and that is truely where the story begins. I believe that the story of Rumours with all the heartache and sacrafice and work, will set the stage to tell about the other 3 albums I did with Fleetwood Mac (and all crazy events that went on in between). Kc

[shackin'up]

Originally Posted by kencaillat

Exactly my thoughts! My first work with them was Rumours and that is truely where the story begins. I believe that the story of Rumours with all the heartache and sacrafice and work, will set the stage to tell about the other 3 albums I did with Fleetwood Mac (and all crazy events that went on in between). Kc

Well, alright then, if that is the case, you can start with the beginning!

I just banged my head against the wall seeing that Ken Caillat quoted my response! Thanks, you made my day Ken!

I just read an incredible good book on the making of Rumours by Cath Carroll.
In that book there's a passage about that Mick and John bonded and Christine and Stevie bonded during the emotional hard times, but that Lindsey bonded mostly with Dashut and went back in the studio with him for long long periods just to focus on the work. How do you recall that? Do you think that part of LB's obsessive studiobehaviour is based on the urge for running away for reality? ( Sorry for my english, I'm Dutch.)

Gerald



..

[gldstwmn]

Originally Posted by kencaillat

Exactly my thoughts! My first work with them was Rumours and that is truely where the story begins. I believe that the story of Rumours with all the heartache and sacrafice and work, will set the stage to tell about the other 3 albums I did with Fleetwood Mac (and all crazy events that went on in between). Kc

Please, please follow through on this. There is so precious little we know about Mirage.

[kencaillat]

Originally Posted by Moz

(It's early, so forgive me if none of this makes sense..)

Cool! I have a question regarding Lindsey's shirt that's shown in the gatefold of the insert that came with the LP. It's the one where Mick is laying on the ground with a bottle of wine near his feet and everyone is sitting/standing behind him. Lindsey's shirt says "Milt" and I was told it was an inside joke regarding their drug dealer.

Also on the insert, near the top, there's a line of six pictures of Lindsey smoking something. It looks like he's wearing a shower cap!

Whose idea was it for Chris to play a chair in Second Hand News? What kind of chair was it?

Who designed the whispering penguins? Larry Viagon

What were the easiest and hardest songs to record?

Why is Oh Daddy such an awesome song?

Was there a conscious attempt to make You Make Loving Fun sound sort of "disco"? No

When making up his bass parts, did John do it all by himself or did someone else (let's take Lindsey for example) say, "let's play it like this"...? If that makes sense. John did not like anyone telling him what to play, suggestions were ok

Did Lindsey or Stevie do any little 'piano things', or was it all done by Christine? Likewise, did Christine do any stuff on the guitar? Yes and NO

Is it true that Stevie had a cold during the recording Dreams (the take that would eventually make it on to the album. Sounds like she does.)? I don't think so

Why was a pane of glass broken during the recording of Gold Dust Woman? Also, in the last minute or so of GDW, there's an eerie sort of wailing sound. There has been discussion about whether or not it's Stevie wailing or Lindsey messing around on his guitar.

Why does Lindsey whisper "fffff*ck" at the beginning of the Chain?
Because he could! Actually when he was o/d the dobro part, he became tired and cranky and said f**k, (or whatever you said) as in here we go again, i hope i get it this time!

I have about a bazillion photos I could put up here, but I'm not sure what Ken's looking for! I'm looking for pics we've never seen before that will make us all smile

What did the band do for fun?

{During Rumours)They would Play jokes on each other, drink, the usual things people do when standed together.

What other songs were recorded during this time that never made it onto the album, aside from Silver Springs? I always figured The Dealer was from this time..

ETA: There are a few hours of outtakes/behind the scenes footage from the band's stop in Japan in December '77. It has been floating around for a few years, I imagine. Anyway, was this footage supposed to be used for some sort of documentary? It's quite amusing ("interviews" with Christine and Stevie, Lindsey noodling around on the guitar and piano and remarking how "at the end of this year we'll have played 98 shows. 98! I'M SICK OF PLAYING!") and there is an excellent version of Gold Dust Woman. While I don't have any information regarding other people employed by the band, roadies and other helpers are shown in this footage.

Micks nickname was Milt like Milt the Stilt or uncle Milty as he became know as, the bands t-shirt department made a few t-shirts for everyone

[trackaghost]

Hi Ken,
I'd just like to ask about how involved Stevie was in the production of her songs and how much was Lindsey's vision. I ask for two reasons, firstly Christine says in the episode of Classic Albums about the making of Rumours that when she first heard Dreams, she thought it was quite boring because it was just two notes and obviously the finished version sounds much more intricate and layered. Secondly, in the 80s and 90s, Stevie said many times that Lindsey would often take her songs and they would come back completely different. I'm curious about things like the breaking of the glass and atmospherics at the end of Gold Dust Woman, were these collaborative decisions? There's also an acoustic version of Gold Dust Woman on the second disc of the Rumours reissue which instead has the end of what became her solo song If You Ever Did Believe. At what point did that change?

Also regarding Silver Springs, I've always been curious why this was the first choice to cut. Was there any thoughts about taking away one of the other songs instead and having a 10 song album? I'm just asking because there are four songs by Christine, and just three credited to Stevie and Lindsey each (with The Chain being a group collaboration). All Christine's songs are amazing but then so is Silver Springs.

Thanks! And I second Gerald's comments about Tusk. Given its influence, I'm surprised more hasn't been written about Tusk in recent years.

Sharon

[gold_dust]

Hello Ken,

I'd like to ask whether their fighting was ever really that bad? Sometimes you read/hear stories that it was, then other times you watch little candid video clips (i.e. backstage Japan '77) and they look relatively at ease with each other. Were you ever caught up in it?

Was there a particular song that they had difficulty recording - instrumentally or vocally?

I once read somewhere that additional backing vocals (the studio crew, I think) were added to Don't Stop. Is this true and were you one of the said vocalists? Was there a reason for the additional set of backing vocals?

Stevie once mentioned that the drugs weren't really that big a part of the recording process during Rumours. What would your take on that be? Did it enhance their sound? Did it take anything away?

Thank you very much.

[kencaillat]

Originally Posted by gold_dust

Hello Ken,

I'd like to ask whether their fighting was ever really that bad? Sometimes you read/hear stories that it was, then other times you watch little candid video clips (i.e. backstage Japan '77) and they look relatively at ease with each other. Were you ever caught up in it?

Was there a particular song that they had difficulty recording - instrumentally or vocally?

I once read somewhere that additional backing vocals (the studio crew, I think) were added to Don't Stop. Is this true and were you one of the said vocalists? Was there a reason for the additional set of backing vocals?

Stevie once mentioned that the drugs weren't really that big a part of the recording process during Rumours. What would your take on that be? Did it enhance their sound? Did it take anything away?

Thank you very much.

Horrible fights within each couple, not Mick, he was along, and very sad. but remember they had to keep it together to make this album happen, their career depended on it. I was so supprised at what i had gotten myself into!
I go into great detail in the book and get the bands point of view too.
Thanks
KC