Fleetwood Mac 2013 Press

[The Catdancer]

Originally Posted by Johnny Stew

Even if she doesn't, that's easily rectified with the help of someone like Mike Campbell or Dave Stewart, as I noted above.

But that's not the issue here.

I agree. I think she doesn't want to record with FM because she had so much fun recording with Dave Stewart. We all know that she didn't like recording SYW (she pretty much didn't like anything about SYW), than she recorded IYD where she had fun and "it was the best year of my life". I think she doesn't want to spend any time recording with FM because she's afraid of Lindey and her "exploding into timber". Recording IYD was a breeze, SYW.... not so much. I think she doesn't want to go through that again and I can't blame her. I think she has the songs, melody and all, she just doesn't want to record with FM.

[michelej1]

^Yes, I'd say the idea that Stevie can't find anyone to put her lyrics to music is ludicrous. She knows the same chords she's known since she was a teenager and she owns a guitar and a piano. She can write music, melodies, just like she's always written them.

Furthermore, whether she's on tour or not, let's face it: she basically pays the salary of a few musicians year round. And she has lots of musician friends. She could get them to do it. She's been making her own demos for over 30 years now.

Originally Posted by CADreaming

I've been thinking about this. Someone needs to give Stevie some updated information. I think there is a higher percentage of people who wouldn't buy their stuff anyway that would be more likely to download illegally -- and even if "fans" do the download, like you say, they probably will buy possible multiple copies, so it washes out. They aren't losing sales, I don't think. But, if she thinks the reason they don't sell Rumours era volume, someone needs to explain it's not due to internet piracy. I don't even know that many people who do that anymore - for anything other than bootlegs - not for new releases. Everyone I know just purchases via iTunes or Amazon.

And maybe I'm just generalizing. I think FM fans might be less likely to illegally download than a younger artist's fans would be. Maybe that's not true. When Napster was around it might have been interesting to see what their stats were for illegal FM/SN downloads.

Of course, I do agree that Stevie just says this stuff as an excuse for not doing what she doesn't want to do. For whatever reason, she didn't want to record another solo album after TISL and she accused her fans of theft to justify that decision and the people around her encouraged her not to record any longer. Plus, she believes computers have hurt the music industry in general and likes to blame them for the downfall of civilization. But when it comes for not wanting to record, she could at least find a rationalization that isn't accusatory and illogical.

Michele

[fyerflys]

Originally Posted by elle

some info before you jump on blaming the whole band about not wanting to record and release new material:

http://ledge.fleetwoodmac.net/showpo...&postcount=158

http://ledge.fleetwoodmac.net/showpo...&postcount=203

Yes, these interviews are the ones that got my blood boiling initially.....and yes I will take back saying FM as a whole doesn't want new music but when this is said..............

Stevie:
Do you think a new Fleetwood Mac album is possible at some point in the future?
We have two new Fleetwood Mac songs and one Buckingham-Nicks song. We have new product, but I don't know what we're going to do with them. Maybe we'll throw one of them out in January and the second one in February. The music business is very different right now. I don't understand it. I don't have Internet. I don't have a MySpace Face page. I don't have all that and I don't want it. Nobody is really interested in buying albums with 14 songs on them anymore. It breaks my heart, but that's the way it is and I have to accept that.

Lindsey:
How do you envision the set being different from the last tour?Good question. Good question. It's kind of a mystery. You have to understand you do come to a point where people aren't . . . where it isn't a prerequisite to go out and do things people haven't heard before. In a way, they don't want to hear anything new. They are coming to hear a body of work. When you come to terms with that, it's kind of freeing.

And yes, Lindsey is speaking more about playing new "live" music....... but I guess it is just upsetting to hear from these artists that fans don't want to hear/buy anything new........I think that is so far from the truth...........My overall gut reaction (and stated here in previous posts) is that Stevie is done recording with FM and Lindsey just seems to be on this incredible creative roll...............really an absolute shame

[mitzo]

Sorry, there is no excuse in my mind for anyone calls him/herself an "artist" to stop putting out new music. Not money, not sales, nothing. Either you are creative and writing new things and and artist, or you are washed up.

[Jondalar]

Originally Posted by fyerflys

Yes, these interviews are the ones that got my blood boiling initially.....and yes I will take back saying FM as a whole doesn't want new music but when this is said..............

Stevie:
Do you think a new Fleetwood Mac album is possible at some point in the future?
We have two new Fleetwood Mac songs and one Buckingham-Nicks song. We have new product, but I don't know what we're going to do with them. Maybe we'll throw one of them out in January and the second one in February. The music business is very different right now. I don't understand it. I don't have Internet. I don't have a MySpace Face page. I don't have all that and I don't want it. Nobody is really interested in buying albums with 14 songs on them anymore. It breaks my heart, but that's the way it is and I have to accept that.

Lindsey:
How do you envision the set being different from the last tour?Good question. Good question. It's kind of a mystery. You have to understand you do come to a point where people aren't . . . where it isn't a prerequisite to go out and do things people haven't heard before. In a way, they don't want to hear anything new. They are coming to hear a body of work. When you come to terms with that, it's kind of freeing.

And yes, Lindsey is speaking more about playing new "live" music....... but I guess it is just upsetting to hear from these artists that fans don't want to hear/buy anything new........I think that is so far from the truth...........My overall gut reaction (and stated here in previous posts) is that Stevie is done recording with FM and Lindsey just seems to be on this incredible creative roll...............really an absolute shame

I think its true from most of the fans, they want old Fleetwood Mac

[TrueFaith77]

Originally Posted by WildHearted

You know what's REALLY going to cause them not to sell any albums? Not RELEASING any albums.

I think Lindsey has figured that out (thus his multiple studio and live albums over the past decade). I wish Stevie would figure it out too.

Fact is: A Mac album WILL sell better than any Lindsey or Stevie solo albums (put together), so that's where the money is. Imagine if Lindsey had been this prolific under the Mac moniker. I'm not saying gangbuster sales, but surely 10x the sales.

[WildHearted]

Originally Posted by TrueFaith77

I think Lindsey has figured that out (thus his multiple studio and live albums over the past decade). I wish Stevie would figure it out too.

Fact is: A Mac album WILL sell better than any Lindsey or Stevie solo albums (put together), so that's where the money is. Imagine if Lindsey had been this prolific under the Mac moniker. I'm not saying gangbuster sales, but surely 10x the sales.

Exactly.

And the thing is, you know that if they don't do a Mac album, Stevie's going to go straight back to Dave and start working on more solo stuff, which is entirely hypocritical. So people don't want to hear new Mac music, but they want to hear new Stevie music? Sorry, I love Stevie with all of my heart, but no. I don't think you'll find many Stevie Nicks fans who wouldn't buy a Mac album, but you'll probably find plenty of the reverse.

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for Stevie being happy, and I actually think that's really what this whole issue pivots around - Stevie doesn't want to record a Mac album. But if that's the case, and her mind can't be changed, then she just needs to just come out and say, "Look, being in the studio with Fleetwood Mac is no fun for me. It stresses me out. I'm 64 and not getting any younger and I'd like to focus on solo projects that give me more personal gratification."

She's more or less said that much, if you string a couple of her statements together and fill in the gaps... but still, the album sales BS is a sorry excuse. It's not stopping anyone else from putting out new music. It didn't stop you last year from putting out new music. It's a cop-out. Either you have more to say as an artist, or you don't. Either you want to keep FM a progressing artistic entity, or you're washed up.

[KindOfWoman90]

^^ Very well put!

[fyerflys]

[QUOTE=WildHearted;1069232]

And the thing is, you know that if they don't do a Mac album, Stevie's going to go straight back to Dave and start working on more solo stuff, which is entirely hypocritical. So people don't want to hear new Mac music, but they want to hear new Stevie music? Sorry, I love Stevie with all of my heart, but no. I don't think you'll find many Stevie Nicks fans who wouldn't buy a Mac album, but you'll probably find plenty of the reverse.

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for Stevie being happy, and I actually think that's really what this whole issue pivots around - Stevie doesn't want to record a Mac album. But if that's the case, and her mind can't be changed, then she just needs to just come out and say, "Look, being in the studio with Fleetwood Mac is no fun for me. It stresses me out. I'm 64 and not getting any younger and I'd like to focus on solo projects that give me more personal gratification."

She's more or less said that much, if you string a couple of her statements together and fill in the gaps... but still, the album sales BS is a sorry excuse. It's not stopping anyone else from putting out new music. It didn't stop you last year from putting out new music. It's a cop-out. Either you have more to say as an artist, or you don't. Either you want to keep FM a progressing artistic entity, or you're washed up.[/QUOTE]



This is EXACTLY what I was trying to say.................incredible post, THANK YOU!




And TrueFaith77:
I think Lindsey has figured that out (thus his multiple studio and live albums over the past decade). I wish Stevie would figure it out too.

Fact is: A Mac album WILL sell better than any Lindsey or Stevie solo albums (put together), so that's where the money is. Imagine if Lindsey had been this prolific under the Mac moniker. I'm not saying gangbuster sales, but surely 10x the sales.




SPOT ON!!!! I'll say again, I find it insulting that artists, whomever they may be, say that fans don't want new music......that, I agree, is a cop-out.

[APerfectLie]

Originally Posted by WildHearted

Exactly.

And the thing is, you know that if they don't do a Mac album, Stevie's going to go straight back to Dave and start working on more solo stuff, which is entirely hypocritical. So people don't want to hear new Mac music, but they want to hear new Stevie music? Sorry, I love Stevie with all of my heart, but no. I don't think you'll find many Stevie Nicks fans who wouldn't buy a Mac album, but you'll probably find plenty of the reverse.

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for Stevie being happy, and I actually think that's really what this whole issue pivots around - Stevie doesn't want to record a Mac album. But if that's the case, and her mind can't be changed, then she just needs to just come out and say, "Look, being in the studio with Fleetwood Mac is no fun for me. It stresses me out. I'm 64 and not getting any younger and I'd like to focus on solo projects that give me more personal gratification."

She's more or less said that much, if you string a couple of her statements together and fill in the gaps... but still, the album sales BS is a sorry excuse. It's not stopping anyone else from putting out new music. It didn't stop you last year from putting out new music. It's a cop-out. Either you have more to say as an artist, or you don't. Either you want to keep FM a progressing artistic entity, or you're washed up.

This is true in part, but you have to consider the fact that Trouble in Shangri-la and Say You Will have both been certified Gold, but neither has been certified Platinum. Estimates are that TISL has sold a little over 650,000 and SYW has sold about 850,000. More people buy Fleetwood Mac albums than Stevie albums, but Stevie gets less money for each FM album than she does with her solo albums. So financially, solo albums may be more lucrative for Stevie where as touring is her money maker with the Mac.

[WildHearted]

Originally Posted by APerfectLie

This is true in part, but you have to consider the fact that Trouble in Shangri-la and Say You Will have both been certified Gold, but neither has been certified Platinum. Estimates are that TISL has sold a little over 650,000 and SYW has sold about 850,000. More people buy Fleetwood Mac albums than Stevie albums, but Stevie gets less money for each FM album than she does with her solo albums. So financially, solo albums may be more lucrative for Stevie where as touring is her money maker with the Mac.

Not really all that much, if she's sharing half of her songwriting credits with Dave Stewart & co.

[APerfectLie]

Originally Posted by WildHearted

Not really all that much, if she's sharing half of her songwriting credits with Dave Stewart & co.

Just because she shares half of her songwriting credits with Dave doesn't mean he gets half of the royalties tho. Being that it is a Stevie album, she has a much better bargaining angle with her royalty percentage than she does in a Mac album. Plus, she doesn't have other band members getting a royalty per each album. She also split writing credits on Running Through the Garden and Everybody Finds Out on SYW, so not only do those additional writers get royalties, but so do John, Mick, and Lindsey for being the signed artist "Fleetwood Mac" whereas in her solo albums she gets that "Fleetwood Mac" percentage because the only signed artist on the record deal is "Stevie Nicks." Not only that, but there are songs on Fleetwood Mac albums where she gets zero writing credit. Not saying that her solo albums make her a whole lot more money than FM albums, but they probably do make her at least the same if not more than a Mac album would and she has much more control over them and doesn't have to deal with all the band politics. Therefore, I can see why she is much more willing to make a solo album even if she knows it isn't going to really sell a whole lot.

[WildHearted]

Originally Posted by APerfectLie

Just because she shares half of her songwriting credits with Dave doesn't mean he gets half of the royalties tho. Being that it is a Stevie album, she has a much better bargaining angle with her royalty percentage than she does in a Mac album. Plus, she doesn't have other band members getting a royalty per each album. She also split writing credits on Running Through the Garden and Everybody Finds Out on SYW, so not only do those additional writers get royalties, but so do John, Mick, and Lindsey for being the signed artist "Fleetwood Mac" whereas in her solo albums she gets that "Fleetwood Mac" percentage because the only signed artist on the record deal is "Stevie Nicks." Not only that, but there are songs on Fleetwood Mac albums where she gets zero writing credit. Not saying that her solo albums make her a whole lot more money than FM albums, but they probably do make her at least the same if not more than a Mac album would and she has much more control over them and doesn't have to deal with all the band politics. Therefore, I can see why she is much more willing to make a solo album even if she knows it isn't going to really sell a whole lot.

Actually, unless she and Dave Stewart made an agreement about her getting more royalties than he does, then they would have an equal 50/50 share. Given how much she adores him, and the fact that she gave him sole music credit on the songs he worked on, I'd be surprised if they didn't get half-and-half.. And all of Stevie's various studio musicians have to get paid, too. So yeah, she has to split the "recording artist" royalties with FM, but but those recording artist royalties aren't much anyway - that's why Mick and John make most of their money from touring, since they aren't bringing in songwriting royalties like Stevie and Lindsey.

These are all logistics that we could speculate on for days. She could potentially even out and make the same on her solo records, depending on the specifics of her deal & how much it they put into the albums initially. It's possible, but the thing is, you're gonna support an album with a tour, and there's no doubt that she makes MUCH more touring with FM than solo, so in the end, FM = more lucrative. I'm not disagreeing... Of course it's easier to make a solo album, and that was the whole idea - she WANTS to make solo records, not FM records.

The point remains, regardless of whether she's making an FM album or a solo album, either way it's not going to sell a whole lot. Saying that's why she doesn't record new FM music while she goes and records solo stuff is still BS. She could say "I make more money on my solo records nowadays than I do with FM records" and that might be okay. She could definitely say "FM stresses me out and I have a much more enjoyable time working on my own." But saying "No one buys records any more so we aren't going to record a New FM album ~prances off with Dave Stewart~" is hypocritical.

Like I said, I want Stevie to be happy. I get it. But the excuse is ridiculous.

[APerfectLie]

Originally Posted by WildHearted

Actually, unless she and Dave Stewart made an agreement about her getting more royalties than he does, then they would have an equal 50/50 share. Given how much she adores him, and the fact that she gave him sole music credit on the songs he worked on, I'd be surprised if they didn't get half-and-half.. And all of Stevie's various studio musicians have to get paid, too. So yeah, she has to split the "recording artist" royalties with FM, but but those recording artist royalties aren't much anyway - that's why Mick and John make most of their money from touring, since they aren't bringing in songwriting royalties like Stevie and Lindsey.

These are all logistics that we could speculate on for days. She could potentially even out and make the same on her solo records, depending on the specifics of her deal & how much it they put into the albums initially. It's possible, but the thing is, you're gonna support an album with a tour, and there's no doubt that she makes MUCH more touring with FM than solo, so in the end, FM = more lucrative. I'm not disagreeing... Of course it's easier to make a solo album, and that was the whole idea - she WANTS to make solo records, not FM records.

The point remains, regardless of whether she's making an FM album or a solo album, either way it's not going to sell a whole lot. Saying that's why she doesn't record new FM music while she goes and records solo stuff is still BS. She could say "I make more money on my solo records nowadays than I do with FM records" and that might be okay. She could definitely say "FM stresses me out and I have a much more enjoyable time working on my own." But saying "No one buys records any more so we aren't going to record a New FM album ~prances off with Dave Stewart~" is hypocritical.

Like I said, I want Stevie to be happy. I get it. But the excuse is ridiculous.

Yes, Dave will get half of the songwriting royalties, but he won't get half of the album royalties. Mick and John make most of their money from tours, but they still make a decent amount from album royalties. All the recording artist royalties for Fleetwood Mac are divided among Stevie, Lindsey, Mick and John according to some negotiated percentage for each member. However, all the recording artist royalties for a Stevie solo album get to Stevie herself. So she not only gets her 50%-100% writing credit for her songs, but she also gets a percentage of album sales just for being "Stevie Nicks", and that percentage is much more than the percentage she gets for being 1/4 of "Fleetwood Mac." Studio musicians get paid for their work in the studio, but unlike the signed artist, they don't continue to get paid for album sales.

I don't disagree with you on the fact that she doesn't want to record with Fleetwood Mac. If she wanted to, she would do it. However, I think if it was guaranteed that the next Mac album would sell 5 million records, she'd be there in a heartbeat regardless of whether or not she really wanted to. She has made it pretty clear she doesn't like recording with Fleetwood Mac anymore and that she doesn't want to tie herself down to them for three years, but I think sales numbers would be a very decisive factor. We all know Tusk, Mirage, and Tango weren't the most lovely of times for them, but the sales were there and so was Stevie. I just don't see how it is hypocritical to make a solo album but not make one with FM because people "don't buy records." From the outside it may seem as so, but the fact of the matter is that not as many people are expected to buy her solo records, so when a FM album only sells 30% more than a solo album but it costs a lot more to make, takes more time, and comes with all the politics, there is no incentive for her to do it. Lastly, I love the idea that she would saunter off to go record a new album with Dave after the Mac tour, but nobody knows if she will. She stopped recording solo albums for a while because "nobody buys records" until she eventually decided to do IYD. Thing about it is, even after IYD she is still saying "nobody buys records" so who knows? Stevie Nicks may never record another album again for that very reason.

[michelej1]

It's interesting to me this last week or so as all the newspapers have been running with a story about the tour and snippets from the various interviews surrounding the tour, about 1/3 of them have chosen to go with the headline that Christine won't be returning.

Well, she hasn't been returning for 14 years. I'm not sure why that's news or why anyone thinks that headline will get more readers to look at or click on the story. But obviously someone thinks it will, because that's the headline for dozens of the articles.

Some of them quote the asteroid comment. Some of them quote the "shocked and pleased" comment. Of course, I wish more of them would quote what Mick said: which is that maybe Stevie would write a song and Christine might sing on it. No one makes that their lead. HA! That's the headline I would run with.

Michele