The Ledge

Go Back   The Ledge > Main Forums > Rumours
User Name
Password
Register FAQ Members List Calendar Mark Forums Read


Make the Ads Go Away! Click here.
Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 08-22-2002, 09:05 AM
buckmacnicks buckmacnicks is offline
Ledgie
 
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Venlo-Blerick, The Netherlands
Posts: 70
Lightbulb Fireflies - the lost gem!

Hi folks,

I am new here, so I'd like to start a new topic by urging you to listen again to one of the greatest hidden treasures in the Mac's back catalog: Fireflies. I really cannot understand why this song has never been performed live so far and yet again has failed to be included on the new Very best of double cd. A missed opportunity, because in my opinion Paper Doll is Stevie's worst Mac song, I can't imagine why they have chosen that song???

The driving beat, the haunting lyrics, the so emotive vocals by Stevie combined with the ooh-ooh harmonies of Lindsey and Christine, what a classic song this truly is!

Let's hope it will be revived for the band's next world tour!!

Greetings,

Marcel.
__________________
In the drama of the moment there is no easy way...no one ever leaves, everyone stays close till the fire fades...
Reply With Quote
.
  #2  
Old 08-22-2002, 09:40 AM
Gypsy-Rhiannon's Avatar
Gypsy-Rhiannon Gypsy-Rhiannon is offline
Addicted Ledgie
 
Join Date: Apr 2001
Posts: 6,012
Default

I love Fireflies!!! But it has been performed live on the Tusk tour. You can hear it on the 1980 live album

Pip
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 08-22-2002, 10:26 AM
David's Avatar
David David is offline
Addicted Ledgie
 
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: California
Posts: 14,905
Default

Quote:
Originally posted by Gypsy-Rhiannon
I love Fireflies!!! But it has been performed live on the Tusk tour.
Hi, Pip!

Those 3 songs (Fireflies, One More Night, Farmer's Daughter) weren't really played for a paying audience on that tour. The album is really unclear about that: it just says they were recorded at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium (a dinky little place) for crew & friends. If I just guessed, I'd say it was a rehearsal for the last leg of the tour, the month of shows they began in August 1980. In fact, I think that it was dated on one of the lists Marty got from Warner Bros. on a video vault list. I can't remember what it said, but I think it was some point that summer of 1980, which might indicate it was some sort of rehearsal -- maybe a dress rehearsal, if friends of the band were around to applaud. Plus, Stevie's voice sounds late Tusk tour to me (June, July or August 1980).
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 08-22-2002, 10:39 AM
Gypsy-Rhiannon's Avatar
Gypsy-Rhiannon Gypsy-Rhiannon is offline
Addicted Ledgie
 
Join Date: Apr 2001
Posts: 6,012
Default

Quote:
Those 3 songs (Fireflies, One More Night, Farmer's Daughter) weren't really played for a paying audience on that tour. The album is really unclear about that: it just says they were recorded at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium (a dinky little place) for crew & friends. If I just guessed, I'd say it was a rehearsal for the last leg of the tour, the month of shows they began in August 1980. In fact, I think that it was dated on one of the lists Marty got from Warner Bros. on a video vault list. I can't remember what it said, but I think it was some point that summer of 1980, which might indicate it was some sort of rehearsal -- maybe a dress rehearsal, if friends of the band were around to applaud. Plus, Stevie's voice sounds late Tusk tour to me (June, July or August 1980).
Thanks David....I didn;t realise it wasn't actually played on the tour

Pip
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 08-22-2002, 11:23 AM
iamstevienicks's Avatar
iamstevienicks iamstevienicks is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: Merseyside,UK
Posts: 837
Thumbs up

Are there studio versions of any 3 of those songs?
__________________
GATE AND GARDEN RULES!!!!
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 08-22-2002, 12:52 PM
rhiannon1119's Avatar
rhiannon1119 rhiannon1119 is offline
Addicted Ledgie
 
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: Brooklyn, New York
Posts: 547
Default

Fireflies is a great song! I really like it and am suprised it didn't make the new greatest hits package too.

Michelle
__________________
~all I ever wanted was to know that you were dreaming~

~long live the queen... under the skin~
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 08-22-2002, 01:00 PM
chiliD's Avatar
chiliD chiliD is offline
Addicted Ledgie
 
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: In the backseat of a Studebaker
Posts: 9,702
Default

Well, considering the amount of "sweetening" & additional recording done to the three "new" songs on the Live album, you could almost consider them to be "studio recordings"...only the "basic" tracks were done "live" at the SMCA.
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 08-22-2002, 02:10 PM
AliP's Avatar
AliP AliP is offline
Addicted Ledgie
 
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: dreamville
Posts: 968
Default

I love Fireflies! It's one of my all time favorites! Even though it was written by Stevie I see it as more of their "anthem" song than any other, even "The Chain." I'm hugely disappointed that it didn't make it onto the new greatest hits package.
__________________

"Hearts will break with choices we must
make, so sleep and dream of me."
- LB
Reply With Quote
Old 08-22-2002, 06:37 PM
thewhitewingedd
This message has been deleted by thewhitewingedd.
  #9  
Old 08-22-2002, 07:02 PM
wondergirl9847's Avatar
wondergirl9847 wondergirl9847 is offline
Addicted Ledgie
Supporting Ledgie
 
Join Date: May 2001
Location: The Ledge
Posts: 9,282
Talking To be the last to leave....

I LOVE Fireflies...great song!! What a great way to put their sitch in a song...love how she put long distance winners in there!! COOLNESS! In the drama of the moment...can it BE any clearer!! LOL
__________________
**Christy**
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 08-22-2002, 10:56 PM
bjk3047's Avatar
bjk3047 bjk3047 is offline
Senior Ledgie
 
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: NJ, USA
Posts: 218
Default

Interesting little tidbit:
They actually performed Fireflies more than once. Probably at the Civic Center as one of a possible many takes, I discovered another version on (the now defunct) AudioGalaxy. There are very subtle differences, but you can definately tell that it's not the album take.
-Brian
__________________
Reply With Quote
Old 08-22-2002, 11:40 PM
thewhitewingedd
This message has been deleted by thewhitewingedd.
  #11  
Old 08-23-2002, 01:56 AM
chiliD's Avatar
chiliD chiliD is offline
Addicted Ledgie
 
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: In the backseat of a Studebaker
Posts: 9,702
Default

The 45 & the album are different mixes of the same track. Some of the vocal parts are mixed a bit different (or mixed OUT altogether), the 45 mix fades out instead of ending, etc.
Reply With Quote
  #12  
Old 08-23-2002, 10:47 AM
SmthngOfADreamr SmthngOfADreamr is offline
Addicted Ledgie
 
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Pittsburgh
Posts: 432
Default

Quote:
Originally posted by thewhitewingedd
Yeah..I have a different version of FIREFLIES too...I have had it for years actually...It was labeled as a "STUDIO OUTTAKE"....I left it as that, But who knows where its from...I'm sure its not the one from LIVE 80...How do I know this you ask???...Well the first line where it says "To be the last to leave"...And further down where it says "To be the last to be gone"....Lindsey sings that himself. Also the way that Stevie sings it is kind of different as well...I believe the lyrics are slightly different towards the end...Its not perfect sound but over all not too bad....

Adam

I have this same version that you're describing but it was labeled as "DEMO." It's not bad but the album version is much better. I also have the actual 45 and it is different mix as well, so I guess all together there are three versions.
Reply With Quote
  #13  
Old 08-23-2002, 11:04 AM
David's Avatar
David David is offline
Addicted Ledgie
 
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: California
Posts: 14,905
Default

Quote:
Originally posted by SmthngOfADreamr
I have this same version that you're describing but it was labeled as "DEMO." It's not bad but the album version is much better. I also have the actual 45 and it is different mix as well, so I guess all together there are three versions.
There is no demo of "Fireflies" in circulation. All the various versions were recorded at the same time -- Santa Monica Civic, according to the liner notes -- whatever that event actually was (I happen to think it was a rehearsal but we are all welcome to our own little fictions).

I'm listening to a couple of different versions now: the lead vocal on each is as similar to the other as you would expect if Stevie & the band had played it once through & then played it again. One interesting difference I notice is that Christine seemed to be experimenting with instrumentation: on two performances, she's playing only an acoustic piano, while on the album cut & the single mix of the album cut she is playing the B3.
Reply With Quote
  #14  
Old 08-23-2002, 11:11 AM
CarneVaca CarneVaca is offline
Moderator
 
Join Date: Dec 2001
Posts: 3,228
Default

I thought Brian Wilson wrote that song, no?
Reply With Quote
  #15  
Old 08-23-2002, 11:14 AM
Gypsy-Rhiannon's Avatar
Gypsy-Rhiannon Gypsy-Rhiannon is offline
Addicted Ledgie
 
Join Date: Apr 2001
Posts: 6,012
Default

Stevie wrote Fireflies....Brian wrote Farmers Daughter


Pip
Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is On

Forum Jump


Christine Mcvie (reissue) by Christine McVie (CD, 1997) 1984 Solo Album picture

Christine Mcvie (reissue) by Christine McVie (CD, 1997) 1984 Solo Album

$6.98



Christine McVie - Christine Mcvie [New CD] picture

Christine McVie - Christine Mcvie [New CD]

$16.44



Lindsey Buckingham Christine McV... - Lindsey Buckingham Christine McVie CD XLVG picture

Lindsey Buckingham Christine McV... - Lindsey Buckingham Christine McVie CD XLVG

$7.94



Christine McVie - Christine Mcvie (reissue) [New CD] Reissue picture

Christine McVie - Christine Mcvie (reissue) [New CD] Reissue

$15.27



Christine McVie Self Titled CD of FLEETWOOD MAC picture

Christine McVie Self Titled CD of FLEETWOOD MAC

$4.99




All times are GMT -5. The time now is 07:18 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
© 1995-2003 Martin and Lisa Adelson, All Rights Reserved