Stevie owes this band NOTHING

[FuzzyPlum]

Originally Posted by JohnL

I don't know why so many folks have their panties in a wad over this delay in the album. This is what Stevie and Fleetwood Mac have done since she started her solo career. How many times have we heard her say that she goes back and forth to Fleetwood Mac? She spends a couple years with them and then a couple years solo. She will be going back to the band and my bet is that there will be another album...but it will likely be 2018 before it is out. This is what has happened since 1981.

Those folks who don't want her in the band and think she is "what rhymes with witch" are just going to have to be patient as I don't think anything will change. Stevie has the right to do her own thing...especially since FM has known what will happen after this tour since 1981.

Except back then they weren't approaching the 50 year milestone. That's such a big thing for a band. There aren't too many big bands out there that have hit such a landmark. Shame it looks as if they won't be celebrating it with anything special. Guess they'll have to wait for Stevie for a tour in 2018 (snore) and mark the 50 years in the 51st year (just like the Rumours 35 year reissue being 36 years after the event- doh!).

[secondhandchain]

Originally Posted by SpyNote

I think the drama is manufactured to keep the band in the headlines. They're all multi-millionaires so I'm sure they can all keep themselves occupied for a year or two. Mick's on his own blues tour, Lindsey's buying property, Christine's probably drinking mojitos in Tahiti, and John probably couldn't care less.

Stevie's tour will also help promote the Mirage reissue. So this is all good press. I do think fans add fire to the drama, which all plays into the marketing strategy.

No freaking way would the huge ego that is Stevie be ok with being the b*tch and fall guy. No way.

[KenshiMaster16]

Just my opinion (obviously) but I firmly believe that if their name isn't Peter Green, Mick Fleetwood or John McVie and you're a member of Fleetwood Mac, then yes, you owe the band. The band is what made you, not the other way around. The band lived through countless incarnations, two genre changes and multiple decades. So it's my firm belief that if you're a member of such a band, you should always do what's best for said band if you're still in it because they made your career.

That doesn't just go for Fleetwood Mac, that goes for every famous band and its members. If that's not what the members want, then its best to just go and not halt the creative process of said band.

[bwboy]

Stevie, Lindsey, and Christine have all paid their dues and don't owe the band anything. They've given and taken, and if they all decide to make another album, I would be thrilled, but theycertainlydon't have to if they don't want to.

[BombaySapphire3]

Stevie was actually thinking of throwing in the towel and finishing her degree before Lindsey got the call from Mick.Time was ticking and she was entering her late 20s.Fleetwood Mac made her a star and in quick time. Who knows what would have happened if things had turned out differently. Hollywood is full of the ghosts of almost were someones.

[HomerMcvie]

Originally Posted by BombaySapphire3

Stevie was actually thinking of throwing in the towel and finishing her degree before Lindsey got the call from Mick.Time was ticking and she was entering her late 20s.Fleetwood Mac made her a star and in quick time. Who knows what would have happened if things had turned out differently. Hollywood is full of the ghosts of almost were someones.

Too bad that she wasn't one of those ghosts... I'd track her.



Or not...

[SteveMacD]

Originally Posted by BombaySapphire3

Stevie was actually thinking of throwing in the towel and finishing her degree before Lindsey got the call from Mick.Time was ticking and she was entering her late 20s.Fleetwood Mac made her a star and in quick time. Who knows what would have happened if things had turned out differently. Hollywood is full of the ghosts of almost were someones.

On December 31,1974 . . .

Fleetwood Mac had the legacy (Peter Green years)
Fleetwood Mac already had a Greatest Hits album.
Fleetwood Mac had been heavily featured in music rags (Fake Mac)
Fleetwood Mac had been on two national music television shows.
Fleetwood Mac had the contract with Warner, and wasn't at risk of getting dropped.
Fleetwood Mac was independently managed, so they could do whatever they wanted without interference from outsiders.


Furthermore . . .

Christine had the first top-20 hit.
Christine had the most top-10 hits in Fleetwood Mac (4), followed by Lindsey (3), and Stevie (2).
The last top-10 hit Stevie wrote was "Stand Back," and the last one she sang was "Talk To Me."
The last two top-10 hits any of them had were "Big Love" and "Little Lies."
"Everywhere" was the last song to hit in the top-15.
"Rooms On Fire" was the last to hit in the top-20.
"Save Me" was the last time any of them hit the top-40.

The reality is that Stevie's importance to Fleetwood Mac has been inflated because of her solo career, but she's not the most important in the context of Fleetwood Mac.

[SteveMacD]

Stevie's success can't continually be thrown in everyone's face without further examination. In terms of top-10 hits that they actually wrote or co-wrote, Christine still comes out on top. Christine had five top-10 hits, while the others had four each.

CHRISTINE
Don't Stop (3)
You Make Loving Fun (9)
Hold Me (4)
Got A Hold On Me (10)
Little Lies (4)

STEVIE
Dreams (1)
Sara (7)
Leather & Lace (6)
Stand Back (5)
(Stevie didn't write "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around" or "Talk To Me.")

LINDSEY
Go Your Own Way (10)
Tusk (8)
Trouble (9)
Big Love (5)

So while Stevie had the only number one hit with Fleetwood Mac, she's also had the fewest top-ten hits. Her value to the band as a songwriter has been overstated. Christine is the real voice of the band. The ticket sales between 2013 and 2014/15 kind of prove that.

[~*BellaDonna*~]

The only thing that Stevie owes us, the fans, is a clear explanation about her future partcipation with the band. C'mon, Stevie, you are too old to be playing ridiculous games....

[bwboy]

Wow, I didn't think anybody questioned that Stevie was the most successful of all the members. Stevie has 8 studio albums, plus 2 greatest hits, a 3 CD box set, and a live CD. And 2 live DVDs. Plus her live vhs and video collection on vhs. Of her studio albums, I believe 3 are multi-platinum, 2 are platinum, and 2 are gold. 5 were top 10 hits, 1 was #1. She's had 5 top 10 songs, and 4 top 20 songs. The Dance had 2 huge radio hits, both by Stevie.

I believe Christine had 1 top 10 hit and 1 top 40 hit. I believe Lindsey had 1 top 10 hit. I think Christine had 3 albums, maybe 1 of which went gold. She had one club tour. I can't tell you how many albums Lindsey has released, maybe 5? Maybe 1 went gold, and he's done 3 or 4 small venue tours. Stevie has done at least 12 amphitheatre tours, appeared on several magazine covers and been interviewed on radio and television, plus performed on several tv shows. I can't think of any time Christine has performed solo in the past 30 years. Lindsey has performed a handful of times on tv. Stevie has held several Grammy nominations; I don't know about Lindsey or Christine.

Oh, and she's the only one in the band with a #1 song. Can't forget that.

[MikeInNV]

Originally Posted by SteveMacD

Stevie's success can't continually be thrown in everyone's face without further examination. In terms of top-10 hits that they actually wrote or co-wrote, Christine still comes out on top. Christine had five top-10 hits, while the others had four each.

CHRISTINE
Don't Stop (3)
You Make Loving Fun (9)
Hold Me (4)
Got A Hold On Me (10)
Little Lies (4)

STEVIE
Dreams (1)
Sara (7)
Leather & Lace (6)
Stand Back (5)
(Stevie didn't write "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around" or "Talk To Me.")

LINDSEY
Go Your Own Way (10)
Tusk (8)
Trouble (9)
Big Love (5)

So while Stevie had the only number one hit with Fleetwood Mac, she's also had the fewest top-ten hits. Her value to the band as a songwriter has been overstated. Christine is the real voice of the band. The ticket sales between 2013 and 2014/15 kind of prove that.

I was obsessed with Billboard magazine back in the day, and it really was a great tool, but even I have to admit it doesn't tell the whole story. The introduction of Soundscan showed that earlier charts had a margin of error to say the least.

But besides that, charts only rank popularity that week and say nothing of lasting impact. Stevie also had: Rhiannon (11), Edge of Seventeen (11), and Gypsy (12), all of which are still played regularly on various radio formats (unlike Big Love or Hold Me). And then there's Gold Dust Woman and especially Landslide, which have no chart ranking because they were never singles, but are must-play concert staples because they are as much a part of the public consciousness as the official singles.

So while I agree that using her solo success as proof of importance in the band is misleading, the statistics you cite are also skewing the picture.

And as far as the last tour's success, it is obvious that the Classic Five lineup will always be a bigger draw than any subset of four, so that isn't all about Christine. Imagine if it was Stevie who was back after a 16-year hiatus.

Obviously Stevie isn't a required part of the band. Even without her, they still have twice the number of lead singers as most bands. But she has given them more than just a handful of hit singles. She's a charismatic frontperson, with a persona and image that captivates fans and piques the interest of the media. Whenever you see a concert review, the picture is always Stevie, Stevie with Lindsey, or Stevie with Mick. I realize that's what drives a lot of fans crazy, but having a high-profile star in the band does a lot to keep the band relevant. When The Dance came out, I remember people saying they wanted to check it out "to see what Stevie looks like now." But then they got drawn back into the music once again.

Without Stevie, they are a talented musical unit who no doubt would have moved some records. But that describes a lot of faceless bands of the seventies who eventually drifted off into the sunset. Stevie is their hook. She set them apart and put them over the top as a superstar act. Did FM launch her career? Absolutely. But it's not the one-sided relationship some people want to make it out to be. If it was, half the threads in this forum wouldn't exist.

[olive]

Originally Posted by SteveMacD

Stevie's success can't continually be thrown in everyone's face without further examination. In terms of top-10 hits that they actually wrote or co-wrote, Christine still comes out on top. Christine had five top-10 hits, while the others had four each.

CHRISTINE
Don't Stop (3)
You Make Loving Fun (9)
Hold Me (4)
Got A Hold On Me (10)
Little Lies (4)

STEVIE
Dreams (1)
Sara (7)
Leather & Lace (6)
Stand Back (5)
(Stevie didn't write "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around" or "Talk To Me.")

LINDSEY
Go Your Own Way (10)
Tusk (8)
Trouble (9)
Big Love (5)

So while Stevie had the only number one hit with Fleetwood Mac, she's also had the fewest top-ten hits. Her value to the band as a songwriter has been overstated. Christine is the real voice of the band. The ticket sales between 2013 and 2014/15 kind of prove that.

the casual fan that goes to see fleetwood mac could give 2 SH-TS abiut where stevie places on a chart

they want to hear the 2 songs ( and sara) that gets them through the emotional turmoil that is their life


and if they make a record it won't be a big seller

[jbrownsjr]

I just heard Hold Me in Big Lots the other day. Heard it on the radio a few weeks before that.

[Macfanforever]

Originally Posted by jbrownsjr

I just heard Hold Me in Big Lots the other day. Heard it on the radio a few weeks before that.

It sucks that they did not play it on the last tour.Wonder why.

[Travis]

Originally Posted by MikeInNV

I was obsessed with Billboard magazine back in the day, and it really was a great tool, but even I have to admit it doesn't tell the whole story. The introduction of Soundscan showed that earlier charts had a margin of error to say the least.

But besides that, charts only rank popularity that week and say nothing of lasting impact. Stevie also had: Rhiannon (11), Edge of Seventeen (11), and Gypsy (12), all of which are still played regularly on various radio formats (unlike Big Love or Hold Me). And then there's Gold Dust Woman and especially Landslide, which have no chart ranking because they were never singles, but are must-play concert staples because they are as much a part of the public consciousness as the official singles.

So while I agree that using her solo success as proof of importance in the band is misleading, the statistics you cite are also skewing the picture.

And as far as the last tour's success, it is obvious that the Classic Five lineup will always be a bigger draw than any subset of four, so that isn't all about Christine. Imagine if it was Stevie who was back after a 16-year hiatus.

Obviously Stevie isn't a required part of the band. Even without her, they still have twice the number of lead singers as most bands. But she has given them more than just a handful of hit singles. She's a charismatic frontperson, with a persona and image that captivates fans and piques the interest of the media. Whenever you see a concert review, the picture is always Stevie, Stevie with Lindsey, or Stevie with Mick. I realize that's what drives a lot of fans crazy, but having a high-profile star in the band does a lot to keep the band relevant. When The Dance came out, I remember people saying they wanted to check it out "to see what Stevie looks like now." But then they got drawn back into the music once again.

Without Stevie, they are a talented musical unit who no doubt would have moved some records. But that describes a lot of faceless bands of the seventies who eventually drifted off into the sunset. Stevie is their hook. She set them apart and put them over the top as a superstar act. Did FM launch her career? Absolutely. But it's not the one-sided relationship some people want to make it out to be. If it was, half the threads in this forum wouldn't exist.

What MikeInNV said