Time

[Murrow]

Originally Posted by Mr Scarrott

I think I would have had a hard time mentally accepting a version of Time as a Fleetwood Mac album that only had Billy Burnette as a vocal holdover from their previous (and worst ever, in my humble opinion) album... yes, Mick and John would have been on it, but come on...

In fact there is evidence that Christine was to be involved in 1993 with what was to become Time - go to about 8;10 on this video (filmed just before the Clinton inauguration). There was also an interview with her at around the time of The Dance when she said that her participation in the recording of Time was a contractual obligation..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Lc7hE9TIr0

"It's quite well publicised that I had planned not to tour again with Fleetwood Mac, so my excuse is that a girl can always change her mind.so you know, i don't know I would like to do a few concerts here and there and certainly pursue a solo career as well..hopefully Fleetwood Mac are going in the studio in April or thereabouts to make another album"

I think this was around the time that Billy had left which might explain the absence of his guitars from her songs and the use of Michael Thompson instead...Dave and Bekka joined in 1994, initially without the involvement of Billy, so the non-Christine tracks may have been recorded in 1994/5 with a few overdubs here and there on the Christine tracks.

Just my theory..but I am inclined to believe that Christine's tracks were recorded first, not that her songs were then recorded later to rescue the album. Not that they did, in terms of sales...

I think by that point (January 1993) Stevie may have pulled the plug on recording with them as well as touring... but it's all a bit murky...

I recall Q Magazine announcing Dave and Bekka joining in September 1993, initially with an inaccurate claim that Delaney Bramlett had also joined. In December they shared that photo with all of the Time lineup sans Billy posing with fake beards. Then the following year they played with no Chris but Billy back on board at the World Cup concert.

I was under impression that the reason for Chris's songs being done separately was her dislike for Dave Mason.

I have to confess that I had been going by this misleading phrase on Wikipedia "Mick Fleetwood mentioned in his autobiography that Christine McVie did not originally intend to participate on the album (she had technically quit in 1990) but that Warner Bros. had insisted she appear. As such, her five featured songs were recorded separately from the full band..."

Cross-checking with my Play On ebook it appears Mick made no such claim about Warners.

Also Stevie quit the group in late 1990 over a disagreement re Silver Springs and the rights to it. I'm not aware that she made any noise about rejoining until The Dance (the Clinton do notwithstanding).

[SteveMacD]

I wonder when Billy’s involvement started related to Christine pulling out.

[Mr Scarrott]

Here's the line Christine took in 1997 according to an interview in Mojo, which clearly implies that her hands were tied. So Warners may have forced her to appear on an album she didn't really want to do, although she was under no obligation to tour..

Also appearing on Time was one Christine McVie, who politely notes that her appearance, “was something that I had not volunteered to do; it was contractual. I don't like to harp on it very much, but I thought the music was starting to get a little strange, the choices a little funny. I wasn't really enjoying that particular incarnation of the band, and I left.” At that point, the former Miss Perfect's plans included moving back to England - she's had a home in Kent for five years - and pursuing the hobbies one would expect of a former member of Chicken Shack: "Painting, illustration, I'd like to write a book, I'd like to go to cooking school. I know it sounds utterly absurd, but I really love cooking and I take it very seriously.” Plus a solo album “sometime before the next millennium”.

http://www.fleetwoodmac.net/fwm/inde...d=616&Itemid=9

[Murrow]

Originally Posted by SteveMacD

I wonder when Billy’s involvement started related to Christine pulling out.

I guess Mick needed someone to fill out the touring lineup and Chris wasn't willing so Billy had to be persuaded back. As far as he was concerned he'd already left when he did his Coming Home album in 1993. I don't think he had any issue with Chris if that's what you're suggesting.

[SteveMacD]

Originally Posted by Murrow

I guess Mick needed someone to fill out the touring lineup and Chris wasn't willing so Billy had to be persuaded back. As far as he was concerned he'd already left when he did his Coming Home album in 1993. I don't think he had any issue with Chris if that's what you're suggesting.

There was a Goldmine interview, mostly about Dave, that said Billy asked Mick if he could come back in early ‘94.

I know there was no bad blood between Christine and Billy. He was on ITM, after all. The fact they didn’t write and sing on together on “Time” was a little surprising, which is why I was curious about the timeline.

If anything, given that Richard, Christine, and Bekka (who Billy has known since she was 3) had problems with Dave, I wouldn’t be surprised if any of those three, or even Delaney, asked/pressured Billy to ask Mick to rejoin to act as a buffer.

[Murrow]

Originally Posted by SteveMacD

There was a Goldmine interview, mostly about Dave, that said Billy asked Mick if he could come back in early ‘94.

I know there was no bad blood between Christine and Billy. He was on ITM, after all. The fact they didn’t write and sing on together on “Time” was a little surprising, which is why I was curious about the timeline.

If anything, given that Richard, Christine, and Bekka (who Billy has known since she was 3) had problems with Dave, I wouldn’t be surprised if any of those three, or even Delaney, asked/pressured Billy to ask Mick to rejoin to act as a buffer.

If only Rick hadn't quite after BTM it could have been a much more peaceful affair. An album with the Time line-up but Rick instead of Dave... that I would have been VERY interested to hear!