Music Videos

[FuzzyPlum]

Hi, apologies if this has been discussed before.

I’ve recently watched the Fleetwood Mac episode of Sky Arts’ ‘Video Killed the Radio Star’ again for the nth time. It occurred to me that for such a big, significant band Fleetwood Mac actually have relatively few notable music videos. Indeed, a large number of those videos that were featured in the programme aren’t even proper purpose-made videos but use concert footage. It let me to reflect reflect on what I think of as the best ‘proper’ videos;

10) In the Back of My Mind: It was between this or Save Me. In the end I just found the Save Me video to be a bit random. Whoever thought the CGI flying guitar here would be a good idea? At least this video is kind of interesting and they get some marks for effort. It looks very kitsch but I quite like it.

9) Seven Wonders: I’m still not sure what to make of this video. I can’t help but feel it looks a bit cheap (even though I’m sure it probably wasn’t). I love Lindsey’s facial expressions and Christine in particular looks great. All in all I kind of like it but it’s not the most creative or imaginative thing they could have done for such a title. I can’t see the Colossus of Rhodes anywhere.

8) Everywhere: Great story telling- real shame the band play only a fleeting appearance in this video. Even then it’s only a few of them. Had Lindsey left by this stage? Was Stevie otherwise engaged? You’d have thought Mick would have been only too happy to have taken a proper starring role. This video always felt like a bit of an ‘off the shelf video’. You could have made the video and set it as the backdrop to any song and cut in clips from any band.

7) Love Shines: I really love the warm feel to this video. It’s a shame this single didn’t do better- it should have been a huge hit. For some reason this video reminds me of the Happy Mondays’ ‘Step On’ (which was uber-cool at around that time).

6) Tell Me Lies: A simple video that has become pretty iconic over the years. Perfect fit for the song

5) As Long as You Follow: This video just warms my heart. If this song and Love Shines had found themselves on the Behind the Mask album the history of the band could have been so different. This video shows a really happy band. Rick and Billy’s finest moment? Shame there wasn’t more of this to follow.

4) Tusk: Great stuff. Their first ‘real’ video?

3) Big Love: I changed the order of the top three so many times. Big Love could have quite easily come top. Technically brilliant, this video still looks amazing. I think I remember reading somewhere it was the most expensive video ever made at the time.

2) Hold Me: Very artistic. Stevie looks gorgeous in this video.

1) Gypsy: A mini-movie. It’s difficult not to love all aspects of this. It’s hard to fathom why such a great song with such a great video didn’t perform better in the charts. I don’t quite know why but every time I see the children dancing around Stevie I think of the dwarves dancing around Stonehenge in Spinal Tap. I have no idea why, they aren’t even that similar.

Just my opinions- would love to hear what others think.

[jbrownsjr]

Sara was an official video, as well.

[moon]

I always thought that videos like Rhiannon, or Dreams, or Go Your Own Way, where the band is playing in a little kind of stage, were official videos too. I guess MTV and other channels put them on their transmissions as official, but I'm not sure.
The first news about a FM video I had were with Gypsy, because it had one of the most amazing productions at that time, and the cost was so high...
I really didn't watch the 88-92 videos, except for ALAYF, Skies the Limit, and Paper Doll, another official? video, but I don't know if there's more videos to see.
Big Love is simply a masterpiece, from the start to the end. Everywhere is good but as you say, bad to know the band only appear sometimes, and only Mick, John and obviously Christine. I had my thoughts about who played the "bearded man", because from some angles, he looks like Lindsey...
Little Lies is a classic, like Big Love and Gypsy.
Peacekeeper has an official video? Or is just another one where the band is playing the song and nothing else?

[MikeInNV]

Originally Posted by FuzzyPlum

5) As Long as You Follow: This video just warms my heart. If this song and Love Shines had found themselves on the Behind the Mask album the history of the band could have been so different. This video shows a really happy band. Rick and Billy’s finest moment? Shame there wasn’t more of this to follow.

ALAYF was only a modest hit two years earlier. I don't know that saving it for Behind the Mask would have helped that much.

Originally Posted by FuzzyPlum

3) Big Love: I changed the order of the top three so many times. Big Love could have quite easily come top. Technically brilliant, this video still looks amazing. I think I remember reading somewhere it was the most expensive video ever made at the time.

It was "Gypsy" that held this distinction.

[jbrownsjr]

Yes, I believe Gypsy cost $75,000 to make at the time. lol

[FuzzyPlum]

Originally Posted by MikeInNV

ALAYF was only a modest hit two years earlier. I don't know that saving it for Behind the Mask would have helped that much.


It was "Gypsy" that held this distinction.

As Long as You Follow would have strengthened Behind the Mask. Perhaps it wouldnt have sold that many more but it would have made it a better album. Having appeared on Greatest Hits already I think it may have helped smooth the transition for people to hear something they were already familiar with.

I didnt know that about Gypsy. Just five years later though and Big Love cost half a million. Even with inflation thats a big jump. I guess that reflects the increased power and importance of the music video throughout the 80's.

[Wdm6789]

Hold Me! I love that song and the music video. I wish they did another video for one of Lindsey's songs from Mirage.

[BLY]

Originally Posted by Wdm6789

Hold Me! I love that song and the music video. I wish they did another video for one of Lindsey's songs from Mirage.

Me too. Eyes of the World would get my vote.

[FuzzyPlum]

Originally Posted by Wdm6789

I wish they did another video for one of Lindsey's songs from Mirage.

that's a whole other thing...songs that should have been next up as single releases but never were (at the time)...
Fleetwood Mac- Landslide
Rumours- The Chain
Tusk- Angel
Mirage- Book of Love
Tango in the Night- ??? er there's not that many left to choose from... Mystified

its interesting Oh Diane was a big hit in the UK without having a video.

[KenB]

Originally Posted by FuzzyPlum

that's a whole other thing...songs that should have been next up as single releases but never were (at the time)...
its interesting Oh Diane was a big hit in the UK without having a video.

I've always thought "Second Hand News" would have been a killer single. When I hear it on classic rock radio, it just sounds so good and has that same massive buildup of energy that "Go Your Own Way" has.

[BLY]

Originally Posted by KenB

I've always thought "Second Hand News" would have been a killer single. When I hear it on classic rock radio, it just sounds so good and has that same massive buildup of energy that "Go Your Own Way" has.

I always thought Second Hand would have been a great single. I actually believe every song with the the exception of Oh Daddy all would have been good successful singles at the the time.

[Wdm6789]

Originally Posted by BLY

Me too. Eyes of the World would get my vote.

I am glad that the Hold Me music video has all five band members pretty much equally, Gypsy is pretty much all Stevie, I would have liked to see the other four featured in the Gypsy music video more prominently. Not so much that it would take away from Stevie, but I think a few more shots and a few longer shots of the other four would have been nice.

[jbrownsjr]

Originally Posted by Wdm6789

Hold Me! I love that song and the music video. I wish they did another video for one of Lindsey's songs from Mirage.

Isn't there a video of them doing "Oh Diane"?

[FuzzyPlum]

Originally Posted by jbrownsjr

Isn't there a video of them doing "Oh Diane"?

You know, I'd never even considered that to be a video until now. Perhaps as I've never particularly loved the song I'd never really played close attention to it. I'd always assumed it was a 'live' performance in the Top of the Pops studio. Having watched it again I've only just realised they were playing on a screen. I wonder whether it was a purpose-made promo or whether it was specifically recorded for or 'beamed live' from the states to the Top of the Pops studio.

As they pulled out all the strings for a Christine song and spent so big for a Stevie song its a shame they didn't do the same for a Lindsey song.

[jcalzaretta]

The next single from Rumours was either The Chain or Second Hand News. I don't think they decided on which but then decided to not release another single, which I thought was ludricous!