Sheryl Crow is joining Fleetwood Mac!!!

[michelej1]

Originally Posted by strandinthewind

What Lindsey did say in Destiny Rules was "if there was even a chance" that Stevie might not want to tour beyond the initial 40 dates, then he couldn't afford it. He stated that, in order to be able to recoup his losses, the band would have to do a "much longer tour" and record another album and tour again. He never said she wasn't going to do a full tour, it was a "what if" scenario.

No one, not even Lindsey, needed to say it. When the double album was a single album, Stevie did agree to an extended tour. Obviously, Lindsey only thought "there was even a chance" that Stevie wouldn't do a full tour because she didn't commit to a full one until after he ditched the double album scenario, which was the basis for most of the differences they discussed during Destiny Rules. SYW is a single and voila, he cut the album and got his full tour. Funnily enough, the whole notion of a shortened tour didn't even surface until after the band had been struggling with him over a double album for months without progress.

And the thing about the double album is, according to what Lindsey said in the car, is that Mick promised it to him. It's not something that Lindsey just demanded once production started. It's something that they told him they would do all along and then they didn't. So he felt that once he had invested all of his time, they were changing the rules of the game.


To salvage the double album, thinking that there would be a full tour, he said he'd pay for the extra songs. Then, only after he made this offer to pay, came another change in plans and he finally had no choice but to scrap the double album notion altogether.

We saw the way they play each other throughout Destiny Rules -- as when Lindsey delayed in signing the sound engineering contract -- which made me wish the documentary had focused on some of their other conflicts because, while the problem-solving techniques left a lot to be desired, they were intriguing and revealed a lot about band dynamics.

Michele

[michelej1]

Originally Posted by Tango

Ditto on the Sheryl Crow comments to the media. If she wasn't authorized for this stuff to come out, her comments spread like wildfire across the internet.

Well, she's doing the promotional rounds for her album and she will have to elaborate soon (like this week probably) because everyone is going to be asking her about it. The Mac could keep mum for months, but she can't, since she's out there. So, I guess we'll know more soon. But then again, she may not have more to tell. She did say, "we'll see what happens," as if the details have yet to be worked out.

Michele

[WelshWitchPMD]

Sheryl Crow?



Sorry, I just couldn't resist.

[strandinthewind]

Originally Posted by michelej1

When the double album was a single album, Stevie did agree to an extended tour.

Which band member said that and when did they say it?

Originally Posted by michelej1

Obviously, Lindsey only thought "there was even a chance" that Stevie wouldn't do a full tour because she didn't commit to a full one until after he ditched the double album scenario, which was the basis for most of the differences they discussed during Destiny Rules. SYW is a single and voila, he cut the album and got his full tour.

Maybe she hadn't committed because she wasn't sure if she wanted to be on the road that long with Lindsey, period.

And, if you want to go by gossip from mostly reliable sources and supposition, La Nicks agreed to the third leg of the SYW tour to help LB out financially.

Originally Posted by michelej1

And the thing about the double album is, according to what Lindsey said in the car, is that Mick promised it to him. It's not something that Lindsey just demanded once production started. It's something that they told him they would do all along and then they didn't. So he felt that once he had invested all of his time, they were changing the rules of the game.

At the beginning of the doc, LB told SN "if you keep writing songs like that, we'll make this a double album yet." Obviously the idea of a double album was still up in the air, even before SN arrived. Didn't sound like LB was promised anything.

In the end, I think it is important to remember all of this is stringing together of what relatively little we actually know. And, of that pool of interviews, etc., it is important to remember the context. For example, the DR doc. likely had some staging and cagey editing So, little of this likely is actually what went down over the long run.

[SandyMac]

Originally Posted by Serrart

I'm not sure she'd play the intermediary, but at least now Stevie doesn't look like a clandestine in a boys club. I think having Crow in the Mac is a very good news, Stevie now might feel more encouraged to write for the band, since she knows she could have a stronger support in the production phase.

Besides, I'm sure this must have been the condition to have Stevie back (clever girl ).

Romy

Good observation. Even though I don't 100 percent agree with Sheryl being in the band (if that is the case), I can see where Stevie is coming from. Sheryl I believe understands where Stevie is coming from musically and would hopefully make the production process go smoother for Stevie if she had an ally on her side. Stevie is indeed clever and maybe she had this in the back of her mind way back a couple of years ago when she handed Lindsey the set list. Stevie definitely knows how to play the game, and I think won this strategic move, but time will tell the whole story.

[Azzar]

Probably the worst news ive ever read.

[SteveMacD]

Originally Posted by Azzar

Probably the worst news ive ever read.

Really? THIS is it? 9/11, the various genocides in Africa, or even the price at the gas pumps aren't as bad?

In my mind, this isn't even the worse thing that ever happened to Fleetwood Mac. BTW, that award still goes to Peter Green quitting the band. It would have killed most bands, but Mick and John have a great survival instict. Fleetwood Mac finds a way to get the band back on the road, and it's BAD news for fans? Very interesting.

[golddustwoman77]

Originally Posted by golddustwoman77

I mean, it is going to change the whole dynamics of the band!

Originally Posted by chiliD

You say that like it's a BAD thing. At this stage, Fleetwood Mac's dynamic NEEDS changing. It's about f-ing time the dynamic changed, even in a small way. They're whole history has been about constant dynamic changes. When Christine joined after Peter Green left; when Bob Welch joined after Jeremy flew the coop; when Stevie & Lindsey joined when Welch burned out; even the Time crew shook the cage (I enjoyed them immensely but I'm obviously in the minority)

I said it like it was a bad thing, because I think it is a bad thing. The examples you gave were mainly back when people were coming and going with very little time in between new line ups. Therefore, it wasn't as big a deal if the line up changed. This line up has been a staple for 33 years basically, minus Time years--which was a critical and commerical flop. That is much, much longer than any other line up. This is the Fleetwood Mac that most people know and love; this is the line-up that has seen the greatest success. For example, you wouldn't change the line-up of the Rolling Stones at this late date. I could give many examples of other bands that you just wouldn't change their dynamics. It would be suicide. Why mess with their overall success and tarnish their image now?! This isn't what I want Fleetwood Mac's last hoorah to be. I don't want this to be the note they go out on, especially if that last note includes Sheryl Crow?! I used to be a fan of hers early on, but, IMO, she hasn't had a good album since the Globe Sessions which was in 1998. The last several albums have been getting worse by the album, bordering on the edge of corny in some instances. It seems to me that she needs Fleetwood Mac more than they need her. Fleetwood Mac is an iconic band that Sheryl Crow can ride to revive her floundering career. Well, I'm sorry, but I'm just not for it. I say save Fleetwood Mac's legacy, not Sheryl Crow's career.

[michelej1]

Originally Posted by strandinthewind

Which band member said that and when did they say it?

The chronology set forth in the Destiny Rules documentary said it, along with the fact that we got an extended tour -- and a single album.

Originally Posted by strandinthewind

Maybe she hadn't committed because she wasn't sure if she wanted to be on the road that long with Lindsey, period.

Maybe, but the length of the tour didn't come up until after the extended battle about the double album.

Originally Posted by strandinthewind

At the beginning of the doc, LB told SN "if you keep writing songs like that, we'll make this a double album yet." Obviously the idea of a double album was still up in the air, even before SN arrived. Didn't sound like LB was promised anything.

Sounded like he was promised quite a bit and he was upset that Mick had gone back on his word. He felt that Mick had betrayed him and, worse, Mick was not even acknowledging that he had done so. He felt that Mick had dangled a carrot in front of his face, reeled him in and then taken it away, which led to his whole rant about not having a single ally in the band. He didn't just start pushing for a double album, it was something that he understood (reasonably understood, mistakenly understood, I don't know) he was getting from the outset. Then he wasn't.

Originally Posted by strandinthewind

And, if you want to go by gossip from mostly reliable sources and supposition, La Nicks agreed to the third leg of the SYW tour to help LB out financially.

I thought the tour had to be extended as payback for earlier venues, when they hadn't sold as many tickets as they were supposed to have sold earlier. However, your gossip jives with what we saw in Destiny Rules. There were 6 additional songs on the album and they were probably paid for by Lindsey. I'm sure he welcomed as much tour money as possible. I often wonder if UTS cost him money out of his own pocket as well.

Michele

[strandinthewind]

Originally Posted by michelej1

The chronology set forth in the Destiny Rules documentary said it, along with the fact that we got an extended tour -- and a single album.

nice try

Originally Posted by michelej1

I thought the tour had to be extended as payback for earlier venues, when they hadn't sold as many tickets as they were supposed to have sold earlier. However, your gossip jives with what we saw in Destiny Rules. There were 6 additional songs on the album and they were probably paid for by Lindsey. I'm sure he welcomed as much tour money as possible. I often wonder if UTS cost him money out of his own pocket as well.

Michele

Who knows in the end. But, if La Nicks did agree to a third leg to help him out, that suggests that she was not such a beyotch that people make her out to be. Again, I think that they originally agreed to a certain number of dates (say 40) (which is pretty standard) -- then the idea of the double record came up somewhere early in the process and it was not dismissed until later. I think the tour extension was a negotiating point because they knew a double record could be be financially viable without it. It certainly would have been for me.

I do know they did make tons of money off of the tour and merch. though.

I guess renting a house in one of the most expensive neighborhoods in the world to record a record and then taking a year or so to record it does come with a payback, esp. when said record sells only 800,000 copies and you have leased a private BBJ and hiring essentially two other band as a back up for you on your tour

I did find it interesting that he sold what was touted as his recently completed dream home and where he had lived for two plus decades for somewhere around $20 million after the tour and moved to a much less expensive and exclusive neighborhood. Who knows - maybe he did that to finance UTS and the resulting tour, which were critical but not financial successes.

[AnthonyMI]

Thought that would be a good title for the next Ledge discussion board. What do you all think?

[shackin'up]

Originally Posted by strandinthewind

-- then the idea of the double record came up somewhere early in the process and it was not dismissed until later. I think the tour extension was a negotiating point because they knew a double record could be be financially viable without it. It certainly would have been for me.

The idea of the double album was there before he agreed to be back in business. Hell, Mick agreed to it initially to drag him in.

[shackin'up]

Originally Posted by strandinthewind

I did find it interesting that he sold what was touted as his recently completed dream home and where he had lived for two plus decades for somewhere around $20 million after the tour and moved to a much less expensive and exclusive neighborhood. Who knows - maybe he did that to finance UTS and the resulting tour, which were critical but not financial successes.

Well, they were not even PLANNED to be financial successes. So he deliberately took the financial risks himself. I don't think it was an expensive album to make- nor that is was an expensive tour to do. My idea is that he didn't lose or gain big amounts of money. Not in such amounts that he had to sell the house for it. And the SYW tour must have made him some cash, even after paying all bills.

[strandinthewind]

Originally Posted by shackin'up

The idea of the double album was there before he agreed to be back in business. Hell, Mick agreed to it initially to drag him in.

Again, which band member said this and when did they say it?

I submit none of us knows this for sure just as we do not know the initial number of tour dates.

I think LB went back to FM because he has nowhere else to go to get his music out. He all but said so when he said that Warners essentially shelved his solo project in 1999-2000, which is when FM started again

[strandinthewind]

Originally Posted by shackin'up

Well, they were not even PLANNED to be financial successes. So he deliberately took the financial risks himself. I don't think it was an expensive album to make- nor that is was an expensive tour to do. My idea is that he didn't lose or gain big amounts of money. Not in such amounts that he had to sell the house for it. And the SYW tour must have made him some cash, even after paying all bills.

I don't know. SYW certainly sold relatively few copies considering the expense of making it. But, the two or so year tour should have paid for that and given the five tons of money. All I know is the selling of that house was a strange thing to these eyes.