What's wrong...

[DownOnRodeo]

...with Wrong, that it wasn't included in the Anthology?

A few people have noted its marked absence, and as Macfan4life notes:

Originally Posted by Macfan4life

Wrong - how appropriate of a song today. Odd its not even on his best of CD. It was the first single of his most acclaimed album too with a fantastic video.

Stabbing in the dark here, but one possible reason is that, if I remember correctly, some reviews considered Wrong to be musically derivative of Tusk (the song). Maybe Lindsey took that to heart?


Meanwhile, I think Wait For You is also fairly popular among LB fans, so its absence from the Anthology is another head-scratcher to me. It's not like it was kept off because Mick and John are playing on it--they're playing on lots of his solo releases--including Mick playing drums on Trouble. Again cluthing at straws, but do I remember correctly that the main riff in 'Shuffle Riff' was originated by someone else, like Neale Heywood?


The other thing is that both of these are somewhat dark and angry songs (along with another exclusion, 'This is the Time'), so maybe he wanted to limit that vibe with this collection.

[bombaysaffires]

well, Young Mr. Rock-cock was Mick, in Wrong.

Maybe at the time he was putting the anthology together he wasn't feeling pissed off at Mick anymore and left it off........ if only he knew

[DownOnRodeo]

Originally Posted by bombaysaffires

well, Young Mr. Rock-cock was Mick, in Wrong.

Maybe at the time he was putting the anthology together he wasn't feeling pissed off at Mick anymore and left it off........ if only he knew

Thanks for mentioning this aspect.

Although Lindsey was partially referencing Mick and his book in this song, I don't think that 'young Mr Rockcock' or the song as a whole are necessarily about Mick--or at least, not the song in its final form. Mick and his book may well have been one of the main seeds from which the song grew; but ultimately it seems to also be a lot the kind of story depicted in the video, which seems much less like Mick and more like Lindsey.

If the song took some swipes at Mick, they were very tame ones (the "piggie on the cover" references), couched in a really strong track that is about something more meaningful to Lindsey than the topic of Mick and his hurtful book.

Originally Posted by Lindsey in 1992

Wrong is sort of a composite of a number of people. But, yeah, that was a way of addressing that (Mick's book) a little bit." (When asked if there was a veiled reference in the song to another member in the band, Lindsey replied "No, not really. There really isn't. It's a tongue in cheek chiding of the generic rock type who loses his perspective and maybe acts a little inappropriately because of that. We've all known people like that and to some degree I've been there myself, so I'm laughing at myself, I'm laughing at the business and the pitfalls that people fall into."

Looking through the keyhole, did I see another
piggy in the middle, piggy on the cover
The consensus is that Lindsey is definitely referring to Mick Fleetwood. "Looking through the keyhole" may be a veiled reference to the fact that Lindsey knew all along that Mick and Stevie were having an affair. He was "looking through the keyhole" way back in 1975 when he asked Mick outright if there was something going on with him and Stevie. Mick also refers to this in his book. He talks about how he and Lindsey were smoking a joint together after a gig one night and they got to talking man to man. Mick said they were both sitting there and straight out of the blue Lindsey turned to him and said, "It's you and Stevie, isn't it?" "Piggy in the middle" is a phrase that Mick used as the title to Chapter 7 in his book. This is also the chapter that dealt with the Lindsey/Stevie breakup and the Mick/Stevie affair. Also, Mick used this phrase to describe his role as a go between for the two couples in the band. "Piggy on the cover" is an obvious reference to the cover of Mick's book. Lindsey calls Mick the "piggy on the cover" either because he thought that Mick's actions in 1977 (especially his affair with Stevie) were in poor taste or because Mick's book was a mud-slinging affair or perhaps both.

Young Mr. Rockcock, where do you belong?
Young Mr. Rockcock" could be Lindsey referring to himself. It's been well documented that John McVie especially found Lindsey young and brash in the early days when he and Stevie first joined the band and they did butt heads in the studio on occasion. Lindsey could also be talking about the stereotypical rock star persona. "Where do you belong?" is Lindsey asking himself what he should do after Fleetwood Mac. What is his role in the music world? He's also trying to figure out what role he played while he was in the band, since Mick downplayed that role in his book.

The man ain't got no answer, the man just got it wrong
"The man" is a reference to Mick. Lindsey is saying that Mick got it "Wrong" in his book.

http://www.fleetwoodmac.net/penguin/...ns/w/wrong.htm

[jeets2000]

It's a tongue in cheek chiding of the generic rock type who loses his perspective and maybe acts a little inappropriately because of that.

Just pointing out how interesting it is that Lindsey used this terminology in 1992 to refer to Mick, and then again in 2018 after his firing:

“I think what you would say is that there were factions within the band that lost their perspective.”

[bombaysaffires]

I believe it is in Lindsey's Behind the Music where he says it's Mick-- and says Mick knows this. They then go to Mick and ask him if he knew that was him and he says he had no idea, but he's "flattered" to be considered to have a "rock cock".

[David]

I always thought Young Mr. Rock Cock was the typical young turd taking control of the record companies at the time, leaving older artists and execs out of the money, or even the agent types. What was young about Mick Fleetwood in 1992?

[bombaysaffires]

Originally Posted by David

I always thought Young Mr. Rock Cock was the typical young turd taking control of the record companies at the time, leaving older artists and execs out of the money, or even the agent types. What was young about Mick Fleetwood in 1992?

the song had a lot to do with Mick spilling the beans in his first autobiography about the fight when Lindsey left the band before the Tango tour and said LB hit Stevie "the man just got it wrong". Lindsey also used to refer to Mick as "piggy in the middle" and that line is used in the song too.....

[elle]

Originally Posted by bombaysaffires

the song had a lot to do with Mick spilling the beans in his first autobiography about the fight when Lindsey left the band before the Tango tour and said LB hit Stevie "the man just got it wrong". Lindsey also used to refer to Mick as "piggy in the middle" and that line is used in the song too.....

Mick referred to himself as piggy in the middle in that book. it's even the title of one of the chapters, i believe.

[DownOnRodeo]

Yes. Here is a summary of the references as I see them:

- "young Mr. Rockcock" is Lindsey (not Mick) specifically, and young music wannabees in general
- "piggy" is Mick, as a cheeky slap over the wrists for his book, and perhaps in general it refers to the artists (the ones on the cover of the albums) who are unwittingly part of the corporate machine, like swine to the slaughterhouse
- "the man (who got it wrong)" is Mick specifically in reference to his book, in general it is the music execs

[DownOnRodeo]

Originally Posted by jeets2000

Just pointing out how interesting it is that Lindsey used this terminology in 1992 to refer to Mick, and then again in 2018 after his firing:

“I think what you would say is that there were factions within the band that lost their perspective.”

I think Lindsey would appreciate your "referencing" of his linguistic "cycles."

[bombaysaffires]

Watch this video from 32:10 to 33:20.

Listen to Lindsey say very clearly Mr. RC is Mick and the song is directed to Mick.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a05c9rshejA

[DownOnRodeo]

That sequence is edited into fragments so it's difficult to be certain exactly what Lindsey said, but yes the documentary certainly presents it that way (contradictory to Lindsey's remarks in 1992)!

[bombaysaffires]

Sigh. There are some pretty straightforward bits that are not cut where it is perfectly clear what Lindsey is saying.

(They talk about the story in Mick's book saying LB hit SN at the band meeting. Mick says "It was disloyal. I understand that". The narrator says, 'The betrayal was never discussed. As in the days of Rumours, Lindsey spoke through his songs.' Then they play the opening verse of Wrong)

Lindsey: I think Mick got the picture from the song. He knew full well that the song was addressed to him. (This is not made up of cuts, it's a full statement by LB, we see him say it, no edits).

Then, yes, they cut to the video of Wrong, at the chorus where he sings "young mr rock cock"

Then yes, they cut back to Lindsey.

Lindsey: It's a line from the chorus.. young Mr. Rock Cock, I think? Yeah..... Can we say that? (no cuts, he says this full statement)

Then they cut to Mick:

Mick: I never knew that! I'm flattered! I..I...Rock cock!



Sigh. Even when it comes straight out of the horse's mouth.

[DownOnRodeo]

Sure.

I wish the Mr Rockcock part of the interview was also not made up of cuts, but maybe someone can confirm it at a meet and greet with the horse.

[bombaysaffires]

Nah, you'll probably still not believe it.

Maybe if he got it tattooed across his forehead.....nah, still doubtful. You didn't get to see it done,