Stevie Nicks Says Issues With Lindsey Buckingham Threaten Her Involvement With FM

[Sarah]

Peace out, Stevie.

Helloooooo Lindsey Buckingham & Friends with special guests Mick Fleetwood and John McVie!

[strandinthewind]

Originally Posted by shackin'up

. . . That's the whole point of her, isn't that totally clear? SHE doesn't like it if HE's stealing the show where SHE should. If he's in a more back-up position she's more happy. It's that simple . . . .

With respect - that can only be your opinion and it frankly is unsupported by the facts. Since the Tusk tour and really brefore then, she has left the stage when he is doing his thing. She willingly gives him the light at those times. And, it is her's to give. Like or not, the vast majority of the people at a FM show cry out for her and have for like 30+ years. Even LB has said more than once that he gets a little jealous of her popularity and/or the fact that his production of her bare demos (which she readily describes as brilliant) get her the initial radio play to get there. Isn't it interesting that LB rarely speaks in terms of FM songs. They are always his songs or his work on songs. To me, that is very telling of his nature. If any of us had a co-worker like that, they'd likely get the freeze as well.

In the end, I think La Nicks is telling the truth about why she is not FM and it has nothing to do with LB garnering more spotlight time without CM there.

And, I could care a less that she makes these statements in public.

[Sarah]

Dude, don't even act like Stevie leaves the stage to give Lindsey the spotlight.

Back in the day, Stevie left the stage to do blow, change costumes, do her hurrr, get a drink of water, etc etc etc. I'm pretty sure now Stevie just leaves the stage so she can hear thunderous applause when she comes back in.

And why, exactly, would that coworker get the freeze when that coworker is the one that sculpted your song into a hit that generated extra radio airplay and, subsequently, a bigger check every month? That's shooting yourself in the foot. If I was Lindsey and dedicated so much more time in the studio.. spent time making something good out of a a scrap pile of vocals that Stevie just zipped in to unload quickly before heading out again.. I'd talk about the work I did as well. There's a lot of "oh, Lindsey isn't working as a baaaaand" talk. I don't see why it's so easy to forget that Stevie has been nonexistant on other album sessions in the past. He's doing the biggest portion of the work and she gets to stamp her name on it and enjoy the majority of the recognition from the casual fans. I can understand problems with personality and stuff like that, but really when it comes to being involved, she has no room to talk.

[strandinthewind]

Originally Posted by Johnny Stew

I'd be lying if I said I wouldn't prefer if Stevie left the Lindsey bashing at home. Not because I feel bad for the guy at all, but just because of how it sometimes makes her look. But every one of them has said that they're basically a dysfunctional family disguised as a rock band, so maybe this is how they communicate. Maybe Stevie feels that in order to REALLY get Lindsey's attention, she has to take her complaints to the press -- lest her feelings get brushed off as inconsequential yet again. Perhaps she feels that grand gestures are what it takes to really get through to him.

As for the accusations of lying... I haven't seen an artist yet who's said, "I absolutely loathe my latest album, but please still buy it anyway." At the time of its release, they always put on the best face and promote the hell out of it -- only later does it come out that they were less than pleased with it. Actors do the same thing -- doing rounds on all of the talk shows and entertainment programs, talking about how wonderful the experience was, etc., etc. Then, five years later, they nary have a positive thing to say about the film, or they reveal nasty clashes with the director, and so on.

It's not something unique to Stevie.

And, she still has some positive things to say about certain aspects of the record and the tour. Moreover, she does not exist frozen in time. Any of us have had reconciliations with people and if we were interviewed then, the remarks would be kind. Fast forward to another blow up and the comments then would be unkind.

In the end, if they can't work it out, she should go. But, I think people are loathe to give her credit in any fashion for trying to get them back. She is making an effort here and IMO it comes from her love of the band that she fought for for three decades.

[strandinthewind]

Originally Posted by Sarah

. . . I'm pretty sure now Stevie just leaves the stage so she can hear thunderous applause when she comes back in.

Do you really think that or are you being sarcastic?

Again, she has said she tones down her act when in FM out of respect for LB, who apparantly is jealous of her popularity when compared to his and hates her lively stage presence. I believe her because she is much more animated in her solo shows.

I don't know - maybe it is just people cannot see her as anything but an unkind, plotting, fame whore even when the evidence fails to support that.

[Johnny Stew]

Originally Posted by shackin'up

It's about the fact that Lindsey's place in the spotlight will be reduced too, Stewie. That's the whole point of her, isn't that totally clear? SHE doesn't like it if HE's stealing the show where SHE should. If he's in a more back-up position she's more happy. It's that simple.

With all due respect, I think that's a little bit of revisionistic history. I can't think of a time when Lindsey was ever in a "back-up" position on stage. Even when Christine was there, he was full of all of the same manic, jittery energy that he has now -- howling, moaning, playing blistering solos, duck-walking across the stage. He was never a shrinking violet.

I don't think "on stage" is where the problem lies.

Originally Posted by shackin'up

I want another solorecord from her too. So it'll be clear that she's done with good songwriting, like she has been for years.

At least your motives are pure!

[Sarah]

Originally Posted by strandinthewind

Do you really think that or are you being sarcastic?

Again, she has said she tones down her act when in FM out of respect for LB, who apparantly is jealous of her popularity when compared to his and hates her lively stage presence. I believe her because she is much more animated in her solo shows.

I don't know - maybe it is just people cannot see her as anything but an unkind, plotting, fame whore even when the evidence fails to support that.

I'm just being sarcastic, but it wouldn't surprise me if it were true.

Gosh, I guess that could be the same reason Lindsey is more animated in his solo shows, right?

[SortaSavageLike]

Originally Posted by Johnny Stew

I don't think "on stage" is where the problem lies.

I think you've got a brilliant idea, Johnny.

Should MacDaddy be a failure, this is my other solution: A completely unproduced stream-of-consciousness live album performed in front of an audience of 10,000 adoring fans. No rehearsal, no backing musicians, nada. It'll flop, naturally, but at least they get their art without the attendant suffering.

[Johnny Stew]

Originally Posted by strandinthewind

Moreover, she does not exist frozen in time. Any of us have had reconciliations with people and if we were interviewed then, the remarks would be kind. Fast forward to another blow up and the comments then would be unkind.

Excellent point. It's easy to see "inconsistencies" in someone else's comments, when comparing things that have been said over the course of several years, but I wonder how many of us would also seem inconsistent in our thoughts, opinions and moods, if someone just took a snapshot of us at any given time and then tried to compare it to something else we've said.

Originally Posted by strandinthewind

In the end, if they can't work it out, she should go. But, I think people are loathe to give her credit in any fashion for trying to get them back. She is making an effort here and IMO it comes from her love of the band that she fought for for three decades.

I think that's the essence of all of this... if she really, truly wanted to leave Fleetwood Mac, she just would. She has no reason to stay. Sure, the paychecks are great, but she's not exactly relegated to playing for drinks as a solo artist. I think she absolutely wants to be a part of Fleetwood Mac -- I just don't think she wants to be the little sister everyone ignores anymore. She's a 60-year old woman with enough experience of her own to have a valid opinion and want it to be respected and considered.

[strandinthewind]

Originally Posted by Sarah

. . . And why, exactly, would that coworker get the freeze when that coworker is the one that sculpted your song into a hit that generated extra radio airplay and, subsequently, a bigger check every month? That's shooting yourself in the foot. If I was Lindsey and dedicated so much more time in the studio.. spent time making something good out of a a scrap pile of vocals that Stevie just zipped in to unload quickly before heading out again.. I'd talk about the work I did as well. There's a lot of "oh, Lindsey isn't working as a baaaaand" talk. I don't see why it's so easy to forget that Stevie has been nonexistant on other album sessions in the past. He's doing the biggest portion of the work and she gets to stamp her name on it and enjoy the majority of the recognition from the casual fans. I can understand problems with personality and stuff like that, but really when it comes to being involved, she has no room to talk.

Interestingly, had La Nicks not been touring so much, FM's popularity could have waned. I have often wondered what would have happened if she had not gone solo. I do not think FM would have out records out any quicker than they did. Moreover, IMO really TITN was the record she was mostly absent on. She was present for everything before then and she was present for a long time for SYW, though she missed the first half of it. And, according to most, LB prefers to work on her stuff alone anyway

They exist within a band. He could not sell his stuff without her and, in larger part on the radio, CM. They were the hit makers and the hits came from him, though FM contributed as well. I mean LB did not write John's slamming bass lines on Dreams, Don't Stop, The Chain, etc. - ditto for CM's piano. Then, after a somewhat slow start, La Nicks' stage presence sold FM live. Yes, FM is and was a great band with or without La Nicks. But, having a hottie center stage belting out mysterious songs and dancing a blue streak in sexy attire sold the music live and on a level that CM and LB just could not take FM. And, that is nothing againt LB and CM - I love their work and think they are musically more talented than La Nicks, esp. CM. They are just to the vast majority of the people comparatively boring live. I think LB gets and got jealous of that and I think when people hear that they think it is a slam on LB and CM. To me, it is not. To me, it is just looking at things as they are. He needs her, esp. in FM (as a duo outsideof FM I am unsure they would be commercially viable) to sell his records on any large level and he obviously likes that level of fame and her and the path her stardom allows him to walk or he would not keep coming back to her and FM Ditto for her.

[strandinthewind]

Originally Posted by Sarah

. . . Gosh, I guess that could be the same reason Lindsey is more animated in his solo shows, right?

I don't think LB has ever toned it down for anyone

Nor should he or her IMO.

[strandinthewind]

Originally Posted by SortaSavageLike

I think you've got a brilliant idea, Johnny.

Should MacDaddy be a failure, this is my other solution: A completely unproduced stream-of-consciousness live album performed in front of an audience of 10,000 adoring fans. No rehearsal, no backing musicians, nada. It'll flop, naturally, but at least they get their art without the attendant suffering.

Arguably, that was some if not most of the Rumours tour

[Johnny Stew]

Originally Posted by strandinthewind

They exist within a band. He could not sell his stuff without her and, in larger part on the radio, CM.

You've (inadvertently?) hit upon an interesting point... Lindsey has said that his "greatest role" in Fleetwood Mac was in being able to take rough material from Christine and Stevie and turn those songs into something great. By and large, Christine had far more Top 40 hits than Stevie, and therefore helped sell a LOT of records with those hit singles, yet Lindsey received no more credit for his work on her songs than he did for Stevie's. Not even from Christine herself (in fact, after he left the band, I got the feeling Christine was somewhat downplaying Lindsey's role in the production aspect).

Which begs the question... were there ever any jealousies over that? Or was the competition solely between Lindsey & Stevie because they had been a couple?

[strandinthewind]

Originally Posted by Johnny Stew

You've (inadvertently?) hit upon an interesting point... Lindsey has said that his "greatest role" in Fleetwood Mac was in being able to take rough material from Christine and Stevie and turn those songs into something great. By and large, Christine had far more Top 40 hits than Stevie, and therefore helped sell a LOT of records with those hit singles, yet Lindsey received no more credit for his work on her songs than he did for Stevie's. Not even from Christine herself (in fact, after he left the band, I got the feeling Christine was somewhat downplaying Lindsey's role in the production aspect).

Which begs the question... were there ever any jealousies over that? Or was the competition solely between Lindsey & Stevie because they had been a couple?

In the Tusk doc., doesn't CM hit on this a little when discussing, I think, You'll Never Make Me Cry? I think she says something about LB telling her to play it a different way and she replies that she would play it as written or something like that. If anyone has the quote, I am all ears I also think CM's demos were fuller than La Nicks, at least in the beginning, though I think that was less true once she got a synth and a home studio where she could lay the basic piano track and then synth in more sound. So, I think LB perhaps approached CM's songs from a different angle - fear comes to mind actually But and more to the point, I think LB was jealous of FM's stardom and his relative lack of stardom, esp. concerning La Nicks.

[Miss Vicky]

Originally Posted by strandinthewind

I don't know - maybe it is just people cannot see her as anything but an unkind, plotting, fame whore

And other people are unable to see Lindsey as anything but an unkind, jealous, brutish control freak who can't play fair.

Likewise, they can't see Stevie as anything but the perfect, can-do-no-wrong goddess of their fantasies.

All camps are equally guilty of villifying one side and victimizing the other, so again let's stop pointing fingers.