Neil Finn on joining FM: “Stevie wanted to do it exactly the way Lindsey would have"

[elle]

Neil Finn on joining Fleetwood Mac: “Stevie wanted to do it exactly the way Lindsey would have.”

Crowded House leader Neil Finn speaks to MOJO about his surprise move to replace Lindsey Buckingham in Fleetwood Mac in 2018.

Neil Finn and Fleetwood Mac
By John Aizlewood | Updated5 Hours Ago


Drafted in as a teenager to join older brother Tim’s band, beloved New Zealand New Wavers Split Enz, before breaking America and Europe as leader of Crowded House, Neil Finn’s deep but accessible songwriting has carved out a unique place within the musical landscape over the past four decades, earning him famous admirers ranging from members of Radiohead and Pearl Jam to Elvis Costello and Mick Fleetwood. In this extract from our exclusive interview with Finn in the latest issue of MOJO, he discusses joining Fleetwood Mac in 2018 following the departure of Lindsey Buckingham…


Did joining Fleetwood Mac surprise you?

I was gobsmacked. I was 60 and I’d had a wonderfully diverse musical life when Mick called and said, “We’ve got rid of Lindsey, would you play with us?” I’d just done [2018 album] Lightsleeper with [Finn’s son]Liam so he had a vested interest in my not doing it, but he said, “Give it a shot,” so I auditioned.

What? Neil Finn auditioned?

It’s the only audition I’ve ever done. I went to Hawaii and Mick spent an hour telling me it wasn’t an audition, but it was. I was auditioning them too: I wasn’t sure it was the right thing, I was quite conflicted, but I liked the people and the welcome was universal.

What did you bring?

The naysayers said, “No Lindsey Buckingham, no Fleetwood Mac,” but I brought personality and the ability to sing with Stevie and Christine. I could never be capable of sounding like Lindsey but I put a similar intensity into his songs.

Have you had contact with Lindsey?

No, but I’d really like to have a dinner with him. There’s a lot of ill-will, but I don’t think he bears any towards me and I do think he had prior appreciation of the music I’d made. Hopefully, once he got over the massive disappointment, he’d have thought, “At least someone with something going for them is singing my songs.”

Who’s running Fleetwood Mac these days?

It doesn’t currently exist, but when I was there Mick carried the flag. He always has and he’s the heart and soul. Yet Stevie’s the leader in many ways, because Stevie wants it the way Stevie wants it and that’s the way it’ll be. She couldn’t bear to be in a band with Lindsey any more, but she still wanted to do it exactly the way he would have. It was more difficult for [Heartbreakers guitarist] Mike Campbell: she was really happy with the way it sounded between me and her, but she put a lot of pressure on Mike to be more like Lindsey. Sometimes Mike’s solos would go on and Stevie would get exhausted playing tambourine. She’d be, “****ing hell, Lindsey only did 12 bars!”

[HomerMcvie]

I feel like Bill Murray...

[elle]

Originally Posted by HomerMcvie

I feel like Bill Murray...

Originally Posted by anusha

I actually enjoyed hearing what Neil had to say about his time in Fleetwood Mac.

Originally Posted by anusha

I think we’ve been trying to read the leaves on the Lindsey firing and hiring of Mike and Neil came to be.

we knew it but some did not want to believe it.

so Neil now spills the beans and offers insider verification of what Lindsey (and Brett) said happened, and complete refute of Stevie / Azoff (and band's "official" at the time) version.

[jbrownsjr]

Originally Posted by HomerMcvie

I feel like Bill Murray...

In Stripes.

[HomerMcvie]

Originally Posted by jbrownsjr

In Stripes.

More like Bunny Breckinridge, if he were in GROUNDHOG DAY.

[Macfan4life]

Its Groundhog Day around here again

[elle]

Originally Posted by Macfan4life

Its Groundhog Day around here again

you guys went the wrong way with your discussion the first time so i had to fix!

[jbrownsjr]

Originally Posted by elle

you guys went the wrong way with your discussion the first time so i had to fix!

Yea, let's go with that.

[jbrownsjr]

Bumping for Elle.

[John Run]

Reading Neil’s comments, I believe it only furthers what a one-off line up to fulfill touring obligations the 2018-2019 Fleetwood Mac line up was. The hardcore fans got worked up, but in the end, everyone got paid, even Lindsey, and most of the public seemingly enjoyed the product enough to buy copious amounts of tickets.

One thing that has been somewhat disproven is that Mike and Neil were ever really part of a forward looking, ongoing entity. They were brought in to do a job, and they did that job. When the job was over, their roles ended, as they had no ties to the band’s legacy. If you look at any promotion for the band’s continued repackaging and rerelease efforts, it is Mick, Stevie, and Lindsey who promote those releases through their media and interviews, and most promotional pictures at places like Apple Music and Spotify now include only the Rumours Five, and some cases just the surviving Rumours four.

What has come into more clarity now is the fact that going back to early into the timeline of the revamped touring line up, the principals were not particularly satisfied with the ongoing Fleetwood Mac product.

I will cite and source multiple examples –

CBS December 2018 – Lindsey states Christine wrote to him “I had nothing to do with any of this and I believe deep in her heart of hearts, Stevie wants you to come home.”

Uncut November 2021 -Mike Campbell is quoted as saying it is difficult to play parts that I did not create. An example is the Pre-Chorus of Dreams. It is very specific to Lindsey’s creativity and his unique touch and feel. My playing style and certainly my touch are different, and it slightly alters the timing, and it can throw Stevie off, and when I am late, do I get a stare of disappointment. Gypsy is another song that we had to change the arrangement of to fit Neil and I, and I felt Stevie never really dug what we came up with.

You Tube Kyle Meridith With March 2022 – Mike Campbell states that “I am no longer with Fleetwood Mac and I think that ship has sailed for me”

People Magazine June 2022 – Christine states that “I’d always want Lindsey back, Mike and Neil were a cheerful couple, but Lindsey was missed.”

Mojo April 2023 – Neil states “Fleetwood Mac doesn’t exist.” He goes on to state “Stevie couldn’t stand to be in a band with Lindsey anymore, but she wanted everything to be done just the way he would have done it.” Additionally, Neil is quoted as saying “Stevie put a lot of pressure on Mike to be like Lindsey.”

Why the quotes? To lay out case that this was never a fully functioning new incarnation of the band, but two founding members along with two longtime members of the most successful incarnation of the band, aligned with a manager who represented the band, and individually its biggest star, trying to get through a tour that was already booked, by adding expensive hired professionals to appease that dominant draw in the band, the only member capable of bringing arena size crowds to the seats. What was learned was the band could absolutely continue to draw crowds, and make giant amounts of money, but it was not a completely satisfying project for many of the participants.

[UnwindedDreams]

Originally Posted by John Run

Reading Neil’s comments, I believe only furthers what a one-offline up to fulfill touring obligations the 2018-2019 Fleetwood Mac line up was. The hardcore fans got worked up, but in the end, everyone got paid, even Lindsey, and most of the public seemingly enjoyed the product enough to buy copious amounts of tickets.

One thing that has been somewhat disproven is that Mike and Neil were ever really part of a forward looking, ongoing entity. They were brought in to do a job, and they did that job. When the job was over, their roles ended, as they had no ties to the band’s legacy. If you look at any promotion for the band’s continued repackaging and rerelease efforts, it is Mick, Stevie, and Lindsey who promote those releases through their media and interviews, and most promotional pictures at places like Apple Music and Spotify now include only the Rumours Five, and some cases just the surviving Rumours four.

What has come into more clarity now is the fact that going back to early into the timeline of the revamped touring line up, the principals were not particularly satisfied with the ongoing Fleetwood Mac product.

I will cite and source multiple examples –

CBS December 2018 – Lindsey states Christine wrote to him “I had nothing to do with any of this and I believe deep in her heart of hearts, Stevie wants you to come home.”

Uncut November 2021 -Mike Campbell is quoted as saying it is difficult to play parts that I did not create. An example is the Pre-Chorus of Dreams. It is very specific to Lindsey’s creativity and his unique touch and feel. My playing style and certainly my touch are different, and it slightly alters the timing, and it can throw Stevie off, and when I am late, do I get a stare of disappointment. Gypsy is another song that we had to change the arrangement of to fit Neil and I, and I felt Stevie never really dug what we came up with.

You Tube Kyle Meridith With March 2022 – Mike Campbell states that “I am no longer with Fleetwood Mac and I think that ship has sailed for me”

People Magazine June 2022 – Christine states that “I’d always want Lindsey back, Mike and Neil were a cheerful couple, but Lindsey was missed.”

Mojo April 2023 – Neil states “Fleetwood Mac doesn’t exist.” He goes on to state “Stevie couldn’t stand to be in a band with Lindsey anymore, but she wanted everything to be done just the way he would have done it.” Additionally, Neil is quoted as saying “Stevie put a lot of pressure on Mike to be like Lindsey.”

Why the quotes? To lay out case that this was never a fully functioning new incarnation of the band, but two founding members along with two longtime members of the most successful incarnation of the band, aligned with a manager who represented the band, and individually its biggest star, trying to get through a tour that was already booked, by adding expensive hired professionals to appease that dominant draw in the band, the only member capable of bringing arena size crowds to the seats. What was learned was the band could absolutely continue to draw crowds, and make giant amounts of money, but it was not a completely satisfying project for many of the participants.

To add to your interview comments, Stevie said to Zane Lowe that FM wasn't going to cancel the 2018 tour because she and Lindsey had an argument, hence it was not a new band forming in the wake of Lindsey's firing to make an album, they were W-9s hired to play music on a tour. And she told Matty Healy in a 2020 interview that when it came time to fire Lindsey, Fleetwood Mac wasn't going to making music anymore anyway.

FM had an enormous amount of time to make new music before the tour, AND Stevie did not have a tour booked for 2020. The band could have jumped into making a new album in November of 2019. As Stevie said in her RollingStone 2018 about Lindsey wanting to take time in 2018 to work his solo career, "Why would I take a break after touring solo, once I stop something I jump right into something else?"

[SteveMacD]

Originally Posted by John Run

Reading Neil’s comments, I believe it only furthers what a one-off line up to fulfill touring obligations the 2018-2019 Fleetwood Mac line up was. The hardcore fans got worked up, but in the end, everyone got paid, even Lindsey, and most of the public seemingly enjoyed the product enough to buy copious amounts of tickets.

One thing that has been somewhat disproven is that Mike and Neil were ever really part of a forward looking, ongoing entity. They were brought in to do a job, and they did that job. When the job was over, their roles ended, as they had no ties to the band’s legacy. If you look at any promotion for the band’s continued repackaging and rerelease efforts, it is Mick, Stevie, and Lindsey who promote those releases through their media and interviews, and most promotional pictures at places like Apple Music and Spotify now include only the Rumours Five, and some cases just the surviving Rumours four.

What has come into more clarity now is the fact that going back to early into the timeline of the revamped touring line up, the principals were not particularly satisfied with the ongoing Fleetwood Mac product.

I will cite and source multiple examples –

CBS December 2018 – Lindsey states Christine wrote to him “I had nothing to do with any of this and I believe deep in her heart of hearts, Stevie wants you to come home.”

Uncut November 2021 -Mike Campbell is quoted as saying it is difficult to play parts that I did not create. An example is the Pre-Chorus of Dreams. It is very specific to Lindsey’s creativity and his unique touch and feel. My playing style and certainly my touch are different, and it slightly alters the timing, and it can throw Stevie off, and when I am late, do I get a stare of disappointment. Gypsy is another song that we had to change the arrangement of to fit Neil and I, and I felt Stevie never really dug what we came up with.

You Tube Kyle Meridith With March 2022 – Mike Campbell states that “I am no longer with Fleetwood Mac and I think that ship has sailed for me”

People Magazine June 2022 – Christine states that “I’d always want Lindsey back, Mike and Neil were a cheerful couple, but Lindsey was missed.”

Mojo April 2023 – Neil states “Fleetwood Mac doesn’t exist.” He goes on to state “Stevie couldn’t stand to be in a band with Lindsey anymore, but she wanted everything to be done just the way he would have done it.” Additionally, Neil is quoted as saying “Stevie put a lot of pressure on Mike to be like Lindsey.”

Why the quotes? To lay out case that this was never a fully functioning new incarnation of the band, but two founding members along with two longtime members of the most successful incarnation of the band, aligned with a manager who represented the band, and individually its biggest star, trying to get through a tour that was already booked, by adding expensive hired professionals to appease that dominant draw in the band, the only member capable of bringing arena size crowds to the seats. What was learned was the band could absolutely continue to draw crowds, and make giant amounts of money, but it was not a completely satisfying project for many of the participants.

Conveniently left out this quote from Mick, I see:

“Stevie is going out touring, Lindsey -in the past- has been touring, Neil Finn -who’s still in Fleetwood Mac, Mike Campbell…They all get out and play.”

https://youtu.be/uRxC7reECws

That being said, who cares? Why does it matter if they were full members or hired hands? What changes because of it?

Beyond maybe “Oh Well” (which he played with the Heartbreakers), it’s not as if Campbell or Finn are out there cred flexing about having been in Fleetwood Mac.

[jbrownsjr]

Originally Posted by SteveMacD

Conveniently left out this quote from Mick, I see:

“Stevie is going out touring, Lindsey -in the past- has been touring, Neil Finn -who’s still in Fleetwood Mac, Mike Campbell…They all get out and play.”

https://youtu.be/uRxC7reECws


Beyond maybe “Oh Well” (which he played with the Heartbreakers), it’s not as if Campbell or Finn are out there cred flexing about having been in Fleetwood Mac.

If anything, they probably both laugh about it. A ringer is a ringer is a ringer.

[SteveMacD]

Originally Posted by John Run

You Tube Kyle Meridith With March 2022 – Mike Campbell states that “I am no longer with Fleetwood Mac and I think that ship has sailed for me”

LOL, what he actually said was “we didn’t break up, per se, but it’s an open question. I kind of think that might be a ship that’s sailed already, for me, but if something came up and I had a free schedule, and they had called me and wanted me to do anything, I would be there because I love those guys. Great people.”

ETA: He starts talking about Fleetwood Mac at the 18 minute mark.
https://youtu.be/peLVfKmpROY

[jbrownsjr]

I deleted John's latest post. He was making Steve look too smart and we can't have that.