A few questions

[He's So Unusual]

Sorry to start another thread, but I just want to ask a few questions to those who were around in the 1970s/early 1980s and 1990s.

1. How famous was Stevie Nicks in the US and the UK during Fleetwood Mac's 1975-1979 period?
2. I know Rumours was a huge hit when it was released, but just how famous were the band back then? Were they in the press a lot? Were they seen as a cool band to like?
3. What was the general consensus when Tusk was released? Were the disappointing sales and chart positions reported on very much in the press? Did anyone deem the band over?
4. How famous was Stevie Nicks in the US and around the world during the 1980s?
5. Were Fleetwood Mac talked about very much during the hiatus between Mirage and Tango in the Night?
6. How were Stevie Nicks and FM seen during the 1990s? Were they considered uncool like a lot of rock bands from the 1960s and 1970s?

Cheers

[louielouie2000]

I can only tell you about #6. But in the 1990s before the Dance, Stevie & Fleetwood Mac were absolute washed up has beens, and could not have been less cool. Part of it was their age, part of it was the music that was popular during the early to mid 90s- grunge & hip hop. When the Eagles reunited for Hell Freezes Over in 1994 it set the stage for other older bands to be viewed in a fresh light, though. So I think the world was ready for Fleetwood Mac again by the time the Dance reunion rolled around.

[jcalzaretta]

1. I think FM was huge during 1975-1979. I would say by 1976, they were really in the spotlight. They played a sold out outdoor show on July 4, 1976 with the Eagles. The White Album was still climbing the charts. It took one year to reach number 1. The anticipation for the next record was huge and Rumours was off the charts. Thus the reaction to Tusk being released. The expectation was huge to have a second Rumours. I think FM was the biggest act from 1976 to 1979. How could they not. Rumours blew everything away in terms of sale up to that point. As for Stevie, I think she was big too largely because of Rhiannon. You saw women dressing like her almost immedately.

2. 1980s. Stevie was huge in the first half of the 80s. Women wanted to be like her. Every man wanted to date her. She was stunning. And when Bella Donna came out, people were impressed. That record was best selling record by a woman both 1981 and 1982. A first. Just impressive.

3. I do recall a lot of talk between Mirage and Tango. People wanted more from the band. They did not like the number of years in between records but we were getting solo stuff.

[MikeInNV]

Originally Posted by louielouie2000

I can only tell you about #6. But in the 1990s before the Dance, Stevie & Fleetwood Mac were absolute washed up has beens, and could not have been less cool. Part of it was their age, part of it was the music that was popular during the early to mid 90s- grunge & hip hop. When the Eagles reunited for Hell Freezes Over in 1994 it set the stage for other older bands to be viewed in a fresh light, though. So I think the world was ready for Fleetwood Mac again by the time the Dance reunion rolled around.

While this is true, I think every major act goes through a phase like this, unless they retire while they're still on top. Legends like Paul McCartney and Elton John had periods where they were hopelessly uncool as well. Stevie has said "Even during the bad times, I never stopped," and neither did the others. If you're really talented and persevere, eventually you come out the other side, and you get to ride the wave of respect that Stevie and Fleetwood Mac are enjoying today.

[BLY]

1. How famous was Stevie Nicks in the US and the UK during Fleetwood Mac's 1975-1979 period? Stevie was very popular and the "sex symbol" of the band.

2. I know Rumours was a huge hit when it was released, but just how famous were the band back then? Were they in the press a lot? Were they seen as a cool band to like? Yes, when a Rumours hit Everybody seemed to be a fan.

Back in the day the press was all print so it did take a lot of searching to find magazines and newspapers that covered the tours, upcoming releases, etc...

3. What was the general consensus when Tusk was released? Were the disappointing sales and chart positions reported on very much in the press? Did anyone deem the band over?

I for one welcomed Tusk from day one. I did feel that it did separate the true Fleetwood Mac fans with the " The band to be into at the time". Anybody in my opinion that " Got the Tusk Experience" were the true fans.


4. How famous was Stevie Nicks in the US and around the world during the 1980s?
Huge! Her first two solo albums got so much air and video play. It moved some Fleetwood Mac fans to focus more on a Stevie. For me it gave more music but I always preferred the MAC

5. Were Fleetwood Mac talked about very much during the hiatus between Mirage and Tango in the Night?

Yes. I remember most it was about Stevie leaving the band. Will she or won't she record with the band.

6. How were Stevie Nicks and FM seen during the 1990s? Were they considered uncool like a lot of rock bands from the 1960s and 1970s?

I would say that until the Rumours started about the reunion (The Dance) There was very little press for Behind the Mask, The Chain 25 Years and Time.


This is how I remember those years. I hope this helps!



Cheers [/QUOTE]

[Nickingham]

4. How famous was Stevie Nicks in the US and around the world during the 1980s?

jcalzaretta's answer is pretty spot-on.
Even though I was very young (around '83-ish), I remember people talking about her saying how hot she was and how great Belladonna was (even though it was out for a few years by then). Then along came The Wild Heart album, and people's reaction was something along the lines of "she's wild". People either thought she was a witch, promiscuous or totally empowered. I remember the videos for Stand Back , Talk To Me and I Can't Wait were played alot.
Everybody went banana's over Gypsy and the video for that was still aired on t.v.
Rock A Little got a little criticism but people warmed up to it. Rooms On Fire got alot of airplay but people made fun of Stevie's weight.

5. Were Fleetwood Mac talked about very much during the hiatus between Mirage and Tango in the Night?

Yes. Alot. Rumours kept going around that each and every one of the members were quitting; first it was Stevie, then supposedly Chris, Lindsey, then back to Stevie. At one point it was said that John and Mick were going to go off and form another band. It seemed like that went on every couple of months. lol

6. How were Stevie Nicks and FM seen during the 1990s? Were they considered uncool like a lot of rock bands from the 1960s and 1970s?

Unfortunately, yes. Especially when Behind The Mask was released. This was the time when grunge was becoming very popular and pop/rock was considered the plague, especially if the bands/artists were from the 60's, 70's and 80's. (Even 'Hair Metal ' was being made fun of).
Although, there were still some fans who liked the new FM album/line up. I remember hearing about how "FM won't be the same without Lindsey" and "Is Stevie going to quit too?"
And there was alot of backlash because Stevie gained some weight, so people were bashing her because of that and her voice changed. People were kind of "meh" about Timespace . They hated Street Angel.
The Dance was a breath of fresh air and it seemed like FM were on top again.

[TheWILDheart]

The Mac had quite moderate success in the UK right from the off. Some of their earlier stuff, notably "Albatross", "Oh Well", "Black Magic Woman" and "Man of the World" were all relatively big sellers. In the early 70's, success started to drift off as the fashion of the times moved towards glam rock with bands like Slade and The Sweet topping the charts, and then of course the arrival of ABBA (who had a very glam-rock image in the early 70's) dominating the charts. The While Album only reached #23 in the UK charts, despite being a huge smash hit in the states.

The success was still relatively moderate. The band were absolutely an albums group. "Rumours" and "Tusk" both hit number 1, albeit only for a week each. Sales of Mac albums in the UK was never as huge as in the states. "Tango" was the Mac's biggest album in the UK, which launched 6 singles into the chart (Big Love, Seven Wonders, Little Lies, Family Man, Everywhere and Isn't It Midnight) and hit #1 twice between 87 and 88. "Behind The Mask" also hit #1, and was oddly a bigger hit in the UK than in the US.

Stevie's solo career has never been huge here, mainly because she never promoted it. The only heavy promotion she did for a solo record here was "The Other Side of the Mirror", and as a result the album hit #3. Her biggest hit apart from that was "Bella Donna" which hit #11. Although she did get airplay, there were no TV appearances in the UK for any of her solo material until 1989. And indeed, she didn't tour here until 1989.

The Mac's credibility has never really been in doubt here, but it was certainly added to with "The Dance" and the appearance at the 1998 Brit Awards and receiving the award for "Outstanding contribution to music". That was really when the legend status happened.

[chiliD]

Originally Posted by He's So Unusual

Sorry to start another thread, but I just want to ask a few questions to those who were around in the 1970s/early 1980s and 1990s.

1. How famous was Stevie Nicks in the US and the UK during Fleetwood Mac's 1975-1979 period?

In the US...she was famous as a member of Fleetwood Mac, not so much for being "Stevie Nicks" since her only publicity was in reference to Fleetwood Mac

Originally Posted by He's So Unusual

2. I know Rumours was a huge hit when it was released, but just how famous were the band back then? Were they in the press a lot? Were they seen as a cool band to like?

They definitely were the "flavor of the year". Yep, they were in just about every issue of every music magazine...not so much AFTER Rumours was released but all during the recording of the album. What's the album going to sound like? Who are they dating since all the couples were broken up? etc, etc.

Originally Posted by He's So Unusual

3. What was the general consensus when Tusk was released? Were the disappointing sales and chart positions reported on very much in the press? Did anyone deem the band over?

It took me a LONG time (about 10 listens) to warm up to Tusk. It wasn't an "instantly likeable" album. But it was definitely one that took some warming up to...wasn't until I heard some of the songs live in concert did I start enjoying the album itself.

Originally Posted by He's So Unusual

4. How famous was Stevie Nicks in the US and around the world during the 1980s?

With the advent of MTV and the release of Bella Donna she was "it" in the US...don't know how she was viewed elsewhere.

Originally Posted by He's So Unusual

5. Were Fleetwood Mac talked about very much during the hiatus between Mirage and Tango in the Night?

After the Mirage tour, I don't recall much talk about Fleetwood Mac at all. There'd be a solo album here & there...Stevie's were wildly popular and Chris' made some noise, but that was about it. As a band, Fleetwood Mac wasn't really talked about much at all.

Originally Posted by He's So Unusual

6. How were Stevie Nicks and FM seen during the 1990s? Were they considered uncool like a lot of rock bands from the 1960s and 1970s?

Oh, definitely anything Fleetwood Mac was considered dinosaur-like in the '90s. Remember, for most of the first half of the '90s Fleetwood Mac didn't exist. Mid-Behind The Mask tour, both Stevie & Christine announced they were leaving the band (Stevie totally, Chris was retiring from the road, which Fleetwood Mac really didn't tour for 4+ years after that) There was a minor bump in popularity due to Bill Clinton's use of "Don't Stop" and their appearing at his inaugural party. But, Lindsey released his magnum-opus album (Out Of The Cradle) and it did nothing saleswise, a new incarnation of Fleetwood Mac toured for over a year & released an album pretty much under the radar...simultaneously, Stevie released Street Angel with no fanfare...the band was pretty much considered dead at that point. Then came 1997 and news that Mick was working with Lindsey on his next solo album, which morphed into The Dance and they were off & running again...however as a creative entity, they were considered dead, they were mainly a nostalgia act. Chris retired "for good"...and we got Buckingham Nicks with a better rhythm section for the next few years.

[secondhandchain]

The lead up to the Tusk release was HUGE. The radio stations were so excited. Then Tusk (the single) came out and they didn't know what to make of it. I remember a commercial for Tusk that aired a lot on the radio and they featured Tusk, Sara, Think About Me and Never Me Me Cry. It was a pretty big deal when Mirage came out too and it seemed like forever since Tusk. The reaction to the Hold me was very positive and people loved the Gypsy video. I remember the first time I heard Gypsy on the radio. (they played it before it was released as a single on rock stations. I loved it instantly. The backround vocals really hooked me in.

[Bandon]

[QUOTE=He's So Unusual;1134621]Sorry to start another thread, but I just want to ask a few questions to those who were around in the 1970s/early 1980s and 1990s.

1. How famous was Stevie Nicks in the US and the UK during Fleetwood Mac's 1975-1979 period?

Very in the U.S. after Dreams especially. After Dreams was played on the radio, the announcer would say, "That was Stevie Nicks and Fleetwood Mac". I don't know about the UK.

2. I know Rumours was a huge hit when it was released, but just how famous were the band back then? Were they in the press a lot? Were they seen as a cool band to like?

They were really big. The songs were played on the radio so much, I was so sick of hearing them. I remember during the summer of 1977, every time I turned on the radio, I heard Don't Stop. It's funny, because now, I would love to hear a great FM song played that much. Oh, well....

3. What was the general consensus when Tusk was released? Were the disappointing sales and chart positions reported on very much in the press? Did anyone deem the band over?

I remember the first time Tusk was played on the radio. It was such a big deal. There was so much anticipation. I remember when Westwood One played the entire LP. Hearing the LP was like,"WTF?". When the DJ played the single for the first time, me and a few friends were waiting for a Rumour-esk type song or something so great. The song played and we were so puzzled. Then we heard the DJs...they were laughing, saying, "That's Fleetwood Mac?" I will never forget that. I appreciated Gold and Midnight Wind so much more after that. People magazine had FM on the cover in 1979 or 1980. It was the worst selling edition that year. People try to make it seem better now..but Tusk was a bomb. Even Tusk and Sara were not that big of hits even thought both were in the top ten.

4. How famous was Stevie Nicks in the US and around the world during the 1980s?

She was very popular. Bella Donna was a huge success and her songs were on MTV and the radio all the time. Most "dudes" and male critics looked at her as a hot, sexy "airy fairy." She was the top selling female artist and second to Michael Jackson's Thriller in 1983. Stevie was riding on the success of Bella Donna, Mirage, and Wild Heart. Critics bashed her most of the time (95% male). But she won over. She's remembered, but..hey, who were those critics...LOL

5. Were Fleetwood Mac talked about very much during the hiatus between Mirage and Tango in the Night?

They were a juggernaut in terms of sales and the success of Rumours was a frequent reminder...at that time still in the top 2 or 3 highest selling LPs. Everything was a comparison to Rumours. Mirage was called little Rumours. Looking back, if Tusk hadn't been released, anything else would have been considered an attempt to capitalize on Rumours.

6. How were Stevie Nicks and FM seen during the 1990s? Were they considered uncool like a lot of rock bands from the 1960s and 1970s?

You see..they were considered cool in 1975 and 1976. In 1977 they became so mainstream that they weren't considered cool by a lot of people. They gained a certain amount of coolness with Tusk because it was not so mainstream. It wasn't until the the last 5 or so years that they got their "coolness" back. By the way, I always thought they were cool and have been a fan since Bare Trees and Buckingham Nicks.

[Matt Lucas]

Hello all---

I can’t really comment on specifics of the band’s popularity in the ‘80s, because I honestly wasn’t a fan at the time, and I was also a kid.

But I can tell you that, in spite of the band being a rock group in the New Wave era, they managed to get several clips played in heavy rotation on MTV. We didn’t have cable TV at our house, but my best friend had cable, so I spent a lot of time at his house watching videos. This would have been around 1982-84.

I remember seeing FM’s live video for “Sara” very often back then, and they also played “Hold Me” quite often as well. “Gypsy” got a fair amount of play. I suspect this was all partly because, in the early days of MTV, there just plain weren’t a lot of bands making videos.

Similarly, when “Stand Back” was released, it was in heavy rotation on MTV, too. So was “Stop Dragging My Heart Around.”

When TANGO was released, it seemed like the band was all over the place on MTV and in magazines. That’s when I really became a fan. Believe it or not, while I liked “Big Love,” it was “Seven Wonders” that caught my attention. Looking back, it’s really not the greatest song, but there was something about that classic FM groove that I loved, and I still smile when I hear that song today.

“Big Love” and “Seven Wonders” both got a lot of airplay on radio and on MTV. Things were different in the ‘80s. Bands were really made or failed by MTV rotation because MTV actually [*gasp*] played videos nearly all the time. Of course, when “Little Lies” came out, that’s when the album really took off.

When Lindsey quit, there was a surprising cover story in MUSICIAN magazine [RIP] that included interviews with the band in which they described in painful detail the band meeting that ended with Lindsey’s departure. I probably still have it in a box someplace, but I’m not sure about that. If anyone has it scanned or if it’s already posted online, please share a link to it, because I’d love to read it again.

matt

[He's So Unusual]

Thank you to everyone for your replies It's interesting reading about things like this.

Originally Posted by TheWILDheart

The Mac had quite moderate success in the UK right from the off. Some of their earlier stuff, notably "Albatross", "Oh Well", "Black Magic Woman" and "Man of the World" were all relatively big sellers. In the early 70's, success started to drift off as the fashion of the times moved towards glam rock with bands like Slade and The Sweet topping the charts, and then of course the arrival of ABBA (who had a very glam-rock image in the early 70's) dominating the charts. The While Album only reached #23 in the UK charts, despite being a huge smash hit in the states.

The success was still relatively moderate. The band were absolutely an albums group. "Rumours" and "Tusk" both hit number 1, albeit only for a week each. Sales of Mac albums in the UK was never as huge as in the states. "Tango" was the Mac's biggest album in the UK, which launched 6 singles into the chart (Big Love, Seven Wonders, Little Lies, Family Man, Everywhere and Isn't It Midnight) and hit #1 twice between 87 and 88. "Behind The Mask" also hit #1, and was oddly a bigger hit in the UK than in the US.

Stevie's solo career has never been huge here, mainly because she never promoted it. The only heavy promotion she did for a solo record here was "The Other Side of the Mirror", and as a result the album hit #3. Her biggest hit apart from that was "Bella Donna" which hit #11. Although she did get airplay, there were no TV appearances in the UK for any of her solo material until 1989. And indeed, she didn't tour here until 1989.

The Mac's credibility has never really been in doubt here, but it was certainly added to with "The Dance" and the appearance at the 1998 Brit Awards and receiving the award for "Outstanding contribution to music". That was really when the legend status happened.

I wonder if Stevie's albums would have charted higher in the UK had she come over and promoted more and toured. I think The Other Side of the Mirror and Rooms on Fire benefited a little from the UK success of Tango in the Night. According to the official Charts Company, Rock a Little has spent 22 weeks on the UK album chart, the most for any Stevie album, despite only peaking at #30. How strange. Other than Rooms on Fire, what solo songs have received airplay in the UK? I've only ever heard Edge of Seventeen on Radio 2 twice, everything else has been Fleetwood Mac.

Originally Posted by chiliD

It took me a LONG time (about 10 listens) to warm up to Tusk. It wasn't an "instantly likeable" album. But it was definitely one that took some warming up to...wasn't until I heard some of the songs live in concert did I start enjoying the album itself.

It took me a while to get into Tusk. Stevie's songs caught my attention instantly, especially Sara, while the majority of Lindsey's and some of Christine's I shamefully dismissed as filler at first. Finally, after playing it and playing it many times, I got it and now regard it as my favourite FM album.