FM on friendly terms with Bob Welch?

[DownOnRodeo]

So according to that fan club letter, the band met up with Bob Welch in Nashville. My understanding was that after the 1980s lawsuit thing, they wouldn't go near him with a ten foot pole.
Anyone have more insight into this?
Is it just Mick who had a problem, but he's now changed his mind? And Lindsey never had anything nice to say about him or his work either. What's the deal?

[nodmod]

Well, let's not read too much into this, but doesn't Bob have a Fleetwood Mac related album coming out very soon!

[highpriestess53]

understanding too that Bob Welch wasn't on great terms with FM .

Well....maybe time has proved to be a great healer......:shrug:

[DownOnRodeo]

Yes the remastered CD ('Hearts'..something?? Total Bob ignorance alert) came to my mind as well. It's just actually meeting the band + backstage as well - it sounds so diametrically opposed to the last footing they were on.

HighPriestess - yes, I believe that time heals all wounds - and if it actually is the case here, I'm really happy! But it still seems peculiar.
Maybe Mick decided he just needed closure on that and didn't want to be burdened with a grudge anymore. Bob never did anything wrong by them per se other than try to seek money that he felt he was owed; although obviously, the business side of a band will ultimately affect the personal relationships to some degree.

[Tango]

I don't know what the newsletter really implies. Bob Welch, himself, stated on this site that he always goes to see Stevie when she's in town, and is friendly with both Stevie and Lindsey. Whether or not the great rift/continental divide is over between Bob Welch and Mick Fleetwood is repaired is not clear. I'd want to hear that from Bob Welch himself. There are a few folks on this site that chat with Bob from time to time.

[wondergirl9847]

Originally posted by DownOnRodeo
Maybe Mick decided he just needed closure on that and didn't want to be burdened with a grudge anymore. Bob never did anything wrong by them per se other than try to seek money that he felt he was owed; although obviously, the business side of a band will ultimately affect the personal relationships to some degree.

Hmmm...I'd have to just say, if things BOTHER Mick these days...WHAT ABOUT THE FAN CLUB!?! :mad:

I'm wondeirng if Mick gets a cut from the sale of Bob's album since he's using the FM name...hence the "BOB, so good to see YOU!!!"

:laugh:

[gldstwmn]

Originally posted by wondergirl9847
Hmmm...I'd have to just say, if things BOTHER Mick these days...WHAT ABOUT THE FAN CLUB!?! :mad:

I'm wondeirng if Mick gets a cut from the sale of Bob's album since he's using the FM name...hence the "BOB, so good to see YOU!!!"

:laugh:

Actually,wasn't he involved in the production of some or all of those?

[David]

Originally posted by Eagles Mac
Ok, from what I understand Welch is ticked that his name was left off the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Honours under FM's name which IMHO is like the NY Yankees leaving out Mickey Mantle's name from any honours or awards. I think Bob Welch told a Cleveland Plain Dealer reporter in 1998 that he thought the members of Fleetwood Mac pressured the Hall of Fame executive board to exclude him from the induction. But the Hall of Fame executive director totally denied that charge. The executive board is the body that can either accept or deny the recommendations for induction made by the Hall committee. Apparently, Welch's nomination was discussed by the committee, even though some of the committee members don't remember that or say it didn't happen at meetings they attended.

But basically it was the executive board who made the final decision to induct the five 1977-era people & the three additional members from 1969. I would think that about all that the inducted members of Fleetwood Mac could have done in 1998 was to refuse the honor in protest of Welch's omission. But from everything I've read, it doesn't seem likely that they could have reversed the executive board's decision.

[wetcamelfood]

Originally posted by David
I would think that about all that the inducted members of Fleetwood Mac could have done in 1998 was to refuse the honor in protest of Welch's omission. But from everything I've read, it doesn't seem likely that they could have reversed the executive board's decision.

Well, I'm not sure what "tactics" were used by bands like The Grateful Dead or The Eagles but I had heard how the induction board only wanted to induct certain members of those bands when they went in to the R&RHOF but they demanded that EVERY past & present member of their respective bands be inducted and then the board agreed. So I don't see why those Mac memebrs that had been inducted couldn't have just stood up in the same way those bands diid but for them to just agree with it is the same thing as saying "the rest shouldn't be inducted" IMO and I think that's a shame but it's JMHO. :) ...but I don't remember hearing anything about the board wanting to induct Welch (or anyone else) and Mick saying he didn't want him/them in there but I'm sure you're right and I just missed those reports but if it is in fact what I understood about it then as I say, his/their silence is just as good as saying that anyways I think.

John

[wondergirl9847]

BY GAWSH, EVERYONE, including Bob Brunning, Dave Walker, Bekka, etc...should have been inducted, they are a part of the FM history whether ANYONE wants to admit it or not! :nod: They ALL have a part, small or big, in the thread.....

BUNCH OF CRAP, that whole inclusion/exclusion thing. :mad:

[Les]

Originally posted by Tango
Bob Welch, himself, stated on this site that he always goes to see Stevie when she's in town, and is friendly with both Stevie and Lindsey. Whether or not the great rift/continental divide is over between Bob Welch and Mick Fleetwood is repaired is not clear. I'd want to hear that from Bob Welch himself.

Yes, in his Q&A, Bob said he had fine relationships with Stevie, Lindsey, everyone really, except Mick, John & Chris. Past royalties were at the heart of the issue with Mick, John & Chris, and then the Hall of Fame thing was salt in the wound, I suspect.

On his own site Bob mentions he saw the Nashville show and talked to Lindsey and Mick, plus he links to all of the official sites (the band's, Mick's, Stevie's & Lindsey's -- and the Penguin of course :)).

His Q&A was back in November 1999 - (can you believe it's been that long ago already?!) - so it seems possible that some healing could have happened between then and now...or at least some initial steps in that direction.

[Rumours]

Originally posted by DownOnRodeo
Yes the remastered CD ('Hearts'..something?? Total Bob ignorance alert) came to my mind as well. It's just actually meeting the band + backstage as well - it sounds so diametrically opposed to the last footing they were on...

Are you talking about "3 Hearts"?? I love that album! I would love to buy a remastered cd of it.

Anywho, I also think that he should have been included in the Rock Hall induction. He's got a right to be ticked about that!

Stephanie

[wetcamelfood]

Originally posted by wondergirl9847
BY GAWSH, EVERYONE, including Bob Brunning, Dave Walker, Bekka, etc...should have been inducted, they are a part of the FM history whether ANYONE wants to admit it or not! :nod: They ALL have a part, small or big, in the thread.....

BUNCH OF CRAP, that whole inclusion/exclusion thing. :mad:

Completely agree Christy :)

So I wonder "who made "the first move" in this"? I doubt Mick "invited" him backstage but it must've really taken a lot of pride swallowing by Bob to say "aw hell with all that, I'll go see 'em" y'know? I have the feeling it was Bob that went and I really admire how he was able to put all of that behind him and go even though he really was screwed over etc. YAY BOB! :)

John

[glitter_fades]

Bob deserved a lot better than he ever got from Mick with everything including the RRHOF snub. Mick could have made sure he got in if he wanted to. I agree with John, silence is the same as saying, get lost. Just like Mick could do something about the fan club if he wanted to. We get silence from him and his managment.

The way I heard it, Mick was definite about making sure Peter Green got the nod even though he spent some of the least time with the band. I also heard Lindsey was not big on all the fuss over Peter Green getting in. Mick wanted Peter in as the founder of the band. Mick still worships him. Well, then it became, how do they honor him and not the other founding members who stayed with the band longer than PG? So that's how the others from the original band got in.

Yet, if not for Bob, Fleetwood Mac never would have migrated to the states. Without his timely exit, no LB or SN, and no hitting the jackpot for Mick, John and Chris. Bob should have been given his due. Otherwise, if you don't honor everyone, then just the Rumours lineup should have made it in.

[wetcamelfood]

Originally posted by Eagles Mac
Strange, Danny Kirwan who threw a temper tantrum before a show and gets an honor. Bob Welch who helped the Mac in many ways including the Fake Mac Scandal gets spit......

Can someone provide an address or phone # to the R&R Hall of Fame to protest this please ?

I don't know if this is of help to you or not but I found this at the R&RHOF site:

"For questions about the induction process, write to the following postal address (the Foundation does not have an e-mail address):

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation
1290 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10104

PLEASE NOTE: The Museum does not handle the Hall of Fame induction process; the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation does that. The Museum simply houses the permanent Hall of Fame exhibit"

...though I don't know if writing them will do any good if the stories are true about Mick "getting his way" about who should and shouldn't be in there from FM, maybe a petition would be better? Well, just some thoughts and I hope that is of some help. :)

Well, like Bob says, Danny is from the "good old PG days" so this is probably why Mick finds it acceptable to him for DK (& Jeremy) to be in there. It can't be the "founding members" crap because if that was the case then technically he should've inducted Brunning (even though he & PG like to refer to him as a "temp"). It's really weird when we fans care more about this stuff then the actual band does! :)

Completely agree with Glitter here, that's something else that Mick likes to take the credit for, he likes to say that it was he who "convinced everyone to move to LA in '74 after the bogus band deal" but of course we know that it was Welch who did this and not him, good try Mick. :)

John

[Sally]

I agree that Bob shouldn't have been left off. But with Billy, Rick, Dave, Bekka, etc....they technically couldn't be inducted based on the rules of induction, I think. I think it's 20+ years of involvement or something to that effect...because they were involved from '87 on, it hasn't been long enough really? Perhaps they could be added later? Would be interesting to find that out.

I just realized that paragraph is a bunch of mumbo-jumbo! :)

[CarneVaca]

Welch got squeezed, no question.

But to say Bekka and all the band members who followed Lindsey should have been inducted is a stretch. They had nothing to do with what made Fleetwood Mac Hall-worthy.

[David]

Originally posted by glitter_fades
Bob deserved a lot better than he ever got from Mick with everything including the RRHOF snub. Mick could have made sure he got in if he wanted to. I agree with John, silence is the same as saying, get lost. Just like Mick could do something about the fan club if he wanted to. We get silence from him and his managment.I disagree. I don't think Mick Fleetwood had much pull with the executive committee to be able to demand the inclusion of an old bandmate. As to what Mick's personal thoughts were on the matter, I have no clue.

The way I heard it, Mick was definite about making sure Peter Green got the nod even though he spent some of the least time with the band. I also heard Lindsey was not big on all the fuss over Peter Green getting in.Where did you hear that Lindsey felt that way about Peter's induction? Lindsey seems fully aware of Peter's genius & all-around importance not just to Fleetwood Mac but to blues & rock in general.

Yet, if not for Bob, Fleetwood Mac never would have migrated to the states. Without his timely exit, no LB or SN, and no hitting the jackpot for Mick, John and Chris. Bob should have been given his due. But these are sociological concerns rather than aesthetic ones, & members of the executive committee may feel that, as such, they are of minimal importance. Bob Welch's importance to Fleetwood Mac in terms of keeping the group active, moving it to the United States, providing support to the others, etc., may not warrant Hall of Fame inclusion to the guys who make the decisions. Naturally, to us, Fleetwood Mac fans, they're important, but that's not what the Hall of Fame is really honoring, is it? Then again, maybe things are so mixed up, with so many double standards flying around, that who knows what's going on.

The question (probably) is whether Bob Welch's contributions as a songwriter & performer warrant the Hall of Fame honor. To me they do, but you can't assume that his aesthetic contributions left their mark on rock culture & art just because you yourself happen to dig them. I happen to think Rickie Lee Jones' brilliance as a songwriter & singer raise her far above the norm in rock, but Hall of Fame executive committee members may think she's nothing more than a footnote in the pages of rock history.

[DownOnRodeo]

I don't think Mick Fleetwood had much pull with the executive committee to be able to demand the inclusion of an old bandmate.
You're telling me - he couldn't even get a replacement for his lost trophy! ;)
Maybe Bob nicked it ;) heh

[Johnny Stew]

Originally posted by DownOnRodeo
You're telling me - he couldn't even get a replacement for his lost trophy! ;)
Maybe Bob nicked it ;) heh I'm left to wonder if that would be a criminal act, or simply poetic justice! ;)

[wetcamelfood]

With all due respect to Mr. Schmit (more of whom in a second), I think the R&RHOF "executive committee" most likely thinks of Timothy B. Schmit as a "footnote in history" but my point was, he still got in the hall with the REST of The Eagles and he certainly wasn't a "main creative force" in The Eagles or had much impact in the world of pop culture, or had involvement in that band for 20+ years etc.

So right or wrong, there WERE "strings pulled", by whoever, whatever the rules and whoever had the power to pull those strings, many (though respecfully not all) of us here feel as though they should've been pulled for the rest (or at least some like, Welch as some had said earlier) of the Mac members. :)

John

[chiliD]

I got an email from Bob this morning:

"Steve...Fences are all mended..."

Re: his relationship with Mick & John and the rest of the band.

He also said that Lynn Fleetwood called & invited him to the show. So, it seemed to me as if he was implying that Mick was the one who "made the first move" in reconciliation.

[Johnny Stew]

Thanks for that info, chiliD! That's excellent news indeed, and it serves to reinforce my faith in cycles.

(Hmm... that's a good quote... i should start using that!) ;)

[Cammie]

David...I agree with your comments but do feel the
band always does what Mick directs!!! It was also
a shame... Peter Greenbaum played with Santana...
not those he was inducted with...Fleetwood Mac!;)
Glad chili got good news from Bob...fences mended!
The whole thing was rather strange!!! :eek: Cammie

[gypsysara]

Thanks for sharing Chili! PS - thought about you Chili the other day (even though I dont know you), saw a licence plate that said Chili (or something to that effect!)

[Tango]

Originally posted by chiliD
I got an email from Bob this morning:

"Steve...Fences are all mended..."

Re: his relationship with Mick & John and the rest of the band.

He also said that Lynn Fleetwood called & invited him to the show. So, it seemed to me as if he was implying that Mick was the one who "made the first move" in reconciliation.

Thanks Chili. I knew you were probably still stalking him. :laugh:

[greenfire]

Originally posted by David
The executive board is the body that can either accept or deny the recommendations for induction made by the Hall committee. Apparently, Welch's nomination was discussed by the committee, even though some of the committee members don't remember that or say it didn't happen at meetings they attended.

But basically it was the executive board who made the final decision to induct the five 1977-era people & the three additional members from 1969. I would think that about all that the inducted members of Fleetwood Mac could have done in 1998 was to refuse the honor in protest of Welch's omission. But from everything I've read, it doesn't seem likely that they could have reversed the executive board's decision.

I feel strongly that Bob should be inducted with his fellow Fleetwood Mac bandmates into the Hall of Fame. You might say that it is just a title, but to a guy that spent a career in music, working hard, and I might say JMHO, but contributing some fine compositions to some of the fantastic albums of Fleetwood Mac. I think it would be a terrific tribute to him to be included with the rest of the band. Future Games, Bare Trees, Mystery to Me and Heroes are highly regarded by many fans and Bob had a strong role in contributing to the success of those albums.

Many who are honerd with Oscars, Grammy's are flattered that others note their performances and outstanding achievements to their medium. Whether it's the baseball hall of fame, hockey hall of fame or Rock'N'Roll Hall of fame, it's a great honer to the individual to be recognized. I think Bob Welch should be recognized along with Mick, John, Chris, Stevie, Lindsey, Danny & Jeremy. These were all significant contributors who helped define and progress the sound of Fleetwood Mac. Please do not let Bob be overlooked! I know it can be argued that Rick, Billy, Bekka & Dave should be acknoledged also, and that is a valid point. Does anyone know if it is possible to have these members ammended to the induction. Sort of like what is done with ammendments to the U.S. constitution, or what it would take to have them acknoledged? I only want to see what is right and honerable for this band, who's music I think so highly of. Please share your comments, good or bad!