Safe Harbour

[DavidMn]

I've heard this song referred to many times as a cheap rip off of Albatross. That may be, but I enjoy listening to it. Thoughts?

[chiliD]

I think "Safe Harbour" gets a bad rap. Sure, "Safe Harbour" & "Albatross" have a similar atmospheric feel about them, but, both in melody & key, they are totally different.

Actually, I've always thought that "Mystified" (on Tango In The Night ) was a blatant "borrow" from "Safe Harbour"...it was Lindsey doing his best Bob Welch imitation without doing a Bob Welch song per se.

Now, if you want to start haggling over "Albatross" rip-offs...the Beatles "Sun King" is a DIRECT rip-off of "Albatross"...both John Lennon & George Harrison have admitted so in interviews. And, "Don't Let Me Down" has the same chord progression as "Albatross", as well.

John Lennon obviously was a BIG Fleetwood Mac fan...

1) he called his one off group for the Rolling Stones Rock & Roll Circus "The Dirty Mac" (and the only song they performed was "Yer Blues")
and
2) he wanted to sign Fleetwood Mac to Apple (and even had an agreement in principle with Peter Green), but Clifford Davis had already signed contracts with Reprise without the band themselves knowing about it. Can you just imagine it? Then Play On with an Apple label?? How different would have Fleetwood Mac's career gone had they been signed to Apple?

[SteveMacD]

Actually, I've always thought that "Mystified" (on Tango In The Night ) was a blatant "borrow" from "Safe Harbour"...it was Lindsey doing his best Bob Welch imitation without doing a Bob Welch song per se.
In terms of a chord progression, I can see where you're coming from. But the vibe of each song is very different for me. Now, the song I think sounds a lot like a blatant Lindsey-as-Bob would be "You And I, Pt I." The intro sounds a lot like "Sentimental Lady" from "Roxy," and the vocals sound very Bob-ish to me.
How different would have Fleetwood Mac's career gone had they been signed to Apple?
See also: Badfinger. (Emotionally unstable singer/songwriters. Crooked manager. Let's be happy the similarities end there!)

[Neb-Maat-Re]

John Lennon obviously was a BIG Fleetwood Mac fan...

1) he called his one off group for the Rolling Stones Rock & Roll Circus "The Dirty Mac"

That was probably more a reference to "Macintosh" rain coats, as worn by dirty old men, flashers, and - at that time - Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull who also appeared on the show.

(and the only song they performed was "Yer Blues")

Well, they also played back up for "Whole Lotta Yoko" too - but I can see why you'd forget that!