michelej1
02-25-2008, 02:48 PM
This rundown is old, so we can't send emails to the writer complaining, but I thought it was still interesting. My favorite part is how they mentioned that Dennis Wilson drowned to death in "fun" trivia.
Bradenton Herald (Bradenton, FL), June 6, 2003
Section: WEEKEND
CHANGES IN LINEUP HELP DEFINE FLEETWOOD MAC
Rod Harmon, Herald Staff Writer
At 8 p.m. Sunday, Fleetwood Mac will perform at the St. Pete Times Forum as part of their first tour since 1997's "The Dance" reunion. This time, they're a foursome: Christine McVie decided not to participate.
It's certainly not the first time the Mac has had a lineup change. You literally need a scorecard to keep up with all the members who have graced the group with their presence. This week, "The Groove" takes a look at the many alumni that have shaped the history of Fleetwood Mac. * Peter Green (1967-70): Green once was considered a blues master on a par with Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page. Unfortunately, heavy drug use made him a wash-out by 1971. Fun trivia: When "Rumours" spurred interest in the Mac's back catalog, Green demanded that he stop receiving royalty checks. He was placed in a mental institution.
* Mick Fleetwood (1967-present): The only member to remain throughout the band's entire career. Fleetwood is as well-known for his sexual prowess and inability to handle money as he is for his drumming, as documented in his 1990 autobiography, "Fleetwood: My Life and Adventures in Fleetwood Mac." Fun trivia: Fleetwood was once George Harrison's brother-in-law.
* Jeremy Spencer (1967-70): Spencer provided the rhythm guitar to Green's lead, but followed Green's path to insanity. He left the Mac to join a religious cult, and was rarely seen again. Fun trivia: Spencer was one of the first Elvis imitators. As part of the Mac's live show, he would don a gold lame suit and sing Presley songs.
* Bob Brunning (1967): Contrary to popular belief, John McVie was not the original bassist in Fleetwood Mac. That distinction belongs to Brunning, who toured with the band when McVie, their first choice, refused to leave John Mayall's Bluesbreakers. When McVie finally came around, Brunning joined Savoy Brown. Fun trivia: Brunning appears briefly on the Mac's first album, "Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac."
* John McVie (1967-present): Along with Fleetwood, McVie provides the glue that holds the band together. He had already developed a reputation as a hot blues bassist when the Mac formed, having played on the classic John Mayall album "Bluesbreakers with Eric Clapton." Fun trivia: McVie designed the band's penguin mascot.
* Danny Kirwan (1968-72): Kirwan added extra muscle to the band on "English Rose" and "Then Play On," and took over lead guitar when Green left. He also ended up in a mental institution. Fun trivia: Kirwan was fired when he refused to perform at a concert and critiqued the band's performance afterward.
* Christine McVie (1970-98): John McVie's wife from 1970 to 1976, Christine provided a softer, poppier edge to the Mac's sound. Most of the band's biggest hits are hers, including "Say You Love Me," "Don't Stop," "Everywhere" and "Little Lies." Fun trivia: McVie wrote "Hold Me" for boyfriend Dennis Wilson as a plea for him to get sober. A drunken Wilson drowned a year later.
* Bob Welch (1971-75): Welch's addition to the Mac transformed it from a power-blues band to a country-rock one, much to the chagrin of longtime fans. Still, it was his songwriting that gave the band its first Top 40 album in the United States, 1974's "Heroes are Hard to Find." Fun trivia: Welch was the first ex-Mac'er to achieve solo success by scoring a string of hits in the late '70s.
* Dave Walker (1972-73): Walker appears the least on any Mac recording. The former vocalist for Savoy Brown contributed two songs to the 1973 "Penguin" album before leaving. Fun trivia: Walker briefly replaced Ozzy Osbourne in Black Sabbath in 1977.
* Bob Weston (1972-74): Weston appeared on two Mac albums before being fired. The reason? He was having an affair with Fleetwood's wife. Doh! Fun trivia: When the band canceled a tour in 1973, its manager put a bogus Fleetwood Mac on the road with Weston.
* Lindsey Buckingham (1975-87, 1997-present): Considered a guitar genius and a studio maestro, Buckingham is given credit for elevating the Mac from cult status to superstar icons, and justifiably so. The Buckingham-Nicks lineup of the band is by far the most successful in its history. Fun trivia: Buckingham doesn't use a pick.
* Stevie Nicks (1975-92, 1997-present): Nicks' unmistakable voice and model-perfect good looks made her the most popular member of the Mac, and her contributions to the band gave it a mystical appeal. Fun trivia: Nicks had her breast implants removed for medical reasons, and her physician once kept them in his freezer in the event of a lawsuit.
* Rick Vito (1987-91): A lover of '60s British blues, Vito parlayed a job in Fleetwood's side project, Mick Fleetwood's Zoo, into a Mac gig when Buckingham left in 1987. Fun trivia: Vito saw the Peter Green-era Mac perform as a teenager in 1968.
* Billy Burnette (1987-95): Another Zoo alumnus who joined the Mac in attempt to fill the void left by Buckingham's departure. Fun trivia: Burnette's uncle was rockabilly star Johnny Burnette, who hit the Top 10 in 1960 with "You're Sixteen."
* Dave Mason (1994-95): The only member of the Mac who was a star in his own right before joining. Mason was a founding member of Traffic, and had a couple of solo hits in the mid-'70s. He appeared on one Mac album, the abysmal "Time." Fun trivia: Mason plays, uncredited, on the 1968 Rolling Stones album, "Beggars' Banquet."
* Bekka Bramlett (1994-95): The daughter of the country-rock duo Delaney and Bonnie, Bramlett wasn't even born when the Mac first formed. She joined the band for the "Time" album and tour, but poor reception from fans caused the band to go on hiatus. Fun trivia: Bramlett was 4 when she sang on her first record, Delaney Bramlett's "California Rain."
Bradenton Herald (Bradenton, FL), June 6, 2003
Section: WEEKEND
CHANGES IN LINEUP HELP DEFINE FLEETWOOD MAC
Rod Harmon, Herald Staff Writer
At 8 p.m. Sunday, Fleetwood Mac will perform at the St. Pete Times Forum as part of their first tour since 1997's "The Dance" reunion. This time, they're a foursome: Christine McVie decided not to participate.
It's certainly not the first time the Mac has had a lineup change. You literally need a scorecard to keep up with all the members who have graced the group with their presence. This week, "The Groove" takes a look at the many alumni that have shaped the history of Fleetwood Mac. * Peter Green (1967-70): Green once was considered a blues master on a par with Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page. Unfortunately, heavy drug use made him a wash-out by 1971. Fun trivia: When "Rumours" spurred interest in the Mac's back catalog, Green demanded that he stop receiving royalty checks. He was placed in a mental institution.
* Mick Fleetwood (1967-present): The only member to remain throughout the band's entire career. Fleetwood is as well-known for his sexual prowess and inability to handle money as he is for his drumming, as documented in his 1990 autobiography, "Fleetwood: My Life and Adventures in Fleetwood Mac." Fun trivia: Fleetwood was once George Harrison's brother-in-law.
* Jeremy Spencer (1967-70): Spencer provided the rhythm guitar to Green's lead, but followed Green's path to insanity. He left the Mac to join a religious cult, and was rarely seen again. Fun trivia: Spencer was one of the first Elvis imitators. As part of the Mac's live show, he would don a gold lame suit and sing Presley songs.
* Bob Brunning (1967): Contrary to popular belief, John McVie was not the original bassist in Fleetwood Mac. That distinction belongs to Brunning, who toured with the band when McVie, their first choice, refused to leave John Mayall's Bluesbreakers. When McVie finally came around, Brunning joined Savoy Brown. Fun trivia: Brunning appears briefly on the Mac's first album, "Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac."
* John McVie (1967-present): Along with Fleetwood, McVie provides the glue that holds the band together. He had already developed a reputation as a hot blues bassist when the Mac formed, having played on the classic John Mayall album "Bluesbreakers with Eric Clapton." Fun trivia: McVie designed the band's penguin mascot.
* Danny Kirwan (1968-72): Kirwan added extra muscle to the band on "English Rose" and "Then Play On," and took over lead guitar when Green left. He also ended up in a mental institution. Fun trivia: Kirwan was fired when he refused to perform at a concert and critiqued the band's performance afterward.
* Christine McVie (1970-98): John McVie's wife from 1970 to 1976, Christine provided a softer, poppier edge to the Mac's sound. Most of the band's biggest hits are hers, including "Say You Love Me," "Don't Stop," "Everywhere" and "Little Lies." Fun trivia: McVie wrote "Hold Me" for boyfriend Dennis Wilson as a plea for him to get sober. A drunken Wilson drowned a year later.
* Bob Welch (1971-75): Welch's addition to the Mac transformed it from a power-blues band to a country-rock one, much to the chagrin of longtime fans. Still, it was his songwriting that gave the band its first Top 40 album in the United States, 1974's "Heroes are Hard to Find." Fun trivia: Welch was the first ex-Mac'er to achieve solo success by scoring a string of hits in the late '70s.
* Dave Walker (1972-73): Walker appears the least on any Mac recording. The former vocalist for Savoy Brown contributed two songs to the 1973 "Penguin" album before leaving. Fun trivia: Walker briefly replaced Ozzy Osbourne in Black Sabbath in 1977.
* Bob Weston (1972-74): Weston appeared on two Mac albums before being fired. The reason? He was having an affair with Fleetwood's wife. Doh! Fun trivia: When the band canceled a tour in 1973, its manager put a bogus Fleetwood Mac on the road with Weston.
* Lindsey Buckingham (1975-87, 1997-present): Considered a guitar genius and a studio maestro, Buckingham is given credit for elevating the Mac from cult status to superstar icons, and justifiably so. The Buckingham-Nicks lineup of the band is by far the most successful in its history. Fun trivia: Buckingham doesn't use a pick.
* Stevie Nicks (1975-92, 1997-present): Nicks' unmistakable voice and model-perfect good looks made her the most popular member of the Mac, and her contributions to the band gave it a mystical appeal. Fun trivia: Nicks had her breast implants removed for medical reasons, and her physician once kept them in his freezer in the event of a lawsuit.
* Rick Vito (1987-91): A lover of '60s British blues, Vito parlayed a job in Fleetwood's side project, Mick Fleetwood's Zoo, into a Mac gig when Buckingham left in 1987. Fun trivia: Vito saw the Peter Green-era Mac perform as a teenager in 1968.
* Billy Burnette (1987-95): Another Zoo alumnus who joined the Mac in attempt to fill the void left by Buckingham's departure. Fun trivia: Burnette's uncle was rockabilly star Johnny Burnette, who hit the Top 10 in 1960 with "You're Sixteen."
* Dave Mason (1994-95): The only member of the Mac who was a star in his own right before joining. Mason was a founding member of Traffic, and had a couple of solo hits in the mid-'70s. He appeared on one Mac album, the abysmal "Time." Fun trivia: Mason plays, uncredited, on the 1968 Rolling Stones album, "Beggars' Banquet."
* Bekka Bramlett (1994-95): The daughter of the country-rock duo Delaney and Bonnie, Bramlett wasn't even born when the Mac first formed. She joined the band for the "Time" album and tour, but poor reception from fans caused the band to go on hiatus. Fun trivia: Bramlett was 4 when she sang on her first record, Delaney Bramlett's "California Rain."