Eye of the Hurricane

[Deeshere]

This is a new article that's just come out. Unfortunately, no one has posted the entire (readable) article on line, and I don't have a copy of it yet, but it looks so good I'm going to have to get it. I transcribed part of the first page,which is the only page I can read. The story Mick tells is so beautiful and sad it makes me cry.

Also I want ask does anyone know where the interview Mick's talking about is? I have not seen an print or video interview so far that talks about or shows this conversation between the three of them. Has anyone seen an interview where the three of them cry about the why Lindsey left the band in 1987? I can't see the way, TV, magazines and newspapers show/print everything these days (true or not) that a reporter would hold this story back because it was too personal, but who knows.

Classic Rock Magazine, October 2013
Eye of the Hurricane

In December 2012 three members of Fleetwood Mac cried together, in public, at the memory of something that happened all of 25 years previously. Singer Stevie Nicks, guitarist Lindsey Buckingham, and drummer Mick Fleetwood were doing a round of interviews to announce the band’s 2013 tour when they were asked about the events of 1987, when Buckingham quit the band following the release of the album Tango In the Night.

Buckingham did not respond directly to the interviewer. Instead he turned to Nicks and Fleetwood and reiterated his reasons for leaving the group at a critical stage in their career, foremost among them his sense that Nicks and Fleetwood had lost their minds and souls to drugs. “What Lindsey said in that interview was very moving” Fleetwood says, “He told us:’ I just couldn’t stand to see what you were doing to yourselves. Did you ever realize that? You were so out of control it made me incredibly sad and I could not take it anymore. It was really powerful stuff. This was someone saying ‘I love you’. It hit Stevie and me like a ton of bricks. And we all cried right there in the interview.”
http://www.fleetwoodmacnews.com/2013/09/fleetwood-mac-eye-of-hurricane-5-page.html

[nodmod]

Posted today on FMUK
http://fleetwoodmac-uk.com/wp/eye-of-the-hurricane-classic-rock-magazine-oct-2013/

[michelej1]

Very nice discussion of the Tango time from Mick's current perspective.

Michele

[RockawayBlind]

If this is true, it's actually quite moving. Mostly, we've heard accounts of this split-up from Mick and Stevie. All I remember Lindsey saying about this previously is something along the lines of having to leave the band for his own survival and sanity. If, along with that, he was also telling Stevie and Mick that he didn't want to be around the drugs anymore because of what they were doing to them, it raises the split from purely self-preservation, self-centered reasons to a more altruistic plane. If it's true...

[Deeshere]

Posted today on FMUK
http://fleetwoodmac-uk.com/wp/eye-of-the-hurricane-classic-rock-magazine-oct-2013/

Thanks so much for the link. :angel:

[bombaysaffires]

great interview, thanks for posting!

[TheWILDheart]

Ok, I'm a little confused. I thought Stevie cut coke in 1986 and her Tango songs were sent back to Lindsey et al as demo's whilst Stevie was on the RAL tour. So by the time Stevie turned up for the 2 weeks she was actually present for the Tango sessions, Chris and Lindsey's songs were done and Stevie was coke free, right?

It's funny that Mick refers to Tango as "Lindsey's album". I've always thought more of Tusk as Lindsey's album and Tango as Christine's album - she was at her best on that album.

[Deeshere]

If this is true, it's actually quite moving. Mostly, we've heard accounts of this split-up from Mick and Stevie. All I remember Lindsey saying about this previously is something along the lines of having to leave the band for his own survival and sanity. If, along with that, he was also telling Stevie and Mick that he didn't want to be around the drugs anymore because of what they were doing to them, it raises the split from purely self-preservation, self-centered reasons to a more altruistic plane. If it's true...


I think it is true. I think Lindsey has gotten a bad rap over the years. Many times he's been portrayed as a very selfish, self-centered man (and to some degree that maybe true), but in his own way I think he's been very altruistic with the band.

He's produced songs for Stevie when he did not want to. (Tom Petty said that Lindsey is Stevie's best producer) He's put his solo work to the side when the band wanted to make a new record, and some how he managed to mostly stay civil to Stevie when they were making albums when he was very, very mad at her (honestly, I don't know if I could have done the same thing if I was in his position). And I think now with this tour and the band members finally to some extent coming clean about the past you can see that Lindsey really did love everyone in the band (in the past and present) and thinks of them as an extended family. Like Mick said "the misconception is that we don’t like each other. We do! We actually love each other. It’s just the co-existing of that from time to time no doubt has been incredibly hard"

[Deeshere]

Ok, I'm a little confused. I thought Stevie cut coke in 1986 and her Tango songs were sent back to Lindsey et al as demo's whilst Stevie was on the RAL tour. So by the time Stevie turned up for the 2 weeks she was actually present for the Tango sessions, Chris and Lindsey's songs were done and Stevie was coke free, right?


Right, Stevie was coke free during Tango. She was wacked out on Klonopin by the time they were doing Tango. She had been on it for about 1 year when they were recording the album. From what I have read she was pretty high on the medication which made her zombie like. People have said she was there, but not really there mentally and if you look a the interviews and videos from that time, you can see her eyes are glassy, she speaks kind of slow and does not have much emotion.

[shackin'up]

Tango had a lot of Christine-hits, but the incredible slick and modern production and radiofriendliness was hugely influenced by Lindsey. He was the maker of the overall sound and vision on the album, not the writer of the most succesful tracks. from that view, I understand Micks perceptiën that it was Lindsey's album. But I'm happy to read that, in retrospect, Lindsey did think the album lacked artistic value. I agree with that. Excellent piece to read, btw.

[TheWILDheart]

Right, Stevie was coke free during Tango. She was wacked out on Klonopin by the time they were doing Tango. She had been on it for about 1 year when they were recording the album. From what I have read she was pretty high on the medication which made her zombie like. People have said she was there, but not really there mentally and if you look a the interviews and videos from that time, you can see her eyes are glassy, she speaks kind of slow and does not have much emotion.

So why does Lindsey say that he left because he couldn't take Mick and Stevie being coked up? Makes no sense if she was clean by then.

I know she was in the early stages of the klonopin, but from some interviews, she seems fine and the opening night of the tour she was full of energy.

Seems to me that it's not just Stevie's memory that's a little blurry. I've always been under the impression that Lindsey left because he'd sacrificed his solo project, put in a ridiculous amount more work than any other band member (especially Stevie) and the felt the pressure was really on him to sort this album out. Stevie was barely there and the rest of the band were working on her tracks whilst she was off touring the world in 86, so I can see how that would cause problems - maybe Lindsey felt he would have to do the same on tour and didn't want that amount of pressure on him.

That was always my understanding anyway.

[louielouie2000]

Posted today on FMUK
http://fleetwoodmac-uk.com/wp/eye-of-the-hurricane-classic-rock-magazine-oct-2013/

I like all of the comparisons of Tango to Rumours. I've been saying the same things for many years... the 2 most consistent, listenable Mac albums were born out of exactly the same circumstances: excess and turmoil. Except after Tango, the band really did collapse. It's interesting to hear Mick & Lindsey say what we've all said for so long, too: Tusk was their creative pinnacle, and the bottom fell out with Mirage. It's just refreshing to see Tango discussed in so much depth. It was every bit as important a piece of Fleetwood Mac history as Rumours, perhaps more so because of the way the band permanently changed afterwards.

[applebucked]

Seems to me that it's not just Stevie's memory that's a little blurry. I've always been under the impression that Lindsey left because he'd sacrificed his solo project, put in a ridiculous amount more work than any other band member (especially Stevie) and the felt the pressure was really on him to sort this album out. Stevie was barely there and the rest of the band were working on her tracks whilst she was off touring the world in 86, so I can see how that would cause problems - maybe Lindsey felt he would have to do the same on tour and didn't want that amount of pressure on him.

That was always my understanding anyway.
I think it's a combination of all that. Let's also not forget that this was also the period where Mick filed for bankruptcy and was staying in a trailer outside Lindsey's yard. If these are the kind of things that happened when they made tango, it sure as hell would be tenfold when they take it out on the road.
I like all of the comparisons of Tango to Rumours. I've been saying the same things for many years... the 2 most consistent, listenable Mac albums were born out of exactly the same circumstances: excess and turmoil. Except after Tango, the band really did collapse. It's interesting to hear Mick & Lindsey say what we've all said for so long, too: Tusk was their creative pinnacle, and the bottom fell out with Mirage. It's just refreshing to see Tango discussed in so much depth. It was every bit as important a piece of Fleetwood Mac history as Rumours, perhaps more so because of the way the band permanently changed afterwards.

Yes. The story of Tango was, IMO just as interesting, perhaps even more so, than that of Rumours.

[Deeshere]

So why does Lindsey say that he left because he couldn't take Mick and Stevie being coked up? Makes no sense if she was clean by then.

I know she was in the early stages of the klonopin, but from some interviews, she seems fine and the opening night of the tour she was full of energy.

Seems to me that it's not just Stevie's memory that's a little blurry. I've always been under the impression that Lindsey left because he'd sacrificed his solo project, put in a ridiculous amount more work than any other band member (especially Stevie) and the felt the pressure was really on him to sort this album out. Stevie was barely there and the rest of the band were working on her tracks whilst she was off touring the world in 86, so I can see how that would cause problems - maybe Lindsey felt he would have to do the same on tour and didn't want that amount of pressure on him.

That was always my understanding anyway.

Lindsey didn't say Stevie was doing coke during Tango, Mick said he and Stevie were doing coke when he's retelling the story of what happend during the making of the album. I think Mick is confused about what who did what and what happened during the Tango recording sessions, because (I read) he was so messed up during the making of the album that he kept falling asleep between takes while sitting at his drum kit and Lindsey kept having to wake him up. So I am pretty sure his memory of that time is hazy at best.

As for Stevie, she told Rolling Stone this: “I think one of the reasons that Lindsey left is because I was very, very high on this horrific tranquilizer,” she says referring to her much-documented Klonopin addiction, for which she received treatment in late 1993. “I didn’t even make it to most of the recording sessions for ‘Tango in the Night (1987).’ I was sick.”

I read in an interview ( I think it was Ken Caillat) that Stevie was so messed up during the recording sessions that they had to "scoop her up off the floor" at night when they were done.

[MikeInNV]

Right, Stevie was coke free during Tango. She was wacked out on Klonopin by the time they were doing Tango. She had been on it for about 1 year when they were recording the album. From what I have read she was pretty high on the medication which made her zombie like. People have said she was there, but not really there mentally and if you look a the interviews and videos from that time, you can see her eyes are glassy, she speaks kind of slow and does not have much emotion.

I believe Stevie worked on Tango sporadically both before and after rehab, but I know she entered Betty Ford in the fall of 1986 and was prescribed Klonopin sometime thereafter. Tango was physically in stores by April of 1987, so no way had she been on it a year. The "there but not there" description seems like something I heard about the TOSOTM or BTM periods. I found her very clear and lucid during all of the Tango promotion.

[APerfectLie]

I went to look at some of the Tango interviews to see if Stevie was really zonked out and couldn't help but laugh at how if references to dates were taken out you could totally believe this interview was from 2013.

"It brought a lot of unanswered questions back together and made us feel really like a band for the first time in a long time."

"There is this dynamic where you have four out of five of the people who were once couples..."

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/YQf73ui4qZ8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

And 1987 Stevie didn't seem to be in zombie mode yet. She actually sounds and acts like present day Stevie. Maybe she just had her moments that we didn't see or we just don't think this is bad because we know how bad it got?

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/vWwRYdJ8xZc" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[Deeshere]

I agree that Stevie doesn't look very stoned in the Tango interviews and on stage. I also may have gotten the zombie references from the BTM era instead of the Tango era. However, Stevie has stated publicly several times that she was very stoned on Klonopin during the Tango recording sessions and I don't think you can refute Stevie's own words.

[iamnotafraid]

Stevie has stated publicly several times that she was very stoned on Klonopin during the Tango recording sessions and I don't think you can refute Stevie's own words.


Given Stevie's track record on exaggerations or
passing the blame to something besides her own-
self, we probably can refute Stevie's own words.

Have we ever even heard the dosage that Stevie
was taking? If it wasn't Klonopin it would be
something else.

I still consider myself a big fan of Stevie, but I'm
getting a little tired of her stories.

On a side note, You Have No Faith In Medicine was
playing as I was writing this (White Stripes). Weird
timing?

[Deeshere]

Given Stevie's track record on exaggerations or
passing the blame to something besides her own-
self, we probably can refute Stevie's own words.

Have we ever even heard the dosage that Stevie
was taking? If it wasn't Klonopin it would be
something else.

I still consider myself a big fan of Stevie, but I'm
getting a little tired of her stories.

On a side note, You Have No Faith In Medicine was
playing as I was writing this (White Stripes). Weird
timing?

Oh, Hi Ice..dude you will argue with a wall.;)

I guess I worded my response wrong. I know stevie exaggerates her stories from time to time, but what I was getting at was Stevie is the only person that truly knows how she's feeling and if she was messed up or not. Since she's said multiple times she was really messed up during the Tango sessions I don't see how anyone can say she wasn't, because their not Stevie Nicks.

However once Stevie says she's started stuffing the net that could change.:lol:

[iamnotafraid]

Oh, Hi Ice..dude you will argue with a wall.;)

However once Stevie says she's started stuffing the net that could change.:lol:


Me argue? You're getting to know me.

I'm embarrassed to say I don't know
what "stuffing the net" means.

[TheWILDheart]

I agree about the Tango interviews, she looked and sounded great. Especially that MTV interview where they met her off the plane (I think), she looks amazing there.

It's more noticeable in the BTM and especially Timespace interviews where she starts talking out of one side of her mouth like Clint Eastwood.

The Tango tour started well, but from what I know, got more hit and miss as the tour went on and Stevie got more lethargic

[Sanne2]

I agree that Stevie doesn't look very stoned in the Tango interviews and on stage. I also may have gotten the zombie references from the BTM era instead of the Tango era. However, Stevie has stated publicly several times that she was very stoned on Klonopin during the Tango recording sessions and I don't think you can refute Stevie's own words.

Lol yes, you totally can. Stevie's memory is a mess when it comes to dates and what happened when and during what album recording, she was probably thinking of recording OSOTM or BTM. It doesn't make any sense because the Klonopin didn't became a problem untill the 1988 leg of the tour when there was noticeably something "off" about her. She was fine during the 1987 leg and the 1987 promotions.

What I would've loved to know is when Stevie came back after her rehab to record more vocals, nearly all those vocals ended up on the extended remixes, instead of the album tracks. So why weren't they used on the album? Was it a dig from Lindsey? So people would say "Stevie can barely be heard on the album" and they could say "Well she just wasn't there during recording"?

[SpyNote]

Thanks Neil!

[Deeshere]

Lol yes, you totally can. Stevie's memory is a mess when it comes to dates and what happened when and during what album recording, she was probably thinking of recording OSOTM or BTM. It doesn't make any sense because the Klonopin didn't became a problem untill the 1988 leg of the tour when there was noticeably something "off" about her. She was fine during the 1987 leg and the 1987 promotions.



I would agree her memory maybe foggy about certain periods of her life due to drugs, and if these were quotes taken from the 1990's when she's on drugs or still hazy from the after effects I would say they are definitely suspect. However, Stevie's been clean and sober for a number of years and it appears to me that if her memory about the Tango sessions are foggy, that only reinforces the fact that she was messed up during that time period.

I don't get why in the past so many fans were willing to believe all the bad things Stevie and Mick said about Lindsey (even though they were drug addicts at the time). However, now that Stevie and Mick defend Lindsey, or agree with what Lindsey says (and they are now both clean and sober) those statements are called into question.

I agree Lindsey can be very sarcastic, narcissistic and selfish, but so can everyone else in the band (and I love them all, not just Lindsey), but I think the guy has got a lot of good qualities that have been over looked in the past.

[applebucked]

IMO, it's probably the general pattern of their (meaning everyone's) statements regarding the subject matter that calls them into question and suspicion. :shrug:

[Deeshere]

I'm embarrassed to say I don't know
what "stuffing the net" means.

No, that was my mistake. My computer keeps auto correcting my words. What I meant to say was "surfing" the net. Which means trolling the internet (but I'm sure you know that) ;)

[applebucked]

No, that was my mistake. My computer keeps auto correcting my words. What I meant to say was "surfing" the net. Which means trolling the internet (but I'm sure you know that) ;)
Stevie's gonna be in for a treat. :laugh: But pretty sure she knows that.

[pop-muse]

another "sober" 1987 interview, on tour

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/YM81_qkp3KI" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[Deeshere]

You can show as many 1987 "Stevie Sober Videos" that you want. I have already said I agree that she does appear sober. However, I think if you want to believe all the bad things Stevie has said about Lindsey in the past when she was on drugs, then I would think you should also believe her when she says good things or agrees with Lindsey now when she's sober.

So, again Stevie has said several times recently that she was really messed up on Klonopin during the Tango sessions and now Lindsey has said that one of the main reasons he left the band was because he could not stand to see Stevie and Mick destroy themselves with drugs and I believe him.

[KarmaContestant]

I don't think Stevie was that zonked out for either Tango or BTM. Sure, by the time of BTM she was getting hazy, but during the Tango era she seemed pretty clear headed to me.

And while it sounds nice to hear Stevie say "Lindsey left Fleetwood Mac because he just couldn't bear to see me this way", I think many of us who were fans at the time know that Lindsey left because he was sick of her ****. Period. Sick of the drama and fighting, sick of the game on stage, sick of the drugs, sick of the lies, sick of his role in all of it and sick of being sick of it all. He left for his own sanity.

[Josh2003]

I think The Other Side of the Mirror interviews so her at her most...Klonopin'd out. She seems very coherent and with it during Tango interviews, I think. More like the Stevie we know today. I'm sure she was on Klonopin then, it just hadn't been upped to the point it was during TOSOTM.

[Deeshere]

I don't think Stevie was that zonked out for either Tango or BTM. Sure, by the time of BTM she was getting hazy, but during the Tango era she seemed pretty clear headed to me.

And while it sounds nice to hear Stevie say "Lindsey left Fleetwood Mac because he just couldn't bear to see me this way", I think many of us who were fans at the time know that Lindsey left because he was sick of her ****. Period. Sick of the drama and fighting, sick of the game on stage, sick of the drugs, sick of the lies, sick of his role in all of it and sick of being sick of it all. He left for his own sanity.


I agree that Lindsey was sick of everything by the time he left the band, and I think he said there were many reasons that he decided to leave.

However, I don't think Lindsey would have said anything to the press about Stevie being intoxicated during the Tango session. I mean Mick was also out of control and on cocaine (which has not been disputed) during that time too and from all the interviews I have read Lindsey did not mention Micks crazy drug abuse during Tango to the press either. Also, Lindsey has known Stevie for most of his life and he knows what she's like when she's sober, as well as what she's like when she intoxicated. Just because she appears normal or sober to us the fans does not mean she appeared that way to Lindsey.

I also don't remember Lindsey ever being the one that "outed" Stevie or Mick (or anyone for that matter) about their excessive drug abuse (although if I'm wrong, I'm sure someone here will let me know ;)). He did not talk about the excessive cocaine abuse until either Stevie or Mick admitted to it first. So if he felt like Stevie was taking too much medication back in 87 I don't think he would have said anything about it to the media. Remember Lindsey loves to smoke pot and he did coke with the rest of the band, so I don't think he likes to discuss the drug aspect of the band too much in interviews. At the time he quit he had more than enough issues he could discuss with the press without making an issue of his concern over Stevie (and Mick) growing drug abuse problem.

[TheWILDheart]

another "sober" 1987 interview, on tour

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/YM81_qkp3KI" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

I LOVE this little interview. She's clear, smiling, happy...her hair looks amazing. She looks so much younger, fresh faced and brighter here than she did on any of the Tango performances.

[RockawayBlind]

But I'm happy to read that, in retrospect, Lindsey did think the album lacked artistic value. I agree with that. Excellent piece to read, btw.

I'm going to disagree with that to the extend that without Tango, you don't really get Out of the Cradle -- not as it came out, anyway. In Tango, you see an evolution of Lindsey's sound from a folky approach to a, let's say, more worldly style of guitar playing, which is influenced by genres beyond American folk and country.

Cradle then leads to what has become known as "Lindsey's style," the mad picking of "Big Love Acoustic." Would he have gotten there anyway? Probably. But something like Tango would have had to happen -- glossy 80s sheen and all.

Also, Lindsey now says the album lacks artistic value, but when you think about it, when does he not say that? The only thing he ever seems to be content with is Tusk -- and with good reason, mind you. When SYW came out, it was the greatest thing ever. Now when he talks about it, it lacks cohesion. Gee, it's like he visited Mac bulletin boards and read what a lot of us were saying and he decided at last we were right.

[RockawayBlind]

I think many of us who were fans at the time know that Lindsey left because he was sick of her ****. Period. Sick of the drama and fighting, sick of the game on stage, sick of the drugs, sick of the lies, sick of his role in all of it and sick of being sick of it all. He left for his own sanity.

Yeah, that.