Stevie and Bobbye Hall

[krrrby]

Something that always struck my curiosity is what happened with Stevie's relationship to Bobbye Hall. I would have thought she would have stayed in the touring band all these years. Did they have a falling out? Was it a not being around drugs kinda thing after the RAL tour? I know sometimes people just stop touring with artists, but I dunno if anyone has any insight into their relationship. I've never heard Stevie ever mention her name since the RAL tour.

[bwboy]

Bobbye Hall toured with Cyndi Lauper in 1986 for her True Colors tour. You can see her in the Cyndi Lauper in Paris concert. I think Cyndi’s tour started before Stevie’s that year, so it could have been a case of going with whoever went out on the road first, or maybe she wanted a change. Cyndi was a real up and comer then, so I can see why she would have gone with Cyndi.

[UnwindedDreams]

Bobbye Hall toured with Cyndi Lauper in 1986 for her True Colors tour. You can see her in the Cyndi Lauper in Paris concert. I think Cyndi’s tour started before Stevie’s that year, so it could have been a case of going with whoever went out on the road first, or maybe she wanted a change. Cyndi was a real up and comer then, so I can see why she would have gone with Cyndi.
Are you sure Bobbye Hall was in that Paris 1987 concert? I don't remember seeing her in that. I thought Sue Hadjopoulos was on that tour.

But to the thread topic, Stevie has had a lot of people in her solo bands, but I agree that it's interesting Bobbye Hall didn't stay with her considering Bobbye played on what are considered Stevie's greatest songs. I'd also add Russ Kunkel, Bob Glaub, and Roy Bittan too. What was Roy doing when Bruce wasn't working?

I still can't believe Lenny Castro was let go during the In Your Dreams Tour and that was the end of percussion in Stevie's solo shows.

[cbBen]

Bobbye Hall played with anyone and everyone – including far bigger names than Stevie (Bob Dylan, for example). She was a musician-for-hire (studio and live), not a member of Stevie's band in particular.

[bwboy]

Are you sure Bobbye Hall was in that Paris 1987 concert? I don't remember seeing her in that. I thought Sue Hadjopoulos was on that tour.

But to the thread topic, Stevie has had a lot of people in her solo bands, but I agree that it's interesting Bobbye Hall didn't stay with her considering Bobbye played on what are considered Stevie's greatest songs. I'd also add Russ Kunkel, Bob Glaub, and Roy Bittan too. What was Roy doing when Bruce wasn't working?

I still can't believe Lenny Castro was let go during the In Your Dreams Tour and that was the end of percussion in Stevie's solo shows.

Man, it’s finally happening- I’m losing it! I watched a few minutes of Cyndi Lauper in Paris and you’re right- Bobbye Hall is not in it! I could have sworn she was. So then I thought, well, she was in the Cyndi Lauper video for Change of Heart, and I just got them confused. Nope, wrong again, she wasn’t in that video, either. I even looked at Wikipedia and it said Bobbye toured with Stevie for Bella Donna, Wild Heart, and Rock a Little, but nothing about Cyndi.

Man, I could swear I’ve seen Bobbye in other concert videos, but apparently I’m wrong. So thank you for the correction, UnwindedDreams!

[cbBen]

I've never heard Stevie ever mention her name since the RAL tour.

As opposed to whom? Of her former band members, whose names does she mention?

[BigAl84]

There is an interview with Bobbye on youtube and it always struck me how she talked in great length about a bunch of the people she worked with, but when the topic of Stevie came up she didn't have a whole lot to say about her. She had more to say about Jimmy Iovine and the other studio musicians on Bella Donna - nothing about Stevie.

The Stevie mention is at 6:39
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLdaPH40Pk8

[cbBen]

I chalk that up more to her relating most to fellow session players: https://www.notreble.com/buzz/2014/06/29/joni-mitchell-jaco-pastorius-shadows-light-rare-live-recording/

She does mention Dylan at most length. Biggest name. Biggest tour of his to date (over 100 shows; he would end up doing more shows in a year just once or so his whole career). And yes, on that tour Dylan did play that song of his ("Tangled Up In Blue") that shifts tense and (depending on the version) person -- the one I think Stevie likely had in mind when pushing back on Lindsey in Destiny Rules.

P.S. Unless it's a cut in the video to her speaking of the musician community broadly, she misremembers the Bella Donna bassist as Lee Sklar.

[Macfan4life]

There are other musicians that worked with Stevie alot and then vanish. Waddy was one of them. We speculate Stevie dropped him when he had those child porn charges/allegations. He did reappear later in her career. Stevie usually has a different bassist for every tour.
There may not have been a falling out with Bobbye but the klonopin years had her changing her band immensely; Carlos Rios, Peter Michaels, etc

[cbBen]

In the '90's Waddy was busy not just playing with but also producing/co-producing and writing with (or for) Warren Zevon, Keith Richards, and Linda Ronstadt; plus playing on the Rolling Stones album Bridges To Babylon – big, big stuff.

[David]

There are other musicians that worked with Stevie alot and then vanish. Waddy was one of them. We speculate Stevie dropped him when he had those child porn charges/allegations. He did reappear later in her career. Stevie usually has a different bassist for every tour.
There may not have been a falling out with Bobbye but the klonopin years had her changing her band immensely; Carlos Rios, Peter Michaels, etc

Jennifer Condoms was another one. Cat Gray. Wizard. Carolyn Brooks. Doug Graves. Dave Walker.

[krrrby]

I don't know why Bobbye stuck out in my head the most, but I've been listening to some Wild Heart/RAL tour shows lately, and she talks about Bobbye in the intro's as if they really had a solid bond, and this could very well be me just speculating what happened between them more than anything. As we know, Stevie went through a lot after the rehab and the klonopin, and the record label putting pressure on her as she was in her 40's by then trying to navigate rock and roll charts. I do notice that the TOSOM/Timespace Era she had a lot of younger musicians playing around her, whether that was by design or not who knows.

I guess my comment was more of a speculation than anything. For Roy Bittan it was easy to understand because he has Bruce. Waddy had his issues. Benmont had Tom. Perhaps even Bobbye came to a point in her own career where she wanted to work with others than just Stevie and made that decision to not return, and I can respect that.

It would be nice for even one night if Stevie could get the 81 touring band back together again for a show and to sort of relive the Bella Donna moment on stage again. I thought that would have been a great way to celebrate 40 years of the album.

But then again, my frustration with Stevie comes down to the amount of missed opportunities that I think she could have had in her career, and why she chose in the last 20 or so years to just play it safe and tour and not try one-off things beyond getting in a TV show, like doing random special concerts, singing songs that she hasn't sung in years, with different arrangements, or working with certain musicians. I always feel like she was just too scared to try new things.

Maybe it's just me, I dunno.

Oh well.

[Macfan4life]

Jennifer Condoms was another one. Cat Gray. Wizard. Carolyn Brooks. Doug Graves. Dave Walker.

Calm down. Did you just get out of prison?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BpNS8jYniLY

[Macfan4life]

I don't know why Bobbye stuck out in my head the most, but I've been listening to some Wild Heart/RAL tour shows lately, and she talks about Bobbye in the intro's as if they really had a solid bond, and this could very well be me just speculating what happened between them more than anything. As we know, Stevie went through a lot after the rehab and the klonopin, and the record label putting pressure on her as she was in her 40's by then trying to navigate rock and roll charts. I do notice that the TOSOM/Timespace Era she had a lot of younger musicians playing around her, whether that was by design or not who knows.

I guess my comment was more of a speculation than anything. For Roy Bittan it was easy to understand because he has Bruce. Waddy had his issues. Benmont had Tom. Perhaps even Bobbye came to a point in her own career where she wanted to work with others than just Stevie and made that decision to not return, and I can respect that.

It would be nice for even one night if Stevie could get the 81 touring band back together again for a show and to sort of relive the Bella Donna moment on stage again. I thought that would have been a great way to celebrate 40 years of the album.

But then again, my frustration with Stevie comes down to the amount of missed opportunities that I think she could have had in her career, and why she chose in the last 20 or so years to just play it safe and tour and not try one-off things beyond getting in a TV show, like doing random special concerts, singing songs that she hasn't sung in years, with different arrangements, or working with certain musicians. I always feel like she was just too scared to try new things.

Maybe it's just me, I dunno.

Oh well.
I dont think they had a falling out. Stevie said in her own words that during her klonopin years she listened to people that she should not have been listening to. She did bring back Russ for her 1989 tour but dug out a snappy Peter Michaels that she used on percussion for 2 tours and then dumped him too once klonopin was over. She introduced Peter as her musical director in 1989.

[jmn3]

And yes, on that tour Dylan did play that song of his ("Tangled Up In Blue") that shifts tense and (depending on the version) person -- the one I think Stevie likely had in mind when pushing back on Lindsey in Destiny Rules.

LOL if she was even thinking of comparing the tense change in Thrown Down to Tangled Up in Blue then Lindsey’s response was on point.

[jmn3]

But then again, my frustration with Stevie comes down to the amount of missed opportunities that I think she could have had in her career, and why she chose in the last 20 or so years to just play it safe and tour and not try one-off things beyond getting in a TV show, like doing random special concerts, singing songs that she hasn't sung in years, with different arrangements, or working with certain musicians. I always feel like she was just too scared to try new things.

Maybe it's just me, I dunno.

Oh well.

Fleetwood Mac and all their members are a series of missed opportunities. Especially in the “modern” era (1997+). There was so much more they all could have/should have done. Now, time/age/death all prevent anything really interesting.

[bwboy]

Fleetwood Mac and all their members are a series of missed opportunities. Especially in the “modern” era (1997+). There was so much more they all could have/should have done. Now, time/age/death all prevent anything really interesting.

True, but I was also thinking of the period from 1987+. If Lindsey hadn’t left in 1987, we could have possibly had a FM album every 4 years after that. Imagine how strong the albums would have been based solely on Christine’s material from then. Stevie’s songs would have been questionable, and the only example we have of what her material would have sounded like if Lindsey hadn’t left would have been Paper Doll, a song that even Fleetwood Mac must not have cared for too much, considering they dropped it from their Greatest Hits album and put it on their Chain box set instead.

I love Behind the Mask, but Christine’s songs were so solid during that period from 1988-1993 that I can’t help but think of all the lost opportunities there, as well. But considering the spiral Stevie was in at that time, who knows. That’s the problem with “what ifs.”

[David]

Fleetwood Mac and all their members are a series of missed opportunities. Especially in the “modern” era (1997+). There was so much more they all could have/should have done. Now, time/age/death all prevent anything really interesting.

We’ve always said that they had so much more in them. But I’m starting to wonder, Jim. Maybe they didn’t have much more in them. Maybe that configuration only had a brief string of contiguous great albums in them, and that was that.

There were some excellent micro-patches after 1979 scattered throughout, but there was never again a superb, culture-influencing, coherent work that would have put them on the map — if they hadn’t already been on the map. Contrarily, imagine the earlier configuration of Green, Kirwan, Spencer, McVie, and Fleetwood, maintaining their mental clarity, drive, creativity, and ambition into the 1970s. They would undoubtedly have done amazing, important work for years. Even with the heights they already hit, they were on their way skyward, fusing blues, rock, and progressive experimentation in all sorts of directions and still growing an audience worldwide.

[cbBen]

But then again, my frustration with Stevie comes down to the amount of missed opportunities that I think she could have had in her career, and why she chose in the last 20 or so years to just play it safe and tour and not try one-off things beyond getting in a TV show, like doing random special concerts, singing songs that she hasn't sung in years, with different arrangements, or working with certain musicians.

exception being the acoustic "Gypsy" with Lindsey (and Waddy and Carlos on rhythm guitars) from the 9/28/00 AHI benefit (song starts at 0:38): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5HeRgOVOMw

Arguably, the other exceptions are also with Lindsey: "Soldier's Angel" and the original version of "Twisted."

[UnwindedDreams]

exception being the acoustic "Gypsy" with Lindsey (and Waddy and Carlos on rhythm guitars) from the 9/28/00 AHI benefit (song starts at 0:38): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5HeRgOVOMw

Arguably, the other exceptions are also with Lindsey: "Soldier's Angel" and the original version of "Twisted."
"Without You" was pretty exciting too. 24 Karat Gold Tour was fun too, even though it was warhorse heavy and she played short songs like the WH/BD medley and Crying in the Night. The stage production was flawless. The setlist, as one to represent her entire career, just wasn't as good as Enchanted. But I think her best ever setlist was The Wiltern 2011.