Music Week article on The Visitor (June 1981)

[WalkAThinLine.]

I was sifting through a website containing archived articles related to Eurythmics to find information for their debut album, In the Garden. During that search, I came across this writeup on The Visitor. I have included both the url and the text of the article below.

A lavish launch for Fleetwood
From David Dalton

Paris: RCA Records mounted a lavish international launch for the debut solo album of Mick Fleetwood here at the weekend. The Fleetwood Mac founder, member and drummer is signed for this one album, entitled The Visitor and released on June 30, through his layer Mickey Shapiro and said that "negotiations are currently underway" for further solo projects. Fleetwood stressed, though, that he would retain his commitment to Fleetwood Mac and that the band is currently recording a new album in France.

No comment was forthcoming on why the LP is not signed to WEA, but Shapiro praised RCA for its "great vision and foresight".

"It was not received with a great deal of enthusiasm by commercial recording interests in the US," he added. "A lot of people thought it was a joke."

The Visitor was recorded earlier this year in Ghana at a cost of $400,000, with recording equipment specially flown in.

https://eurythmics-ultimate.com/publications/1981-06-06-eurythmics-music-week-from-the-uk-id-0066/#foogallery-209599/i:2

[HomerMcvie]

They also desperately needed fodder for their new laser disc format.

[David]

An underappreciated album. It was every bit as unusual and personal as Tusk. In fact, it was odd that Lindsey didn’t contribute anything to it, even a guitar or background vocal on something (like his own “Walk a Thin Line”).

I argued with David Barton, the pop music critic at the Sacramento Bee, over which version of “Walk a Thin Line” was better — Tusk or The Visitor. I always thought it was better on the former and Barton opted for the latter. Then he surmised that we both preferred the version we each heard first.

[WalkAThinLine.]

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My apologies for the low-fidelity. I will reupload this to a different thread.

[Villavic]

In fact, it was odd that Lindsey didn’t contribute anything to it, even a guitar or background vocal on something (like his own “Walk a Thin Line”).

Or John. I think it was a time to disconnect from the band mates, after a long and exhausting tour. Mick doesn't mention them (while in Ghana) in his first book, except when he tells about an interview.

During these weeks in Africa, I had begun to forget about Fleetwood Mac, its trials and tribulations. But the reality to which I would soon return was brought home to me in an interview I did with the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (whose bunkerlike studio was guarded by two purple tanks) to plug our concert. After a fairly pat welcome, the interviewer began to pepper me with questions. "Why had Tusk been so MW and experimental, coming in for criticism from both the left and the right?" That one floored me. "Why do John McVie and Lindsey Buckingham have their ex-wives in the band?" I tried to stammer an answer to this most African of questions, but it was really too much.

[jbrownsjr]

Or John. I think it was a time to disconnect from the band mates, after a long and exhausting tour. Mick doesn't mention them (while in Ghana) in his first book, except when he tells about an interview.

During these weeks in Africa, I had begun to forget about Fleetwood Mac, its trials and tribulations. But the reality to which I would soon return was brought home to me in an interview I did with the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (whose bunkerlike studio was guarded by two purple tanks) to plug our concert. After a fairly pat welcome, the interviewer began to pepper me with questions. "Why had Tusk been so MW and experimental, coming in for criticism from both the left and the right?" That one floored me. "Why do John McVie and Lindsey Buckingham have their ex-wives in the band?" I tried to stammer an answer to this most African of questions, but it was really too much.

Why are you sleeping with Lindsey's ex-wife? (Now that would have been a great question!! )

[HomerMcvie]

Why are you sleeping with Lindsey's ex-wife? (Now that would have been a great question!! )

Because the whole world wanted it, and you could just snap your fingers and have it. It was that easy.