1986 Christine McVie interview

[WalkAThinLine.]

I found this interview from December 4, 1986 on the Library of Congress with Christine McVie. A neat snapshot just before the Tango in the Night album was released. At one point of the interview, she is asked about her favorite time in the band. Her response was the time between the release of the White Album and Rumours; she appreciated the friendship and camaraderie they had at the time and said that they "actually enjoyed it back it then". She also said that the last year (from 1985-1986) was a positive period of time and added that she enjoyed her time working with Lindsey on Tango in the Night and that he did "so much great things" on her songs. We also learned from this interview that Mick was working on his first book around this time, which would be released several years later.

https://www.loc.gov/item/jsmith000049/

[Villavic]

At one point of the interview, she is asked about her favorite time in the band. Her response was the time between the release of the White Album and Rumours; she appreciated the friendship and camaraderie they had at the time and said that they "actually enjoyed it back it then".

That coincides with my comment I posted in the Rainy day Tusk redux thread, about they were completely different people during the Tusk sessions from those in the 1975 and Rumours recording days.

[dougl]

I found this interview from December 4, 1986 on the Library of Congress with Christine McVie. A neat snapshot just before the Tango in the Night album was released. At one point of the interview, she is asked about her favorite time in the band. Her response was the time between the release of the White Album and Rumours; she appreciated the friendship and camaraderie they had at the time and said that they "actually enjoyed it back it then". She also said that the last year (from 1985-1986) was a positive period of time and added that she enjoyed her time working with Lindsey on Tango in the Night and that he did "so much great things" on her songs. We also learned from this interview that Mick was working on his first book around this time, which would be released several years later.

https://www.loc.gov/item/jsmith000049/

Nice find! I haven’t heard that interview before. A hefty dose of unfiltered commentary (“bunch of fruits”) and botched timelines. It seems Christine wasn’t one to dwell on many details of the past. ;) Thanks for posting!

[aleuzzi]

I don’t believe I’d ever heard this discussion before. Very cool! She provides some rich commentary on the Kiln House era (album and tour) and it’s good to hear her enthusiasm for making Tango.

She really puts herself down. Chicken Shack’s first single “It’s Ok With Me Baby” is excellent, one of the high notes in her late 60s work. But to hear her tell it, you’d think the song was dreadful.

It was interesting to hear how she’d grown as a keyboard player across 1970 and early 1971, learning to jam at long intervals.

[Villavic]

and it’s good to hear her enthusiasm for making Tango.


I don't know if my perception is affected by everything I read about her mood in 1997, but I saw her more enthusiastic in the 1987 concert videos that in those of 1997. And I have always thought that her fear of flying was not the most important reason to leave the band that year.

[soul_drifter333]

I only got through the first few minutes, but she comes across as homophobic and racist. "working for fairies". Really? In 1986, the gay community was dealing with an epidemic that was killing thousands, so that makes this comment even more insulting. Maybe the British have a different meaning for the word? Additionally, there is really no reason to mention the skin color every time a r&b or blues artist is mentioned. I guess I forgot what it was like in 1986 and the respect for other people that are different. Disappointing.

[Macfan4life]

I only got through the first few minutes, but she comes across as homophobic and racist. "working for fairies". Really? In 1986, the gay community was dealing with an epidemic that was killing thousands, so that makes this comment even more insulting. Maybe the British have a different meaning for the word? Additionally, there is really no reason to mention the skin color every time a r&b or blues artist is mentioned. I guess I forgot what it was like in 1986 and the respect for other people that are different. Disappointing.
I did not hear fairies but she said she worked for fruits. Its the 1980s more correct terms were not always used. Chris has always been conservative. I don't think she was anti gay but she could talk in slang like a drunken sailor. She lived in a man's world and played with drunken guys her entire life. She definitely has used worse words than "fruit." Chris also wore blackface in the 1980s and John even dressed as a Nazi soldier. I love that she clarified with the interviewer that it was ok to talk about all the hash use they did.

On another note. Never heard that John considered leaving the band to become the road manager. I love how you could hear her dragging on that cigarette in the beginning.
Sadly the Bob Welch era got glossed over except for the fact they loved his guitar playing.

Chris is so right how the band working together is what makes great music with her Paul McCartney comparison talking about solo stuff. McCartney was brilliant with the Beatles and Wings but people forget Paul had some major flop solo albums in the mid 80s when he went totally solo. Excellent comparison Chris!

Even though its 1986 she has really good instincts about the future of Fleetwood Mac. She is skeptical of any future tours because she says they would kill themselves if they did what they did on previous tours. Lindsey had the same feeling which is why he left one year after this interview.

[Nathan]

Fun interview! Thanks for sharing.

[Penguin Emeritus]

I don't know if my perception is affected by everything I read about her mood in 1997, but I saw her more enthusiastic in the 1987 concert videos that in those of 1997. And I have always thought that her fear of flying was not the most important reason to leave the band that year.

Yeah, it wasn't really, although she didn't care for flying then, it wasn't a full-on phobia type thing until around/after she did In the Meantime, when she was kind of entering her agoraphobic phase. she used the flying as an excuse to avoid talking about other personal issues in her life then.

--Lis

[HomerMcvie]

Yeah, it wasn't really, although she didn't care for flying then, it wasn't a full-on phobia type thing until around/after she did In the Meantime, when she was kind of entering her agoraphobic phase. she used the flying as an excuse to avoid talking about other personal issues in her life then.

--Lis

I agree completely. It was only an excuse.

[Penguin Emeritus]

I only got through the first few minutes, but she comes across as homophobic and racist. "working for fairies". Really? In 1986, the gay community was dealing with an epidemic that was killing thousands, so that makes this comment even more insulting. Maybe the British have a different meaning for the word? Additionally, there is really no reason to mention the skin color every time a r&b or blues artist is mentioned. I guess I forgot what it was like in 1986 and the respect for other people that are different. Disappointing.

There was definitely a different way for people of a certain age/certain generation to talk back then. (and fruits meant the same in england as it did here lol.) She and John both used words that seem offensive to us today. i guess that stuff was just more accepted , although it *was* offensive. i remember my older relatives talking that way all the time. when she keeps mentioning 'black blues artists' etc i don't think she meant that in a bad or racist way, that's just how they described people.

i think we are all way more aware of it now, and try not to do it, but i don't think people were necessarily saying things with malicious intent back then.


--Lis

[aleuzzi]

I only got through the first few minutes, but she comes across as homophobic and racist. "working for fairies". Really? In 1986, the gay community was dealing with an epidemic that was killing thousands, so that makes this comment even more insulting. Maybe the British have a different meaning for the word? Additionally, there is really no reason to mention the skin color every time a r&b or blues artist is mentioned. I guess I forgot what it was like in 1986 and the respect for other people that are different. Disappointing.

As a gay man, I agree with you. I guess I didn’t react this time because I’d heard her say homophobic things before (“lezzies” in a PEOPLE magazine story from 1976). My lack of reaction doesn’t make the terms she used any less disturbing and disappointing. I still find it disappointing, especially in someone who I absolutely adore and listen to more than any other pop music musician.

I haven’t heard her say racist things, though I could be blind to them without realizing. The one moment she dies come off as racist — and it’s a doozie — is the blackface costume for Halloween.

Overall, it’s hard to read and hear such things today, but I keep in mind that at the time (70s and 80s) saying such things was pretty common—and considered perfectly acceptable. I have noticed that by 1990 onward, I’ve never come across Christine saying anything either homophobic or racist. So maybe, like most of us, she got better, started to grow, become more aware.

As batty as Stevie could be, she has always been pretty damn good to her LGBTQ fans…

[Villavic]

like most of us, she got better, started to grow, become more aware.

I agree.

The world has changed radically in 40 or 50 years. I often check a Facebook account that posts old tv and printed ads. So nostalgic. But many beer and other products commercials were sexist, some even misogynist. Not only peruvian products. I found old Brannif airline ads very sexist with disgusting pictures of the flight attendants. There were also clothes and food commercial very racist. Today those ads would be reported and banned. In the 70s and 80s they were acceptable, but they were wrong anyway.

I admit that as when I was a boy, and even a teen, I didn’t dislike those ads. But as I grew up and matured, I realized how wrong those things were, and especially that my parents never warned me they were wrong. Education at home has a lot to do with it, but one can improve as one grows and becomes more aware. Although in previous generations, it's harder for them to change. My grandparents were racist; they were raised that way, and they never changed, and they were sometimes surprised by my anti-racist views.

For example, I remember that in 1990, grandparents and old uncles weren't worried because the winner of the presidential election was a practically unknown man. And they weren't worried about whether he was left-wing, right-wing, honest, corrupt, etc. But rather because he was nisei (son of japanese). So ridiculous. But trying to change them was a lost cause.

I never had heard Christine saying things defined as homophobic. There are lot of interviews I haven't heard or read. That doesn’t change my taste in her music. I know it's not the same thing, but as an example, I wouldn't stop watching a Woody Allen movie, nor would I stop admiring a Caravaggio painting (two very questionable people for things they have done).

The only thing I can say in this case about Christine is that she was a human being born in the 40s, and that what we know of her, and of any artist, is only a little bit of that person.

[SteveMacD]

As someone who watched a lot of Python, Fawlty Towers, Ab Fab, and Are You Being Served, Christine’s words were pretty normal for a 43 year old British woman in 1986. Yes, by modern sensibilities 38 years later, they’re problematic. Context matters.

As for saying “black blues”, again, in the context of what she was saying, it was to delineate the original music from what it was morphing into in Britain.

[aleuzzi]

As for saying “black blues”, again, in the context of what she was saying, it was to delineate the original music from what it was morphing into in Britain.

Agreed. And that distinction is still important. She was aware of the two traditions and that the Brits were essentially appropriating and extrapolating the music of American black musicians. Saying “black blues” is accurate—and depending on your view of the British blues boom, redundant.

[Mr Scarrott]

What a great interview. I love the fact that she constantly got her chronology wrong. At one point she even forgot about Tusk completely...

[Penguin Emeritus]

What a great interview. I love the fact that she constantly got her chronology wrong. At one point she even forgot about Tusk completely...

yes i was yelling at her from my end, trying to remind her about tusk lol. and wasn't penguin before mystery to me? she was a bit confused on some things but this band had a long nutty history, not easy to keep it all straight. but on the whole it was a super interview.

--Lis

[Villavic]

Somehow, I'm not surprised. Sometimes people confuse or forget old names, dates when they don't keep always on their minds.

Friends is to me in tv shows what Fleetwood Mac is to me in music. So I've watched every episode a zillion times. I've memorized almost all the characters, quotes, etc. When I watched the 2021 reunion, I saw the girls couldn't remember the name of the old neighbor who always wore a bathrobe, Mr. Heckles. I thought How can't they remember! But it happens.

[SteveMacD]

yes i was yelling at her from my end, trying to remind her about tusk lol. and wasn't penguin before mystery to me? she was a bit confused on some things but this band had a long nutty history, not easy to keep it all straight. but on the whole it was a super interview.

From experience, just being on tour screws with one’s sense of time, and the tours I got to be a part of were much smaller than Fleetwood Mac in the early ‘70s, although I helped out on more albums than Fleetwood Mac made in that time. Throw in alcohol, drugs, and all of the drama they went through, and I totally get how she lost track of order.

Except for forgetting about Tusk. That was a little odd.

[aleuzzi]

What a great interview. I love the fact that she constantly got her chronology wrong. At one point she even forgot about Tusk completely...

And yet, ironically, she had crystal clear memories of certain moments in time that would seem less memorable to most. She remembered so many details from the making and touring of Kiln House—and even its modest chart position in the U.S.; she remembered the night in her first solo tour that she left a stage in tears; she could recall certain details about the argument Welch got into with John backstage towards the end of the Heroes tour—even though it was minor…

There were so many valuable details and explanations here, even when her memory seems spotty or even occasionally unreliable.

[Macfan4life]

Chris was born in the UK where homosexuality was a crime. It was not decriminalized until 1967. But even then gays had to be the age of 21 to engage in consensual sex. Much of English society was taught it was not only wrong but criminal in nature. Perspective is everything. Chris was not a feminist and was always conservative. Her and John's distain for the Labor Party was evident when ET asked them if they would let anyone in England use their music for politics for Tony Blair like Bill Clinton. The McVie's reaction was almost if the ET reporter asked them to perform a satanic ritual. Granted the Labor Party of Tony Blair was nothing like the party of the 1970s. Yet their eyes bugged out of their head and said with great distain they would never do anything for Labor.

There was a time that Stevie did not embrace "A Night of 1000 Stevies" where mostly gay men dress like her and celebrate her music. There was an old article on the NicksFix back when the event was relatively new. When she asked her opinion of it, she called it "really scary."
Today she embraces it and teases she may show up some day.
But lets be real, gays and drag queens are far more accepted today

On another note. I may have to listen again but it seems we may have a contradiction. In Mick's book he writes it was Bob Welch that sort of dragged the band to the States and the McVies were reluctant participants, no? In this interview Chris states how excited they were to come to the States after Kiln House charted well.
Did I hear this correct? Any thoughts or clarifications I am missing?

[Penguin Emeritus]

On another note. I may have to listen again but it seems we may have a contradiction. In Mick's book he writes it was Bob Welch that sort of dragged the band to the States and the McVies were reluctant participants, no? In this interview Chris states how excited they were to come to the States after Kiln House charted well.
Did I hear this correct? Any thoughts or clarifications I am missing?

I think this band is full of contradictions lol. Maybe by the time they made the decision and packed up to go, they'd gotten more excited about it because they saw it as a new opportunity and realized nothing good was gonna happen in England. I think all the brits were reluctant, and then it seemed Mick and John got on board and convinced chris of the 6 month trial. and once they started living there, they loved it.

--Lis

[Villavic]

In Mick's book he writes it was Bob Welch that sort of dragged the band to the States and the McVies were reluctant participants, no?

Yes, Bob wanted to move to America but the McVies didn't, so Mick proposed to do it "as a trial period", and ...

This won over John McVie, and Jenny was raring to go to escape the stagnation of Benifols. Still, Chris was resistant. She had put a lot of work into her home, she was close to her family, and she wasn't all that crazy about California. But I begged her to try it for six months. I swore that we would come back to England if she didn't like it. And, of course, she saw that it was a good thing to do. We were demoralised from sitting at home for months and needed shaking up. We hadn't made any music or gone anywhere. We needed this.

[aleuzzi]

There was a time that Stevie did not embrace "A Night of 1000 Stevies" where mostly gay men dress like her and celebrate her music. There was an old article on the NicksFix back when the event was relatively new. When she asked her opinion of it, she called it "really scary."
Today she embraces it and teases she may show up some day.
But lets be real, gays and drag queens are far more accepted today

On another note. I may have to listen again but it seems we may have a contradiction. In Mick's book he writes it was Bob Welch that sort of dragged the band to the States and the McVies were reluctant participants, no? In this interview Chris states how excited they were to come to the States after Kiln House charted well.
Did I hear this correct? Any thoughts or clarifications I am missing?

I wonder what the context for “really scary” was. I have a friend who used to go to Night of 1000 Stevie’s in the mid-90s and Stevie actually donated some of her personal effects for an auction (including a signed boot).

I’m not calling her St. Stevie by any means, but even in 1985 gays embraced her—and she seemed to embrace them as part of her fan base. Her tour T-shirt and sweat-shirt for Rock a Little was “Set Your Secrets Free.” I mean…

But then she also thought Bill Clinton was too young to be president during his first term. So who knows, she may have been as contradictory and confused as so many other post-war born rockstars.

[Macfan4life]

Besides her sequencing being out of order her charting is a bit off. Kiln House did not chart at #48 in the United States. It hit #69 in USA and #39 in the UK. Still pretty good. Maybe she was referring to the UK charts. Vintage Mac albums hovered in the 60s and 70s until Heroes Are Hard To Find was released and cracked the U.S. Top 40 at #34.

Her memory seems different than Micks. She makes it sound like Kiln House's success in the States made them eager to go there. I think Mick tells a different story.
We need a verdict. Anyone got John's number?

[Macfan4life]

I wonder what the context for “really scary” was. I have a friend who used to go to Night of 1000 Stevie’s in the mid-90s and Stevie actually donated some of her personal effects for an auction (including a signed boot).

I’m not calling her St. Stevie by any means, but even in 1985 gays embraced her—and she seemed to embrace them as part of her fan base. Her tour T-shirt and sweat-shirt for Rock a Little was “Set Your Secrets Free.” I mean…

But then she also thought Bill Clinton was too young to be president during his first term. So who knows, she may have been as contradictory and confused as so many other post-war born rockstars.
Not sure, I think the event started around 1992 and I dont know the date of the interview and that website is long gone. It probably was in her klonopin haze and without seeing the party or understanding it she made that comment. It stuck with me because when I read it was probably around 1997. They used to load that site with all sort of old interviews. It was not the focus of the interview just a question out of left field in a longer old interview. I don't think Stevie was ever anti-gay, I just brought up this up making a comparison to Chris's comments. IMHO when she was asked about it she had no idea what it was.
Stevie once said she wanted to strangle Nicki Minaj to death. She immediately apologized because of today's 24/7 news media. But back in the 1980s and even 1970s people could be interviewed and say stuff that may have been controversial but few noticed because people actually had to buy something and actually read it. I read once that Barry Manilow actually came out in an interview in the mid 1970s. Yet he remained in the closet for decades more. Few noticed or it was not on a 24/7 media storm.

[SteveMacD]

Besides her sequencing being out of order her charting is a bit off. Kiln House did not chart at #48 in the United States. It hit #69 in USA and #39 in the UK. Still pretty good. Maybe she was referring to the UK charts. Vintage Mac albums hovered in the 60s and 70s until Heroes Are Hard To Find was released and cracked the U.S. Top 40 at #34.

Her memory seems different than Micks. She makes it sound like Kiln House's success in the States made them eager to go there. I think Mick tells a different story.
We need a verdict. Anyone got John's number?

While that’s true, the first album peaked at 198 in the US, English Rose peaked at 184, Then Play On hit 109, Fleetwood Mac In Chicago hit 118, and Kiln House reached 69, so her larger point about it charting significantly higher than any of the Peter Green albums was accurate.

While I don’t know if the band was universally excited to go to the USA for the Kiln House tour, I could imagine Christine and John being excited, and Mick always seems excited to play. At some point, surviving the loss of Peter probably didn’t seem nearly as insurmountable.

What’s interesting is that Penguin hit 49.

[aleuzzi]

What’s interesting is that Penguin hit 49.

They toured that album in full. (As we know, the Bare Trees and Mystery tours were both cut short because of Kirwan and Weston’s respective firings.)

But equally important was that Dave Walker could put on a lively, entertaining show. From what I’ve gathered from the few sources we have for this time period, they rarely played anything from Penguin, except Night Watch, but they could talk the album up at shows and/or excited audience members could have run out to buy the record…

[WatchChain]

Christine and John McVie are/were very conservative. There are several documented accounts of Christine using anti-gay slurs. Fruits, fairies, lezzies, etc..

Even more disturbing is this -

In addition to the previously mentioned costumes of black face and a Nazi soldier, John McVie spent a large sum of money on rare Nazi collectibles. John had a Nazi memorabilia collection. "On a European tour, a train which once belonged to Adolf Hitler was hired, to the delight of Nazi memorabilia collector John McVie".

Call me sensitive, but this is unforgivable.

[HomerMcvie]

Christine and John McVie are/were very conservative. There are several documented accounts of Christine using anti-gay slurs. Fruits, fairies, lezzies, etc..

Even more disturbing is this -

In addition to the previously mentioned costumes of black face and a Nazi soldier, John McVie spent a large sum of money on rare Nazi collectibles. John had a Nazi memorabilia collection. "On a European tour, a train which once belonged to Adolf Hitler was hired, to the delight of Nazi memorabilia collector John McVie".

Call me sensitive, but this is unforgivable.

This sh1t is 50 years ago. It WAS a different time.

[WatchChain]

I too was alive 50 years ago, as were many of my contemporaries.

Yet, somehow, we weren't running around collecting Nazi memorabilia to celebrate an authoritarian government that used fear, propaganda, and violence to systemically dehumanize and exterminate an entire population of people.

Delighted and enthused at the opportunity to be transported in a Nazi train car?
Amusingly wearing a Nazi uniform with swastikas?

By the 1970's, we were all well aware of these atrocious crimes against humanity. 50 years ago doesn't provide a hall pass to glorify hatred.

[HomerMcvie]

I too was alive 50 years ago, as were many of my contemporaries.

Yet, somehow, we weren't running around collecting Nazi memorabilia to celebrate an authoritarian government that used fear, propaganda, and violence to systemically dehumanize and exterminate an entire population of people.

Delighted and enthused at the opportunity to be transported in a Nazi train car?
Amusingly wearing a Nazi uniform with swastikas?

By the 1970's, we were all well aware of these atrocious crimes against humanity. 50 years ago doesn't provide a hall pass to glorify hatred.
Well, let's just hunt him down and make him pay? Sounds reasonable to me.

[sarafield]

The interviewer asked her the old question, “did you mind having another girl in the group?” She said, “At that time, no.” I think she repeated “at that time” at least once more. That was kind of interesting to me. Good, candid interview, with so many details.

[Macfan4life]

The interviewer asked her the old question, “did you mind having another girl in the group?” She said, “At that time, no.” I think she repeated “at that time” at least once more. That was kind of interesting to me. Good, candid interview, with so many details.
You would make a great detective. Its that kind of statement analysis that solves crimes. Chris may not even knew what she said but subconsciously it reveals she had an issue with another girl in the band (at some point).
I think in the book Songbird it talks about how Chris needed to be convinced to meet Stevie because she was the most against it. Once they met they sort of hit it off. They had a great bond but in the early 80s I think Chris did not like the bubble Stevie was living in. She exclaimed in 1984 she was not friends with Stevie and they did not hang out and had not seen her in years. I think Stevie lived in another world and sort of took her relationship with Chris for granted. Stevie invited her to her insane wedding in 1983. Chris could see she was spiraling out of control with her self indulgence and all her hanger ons and kept her distance.

[Villavic]

You would make a great detective. Its that kind of statement analysis that solves crimes. Chris may not even knew what she said but subconsciously it reveals she had an issue with another girl in the band (at some point).
I think in the book Songbird it talks about how Chris needed to be convinced to meet Stevie because she was the most against it. Once they met they sort of hit it off. They had a great bond but in the early 80s I think Chris did not like the bubble Stevie was living in. She exclaimed in 1984 she was not friends with Stevie and they did not hang out and had not seen her in years. I think Stevie lived in another world and sort of took her relationship with Chris for granted. Stevie invited her to her insane wedding in 1983. Chris could see she was spiraling out of control with her self indulgence and all her hanger ons and kept her distance.

According to Mick, Being the lady in the band, a lady who first and foremost was a musician and one of the lads she just said, "Do me a favor as long as me and Stevie hit it off everything will be fine, 'cause there's nothing worse than having a couple of ladies in the band who don't like each other." But at this dinner I saw that Stevie was extremely sympathetic, and that the two girls were hitting it off real well.


And I don't keep my Bob Brunning book anymore but I recall it mentions Christine said during the 80s that she didn't socialize with Stevie (almost sure that's the word she said). I understood it was because Stevie's way of life at that time.

It doesn't surprise me. I dare say that the only member that kept in touch with some frequency in the 80s was Mick.

[Macfan4life]

According to Mick, Being the lady in the band, a lady who first and foremost was a musician and one of the lads she just said, "Do me a favor as long as me and Stevie hit it off everything will be fine, 'cause there's nothing worse than having a couple of ladies in the band who don't like each other." But at this dinner I saw that Stevie was extremely sympathetic, and that the two girls were hitting it off real well.


And I don't keep my Bob Brunning book anymore but I recall it mentions Christine said during the 80s that she didn't socialize with Stevie (almost sure that's the word she said). I understood it was because Stevie's way of life at that time.

It doesn't surprise me. I dare say that the only member that kept in touch with some frequency in the 80s was Mick.
That's because Mick was broke and Stevie had primo Colombian blow. He realized even then he needed her to make another Mac album and tour to get him out of debt. Chris bailed him out with $50k that only lasted a month of his bills. The rest of the band was set and comfortable and not needing to cater to Stevie.

That quote from the book is true but has been the blah blah story over the years. Of course it would be unusual to put a girl in the band that does not play an instrument and take center stage. Yet only Stevie is brave enough to publicly admit that. No doubt they hit it off and enjoyed being in the band together early on.

[Villavic]

and Stevie had primo Colombian blow.

I have not had the experience to compare both but, don't underestimate the Peruvian. ;) :lol: :laugh:

[HomerMcvie]

I've done my share, but have never been able to check it's pedigree.

[Macfan4life]

I have not had the experience to compare both but, don't underestimate the Peruvian. ;) :lol: :laugh:
You could be right. We know Stevie has been to Peru and unlikely Colombia.

[Villavic]

You could be right. We know Stevie has been to Peru and unlikely Colombia.

One thing I won't forgive Fleetwood Mac for is not going to South America. Maybe they wouldn't have filled big stadiums like The Police and Queen did in Rio and Buenos Aires, but I guess they could have played in arenas. Though I know the 80s would have been the best years to give a profitable concert, more than during the 70, we know what was happening in the band in the 80s. :(

Anyway, though none of them came to Peru, Mick did know about my country during the Rumours sessions :lol: :

There was one dealer who kept us supplied with high-grade Peruvian flake, and we were so grateful to him that I considered (in my state of dementia) giving him some kind of credit on the album jacket. Unfortunately he got snuffed executed! before the thing came out.

[Macfan4life]

One thing I won't forgive Fleetwood Mac for is not going to South America. Maybe they wouldn't have filled big stadiums like The Police and Queen did in Rio and Buenos Aires, but I guess they could have played in arenas. Though I know the 80s would have been the best years to give a profitable concert, more than during the 70, we know what was happening in the band in the 80s. :(

Anyway, though none of them came to Peru, Mick did know about my country during the Rumours sessions :lol: :

There was one dealer who kept us supplied with high-grade Peruvian flake, and we were so grateful to him that I considered (in my state of dementia) giving him some kind of credit on the album jacket. Unfortunately he got snuffed executed! before the thing came out.
Did not Stevie go to Peru around 1979 for a bit. I know there were no concerts there but I swear she went there in the late 70s or right before she started her solo album.

It is odd they never did South American dates. Usually bands will at least do Argentina. Japanese love western music so that was a tour stop. The band was big in Australia and they loved to hang out there. The band toured Europe from the early days. In Mick's book does he not say there were talks about them playing the Soviet Union at the peak of their fame?
I am guessing South America is a long way to go for smaller returns. But surprised the blow did not lure them there :lol:

[Villavic]

Did not Stevie go to Peru around 1979 for a bit. I know there were no concerts there but I swear she went there in the late 70s or right before she started her solo album.


I have never heard about it, and I just googled and didn't find anything. Do you remember where you read it?

I remember Mick Jagger and David Byrne liked Peru and they came in the 80s. Personal trips, no concerts. Olivia Newton-John got married in Cusco, near an Inca ruins, but that was in 2008.

[Penguin Emeritus]

It is odd they never did South American dates. Usually bands will at least do Argentina. Japanese love western music so that was a tour stop. The band was big in Australia and they loved to hang out there. The band toured Europe from the early days. In Mick's book does he not say there were talks about them playing the Soviet Union at the peak of their fame?

Not sure if it was in Mick's book, but I know john mentioned it in an audio interview i have, i think from 1987 or 88. they asked if he had any regrets about things he would have liked to have seen the band do, and he said at one point they had the ball rolling to go to Russia, to the point where their tour manager went there to meet w authorities about it, but "for various reasons that fell through. That would've been exciting. i would've liked to have seen that."

maybe better they didn't go, imagine if they'd been caught w drugs there!? yikes....

--Lis

[dougl]

Originally Posted by bombaysaffires
This appears to be part 2 of a 2 part interview.

Part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCvrwgIaJ3o&t=49s

Around 44:00 they get around to him going to Chile with Stevie, which the interviewer gets wrong. Hernan says they went together to Chile after the album was finished. It was risky, because political situation was bad in Chile then and they had some bad experiences. There were curfews, and he and Stevie were out when they shouldn't have been. Got surrounded by cops with machine guns, and Stevie put their car window down and the cops put an Uzi in her face. Hernan had to talk to the cops to get away. Afterwards Stevie called her manager, and the manager called a US Senator, and then someone called the US embassy, and embassy called her and said you have to get out. And so he and she flew to Brazil.

47:20 discuss Stevie and his mom, the mom told Stevie about some lost love relationships that she had had etc. Stevie kept a notebook during that time, and she gave it to Hernan after they split up. How it all turned into Bella Donna.
49:20 he says the song Destiny Rules is the story of his relationship with Stevie, and is like a "postcard to our time in Chile"
50:00 the Tusk tour had to start and he knew their relationship was over.

[Macfan4life]

Originally Posted by bombaysaffires
This appears to be part 2 of a 2 part interview.

Part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCvrwgIaJ3o&t=49s

Around 44:00 they get around to him going to Chile with Stevie, which the interviewer gets wrong. Hernan says they went together to Chile after the album was finished. It was risky, because political situation was bad in Chile then and they had some bad experiences. There were curfews, and he and Stevie were out when they shouldn't have been. Got surrounded by cops with machine guns, and Stevie put their car window down and the cops put an Uzi in her face. Hernan had to talk to the cops to get away. Afterwards Stevie called her manager, and the manager called a US Senator, and then someone called the US embassy, and embassy called her and said you have to get out. And so he and she flew to Brazil.

47:20 discuss Stevie and his mom, the mom told Stevie about some lost love relationships that she had had etc. Stevie kept a notebook during that time, and she gave it to Hernan after they split up. How it all turned into Bella Donna.
49:20 he says the song Destiny Rules is the story of his relationship with Stevie, and is like a "postcard to our time in Chile"
50:00 the Tusk tour had to start and he knew their relationship was over.
Thank you Doug. Sorry I got Chile mixed up with Peru. I knew it was a South American Country. Sorry Villavic
I just remembered it was a country with really good blow.

[Villavic]

There were curfews, and he and Stevie were out when they shouldn't have been. Got surrounded by cops with machine guns, and Stevie put their car window down and the cops put an Uzi in her face. Hernan had to talk to the cops to get away. Afterwards Stevie called her manager, and the manager called a US Senator, and then someone called the US embassy, and embassy called her and said you have to get out. And so he and she flew to Brazil.


Though is not impossible, I find it hard to believe that this episode is true. If they were at a hotel, they would not have been allowed to leave the building. I read another interview to Hernan where he told they visited his mother (I understand she was the inspiration of the Bella Donna song). If they were staying there, she would have warned them not to go out during the curfew anyway. I've also been under nighttime curfews. You immediately realize something strange is going on. You don't see anyone on the streets except soldiers and military vehicles.

I guess you guys think they might have been high to get out. It's possible. Only a madman goes out on the street during curfew. Still, it's a somewhat far-fetched story.

[SteveMacD]

This sh1t is 50 years ago. It WAS a different time.

Like, saying “fruits” in 1986. The #2 grossing film that year was “Crocodile Dundee”. It ABSOLUTELY WAS a different time.

[HomerMcvie]

Like, saying “fruits” in 1986. The #2 grossing film that year was “Crocodile Dundee”. It ABSOLUTELY WAS a different time.

Yet people don't seem to be able to take that into consideration these days.

[Macfan4life]

Like, saying “fruits” in 1986. The #2 grossing film that year was “Crocodile Dundee”. It ABSOLUTELY WAS a different time.
That is true but you also have to take into account Chris's life in context. She grew up being the only woman (for a good while) with a bunch of drunken, straight, white, rock stars that banged groupies every night of the week. Mick and John said multiple times they considered Chris "one of the guys." They all spoke like drunken sailors, sat around all day getting high and writing music. Those words were in their vocabulary like many others back then. As I mentioned earlier, homosexuality was a crime in the UK until 1967. In the 1950s when Chris was growing up, the UK had special police patrols looking for gay men. There were over 1,000 gay men in prison in the UK then simply for being gay or caught with another same sex partner. UK society was conditioned that homosexuality was horrible but also illegal.