The Mac is up to something!
 

Big exclusive news from yours truely!

The last night I was at dinner with friends, and while talking about careers we'd like to have, I mentioned that I'd love to be the touring keyboardist for Fleetwood Mac.

One of my friends then told me the news that another mutual friend has an uncle who has recently been hired as Fleetwood Mac's 'new' keyboardist.

I spoke with that friend this morning who confirmed what I was told. He said that his uncle has been in the studio with the band and will be touring with them.

I was told that he is also the resident keyboardist for Jefferson Starship, so kudos to whoever can find out who that is. According to a quick Google search, I found the name Chris Smith, who joined Starship in 1997, but I do not know if this is him. (I didn't get the name)

So yeah, big news! I'm hoping it's true. I wouldn't be making it up, even if I'm so jealous the position has been filled. ;)

I cant say I believe this at all:shrug: Im not saying your making it up, Im sure you're not but there's no way this is true.

Why not? :shrug: Anything's possible. Just ask Rick Vito and Billy Burnette.

Well, I'm only going with what I'm told. I'm not sure how accurate it really is, but it's certainly something to be hopeful about.

Well, he could just be replacing Brett Tuggle or someone for a tour or to play keyboards for a new album. I'm sure he wouldn't be a real "member" of the band.

No. No one can replace Brett Tuggle.

I've wished for years that someone would replace Brett Tuggle.

Yes, obviously this new person wouldn't be a member of the 'band'.

:shocked: :eek: :distress:

I don't see why it can't be true either. This is certainly more believable than other things we've heard in the past. When rumors first surfaced about Lindsey rejoining The Mac in '97, I'm sure many said "no way!" to that, too.:wavey:

Well, I love Brett - so . . . . . . .

But, cool info - thanks for posting it!!!!!

I thought I was the only one. :shocked:

Why? I like Brett, the person. I haven't thought that much about Brett, the musician. The Brett Boob Touch didn't impart very much info. I mean, he's obviously not Christine, but beyond that...

Technically, he's better than Christine, as most session players are at that level. In terms of personal style, though, the guy just sort of disappears into the crowd, whereas Chris is unique.

Personally, I have nothing against Brett. He just sort of symbolizes the band's decision to go bigger & splashier in its live sound. But you can't blame Brett -- or any of the other hired guns -- for that. They're just doing what they're hired to do.

He reminds me of a high school garage band member, making his first appearance at The Battle of the Bands and trying to gain attention by hamming it up to such a degree that you wonder if he isn't slightly retarded or just didn't get enough love as a wee lad. I'm sure he's a perfectly nice fellow, but I find him cloying and I don't particularly care for the theatrical roadshow extravaganza that the band has morphed into. Stop the pandering and over-the-top theatrics. At least Chris added some class and subtlety to the proceedings, opting not to bash the audience members over the head with a "Look-At-Us" attitude at every possible opportunity.

THANK YOU DAVID!!!!!!!!

Okay, wait. I've barely even noticed Brett was there at all I've seen, except for when he comes out on guitar to do landslide. :confused: He is a bit bouncy, but he's never distracted me. :confused: How strange. I guess I just thought he was appropriately enthusiastic, and, you know, just performing. But in all honesty, I hardly never noticed him. Like, I had to make a mental note: "Oh, look at Brett, because it's polite"
And surely he is a better musician then "Battle of the Bands"???:confused:
You have to remember, he is the most friendly MacMember. :shrug: Which means, I actually think he is just really friendly and happy and enthusiastic.

Oh, now, this I can agree with. Thanks David. Although, with what I've heard of them both, I previously suspected that Chris was a better musician, as well. A more esoteric, anomalistic, varied keyboard player. But I didn't know. I guess that's part of the "personal style" that intimated "more talent" to me. :)

Studio, hmmmm,

Mick, John, and Stevie have been in Hawaii on and off a lot recently.

I know - but he was never hired to replace CM in that regard :shrug: I think he is great.

Oh, I agree. Sometimes it's hard not to compare. I like Brett, himself, a lot.

Oh my gawd. Do you mean like Lindsey HamingHam, slapping his guitar with both hands? Which, technically speaking, the guitar isn't even close to the key of ISA? ISA is in Fm. A standard tuned guitar, SPANKED as such, is nowhere even CLOSE to Fm. If you LISTEN to ISA, on LIB, you hear a guitar almost disappear from the mix, when he's spanking it. THAT'S BECAUSE IT DOESN'T FIT THE KEY OF THE SONG. They yanked the volume of the guitar star out, because it doesn't fit!!! So blame Brett for putting on a show. I'm sure Hamingham was the catalyst. The spanking sucks. JMO.:shrug:

Well, it's plausible they hired a new/nother keyboardist and they will be most likely be touring again soon, but that studio bit? Nah. :sorry:

Question
 

What about Stevie and Australia? Isn't she over there right now and supposed to be touring?

She probably is. I didn't get any details as to when any tour would happen. I can certainly try though. I'll defintely keep everyone up to date if I hear anything else.

Anyways, as for Brett--I don't like him as a Christine suppliment. Never have. I don't really mind him on things like Stand Back or Stevie's solo material because that's not Christine--just one of Stevie's many keyboardists from over the years. (Christine didn't even play the synth parts on Stand Back correctly ;))

Brett has a major tendancy to take a lot of creative liberties as a keyboard player, which I don't think fits with Christine's more conservative music.

To me, when he plays Dreams or Rhiannon, it sounds like a bad cover, which in some respects, it is.

This means more to me because I am a keyboard player. I take great pride in accurately playing what the keyboardist I'm covering originally set out to do.

He does come across as a very nice guy--no doubt he is. Although I always remember with all these backup dudes that they're being paid to support the band, & there's a certain amount of PR in all that. So I doubt any of them would ever start barking at autograph-seeking fans or something equally rude.

But all in all I think Taku is the coolest of the lot, current & past, because he actually hangs out on the Internet -- & not just lurking, either, but mixing with the gallery. Such a far cry from many of the insufferable wackjobs that Stevie has hired over the years: people who crow TO us about wanting to AVOID us, & about how much "pain" the online fans give them & their boss. What sheer arrogance (& stupidity--because who the hell boasts about avoiding the Internet these days?). Stevie's really a moron for hiring such ****tards year after year. Her people have consistently shown themselves to be some of the stupidest & nastiest in the business.

Off topic for a moment-- David, I love your sig!

Did somebody mention Carlos Rios? :laugh: :lol:

You mean you don't like that "smooth jazz" touch of 94.7 THE WAVE he brings to the proceedings? :laugh: :lol:

Actually, I was referring more to Stevie's aides-de-camp: the Karen Johnstons, the Kim Brakeleys, the Chris Nickses, the Glen & Freddie Parrishes, the Lisa Stewarts, the Barbara Bucks, the Ginny Kamanos, the John Kinneys . . . all those endless hordes of buttcracks constantly milling about, whose sole job (fans seem not to understand) is to keep fans away from their mistress. They're all essentially nothing more than bouncers, but even bouncing should be performed professionally (which the aides seem not to understand).

I miss Ray Lindsay

As with Mr. Buckingham...it is LindsEy

Lindsey needs to take some ritalin and tone it down a couple of notches, too.

Is it possible that this NEW hired keyboardist is actually hired for Stevie down under and not for something that FM is actually working on? Maybe Brett isn't making this trek to AU. Didn't Taku say something about not everyone being able to make it? or did I imagine that?

Let us hope... yesterday I was thinking "shouldn't FM be in the studio right now ?" ;) So this better be true :D

Or, as his personal luthier (Rick Turner) was quoted as saying, "many on his crew think he should take up smoking pot again".

keyboard player from Starship?

Yuck. With all the talent in LA these days....


very odd choice.

I think FM is indeed up to something. The official website has been using a splash page of a new website coming soon. Time will tell.

I almost met Brett at a Gold Dust show!

IMO, that's not such a bad idea! :laugh:

I met him! He's so nice! :)

I don't see how anyone could dislike him. I don't notice him "hamming it up" at all. :shrug:

I will be very pissed off if they replace him.

I'm thinking that this guy will be like Taku and the others that are part of the back up to the Mac. I don't think that they would add a new person to the regular line up this late in the game, unless it was Christine. I could be wrong, but that is just what I'm thinking. :shrug: