Christine songs on new Mac Tour
 

Apologies if this has been posted, or discussed anew, recently.

I read this in an interview with Stevie, from June:

"Actually, Lindsey and I will be taking some of the songs that Christine sang on record, and we will be sharing the vocals," said Nicks. "After all, we wrote most of them anyway, and we feel it was best for us to do them instead of bringing someone else in to take her place. We want to show her our respect, and include her in the show, because she was such an important part to our group."

This is for the proposed '09 Mac tour.

Any ideas what they might include? I don't know whether she's just referring to Don't Stop and World Turning, or whether we might get to hear the version of YMLF they seemed to be rehearsing/trying out before the SYW tour in '03.

http://www.stevie-nicks.info/index.p...543&Itemid=242

What does she mean, they wrote most of them anyway? Chris' vocal parts in their own songs, maybe, but is she alluding to writing You Make Loving Fun? Odd.

I wondered about that too. But then, occasionally I read a Stevie interview and some of the stuff she mentions about songs isn't always, um, accurate.

I would hope that if they are including some Christine material they'll drop World Turning; much as I love the song, it wasn't the same without Chris. The SN/LB version of Don't Stop I could just about hack. (Plus, it's really too iconic a track to leave out.)

I think perhaps SYLM or YMLF would be nice.

I wouldn't mind them doing some Christine songs on the next tour. In fact that would be a way for Christine to participate with minimum effort. all she has to do is phone Stevie before the tour starts and teach her the words to any of her songs Stevie might be planning to sing. Simple!

Actually I would mind if they did You Make Lovin Fun and if anyone else sang Songbird I may get up and walk out.

Gail

I agree about Songbird, but don't think they'd go that far. I wonder why YMLF was picked as a possible SYW tour song? It doesn't strike me as fitting Lindsey or Stevie's voice, though I know he said it was his favourite Chris song.

I would love to see Stevie do Little Lies

Okay, folks, let's not speculate too much. You know Stevie isn't always clear on what she means. I think it's safe to say this is what Stevie meant:

"Actually, Lindsey and I will be taking some of the songs that Christine sang on record, and we will be sharing the vocals," said Nicks. "After all, we wrote most of [the songs in the set] anyway, and we feel it was best for us to do [Christine's songs] instead of bringing someone else in to take her place [just to sing her songs]. We want to show her our respect, and include her in the show, because she was such an important part to our group."

I'd love it if they brought back a few of the sing alongs, such as Think About Me or Hold Me. I don't see why that wouldn't work.

Think About Me would be great! Especially since there is already that version of the song that features a lot of Lindsey. Doesn't he sing the whole chorus himself? I vote for this.

I'd like Over My Head. I don't know exactly how Lindsey would be on lead, but Stevie's background vocal was so ethereal on the original. I'd like to see a revamped version. Michele

Eh... They should leave Chris's songs alone, I think. Those songs worked precisely because her voice was so unique. Maybe the late Laura Nryo, Sandy Dennis, or Dusty Springfield could've sung them. Or maybe Annie Lennox. But I just don't see Stevie or Lindsey doing them justice. Likewise, Christine would have sounded terrible singing one of the others' songs.

I know what you mean. There are some I think they could manage but Stevie couldn't even get the words right to one Christine song!

Have you ever heard Christine doing Stevie's songs? It's terrible but somehow funny. Rhiannon where she sings etc etc :laugh:

Gail

Yeah, I think the only Mac member who successfully managed to do another member's songs is Lindsey: his version of Oh Well stands out, although so does some of the Bob Welch stuff he covered live originally.

Btw, I think Annie Lennox could totally carry off some Christine songs, especially Oh Daddy and Songbird. I'd pay good money to hear those!

Tony always voices my thoughts. It's uncanny. Kind of unsettling, too.

I'm sitting here (in Irvine CA) trying to think of some Chris McVie songs that LB or SN could sing effectively, & I'm having a really tough time trying to think of anything they could do well.

PROVE YOUR LOVE? No.
BELIEVE ME? No.
JUST CRAZY LOVE? Maybe slightly .. no.
HOLD ME? Maybe, but it wouldn't be terrific. Nor would I care to hear the Fleetwood Mac Orchestra's wall-of-sound arrangement of it.
SPARE ME A LITTLE? No bloody way could they do that.
OVER & OVER? Yes, but it would have an entirely different ambiance.
ONE IN A MILLION? Yes.
MYSTIFIED? Yeah, right. :rolleyes:
HONEY HI? No.
REMEMBER ME? No.
GONE INTO THE SUN? Yes.

Lindsey & Stevie ought to forget the idea.

hahahaha Gone Into The Sun... that made me laugh really loud...:]

Yeah but they won't. Apart from this whole "it's a tribute to Christine's contribution to the band" argument, an FM concert without any C McVie songs would be missing out on some of the biggest and most recognisable hits, and they know it. People very often (and I don't mean the die-hards here) want to hear 'the hits', and a lot of the time that means Christine's material.

Yeah but the last time they toured, they essentially avoided her tunes. They just played DON'T STOP, I think, & maybe WORLD TURNING. But all those recognizable pop hits weren't in the set: SAY YOU LOVE ME, OVER MY HEAD, YOU MAKE LOVING FUN, HOLD ME, LITTLE LIES, EVERYWHERE.

I think if they're talking now about "paying tribute" & all that baloney, it won't amount to anything. These guys often talk up what they plan to do, & then just do what they did the last time out. There have been a few surprises over the years, but those occasions haven't outnumbered just the natural statistical occurrence of oddness one finds in life in general.

I don't think Stevie could sing most of Chris's songs. Stevie's whole persona and approach to music is too airy for Christine's earthy songs. But I think Lindsey could have a go at some of them. I think if he sang "You Make Lovin' Fun" for example, he could really muscle it up and it might be a whole new song. Look at what Willie Nelson did for "Songbird," for instance -- not a better version (of course) but a very different interpretation, and very enjoyable.

Re-interpreting Chris's songs is what I think Lindsey would have to do. They couldn't play any of Chris's songs "straight" -- they'd have to re-interpret, sort of like 'The Dance' version of "Say You Love Me." I think it *might* work. They can't present any of her songs the way they are on the record, because obviously no one can sing like Christine, but Lindsey could sing them well, and differently.

As a creative arranger, Lindsey might enjoy re-interpreting a handful of Chris's Rumours-era hits. Turn them into country, or turn a rocker into a ballad, or whatever. It would be interesting. But would that satisfy the casual listening public's desire to "hear the hits"? Maybe what that really means is they want to hear the hits the way they sounded on the radio. That ain't gonna happen.

I am extremely unlikely to go see the band without Christine in any case, but if I knew they were going to play some of Chris's songs I'd be more likely to go see them, out of curiosity to see what they were doing with them.

Oh, and in my opinion Bob Welch did a great job with Peter Green's material when he was with the band, and on some of his recent recordings.

Let's not forget, however, that Stevie can really rock when she wants to. I think of "Nothing Ever Changes," "Imperial Motel," "Sometimes it's a Bitch," "Blue Denim," "Illume" and a whole bunch of other songs where her voice is not airy at all, but muscular--the tough rock chick. She could rip the shreds out of tunes... I just think Christine's songs are so subtle and restrained and require her inimitable vocals to work as well as they do.

"I'm not going to the hotel" said Stevie to one of her assistants in Dec,1979 during her innerview with Jim Ladd.
**** I can't even afford a hotel so if you want me I'll be staying at the Imperial Motel.:sorry::]

Hotel! That's right, not Motel!

Gosh, I wanted that song to be seedier than it was. :laugh:

I totally agree, if the band plays them "straight," meaning the way they were on the record. This is why I think that if the band has any hope of doing justice to Christine's songs, they would need to re-arrange them to make them "new" songs. I again cite Willie Nelson's "Songbird" as a successful re-interpretation of a Christine song. I think it's possible that Lindsey has a wide enough range of vocal skills to successfully interpret some of Chris's songs.

Now that does make more sense.. otherwise it's absurd!

I agree, not only voice but each FM singer has its own style. Let's imagine it was Stevie the one who left the band, can you imagine Christine singing Rhiannon, Sara or Silver Springs? No way!! Ok maybe Christine could sing a cool version of Beatufiul Child or Storms, but let's face it: they usually include "landmark" songs in the setlist. That's what the general public (not fans) expect.

And why should they be a slave to the wishes of the general public (or the casual fan who knows the hits but nothing else)? Don't they already have enough money?

Wouldn't it be more satisfying for them, from an artistic perspective, to pull out some obscurities and play them instead of sticking with the "greatest hits" set list?

If their thinking is that it's best to play it safe and play the hits, then they're inviting the "tired oldies band" label. Which is so unfair considering how dynamic and energetic the remaining members of the band still are as performers.

I think that Lindsey could pull off:
Hold Me [LOVE the demo of him singing it!]
Mystified [It is half his song anyways...]
and
Think About Me [I hear him in the chorus enough]

Thats about it though. Chris' FM album songs are too 'Chris' to pull off, same with Rumours. I would probably smack somebody if I had to hear Stevie or Lindsey sing YMLF. That is Christine Territory, you don't touch it.

Tusk songs of Chris' though, and Mirage, maybe LB could pull off. I actually don't think I'd mind hearing Stevie sing "Over and Over". But besides TAM...The rest of Tusk is just...hard to translate into concert. I LOVE Honey Hi, but I don't think it could work live unless it was just LB up there with his acoustic. I wouldn't mind though if he did it to replace NGBA.
Mirage, Love in Store Stevie and Lindsey could sing no problem, Only Over You...hmm...that would need some work, Hold Me I've covered, and Wish You Were Here can just not be talked about. Its ok, but I can't see it done live. with or without Chris

Tango...
Everywhere sucked live IMO.
Little Lies...interesting.
DONT TOUCH 'IIM'...or there will be Hell to pay.
Mystified, Linds could kick ass at.

But seriously, why bother touching her songs.
Stevie can barely remember her own lyrics, and then screwing up Don't Stop so bad? No Thanks
Lindsey could do some interesting stuff with a few, but he could also be doing interesting stuff with his own songs.

Thats just my opinion...

exactly... Lindsey will bitch about wanting to be artistic... then run out the set list of the same 20 songs... and speeches...

Think About Me has potential. They have been doing Don't Stop. Anything else I think they should lay off as I don't think they would flatter the songs. I would cringe at most of it. Songbird is Christine's and no one should do it but her. I laugh at that Stevie quote about writing most of the songs...talk about a bad quote as Christine wrote alot for the band even before Stevie knew what Fleetwood Mac was! :nod:

I wouldn't limit that to before Stevie knew what Fleetwood Mac was, I think for a while when she was in the band Stevie didn't know what Fleetwood Mac was.;)

I just can't imagine most of these songs without CM. I agree with every one who says that each member has a distinct voice.

Given the body of songs between Lindsey and Stevie, I have no desire or interest to see them perform any of Christine's songs. Really, there is no point to it.

I think they made a sufficient nod to Christine by including Don't Stop in their set. And it's there they should stop. Want to hear Christine songs -- play the records!

Stevie and Lindsey barely give props to each other's songs, so there is even more distance and less inclination when it comes to performing songs they didn't write or sing from an ex-band member. Don't Stop was the obvious choice because at least Lindsey sings a verse.

Don't stop
World turning (but without the weird Mick Fleetwood-drumthing :shrug:)

Everywhere didn't suck live, at least not on The Dance IMHO.

Uhhh ... the "weird drumthing" is the only reason they would leave "World Turning" in the live set. Without Mick's unique drum solo that song just would not be complete.

I happen to like the studio version. :sorry: :o:

Okay, who wants to take him out back and beat him?:D:D

Just kidding!:angel: