I was thinkging - New tour
 

Was with friends talking about going to show Thursday in Chicago. One friend really bummed no Say Goodbye. It was such a great closer on the last tour. And it dawned on me. Christine comes back and she gets to close. Don't get me wrong. I am happy she is back. Cannot wait for YMLF and SYLM. But then I was thinking. She has been gone for 17 years. So think about seniority in the band.

Mick
John
Stevie
Lindsey
Christine

She is really now 5th in longevity. Stevie is 3. I am pretty sure I am right on this.

Anyway - was just thinking and found this interesting.

Why would time spent in the band define seniority, and why would it matter in regard to forming a set list?

When Christine was still in the band, Songbird had often been a show closer. I really appreciated Say Goodbye as the show closer on their previous tour (being the only song representing the Say You Will album).

However, Songbird is a seasoned song and has a broad emotional appeal that Say Goodbye doesn't. It's no surprise that they would choose it instead. With Christine back in the show, the possibility of any songs in the set from the Christine-free album dwindled considerably.

To me, Christine's status rating is number 1. She's the impetus for this tour and the pending studio album. If love won't keep them together for a few more years, Christine will.

Chrsitine 1970-1998 2014 29 Years in Band

Stevie 1975-1990 1997 to 2014 15 plus 17 32 Years in Band

Lindsey 12 plus 17 29 years in the band


but chris's first 5 years in the band were WAY more active then the 16 years Stevie and Lindsey gained on her.

And lets look at it another way:

Since 1975 Lindsey has been absent from 2 albums and 3 tours

Since 1975 Stevie has been absent on 1 album and 1 tour

Since 1975 Christine has been absent from 1 album and 4 tours


So even with my fight about how active 70-75 were and inactive 98-14 were I'd still say the longevity order would be:

1. Mick
2. John
3. Stevie
4. Christine
5. Lindsey

and even IF Stevie has more longevity, Songbird absolutely deserves to take back the closing song spot.

It depends on what you define under being 'in the band'. She talks about them in the third person. ' They record too slow'. She is not in the band. Not since 1982.

Wouldn't go by years. How many of those years where they were "in the band" was their actually stuff done? If we're going to go by seniority then we should count only the years where there was realistic band activity.

John

agree. in Nicks' own words:

"When [John McVie] got cancer, we had to cancel our tour of Australia. I had some free time, and I thought, "Maybe I should make a record."
.....
[Fleetwood Mac couldn't record 17 songs in 15 months.]
They couldn't, not even if you offered them $5 million apiece. In Fleetwood Mac, I play them a demo, and someone says, "That's great, but why don't we work on that second verse?" I might say, "Are you crazy?" or I might say, "That's a good idea." You mull it over.
.....
[Is there relief in doing a solo album, rather than going through the democratic process of Fleetwood Mac? In a band, you have to ask others "What do you think?" and then pretend you care.]
Right. Because you don't really care. You're asking people to give you an opinion, just so you'll be able to say, "I totally disagree with you, and I know I'm right. But I'm glad to hear how you feel."

note: no mention of contractual obligation anymore. just had some free time. time when FM wanted her in the studio with them.

she doesn't want their opinions.

meanwhile *they* recorded like 15 new songs in about 2 months.

yup. years when you were nominally in the band just to hold it on the back burner and stalling getting anything done?

And OH, how I WANT access to ALL of those songs.

I agree on recording to slow.That one of their major holdups.I hope they will do the new album fast pronto like Stevie did with 24K.