Rolling Stone: McVie comments on FM and Songbird
 

I debated dropping this here vs Christine’s board but thought this was appropriate:

Christine McVie On Her New Solo Collection ‘Songbird,’ Uncertain Future of Fleetwood Mac
Listen to her new version of the 1976 Fleetwood Mac classic “Songbird” where the original vocal track has been paired with a new string arrangement


Christine McVie has spent the vast majority of her professional career in Fleetwood Mac, but she did take a brief break in 1984 to record Christine McVie and followed it up 20 years later with In the Meantime. This solo material is largely unknown to the general public — especially in America — but she hopes to change that on June 24 with the release of Songbird (A Solo Collection). It’s a mixture of songs from her two solo albums plus a handful of unreleased songs, including “All You Gotta Do,” a duet with George Hawkins originally cut for In the Meantime.

Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham maintained active solo careers during their time in Fleetwood Mac, but McVie says she never really had that desire. “I’ve never felt like I was a solo artist,” McVie tells Rolling Stone from her London home. “I always liked to be part of a group. I also felt a little ill at ease doing a solo tour for that material. It just made me uneasy.”

For the new collection, McVie “went for my favorite songs that weren’t on Fleetwood Mac records,” working with producer Glyn Johns and redoing the tracks with extra instrumentation.

“The Challenge” from McVie’s self-titled 1984 album features backing vocals by Buckingham and guitar by Eric Clapton. “I clearly remember asking Eric to play on it,” McVie says. “And to my delight, he agreed. Like all of my songs, it’s about life and remorse and rejection.”

A majority of the Songbird (A Solo Collection) songs come from 2004’s In the Meantime. She released the album a few years after parting ways with Fleetwood Mac and retreating to her home in the English countryside. It peaked at #133 in the UK and didn’t even ding the U.S. charts. “I really like that record,” says McVie. “I think it wasn’t advertised as well as it could have been.”

The lone Fleetwood Mac song on the record is her 1976 ballad “Songbird,” and it’s a new rendition that pairs her original vocal track with a new string arrangement by composer and arranger Vince Mendoza.

Fleetwood Mac have been completely inactive since the conclusion of their 2018/19 world tour. It was their first outing since their bitter split with Buckingham, when he was replaced by Crowded House frontman Neil Finn and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers guitarist Mike Campbell. “Those guys were great,” McVie says. “We have a great time with them, but we’ve kind of broke up now, so I hardly ever see them.”

“I don’t communicate with Stevie [Nicks] very much either,” she says. “When we were on the last tour, we did a lot. We always sat next to each other on the plane and we got on really well. But since the band broke up, I’ve not been speaking to her at all.”

Does she mean to say that Fleetwood Mac no longer exists? “Well, not as we know it,” McVie says. “I don’t know. It’s impossible to say. We might get back together, but I just couldn’t say for sure.”

Mick Fleetwood has been open about his hopes to see the Rumours-lineup come back together for a grand farewell tour, but McVie is highly dubious. “I don’t feel physically up for it,” she says. “I’m in quite bad health. I’ve got a chronic back problem which debilitates me. I stand up to play the piano, so I don’t know if I could actually physically do it. What’s that saying? The mind is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

In theory, McVie could sit at the keyboard to make it easier for her to get through a show, but she says that wouldn’t work in practice. “I couldn’t sit at the rig I play,” she says. “You have to stand up to play the piano and the Hammond Organ is beneath that, so it’s a bit difficult to think about sitting down and doing it. Anyway, I wouldn’t want to do that.”

According to McVie, bassist John McVie is in a similar predicament. “I don’t think John’s up for another tour,” she says. “He’s got health issues, so I don’t know if he would be up for it. You’d have to ask him.”



If a tour does somehow happen, McVie hopes that they’ll find a way to bring Buckingham back into the fold. “I’d always want Lindsey back,” she says. “He’s the best. Neil and Mike were such a cheerful couple, but Lindsey was missed.”

“But I’m getting a bit long in the teeth here,” she continues. “I’m quite happy being at home. I don’t know if I ever want to tour again. It’s bloody hard work.”

This may disappoint Fleetwood Mac’s legions of fans, not to mention some of her own bandmates, but they’ll be relieved to know she’s not closing the door on a tour completely. “I really can’t say for sure,” she says, “because I could be wrong. So I’ll just leave it open and say that we might.”

Good on ya, Chris. Always one to shoot straight.
Perhaps we could post this as the final thread in the "Present Band" forum instead and officially call an end to that travesty?

I'm glad at least she's giving In The Meantime some credit, near twenty years on.

Yeah, she really spoke openly, without regard for a possible Mick or Stevie wrist slap. I suspect she’ll never tour again. I can only hope she’ll do one more record.

I had no idea she had a back issue. I'm not surprised given her age.

They really fumbled the ball in 2018. That was their last shot for a proper farewell and instead, we got Tom Petty and Crowded House covers.

I really found it gross when so many reviews literally called out "Don't Dream It's Over" and "Free Fallin'" as highlights of those shows. Meanwhile the band dropped interesting songs like "Hypnotized" which I thought actually worked with Neil's voice quite well.

I'm betting for a NY LA Chicago London reunion

Thank you Chris for being honest. I just wish they hadn't let Stevie steamroll them over Lindsey. They should have told her quit or shut up.

I feel Stevie ruined the last chance for the Mac to do a farewell tour. It sounds like she and John just aren't up for it to tour anymore.

Yes..I see 4 maybe 5 huge venues..next year and that’s that.
As Stevie would say….”We’re done, done”.

You know the only wrist slap would be from Stevie and her associates. Lindsey wasn't lying when he said Stevie is the only one who doesn't want him to rejoin.
Mick said he hoped Lindsey could (with Neil and Mike because "we don't do that"... right Rick and Billy?)
And Chris says in this interview "Lindsey's the best"

But Stevie won't forgive Lindsey and just doesn't like him.

But then who would be paying for Christine's new house and eternal back issues?

With an obvious unwillingness to mount another tour because of health problems and hatred and what-not, no better time for four of them to record another semi-Fleetwood Mac album. This time, call it Fleetwood Mac and stop bloody worrying about band politics. All these nebulous, timid concerns about “We shouldn’t do this” or “We can’t say that” are so silly at this advanced stage.

Of course, an album couldn’t happen until next year because Lindsey is still touring solo.

Other than that, go ahead and retire. It’s been a long-lived band, and the living room library and fireplace are calling.

Thanks for posting. Great interview. At least she is honest. She appears not to be friends with Stevie but work mates within the band. I dont know how Mick does it at his age since playing drums is the most physically challenging. Chris lost her ability to play piano live on stage years ago. Many of us were wondering if she even plays. I am sorry to hear about her back but good grief she did play for many years. I am so thankful she did come back to the band and give us one last real Mac tour with Lindsey. Its sad this is the ending of this band because of Stevie and Mick. Just imagine if they had recorded one last album in 2018 and went on tour to promote it. Instead we get this as the ending. The clock ran out. I hope John is ok. They are getting really far up there in age. She gave her all to this band and probably too much.

I just don’t see Stevie agreeing to save face to even do a small amount of shows.

Yea, there is that. But the $$ would possibly talk in that regard.

What can I say- those two songs were highlights for me. Neil and Stevie were so good on Don’t Dream It’s Over, and Free Fallin’ was beautifully done. I agree it sucked they had dropped Hypnotized and Storms by the time I saw them, but thank goodness I got to hear Isn’t It Midnight before it was dropped. For me, their set list was fantastic.

That’s why I’m not excited about a final tour, even if Lindsey were to rejoin them for it. It would be the same show we’ve gotten from them the last few tours. I would rather have deep cuts than new songs. The new songs were ok but sounded like previous FM songs to me, and I shiver at the thought of a FM show that would perform In My World and drop Second Hand News, for example.