Rejected album before 'Time'
 

I know this has been discussed before, but before Time did the band make an album without Christine that the label rejected?

If so, what do we know about it and the songs from it?

No other album that I’m aware of. Christine’s songs were added to “Time” after the fact and later layered Christine’s vocals to some of the already recorded tracks.

I never heard of a rejected album. Warner was going to reject Time without Chris. Maybe that is what you mean? Chris recorded some tracks with studio musicians away from the band. She was a trooper and made sure the album happened

The late, great ChiliD actually saw the rejection letter I think at a NAMM convention. It was apparently going to be called “Another Link In The Chain.”

Anyway, Christine started the project but pulled out after she couldn’t get along with Dave Mason, and the band submitted a version of the album without any of her songs. When the label rejected the album, they put her songs back on it.

We don’t know much about what was on it. They were playing “The Bigger the Love” in concert, so that was probably one of the songs. Dave said he wrote a song for Bekka that wasn’t used. Other than that, no clue.

I always thought “Another Link In The Chain" was the initial suggested name of Time.

That’s what the 94-95 tours were called, so it makes sense.

That's what the front of my 1987 Tango tour shirt said too.

My 2018 shirt said Fakewood Mac 2018/2019 tour.

This was always interesting to me. Chris seems like she would be a fairly easy person to get on with IMO. wonder what it was about Dave Mason that she found so annoying that she couldn't bring herself to work with him at all...was he a bit of an *sshole?

--Lis

I’ve heard from Dave Mason fans years ago that he’s kind of an asshole. The article where they interviewed guys from his ‘70s band said he wasn’t much of a people person.

I watched a Facebook live stream interview with Dave and Mick. Mick said he was perfectionist. Dave seemed a little high strung and twitchy. Mick’s book said there were issues between Dave and Bekka and Richard said he left Time because of Dave. Also, John Courage’s exact words to me on the phone were “Dave Mason is an asshole.”

This era of the band is so forgettable but yet also so fascinating. He has got to be a giant asshole. Like Lis said, Christine has to be one of the easiest people in the history of the band to collaborate and get along with. She’s been there and worked with every imaginable combination and always seemed keen to make whatever combination of personalities work. For her to be like, screw this, I hate him - he had to be just awful.

Let’s put it this way, she’d been able to deal with Mick’s nonsense for fifty years. She got on with John after what sounded like it was a tumultuous and at times abusive marriage. She literally up until her late 70’s had been able to get along with both Stevie Nicks AND Lindsey Buckingham - two of the most polarizing and annoying personalities in music. But Dave Mason was a bridge too far!

He really must be KING of the assh*les.

I mean, she recorded with Danny on her first solo album and on three Fleetwood Mac albums, and he tried to beat Peter with a Les Paul.

She really was one of the guys. I'll bet she could've taken him.

I dont know if this is true but I read online that some of her beef with Dave may have been connected to her friend's beef with Dave. Steve Winwood and Dave were both in Traffic and had a big falling out and could not stand each other.
You gotta love Chris with what she said. If you remember her online 1995 chat she says the new creation of Fleetwood Mac is really "bizarre". She says Dave is a fine guitar player but would not have been her first choice and he does not fit with the band. I remember at the time how harsh that sounded talking about a current member of the band. But now we know why.
Here is the chat which is fun to look back on. I love the fact she admits listening to Mystery To Me the other night and is one of her favorite albums.

https://www.fleetwoodmac-uk.com/articles/FMart106.htm