Originally Posted by bombaysaffires (Post 1254438)

right? I mean in just the last month two more artists from the 1970s died-- Eddie Money (age 70) and Ric Ocasek (age 75).

The average age of the remaining Rumours4 is 73. (they range from Stevie 71- Chris 76)

Mike and Neil don't really count because they aren't fully committed to continuing on anyway; they are replacement players who can just be replaced again; and they have other careers that don't end if FM ends. The only one who can still have a real career (sell tickets) if FM ends is Stevie.

Maybe the Rumours 4 don't care-- maybe they see everyone else in the Rumours4 as replaceable until the last one standing. (Or until Stevie finally kicks.)

Stevie's perspective surely is, "I can tour no matter how many of them drop." (or until she decides to pull the plug, which really is only an option if she can't
physically get onstage anymore or doesn't like how she looks anymore. But then again, she'd probably be like post-stroke Bette Davis and go out anyway).

Mick can play his little restaurant if all the others drop until he drops as well, but even then he still will need someone to sing and play other instruments for people to come see him. (And will the restaurant alone support his spending addiction?)

John also needs others to play with, but one can imagine him being fine with hanging it up for good sometime soon.

Probably the same would be true for Christine (hanging it up) IF she hadn't already done that for 15 years in the English countryside. Now, if she wants to keep touring and working (as Mick says she does in the UK tv program) and if she doesn't want to be out front as a solo performer (as she herself says in same program) she's gonna have to either:

a. go along with whatever Stevie wants until either Stevie kicks the bucket or pulls the plug OR

b. play in Mick's restaurant and just substitute Maui for Kent. :shrug:

Originally Posted by The Catdancer (Post 1254342)

Tell me about the Mick Fleetwood phone call that started this new journey with Fleetwood Mac.

It was about four months after Tom had passed away and I have my own band (The Dirty Knobs) and I have a record coming out and I was planning on just addressing that, doing that full time. I didn’t really have any other plans. I was sitting in my backyard and my phone rang and I had met Mick once or twice at sessions or whatever but we weren’t like friends or anything. He said hi, how you doing, Lindsey has left the band … it’s what he told me, I didn’t know that he was asked to leave … so he says would you be interested in joining Fleetwood Mac? He said this is not coming from Stevie, it’s coming from me and I have been listening to your catalogue and this is not an audition, if you want it, we would love to have you. I said give me a day to think about it. I thought over the whole Lindsey aspect of it and thought, this is a good thing. So I called back and said yeah and it has been a wonderful experience. It’s the best rhythm section, longest lasting rhythm section of all time. No one else has lasted that long in rock ’n’ roll and they are beautiful. It’s a magical feel that they have and I get to play with them every night. What a joy for a guitar player! The songs are great and Stevie and I have a great history together. We’ve written songs, we get along. Of course we then bring Neil Finn in to help with the vocals and he’s just a charming dude, we get along great. Christine, John, they are just wonderful people and we have a blast every night. I know it is hard for them losing a member, I have lost a member. It’s sad but you have to carry on and I think we are doing a good job.

Originally Posted by sodascouts (Post 1254453)

I have to say, the Mike-didn't-know narrative really surprises me. My theory had been all along that Stevie would never have kicked Lindsey out unless she had already secured her "Heartbreaker" replacement.

Lindsey's guitar skills can't be replaced with just any player (I'd argue he can't be replaced, period, but at any rate) - Stevie at least would realize she would need someone special, and in her mind, no one is more special than a Heartbreaker. It has always been her fantasy to be a Heartbreaker. So what would they have done if Mike had said no and her little fantasy hadn't worked out? Auditioned a bunch of guitarists? I suppose so, but it just seems like something Stevie would have been reluctant to do right before a huge tour.

I guess it was just really convenient and lucky that Mike didn't have any other commitments....

Originally Posted by lovethemac1 (Post 1254454)

This is what I have always thought................how did Mike NOT know????

Originally Posted by SteveMacD (Post 1254498)

Yeah, the guy who brought in Danny Kirwan, Bob Weston, Lindsey Buckingham, Billy Burnette, Rick Vito, and Dave Mason wouldn’t have thought to bring someone like Mike Campbell in on his own. What does the former brother-in-law of George Harrison and Eric Clapton AND who founded Fleetwood Mac with Peter Green, possibly know about guitarists?

Tom Petty died in October and tour negotiations hit a snag in November. Isn’t it possible that in that span of time Mick revisited the TPATH catalogue, connected with Mike’s playing, and suggested to Stevie that Mike was a way to move forward without Lindsey? He liked Mike’s playing, knew she’d go along with it, and knew the Petty connections would help make up the difference with Lindsey out in terms of ticket sales.

Originally Posted by Macfan4life (Post 1254441)

Mike was not even auditioned. Stevie clearly told Mick what to do with firing Lindsey (if she was going to tour with them) and hire Mike without auditions.

Originally Posted by SteveMacD (Post 1254498)

Yeah, the guy who brought in Danny Kirwan, Bob Weston, Lindsey Buckingham, Billy Burnette, Rick Vito, and Dave Mason wouldn’t have thought to bring someone like Mike Campbell in on his own.

Originally Posted by elle (Post 1254344)

"Christine, John, they are just wonderful people and we have a blast every night. I know it is hard for them losing a member, I have lost a member. It’s sad but you have to carry on and I think we are doing a good job."

they say this stuff and you gotta wonder whether they are stupid or just so incredibly blasé and callous about stuff like other people's lives.

Christine and John didn't lose a band member like Mike did. they contributed to him being ousted by standing by and watching Mick and Stevie do it. and then getting on with a program of advertising the happy happy happy times. if they both put their foot down, they could have stopped it. instead they are all "oh loss" and "had to happen" - no, it did not. are they all really that dense?

i like how Mike is trying to wash his hands - oh i didn't know! but how about asking Lindsey, Mike? you know, guy who is your friend and a fellow musician? ask him what's going on? and now when you do know? you say how great it all is, and how you will be waiting by the phone to maybe be called again? interesting that he speaks of FM as they, not "us" - completely ruining Mick's narrative that they are all FM now.

Originally Posted by SteveMacD (Post 1254498)

Tom Petty died in October and tour negotiations hit a snag in November. Isn’t it possible that in that span of time Mick revisited the TPATH catalogue, connected with Mike’s playing, and suggested to Stevie that Mike was a way to move forward without Lindsey?

Originally Posted by David (Post 1254512)

Yeah, Mick sat up one day (probably in an orange grove) and said, “I’m going to revisit the TPATH catalogue.”

Originally Posted by David (Post 1254512)

Yeah, Mick sat up one day (probably in an orange grove) and said, “I’m going to revisit the TPATH catalogue.”

Originally Posted by David (Post 1254512)

Yeah, Mick sat up one day (probably in an orange grove) and said, “I’m going to revisit the TPATH catalogue.”