[SteveMacD]

Originally Posted by David

But I never said he was a nobody. That wasn't even at issue. Nobody brought that up. You created a straw man argument. I said he wasn't a commercial powerhouse & that therefore his joining Fleetwood Mac was not what the suits wanted.

The reason I brought that into the argument is that I'm sure there were a few suits who thought it was a good idea. Billy appeared to be on the up swing in 1987. Superstar? No, but his popularity was certainly gaining in certain circles outside of Fleetwood Mac. With the exceptions of Mick, John, Peter, Christine, and Dave Mason, Fleetwood Mac has usually augmented their band with people who were relatively unknown, but had, in their eyes, a lot of potential and who they got along with.

Originally Posted by David

I don't know whether that would have been the case in 1987: "Cherry Bomb" & "Little Lies" were being hummed & whistled all over the country. Both acts were huge draws in 1987 (I saw both their shows in 1987, too) -- decidedly more than Richard Marx but decidedly less than U2. But they both occupied superstar "space."

I know. "Tango" is where it started for me. My point is that while the Mac had some new hits, they were still seen as a band who peaked in a different era. They were still able to make a hit record, and were all over MTV and VH-1, but were still of a different era. JCM was really at his peak. That was really his era. At different times, yeah, I could see it working. Just not in 1987.

Originally Posted by David

You & I certainly do -- & a few others. But you could just as easily argue that adding another superstar to the band would have counterbalanced Stevie's overwhelming individual popularity in those days.

Or, it could create a civil war in the group that would have done much more damage than what DID happen.

Originally Posted by David

Well, then he has rather narrow -- but excellent -- taste in female musicians. In addition, I don't think the "team player" aspect is anything to worry about: if you hire a guy & he fits in & behaves himself, great. If he acts like an ogre, get rid of him (or wait until he himself leaves). You don't need team players in order to make excellent albums; Fleetwood Mac has proved that numerous times in its history. You don't even necessarily need team players to perform great concerts.

I genearal, that is true. With Fleetwood Mac, a band that prides itself on being a band with a lot of chemistry and where the sum is greater than the parts, a team player is exactly what they needed.

Originally Posted by David

Possibly, but I don't know for sure just what they wanted or didn't want at that point. Besides, they were all still dealing with big egos: four-fifths of Fleetwood Mac were still in the band, & 50 percent of that number were big egos.

They did, but their egos didn't involved their relationships with others in the band. They felt, on some level, that they had control over their lives. I don't think the same was true of Lindsey.

Originally Posted by David

It's not totally realistic, but you with your sociological approach just can't quite get into the aesthetics of anything, can you? I was talking about what sort of MUSIC the band would make with John Mellencamp in it in 1987. Most of the ideas we all have -- you included -- pertaining to Fleetwood Mac aren't all that realistic

It would have been interesting, I don't disagree. What I'm saying has nothing to do with a sociological perspective. I just can't imagine somebody who's THAT big a mega star joining Fleetwood Mac. Thinking about the contract discussions alone make my head spin. In 1987, Mick needed money. Now, that tour was a financial success. I don't see where that tour would have made MORE money with JCM. So, if JCM were in the band, Mick theoretically would have made less money, as JCM would have gotten a bigger cut of the profits. That isn't sociological, that's looking at the bottom line from Mick's perspective. There's the asthetic factor, but if it cuts into the profits, we already know that we can forget about it.

Originally Posted by David

(how about the 40th anniversary idea of twenty ex-FM members all standing on a stage jamming happily, anyone?).

I'm not the only one who wants to see the big jam. Mick Fleetwood and Bob Welch both have expressed interest. I don't want to have a reunion with EVERYBODY, just the more significant members. Whether or not it happens is anybody's guess, but that Mick and John have recorded with Peter Green and Jeremy Spencer in the last few years (albiet not together) and that Bob Welch has expressed an interest at least gives some hope. Hell, I remember when it was totally unrealistic to think that Lindsey and Stevie would return, and the "Rumours" band would do another tour, yet it happened. I remember when it was totally unrealistic to think I'd ever see Peter Green play in concert, yet I have.