[SteveMacD]

We could what-if this period of the band's history to death. They were at a crossroads, and there were a number of potential situations.

To answer this question, if Stevie had quit the band in 1980, I think there are two things that could have happened. The first is that the band would have continued as a quartet. I believe Mick would have done "The Visitor" regardless, but Lindsey is the real crap shoot. On the one hand, being able to work without having to be the grand interpreter of Stevie's music would have had some appeal. On the other, I'm sure the others, especially Christine, would want the next album to be a bit more polished, which may have alienated Lindsey. So "Law & Order" may or may not have been made. For the sake of argument, let's say that Lindsey and Christine abandoned solo projects altogether. I'm certain that those four would have been able to produce an album every other year for a few years. I think the albums would have been successful because the sound would have been familiar. "Hold Me" was a hit, and I bet songs like "Trouble," "Got A Hold On Me," and "Go Insane" would have been huge hits, too.

The other situation would be that Lindsey would have left, too. Not because he didn't want to be in the band without Stevie. In fact, quite the opposite. The "if she can go solo, why the hell can't I" attitude. In that case, I see the band continuing with somebody like Todd Sharp. I don't know if I agree with Mr. D wanting to add Martha and Bob, though. With Martha, I don't see how adding somebody who sounds a little like Stevie would help the band advance to get beyond the image of the "Rumours" band. As for Bob, I just don't see any situation in which he'd come back to the band. He was happy being out of the group. And, could you imagine how it would feel for Bob to be in a situation where he joined joined the band after it had been huge in Europe, he left the band when it was playing clubs, it became Beatles big, and then comes back when it's on the downslide? Nobody wants to be the guy who's in the band only when it's NOT huge. If they were going to go back to a two guitarist line-up, I say give somebody new, who was connected to the band, a shot. Maybe Walter Egan.

Now, a few other what ifs...

What if the band had fired Lindsey in 1980, after he snapped, and actually got Clapton? I think Stevie would have left the band after the tour, but the band would have continued to be a monster. Now, Clapton, at least since 1974, liked having a second guitarist....What if Peter Green had gotten "better" (at least to where he was with the Splinter Group), had accepted the record contract Mick got for him, and was having success as a solo artist? What if Mick and Eric convinced him to rejoin the group? Would a Fleetwood-McVie-McVie-Green-Clapton Fleetwood Mac not have been HUGE? Provided everybody stayed sane, that group could have recorded for many years, and would have had success.

Or, what if Stevie left, and the band was able to get Green back? I think Lindsey was thinking about another guitarist for a while, and having Green in the band would have taken a lot of pressure off of Lindsey.

What if Lindsey hadn't quit in 1987, but Billy Burnette was still added to the group (as had been discussed prior to Lindsey's departure)? The band tours for "Tango," records as a six-piece for the new songs on the Greatest Hits package, and then Lindsey quits. Would people still have reservations about Billy?

What if in 1987 the band added Dave Mason or Roger McGuinn?