The Chain Harmonies Live

[aleuzzi]

I was just listening to the band's 1977 Paris soundboard version of The Chain for millionth time and marveling at how rich the harmonies are. You can really hear Christine (who takes the very audible high parts) as opposed to the studio version where her voice is either mixed out or not recorded at all (save for the an overdubbed "You must never" that appears in some of the choruses).

This mix sounds so damn good! So devastating. I always wonder why the band didn't choose to mix all three voices into the record version.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALHqyk1PQ0A

[MacShadowsBall]

I have thought the same exact thing, aleuzzi.

Where are Christine's vocals on The Chain(studio version)? Vocally to me its all Buckingham/Nicks sounding. I was surprised when I heard my first live version of The Chain that the vocals are fairly split each taking about 1/3 of the overall vocal output. I know sometimes her and Lindsey voices meld together that it almost creates another "voice".

Christine is a co-writer along with everybody else and this song is often times described as their true "band" song.

Something to think about...

[WildHearted]

I hear Christine's vocals a lot in the verses of the studio versions. She's singing the high part above Stevie's.. And she does the "Still hear you saying" descant thing during the choruses.

Maybe they're just blending so well combined with the instrumentals that it's hard to hear her for some people?

The vocal parts are pretty clear when you listen to center channel mixes:

[aleuzzi]

Thank you so much for that central channel mix! For the first time I can actually hear Christine there. Her voice isn't mixed down as it is on the official version.

Thanks!

[chiliD]

Her voice in "blends" with Stevie & Lindsey is a lot like David Crosby in CSN. When he's singing harmonies, I can RARELY pick him out in the mix (even though he's obviously "there"), but I can pinpoint with almost laser-like accuracy both Stephen Stills' & Graham Nash's voices.

[MacShadowsBall]

Awesome mix there. I can't really isolate Christine's voice, but I feel its there adding to Stevie and Lindsey's voices. There voices do blend nicely.

[michelej1]

This is from a NYT article on Courtney Love's work with songwriter Todd Almond:


Jan 04 2015 03:13:23 By JON PARELES


Ms. Love heard something else. After working on one of Mr. Almond's more dramatic songs, she said, she insisted he listen to "The Chain" by Fleetwood Mac. Its crescendo of intimacy and anger plays a man's sweet tenor voice (Lindsey Buckingham) against a woman's rasp (Stevie Nicks) -- the same vocal contrast that runs through "Kansas City Choir Boy."