Fifty years ago tonight...

[Macfan4life]

Originally Posted by Villavic

I didn't find anything about her playing guitar on stage in Mick's first book, but I did find about some reviews the band got during that first tour.

And so we labored, through that whole autumn, pushing our record in every college town in America. Or so it seemed. There were some pretty rough times for the whole band, but Stevie Nicks especially went through a period of anxiety and self-doubt after getting some pretty heavy negative reviews. This was a new band to the critics as well, and we were consequently reviewed as if we were unknown. Rolling Stone said that Stevie's singing was "callow," and many reviews said something like ". . . the raucous voice of Stevie Nicks and the golden-throated Christine McVie, who's the only good thing this band has left."

Imagine if critics had commented on her playing guitar on stage.

My hunch is that is why she picked up the guitar. People were confused who is this woman at the center of the stage. Having a guitar under her arm made her appear more purposeful and it would have been her anxiety blanket.
But calm down, it would not be long that she could play the hell out of that tambourine off beat better than anyone.

[Villavic]

Originally Posted by Macfan4life

But calm down, it would not be long that she could play the hell out of that tambourine off beat better than anyone.

A very unfair comment. It is well known that she taught Phil and Roger how to play the tambourine.

[Macfan4life]

Originally Posted by Villavic

A very unfair comment. It is well known that she taught Phil and Roger how to play the tambourine.

To be fair we've had dueling tambourines on the Fleetwood Mac stage during Eyes of the World in 1982. One person hit the beat every time while the other one was off beat every other time and waved it around. I won't mention any names

[David]

I’m not sure that Stevie ever actually played any rhythm guitar onstage. Perhaps she did on the first tour. But what song would that have been? “Blue Letter” and “Sunny Side of Heaven” are the only two possible songs I can imagine her strumming along with. All the others require a level of more advanced coordination.

But Christine’s print interview with Contemporary Keyboard provides an indirect clue:

She isn’t a great [keyboard] player, but what she plays you can elaborate on. Still, I think she should play onstage. She’s getting better all the time, and if she would play piano on one song, it would be *** great! Then she’d be known as a musician as well as just a singer.

Lindsey is a master at leaving space and punctuating empty stretches with power chorded downstrokes for rhythmic effect. I don’t think he would have ever wanted Stevie lamely filling in holes with her inorganic strumming.

I think the story that Ray Lindsey told is that he was brought in to back Lindsey on “Go Your Own Way” specifically because Stevie wasn’t doing it correctly in a rehearsal.

[HomerMcvie]

Originally Posted by David

I’m not sure that Stevie ever actually played any rhythm guitar onstage. Perhaps she did on the first tour. But what song would that have been? “Blue Letter” and “Sunny Side of Heaven” are the only two possible songs I can imagine her strumming along with. All the others require a level of more advanced coordination.

But Christine’s print interview with Contemporary Keyboard provides an indirect clue:



Lindsey is a master at leaving space and punctuating empty stretches with power chorded downstrokes for rhythmic effect. I don’t think he would have ever wanted Stevie lamely filling in holes with her inorganic strumming.

I think the story that Ray Lindsey told is that he was brought in to back Lindsey on “Go Your Own Way” specifically because Stevie wasn’t doing it correctly in a rehearsal.

The GYOW acoustic part isn't super easy, so IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE for Stevie to play. She's a "sit stoned at a party and try to accompany yourself" kind of gal.