Fleetwood Mac and their drug intake

[EricBliss12345]

This is something I've always wondered about because I've read some rediculous stories about Fleetwood Mac and their (alledged) drug problems, and read in another thread of mine that Lindsay hated cocaine when I thought that he was on it most of the time.

I've read that by 1983 that all the members were in the throes of serious substance addiction problems, and that during Rumors they spent a fortune on Coke. I've also read that Mick spent 8 million on the stuff, which seems a little outragious to me. I also read somewhere that Lindsay was disgusted with the Tango sessions because of the rampant drug abuse.

I know it's true for Stevie and Mick, but to be honest I think Christine seems too "proper" to be a heavy drug user. I've read older interviews with her and her polite manner and shy, humble demeanor certainly doesn't indicate cocaine abuse to me. Plus, if she was a big druggie how could she still consistantly write great songs up until 1987?

To be honest how could anybody go as long as they had and put out albums and tours doing all that stuff? I was just really curious, some of the stories I've read were rediculous and I'm just curious as to which ones are true or not.

[louielouie2000]

Don't let Christine's elegant air fool you... she did her fair share of drugs just as EVERYONE did in the band. You really only hear about Mick and Stevie's drug problems, because they made them public, and were up front about them. Christine however, has always preferred to stay somewhat in the background, and is a more private person than the latter two. I'm sure she didn't think it was "proper" as it were, to make her substance abuse public. You can watch alot of the old documentaries and footage from the mid/late 70s... and Chris is absolutely smashed in every one of them . I think everyone in the band just went about their own ways of dealing with their drug problems, and Mick and Stevie just felt it necessary to purge their problems to the public. -Louie

[Mad4stevie]

From what I remember reading in Mick's autobiography and other FM books:

Lindsey, Stevie and Mick were coke-heads. Stevie and Mick were the worst, I think, because it fueled everything that they did for awhile. I think this played a major part in Mick's bankruptcy and, of course, led to Stevie's hole in her nose. Lindsey used to get really mean (especially to Stevie) when he used the stuff.

I think both Christine and John were drinkers. I know that John has readily admitted to being an alcoholic and that he isn't "a very nice person" when he is drunk. I believe that was a major part of the reason that Christine left him. I think I remember reading that Christine needed a least a bottle (or more) of champagne every day just to function.

If you watch the Rumours tour video from 1977 - they are all smashed all of the time. Stevie especially is wasted. Stevie and Mick both looked pretty coked up during the Mirage tour video, as well.

[dissention]

It wasn't so much drugs as it was booze with Chris. I read an interview with her from back in 1995 from some British newspaper and she said that she used them a bit in the seventies but not to the extent of everyone else. Then, she saw what was happening to everyone and stopped using. She said that's when she started drinking more heavily and it became an issue. I think it was by 1985 that she stopped the drinking.

Yeah, Mick blew $8 million on coke and went bankrupt because of it, only to go bankrupt again after buying bad land. He always was a bad businessman! He looked really bad back in the eighties, REALLY bad. His eyes were all sunken in and everything.

I think Lindsey did his fare share but, unlike the others, I think he experimented with everything.

[FiercestCalmSea]

I think they all had their particular vice..I can totally see 8 million in coke though..i mean even if you don't do the stuff,it is pretty obvious it is not cheap,and it is not like they were doing some cheap stuff that was cut or something.It totally kills me that they(and alot of other people in that time) were SO f-ed up all the time..it must have been a freakin blast til they hit rock bottom...and they totally didn't know how bad it was,for real..whereas nowadays there isn't anything fun that doesn't come without a morbid warning

[darklinensuit]

Elegant or not, Chris was always one of the boys & could no doubt drink with the best (or worst) of them.

I love the stories of the Buckingham Nicks days when Stevie would come home from cleaning & find Lindsey & company passed out on the floor, so she'd clean the ashtrays. Lindsey seems to have liked the weed.

- Jake

[Vianna]

From what I can gather by reading, Mick and Stevie were into the cocaine big time-and Mick admits to having dealers meet him at the plane-I am sure 8 million and probably more went up his nose. Stevie was into the coke bad until the doctor told her she was playing around with brain damage if she didn't quit. Something about blowing a hole through her nose into her brain..

Lindsey smoked pot I know. Look at the Mirage video if you have it-you'll see him with a joint. I heard from somewhere Lindsey experimented with the coke but gave it up b/c it was "too expensive".

Chris I don't really know about.

John had an alcohol problem and eventually had an alcoholic seizure which I think probably made him think twice about his problem..

It's to their credit that thay have kicked their respective habits-I think John still drinks but not like he used to.

I had to be amused though looking at the pic that came with the album SYW-all those bottles of Perrier!! My but we have changed!

Do you all know the hash brownies story?

[EricBliss12345]

Originally posted by darklinensuit
Elegant or not, Chris was always one of the boys & could no doubt drink with the best (or worst) of them.

I love the stories of the Buckingham Nicks days when Stevie would come home from cleaning & find Lindsey & company passed out on the floor, so she'd clean the ashtrays. Lindsey seems to have liked the weed.

- Jake

Come home from cleaning? What, did Stevie work at a Best Inn's on the side? I could see how being a full-time member of Fleetwood Mac just doesn't quite cover the water and electric bills.

But yeah my birthday bash was the other day so I got stupid and blew a couple grams and stayed up all night with a bunch of friends. I still had some left at 9 in the morning and I stayed up by myself long after everybody passed out and did it! How rediculous is that! You're like, real pissed when it's gone too.

HOwever, for me the next day it's like "OK...for my birthday this was cool, but not again for a long time!" I just don't understand why you'd want to make it a habit. I like to work out and eat healthy plus I have a job to go to every day. I don't understand how normal people can live like that or afford it.

HOwever, if I had 8 million spare bucks to blow on cocaine and my full time job was playing music in an arena for 2 hours a night for part of the year I probably wouldn't mind feeling that good every day.

[stevierocks87]

Stevie was a "cleaning lady" during the Buckingham Nicks days, when she worked and let Lindsey stay at home and write music because he was "so brilliant". (isn't that right everyone? ). Of course, that changed when they joined Fleetwood Mac.

So, that IS a joint Lindsey's smoking on the Mirage video...thought so. Does anyone else notice that at one point it looks like he is trying to give it to John, but its not working Stevie is SO coked out on that show....but how she KICKED ASS!!! I love the end of SOTM....when her mumblings sounded awesome as opposed to EO17 on Red Rocks where she is just crazy in a bad way.

adam

[gldstwmn]

Originally posted by EricBliss12345
I know it's true for Stevie and Mick, but to be honest I think Christine seems too "proper" to be a heavy drug user. I've read older interviews with her and her polite manner and shy, humble demeanor certainly doesn't indicate cocaine abuse to me. Plus, if she was a big druggie how could she still consistantly write great songs up until 1987?

Christine had an ongoing love affair with Dennis Wilson, drummer for the Beach Boys and notorious party animal. Stevie and Chris have flat out said in interviews that they used to do huge "rails" among other things. Some of FM's best work (Tusk and Rumors) was done throughout their heavy drug use period. It was the thing to do at the time.

[gldstwmn]

Originally posted by EricBliss12345

But yeah my birthday bash was the other day so I got stupid and blew a couple grams and stayed up all night with a bunch of friends. I still had some left at 9 in the morning and I stayed up by myself long after everybody passed out and did it! How rediculous is that! You're like, real pissed when it's gone too.

HOwever, for me the next day it's like "OK...for my birthday this was cool, but not again for a long time!" I just don't understand why you'd want to make it a habit. I like to work out and eat healthy plus I have a job to go to every day. I don't understand how normal people can live like that or afford it.

First of all you don't make a habit out of it. It makes a habit out of you. It all starts off very insidiously. Dont' fool yourself with being able to function "normally and healthy". There are plenty of functioning alcoholics and addicts. Please don't think I'm attacking you, I'm not. You're either clean or you're not.

[macmar71]

Lindsey has admitted that using coke impaired his creativity and that he preferred smoking weed. I think around Go Insane is when Linsdey cleaned up his act as far as the cocaine goes. I know he was quite disgusted with Mick and Stevie's cocaine use around the making of Tango.
Mick went bankrupt in 1984 due to all the unwise choices he made in investments, bought too much dope and I am sure he was drunk or stoned when he pissed all his cash away.
Christine and John did the drugs as well in the 70's but I agree they seemed more interested in their liquid intake. Christine looks pretty sloshed in the Tusk documentary when she is on the boat.

[EricBliss12345]

Originally posted by gldstwmn
First of all you don't make a habit out of it. It makes a habit out of you. It all starts off very insidiously. Dont' fool yourself with being able to function "normally and healthy". There are plenty of functioning alcoholics and addicts. Please don't think I'm attacking you, I'm not. You're either clean or you're not.

Then my drug addiction has been "Starting insiduously" for the last 9 years!

Actually every time I've gotten on the path to serious drug addiction I've held my horses and taken a break. When me and all my friends were big into coke 6 years ago, I was smart enough to quit before I OD'ed like my friend did. I saw it coming and got scared. My b-day was the 2nd or 3rd occasion since 6 years ago. She's alive and kickin' and drug free now, BTW.

Then I was big into ecstacy for a couple years. That was something that started as an occasional thing that gradually built up to once a month, to every few weeks, to every weekend and sometimes twice a week. I spent a fortune on that junk. I was also doing a LOT of crystal meth at the time (and K too) and actually spent a little time in jail on a drug charge. During the time I was in court was the worst. When I was found not guilty of the charges it lessened a little bit.

Then I got my own place. LOL That turned into a mess. During that time I was the worst ever. I did a LOT of K and still took E regularly as well. For the first time ever I was f**ked up on something for 4 months straight. It didn't hit me how bad it was until I was sitting at home, all alone, snorting K by myself. There was no party.

That was over 2 years ago and I'm still in debt to a certain creditor because of it. I moved back home and cleaned up my act and drug use has been sporadic if ever. I've even quit smoking cigarettes as of late. The last 2 years I've exercised at least 4-5 days out of the week. I always wondered if it would get as bad as it did before, but since me and every single one of my friends has grown up a lot, we realize that it's just not a realistic or acceptable way to live your life. But we do, from time to time like to "Reminice" if you will. LOL

After all these experiences with it I absolutely do not ever want to be back there again. I'm very happy where I am now. When the supply I buy is out, I stop there, go to bed and forget about it until the next very distant special occasion.

The minute I'm famous though I'm afraid it's all over.

[tommer]

Originally posted by EricBliss12345
But yeah my birthday bash was the other day so I got stupid and blew a couple grams and stayed up all night with a bunch of friends. I still had some left at 9 in the morning and I stayed up by myself long after everybody passed out and did it! How rediculous is that! You're like, real pissed when it's gone too.

okay, i can admit to that same sin myself. i must say cocaine is not my preferred drug, it has a great 'feel' to it, but it makes you a total ass. i don't like other people on coke, and despite the fact that when you're on it you feel like the king of the world, at least I was able to look at it from the side and figure out i'm not at my nicest behaviour and attitude.
when you go to a rave or a cool club for example, you see the ones on trips who are cool, those on E who are totally nice and fun, and those on coke who just hangs around thinking they simply OWN the whole ****en party. i just can't see the point in making a habbit of a drug which makes everything around you look pathetic.

[EricBliss12345]

That's so funny you said that!

On my birthday I wrote a note on my left hand in pen that said "WATCH YOUR F**KING MOUTH!!!!"

It didn't work.