Christine Perfect Album

[HomerMcvie]

You know, if I die prematurely, and before you, I might hope that you might come visit my grave, and perform your resurrecting abilities on my corpse!

I'll buy you another copy of THE BOOK, if you're successful!

[Macfan4life]

Originally Posted by Villavic

I was reading this album wikipedia page, about her opinion of the record:

In a 1980 interview with Contemporary Keyboard, Perfect (who by that time had the surname of McVie) expressed embarrassment about the album's existence and felt that some of the songs lacked the artistic maturity she believed came during her time in Fleetwood Mac. "When I made that record, I wasn't really sure about my talent, or about what direction I wanted to go in musically. There were people all around who were trying to make me into this kind of a singer or that kind of a singer. Mike Vernon was a great help in many ways – I'm playing music now partly because of what he did to get me started – but even he was pushing me into becoming sort of a black-style English singer. I didn't really feel artistically together until I joined Fleetwood Mac."

I looked for the info because I was reading the chapter of Bob Brunning book (yes! I found my long lost book) about the interval between Mirage and Tango and it says:

Meanwhile, Christine was organizing the recording of her second solo album. Her first, recorded way back in 1969, had been subsequently released in the US against her wishes. “I didn’t have one finger in the pie except that I wrote a couple of weedy songs!”

I read the track listing and she wrote not all but more than a couple of songs. And she appears as co-producer with Mike Vernon (and Kirwan in one song). But judging by her words, it seems she wasn't actually very involved in the production.

When her solo album was released on 1984 this album resurfaced and Christine got mad about it. In the record shops her album would be in the album rack next to this album that was reprinted and tried to capitalize on her new success as a solo artist. I cant remember if she sued someone but she definitely gave interviews telling people not to buy it in her wonderful sense of humor she had.

On another note, I started reading the Christine Biography again that I started last summer. Parts reminded me of how accidental her being in Fleetwood Mac was. She was intending on being a loyal housewife. Even though she had won a prestigious music/singing award in the UK her solo career went nowhere. Peter and Jeremy leaving really started the evolution of Fleetwood Mac. I had forgotten but things got so bleak after Jeremy left that Mick asked Peter Green to re-join which he did for a very brief time. But left again after a brief tour. Chris was hanging out with them and playing and she just fit perfectly.

[Penguin Emeritus]

Originally Posted by Macfan4life

When her solo album was released on 1984 this album resurfaced and Christine got mad about it. In the record shops her album would be in the album rack next to this album that was reprinted and tried to capitalize on her new success as a solo artist. I cant remember if she sued someone but she definitely gave interviews telling people not to buy it in her wonderful sense of humor she had.

On another note, I started reading the Christine Biography again that I started last summer. Parts reminded me of how accidental her being in Fleetwood Mac was. She was intending on being a loyal housewife. Even though she had won a prestigious music/singing award in the UK her solo career went nowhere. Peter and Jeremy leaving really started the evolution of Fleetwood Mac. I had forgotten but things got so bleak after Jeremy left that Mick asked Peter Green to re-join which he did for a very brief time. But left again after a brief tour. Chris was hanging out with them and playing and she just fit perfectly.

Yes, I recall chris bashing that album any time it was brought up, she hated it. She said it wasn't "very representative" of her, but i still think some of it is great. (Other songs I agree should maybe have been swept under a carpet somewhere, as she said lol.)

I think they only asked peter to come help finish the tour, not to rejoin... Doubt he ever would have considered doing that, but it was nice he flew over so they could wrap up the shows, even though they just became long jam sessions.


Much of that Jones bio still ticks me off but i did appreciate the few new quotes in there. I think her intention was to be a housewife but at the same time, she also said she was starting to get bored and didn't think she could have done that the rest of her life... I think she was such a creative person that eventually she would have been drawn back into music somehow. (of course if she'd had a child, that all could have changed what happened, too.)

That was actually the question i asked John in one of his Q&As because this time period is really interesting to me. Had jeremy not left, and thrown the band into that state of upheaval, did he think chris would have stayed..? of course he said he had no idea what she would have done, but maybe it's possible she was looking at it as more of a temporary thing-- getting to go to America and have more time with john etc.. all stuff she wanted. but did she really want to JOIN the band forever at that time? argh the things we'll never know.

--Lis

[Macfan4life]

Originally Posted by Penguin Emeritus

Yes, I recall chris bashing that album any time it was brought up, she hated it. She said it wasn't "very representative" of her, but i still think some of it is great. (Other songs I agree should maybe have been swept under a carpet somewhere, as she said lol.)

I think they only asked peter to come help finish the tour, not to rejoin... Doubt he ever would have considered doing that, but it was nice he flew over so they could wrap up the shows, even though they just became long jam sessions.


Much of that Jones bio still ticks me off but i did appreciate the few new quotes in there. I think her intention was to be a housewife but at the same time, she also said she was starting to get bored and didn't think she could have done that the rest of her life... I think she was such a creative person that eventually she would have been drawn back into music somehow. (of course if she'd had a child, that all could have changed what happened, too.)

That was actually the question i asked John in one of his Q&As because this time period is really interesting to me. Had jeremy not left, and thrown the band into that state of upheaval, did he think chris would have stayed..? of course he said he had no idea what she would have done, but maybe it's possible she was looking at it as more of a temporary thing-- getting to go to America and have more time with john etc.. all stuff she wanted. but did she really want to JOIN the band forever at that time? argh the things we'll never know.

--Lis

Is not rejoining to tour after leaving rejoining? I am sure they asked or begged him to stay but he refused. I had totally forgotten about that though. He was not well but he did it for Mick.

I started the book last summer and got halfway through. Nothing new is really in the book and even some of the "unauthorized" stuff is publicly known like her father marrying and having a child with a much younger woman. Have not gotten to any part where there is anything remotely portraying Christine in a negative light. But I am just slightly over the middle part. I am liking the middle part because so much Fleetwood Mac history that I forgot about or may not have known. Peter coming back to the band was one of them. It just makes you ponder WHAT IF? What if Peter never took that bad acid? What if Jeremy never ran away? The band we know today would not look the same.

[Penguin Emeritus]

Originally Posted by Macfan4life

Is not rejoining to tour after leaving rejoining? I am sure they asked or begged him to stay but he refused. I had totally forgotten about that though. He was not well but he did it for Mick.

I started the book last summer and got halfway through. Nothing new is really in the book and even some of the "unauthorized" stuff is publicly known like her father marrying and having a child with a much younger woman. Have not gotten to any part where there is anything remotely portraying Christine in a negative light. But I am just slightly over the middle part. I am liking the middle part because so much Fleetwood Mac history that I forgot about or may not have known. Peter coming back to the band was one of them. It just makes you ponder WHAT IF? What if Peter never took that bad acid? What if Jeremy never ran away? The band we know today would not look the same.

I think peter was coming to help them finish the tour... i don't believe there was ever any intention of his staying beyond that so i wouldn't really call it rejoining.. he was just being a nice guy and helping them out.

My main issue w the book is that it's full of weird speculations and outright BS, like chris leaving in 98 because she supposedly found out stevie screwed dennis twenty years before. i mean give me a break. totally not one of the reasons. Or that dennis was "the love of her life, the one that got away", all this crap... again, give me a break. she was w him for like 2-3 years and those years were drug filled insanity, and after she had to go on holiday and have her lawyers have him evicted from her damn house, he immediately went on to knock up and marry his cousin soon after the break up. what a sweetheart... a real diamond in the rough lol.

i think peter may have left anyway just because he felt he had outgrown what the band could do... but yeah.. lots of 'what ifs' in FM history...

--Lis

[Villavic]

Mick wrote Peter joined them at the end of the 1971 tour after a Clifford emergency call, and the tour with him ended wonderfully.

But we were desperate, and Clifford put through an SOS call to Pete in Surrey later that day. There was no pressure. We explained the situation and said, look, don't feel you've got to, but if you could, it would be great. And that was it. He said he had been about to take a job as a laborer on a farm, but that in the spirit of friendship he would do it. He really didn't want to play at all, but he did it and it was great.
....
After the eight weeks of the tour had run their course, we could look back and see we had actually done well in terms of money and fame. It was our best tour ever. But the way we felt inside while making it was pretty awful. The fact that Pete played so beautifully made it even sadder, because we knew we would lose him again. His playing raised gooseflesh on my arms on that tour, and yet at the end he renounced it all once again.


Bob Brunning brought more details of the Clifford’s call. It differs significantly from the "we explained" tone Mick said:

“I said to Peter, ‘Can you do me a favour. Can you come over?’ He said, ‘You’re ****ing joking, aren’t you?’ I said, ‘I’m not asking you for the band, I’m asking you for me.’ Peter then said, ‘You don’t think I want to play with that bunch any more, do you?’ I said, ‘It’s really important, for me, I’m going to lose a lot of money if I get sued.’ Peter said, “Would you do the same for me?’ I said, ‘Do you really need me to answer that. . .!’” Peter immediately agreed. But on the condition that his friend Nigel, Clifford’s brother-in-law, came too to keep him company on the road. Twelve hours later Clifford picked them up from the airport and drove immediately to the Swing Stadium in San Bernardino. Peter went straight on stage, unannounced. (He was to insist on being referred to as “Peter Blue” for the entire tour.) He saved the show. Fleetwood Mac did not miss another gig, and Clifford breathed a huge sigh of relief. The tour was a great success.
…..
Clifford is in no doubt that Peter’s helping him out on the US tour certainly constituted the biggest favour Green had ever granted. But there was no question of Peter rejoining the band permanently. Something had to be done about Fleetwood Mac’s front line following Jeremy’s abrupt departure.

[HomerMcvie]

Originally Posted by Penguin Emeritus

I think peter was coming to help them finish the tour... i don't believe there was ever any intention of his staying beyond that so i wouldn't really call it rejoining.. he was just being a nice guy and helping them out.

My main issue w the book is that it's full of weird speculations and outright BS, like chris leaving in 98 because she supposedly found out stevie screwed dennis twenty years before. i mean give me a break. totally not one of the reasons. Or that dennis was "the love of her life, the one that got away", all this crap... again, give me a break. she was w him for like 2-3 years and those years were drug filled insanity, and after she had to go on holiday and have her lawyers have him evicted from her damn house, he immediately went on to knock up and marry his cousin soon after the break up. what a sweetheart... a real diamond in the rough lol.

i think peter may have left anyway just because he felt he had outgrown what the band could do... but yeah.. lots of 'what ifs' in FM history...

--Lis

As much as we worship her, she sure couldn't pick a man, worth a fukc.

[Penguin Emeritus]

Originally Posted by HomerMcvie

As much as we worship her, she sure couldn't pick a man, worth a fukc.

After all i've heard, i maintain J&C made the right choice in the beginning, because that love endured. They were always compatible as f*ck. unfortunately, they were also both alcoholics... much as we worship her, she was no angel either.

the others.. yes i agree, they were less than ideal lol.

--Lis

[Villavic]

Little Lies, Isn't It Midnight, As Long as You Follow, Save Me, Skies, Love Shines, Heart of Stone, Night in Storil and many more songs where Quintela is included as co-writer. Many of those songs are really beautiful. Quintela turned out to be a jerk, or so I read. But judging by Christine songs during her time with him, it seems she had some happy years with him. I do wonder, though, how much he actually contributed to the songwriting.

[Penguin Emeritus]

Originally Posted by Villavic

Little Lies, Isn't It Midnight, As Long as You Follow, Save Me, Skies, Love Shines, Heart of Stone, Night in Storil and many more songs where Quintela is included as co-writer. Many of those songs are really beautiful. Quintela turned out to be a jerk, or so I read. But judging by Christine songs during her time with him, it seems she had some happy years with him. I do wonder, though, how much he actually contributed to the songwriting.

In one of those later interviews, chris herself said that SHE wrote the songs! and that she didn't want to talk about all that.

also, george hawkins told me in no uncertain terms that ed was really great w the small touches, creative ideas added in spots etc, but not so good at the big picture-- as in actually writing a friggin good song lol. Years ago someone who saw his band, Moon, said they were pretty good, but who ever even heard of them besides us Mac fans? imo chris could just as easily have written those songs you mentioned without him.

She gave him co-writing credits out of the goodness of her heart. they may have had a few happy years, but i don't think her songs at that time had much to do w their relationship.

--Lis

[HomerMcvie]

Originally Posted by Penguin Emeritus

After all i've heard, i maintain J&C made the right choice in the beginning, because that love endured. They were always compatible as f*ck. unfortunately, they were also both alcoholics... much as we worship her, she was no angel either.

the others.. yes i agree, they were less than ideal lol.

--Lis

You know, there are drunks, and then there are DRUNKS. I've always assumed that Chris was the former, and John the latter. Have you ever been around a drunk that gets so sh1tfaced that they can't get off the floor, or even pees themselves lying there, and continues drinking(if they can reach one)? I have, and it's ugly. I've always thought that maybe John lacked the "off" switch to keep things from getting really bad. I'm only guessing, though.

[Villavic]

Originally Posted by HomerMcvie

Have you ever been around a drunk that gets so sh1tfaced that they can't get off the floor, or even pees themselves lying there, and continues drinking(if they can reach one)? I have, and it's ugly. I've always thought that maybe John lacked the "off" switch to keep things from getting really bad. I'm only guessing, though.

Yes, I have seen that too. And the saddest thing is that when the person is sober he may be the kindest and nicest person.

John told in 1997 she made the right decision.
You've got the pressures of being on the road for a start. And living together. And seeing everybody at their best and their worst, literally their worst. And with Chris, she saw me at the worst one time too many. And bless her heart, she said, enough. I don't want to be around this person. So we talked about it, and made the decision.

But I agree there were always love. As a movie quote I remember, "There is still love there. -Love was never the problem".

[Penguin Emeritus]

Originally Posted by HomerMcvie

You know, there are drunks, and then there are DRUNKS. I've always assumed that Chris was the former, and John the latter. Have you ever been around a drunk that gets so sh1tfaced that they can't get off the floor, or even pees themselves lying there, and continues drinking(if they can reach one)? I have, and it's ugly. I've always thought that maybe John lacked the "off" switch to keep things from getting really bad. I'm only guessing, though.

I agree she wasn't the same sort of drunk he was, and her personality didn't change as drastically as his did... hopefully she didn't end up plastered on the floor pissing herself lol. (who was it, i think dave walker..? who said in truth chris could prob drink all of us under the table... i mean that's saying something, too..) but i don't think both of them drinking as much as they did ever helped a situation.

But like villavic said, love was never the problem.

--Lis