Un-Worthington - a 12 month countdown to the next terrible calendar

[michelej1]

Originally Posted by skuncles

But were the dates on The Dance tour booked and canceled later? My understanding was that it was to a 45 US date tour with the possibilty of going to Europe. But as far as I know the dates were never booked officially.

Christine didn't walk out in the middle of a tour. They simply didn't extend the tour, though its great success would have made the extension very lucrative. Michele

[David]

Originally Posted by steviefan59

hey Al...i cant give up my source but i have it on good authority that he was the reason she left...any one who went to the dance concerts wonder why all of a sudden they cancelled the remaining shows?

What shows were canceled?

Presumably, these were shows booked for after Nov. 30 in Landover, right?

[gldstwmn]

Originally Posted by Djwidow

IChristine put up the money for the Dance, when the tour began to tank and it was going to come down to going into HER royalties from the records, she refused

The Dance tour began to tank? This is the first I have ever heard of that.

[Angel69]

Originally Posted by gldstwmn

The Dance tour began to tank? This is the first I have ever heard of that.

Me too

[skuncles]

I just have a really tough time buying into this. I have heard several "reasons" why Christine left in '97 and none of them fit with the rest of Mac's history. One reason I heard was that she and Lindsey had been secret lovers for years and it drove a major wedge between she and Stevie, to the point where Stevie and Christine are no longer speaking.
Now supposedly she left because she didn't get along with Lindsey. I just find it hard to believe that Lindsey pulls that much weight in the band. That the rest of the band just stood back and said "What Lindsey wants, he gets, we're here to keep him happy." I don't buy it.
Christine HAS said she only did the reunion for the money. She hated the touring and had for decades. I got the impression that she beat herself up for not being there when her dad died. She signed on for the initial run of the tour, the tour was a HUGE success by most accounts, it could have easily turned into a two year tour. Christine had seen this snowball effect before (with "Rumours") and didn't want to get stuck in the middle of something her heart wasn't into.
True that the band is all managers and lawyers talking now, but I just don't seen Christine having a problem with one person and everyone else saying "Sorry, it's his way or you can leave!"

[GypsyGirl15]

One reason I heard was that she and Lindsey had been secret lovers for years and it drove a major wedge between she and Stevie, to the point where Stevie and Christine are no longer speaking.

I have always wondered why he looked at Christine like that during "The Dance"s 'Bleed To Love Her'.

[michelej1]

Originally Posted by GypsyGirl15

I have always wondered why he looked at Christine like that during "The Dance"s 'Bleed To Love Her'.

I don't think they were having an affair, but I do like to watch them during the concert. Many times when Lindsey is standing about 2 feet away from his mic and not singing, he is generally looking at Christine. Also, he and Christine were definitely annoying Stevie during Stand Back. She found them distracting, to the point where I often saw her glancing at them several times throughout the number. But I don't think her annoyance over that lasted beyond the length of the song.

It's kind of funny because in the beginning of the tour Christine would hug everyone before they took their final bow. Sometimes she would just walk into Lindsey's arms and they would kiss, but by the end of the tour she stopped hugging anyone. That was curious for me to watch. The progression.

On the Dance DVD, I love it when Stevie takes her bow and Lindsey and Chris kiss over her head, before she rises from the bow.

Anyway, as for why Christine left, Lindsey may well have said something to Christine about her piano playing, because he's always got a lot to say, for no other reason than to annoy his bandmates. But Christine certainly knows how to get Lindsey to shut up if she wants him to. She's not phased by anything he says and not afraid to pull punches with him.

Lindsey says that he commisserated with her about her wanting to leave in 1997 because (1) he understands survival moves, and (2) he wanted to finish his album. He claimed that he was the only one in the band who supported her decision to leave and that didn't make him popular with the other 3. Of course, Lindsey is always making these kind of things up, but no one disagreed with him.

Christine and Lindsey were talking about her work on the new album in 2002, because Mick said he heard them talking on the telephone and it was by listening to them talk that he began to suspect that Chris wasn't going to be involved in the project after all. I don't know if he means that he heard them fighting or he discerned Christine's reluctance or . . . I don't know, but they were talking up to that point. Michele

[David]

Originally Posted by michelej1

Anyway, as for why Christine left, Lindsey may well have said something to Christine about her piano playing, because he's always got a lot to say, for no other reason than to annoy his bandmates.

I always assumed he liked her piano-playing.

[MacMan]

Time to call in Myth Busters.

[michelej1]

Originally Posted by David

I always assumed he liked her piano-playing.

I'm sure he loves her piano playing, except to the extent it stepped on his guitar lines.

Actually, did Brett do anything during the SYW tour that Christine didn't do on the same songs? Because, I know Lindsey had control over Brett. If Brett didn't change anything, it's unlikely that Lindsey wanted Christine to change anything during the live set. I wouldn't know, because I don't really notice the music. But I do know that Brett was hamming it up during Don't Stop and played a couple of seconds with his elbow.

Still, Lindsey might have said something about her piano playing. Why was he saying things to Stevie about her Thrown Down pronouns? I have to think he wanted to get a reaction out of her more than he actually expected her to rewrite the words. He's not crazy. He's just devilish. Still, even had he the inclination, I doubt he would have it in his power to say anything that would make Christine run off the tour. She's not that thin-skinned. She's not timid. And if there was a show down between her and Lindsey, I think, it would be 3 against 2 at a minimum, because she'd have at least John and Stevie on her side -- not that Stevie loves Chris more than she does Lindsey -- but she'd definitely side with her. So . . . the group dynamics would work against Lindsey getting his way over Christine. But he often got his way and that's because Christine was not usually an opponent of Lindsey's anyway. If anything, she was generally an ally. She voluntarily indulged him -- which is what I always say to Lindsey in my imaginary, but frequent arguments with him: You had much more leverage in that band WITH Christine than you do without her. I don't know if he realizes this.

Anyway, I've heard Stevie say 2 interesting things about Christine and Lindsey and Christine's departure:

1. That Lindsey decides when he wants to be in the band and that it's up to the rest of them to say yes or no and Christine said no to Lindsey. That comment was interesting to me, because Stevie made it sound like, by leaving the band, Christine was rejecting Lindsey directly -- which I think is how Lindsey felt too. I think he felt personally slighted and hurt, though he never said anything like that.

2. Stevie said that in the end Christine knew that Lindsey and Stevie always wanted to sing alone together. So, that made it sound like Christine left because she was suddenly a third wheel. I thought that was strange. Actually, Christine probably also knew that Lindsey and Stevie always wanted to kill each other!

Michele

[jmn3]

Originally Posted by michelej1

Actually, did Brett do anything during the SYW tour that Christine didn't do on the same songs? Because, I know Lindsey had control over Brett. If Brett didn't change anything, it's unlikely that Lindsey wanted Christine to change anything during the live set. I wouldn't know, because I don't really notice the music. But I do know that Brett was hamming it up during Don't Stop and played a couple of seconds with his elbow.

I don't know what he did, but I couldn't really stand Brett's playing on that tour. I'm not a musician so this is hard for me to actually describe but it basically boils down to the subtlty (or lack thereof) of his playing versus Chris's. Again, I don't know how to exactly describe my opinion here, but it's just that, to my ears anyway, Brett's playing was more harsh (almost as if he's hitting the keys too hard all the time if that makes sense) versus Chris. The arrangements and the actual notes I would tend to believe for the most part were the same as they were in 1997.

[Remy]

Originally Posted by michelej1

Also, he and Christine were definitely annoying Stevie during Stand Back. She found them distracting, to the point where I often saw her glancing at them several times throughout the number.

can this be found anywhere on youtube?

[michelej1]

Originally Posted by Remy

can this be found anywhere on youtube?

I'm not sure what's on You Tube, but pull up any Stand Backs from 1997, if you can. Lindsey and John changed sides during this song and Lindsey positioned himself over by Christine's piano where they'd be laughing, talking and sometimes touching heads during the song and Stevie turned to look at them 2-3 times throughout the number. This happened every single night I saw the show, so it should be on any Stand Back that you can find on that tour.

Now, for the SYW tour, Lindsey stayed out of her way on his side of the stage, on the apron of the stage, playing it very low key. He mouthed the words to the audience at the side of the stage and didn't face front. I think he was trying to be unobtrusive.

Michele

[CADreaming]

Originally Posted by michelej1

2. Stevie said that in the end Christine knew that Lindsey and Stevie always wanted to sing alone together. So, that made it sound like Christine left because she was suddenly a third wheel. I thought that was strange. Actually, Christine probably also knew that Lindsey and Stevie always wanted to kill each other!

Michele

There is also the AOL sessions clip for SYW promo, where Lindsey said it took them "25 years to finally get to do what we wanted to do" (meaning he and Stevie) and that was in reference to Christine not being in the band anymore...and it's the only part of that entire "interview" that Stevie cracked even the slightest smile.

I thought that was telling... not that I think it means Stevie and Lindsey don't have a true affinity for Christine... I just think that it was an honest statement from Lindsey that he and Stevie were never really able to see "BN" fulfilled to the level of success that at least in his/their minds it woulda/coulda/shoulda been.

As for the Stevie and Lindsey killing each other - I've always thought that it was exaggerated a bit. Christine even said during the making of Rumours which was supposed to be so horrible that Stevie and Lindsey "got along quite well actually, especially when they were working on a song". LOL. Way to burst the proverbial BS bubble, Chris!

I think Christine left after The Dance because of the reasons that were given for the most part - she was tired and going through a difficult time personally in her marriage and truly wanted to retire from touring. It's not like she's hit the road since then on her own, which she could have done if she just wanted to ditch FM. And, we all know that in FM you're going to have to tour, because it's like being in the Army...

[michelej1]

Originally Posted by CADreaming

As for the Stevie and Lindsey killing each other - I've always thought that it was exaggerated a bit. Christine even said during the making of Rumours which was supposed to be so horrible that Stevie and Lindsey "got along quite well actually, especially when they were working on a song". LOL. Way to burst the proverbial BS bubble, Chris!

Well, when I say they could kill each other, I don't mean to suggest that anyone else could kill one of them without causing the survivor lasting grief and pain.

As with any close pair or group, I think that what looks like fighting to people on the outside is actually a form of communication and problem solving to people on the inside. I mean, I heard Larry David describing his relationship with Richard Lewis, someone he met at camp when they were kids. He said he could be screaming at Richard at the top of his lungs one moment and they could be deciding where they would eat lunch the next. It's not that the anger he might express at Richard at any one point is not genuine, it's just that what ties them together is so much stronger, longer and more enduring than any surface differences. But anyone that is not privy to the relationship may think they are more combative. I not only think that Stevie and Lindsey share that, I think that FM as a whole does too. Outsiders think they are more fractured and polarized than they really are. Years ago, Christine also said that based on all the Rumours press, people think the whole band is brawling all the time and that's just not the case.

I don't think Stevie and Lindsey were getting along that well while working on songs during the SYW production. I actually think they work together in a group of 5 better than when they do when they have to be one on one constantly, as in the current quartet.

However, in the end, I don't think it really matters whether they are arguing or not, in the long run. How many fights do typical siblings have and how many actually have a lasting impact? Now, I was only worried about SnL to the extent that it would keep me from getting new music from them. I've already got the tour. Now, I want Stevie to record with FM. After that, I don't care what Lindsey does to her.

As for Chris, on the 1997 Best Buy cd she said she considered herself as part of the rhythm section (as opposed to being the lead singer that she also is) and that she and John and Mick form a bed on which Lindsey can roll around and do whatever he wants. I think she meant that and meant it in a congenial, amused way, not at all a frustrated, fed up one.

Michele