1986 Christine McVie interview

[WatchChain]

I too was alive 50 years ago, as were many of my contemporaries.

Yet, somehow, we weren't running around collecting Nazi memorabilia to celebrate an authoritarian government that used fear, propaganda, and violence to systemically dehumanize and exterminate an entire population of people.

Delighted and enthused at the opportunity to be transported in a Nazi train car?
Amusingly wearing a Nazi uniform with swastikas?

By the 1970's, we were all well aware of these atrocious crimes against humanity. 50 years ago doesn't provide a hall pass to glorify hatred.

[HomerMcvie]

Originally Posted by WatchChain

I too was alive 50 years ago, as were many of my contemporaries.

Yet, somehow, we weren't running around collecting Nazi memorabilia to celebrate an authoritarian government that used fear, propaganda, and violence to systemically dehumanize and exterminate an entire population of people.

Delighted and enthused at the opportunity to be transported in a Nazi train car?
Amusingly wearing a Nazi uniform with swastikas?

By the 1970's, we were all well aware of these atrocious crimes against humanity. 50 years ago doesn't provide a hall pass to glorify hatred.

Well, let's just hunt him down and make him pay? Sounds reasonable to me.

[sarafield]

The interviewer asked her the old question, “did you mind having another girl in the group?” She said, “At that time, no.” I think she repeated “at that time” at least once more. That was kind of interesting to me. Good, candid interview, with so many details.

[Macfan4life]

Originally Posted by sarafield

The interviewer asked her the old question, “did you mind having another girl in the group?” She said, “At that time, no.” I think she repeated “at that time” at least once more. That was kind of interesting to me. Good, candid interview, with so many details.

You would make a great detective. Its that kind of statement analysis that solves crimes. Chris may not even knew what she said but subconsciously it reveals she had an issue with another girl in the band (at some point).
I think in the book Songbird it talks about how Chris needed to be convinced to meet Stevie because she was the most against it. Once they met they sort of hit it off. They had a great bond but in the early 80s I think Chris did not like the bubble Stevie was living in. She exclaimed in 1984 she was not friends with Stevie and they did not hang out and had not seen her in years. I think Stevie lived in another world and sort of took her relationship with Chris for granted. Stevie invited her to her insane wedding in 1983. Chris could see she was spiraling out of control with her self indulgence and all her hanger ons and kept her distance.

[Villavic]

Originally Posted by Macfan4life

You would make a great detective. Its that kind of statement analysis that solves crimes. Chris may not even knew what she said but subconsciously it reveals she had an issue with another girl in the band (at some point).
I think in the book Songbird it talks about how Chris needed to be convinced to meet Stevie because she was the most against it. Once they met they sort of hit it off. They had a great bond but in the early 80s I think Chris did not like the bubble Stevie was living in. She exclaimed in 1984 she was not friends with Stevie and they did not hang out and had not seen her in years. I think Stevie lived in another world and sort of took her relationship with Chris for granted. Stevie invited her to her insane wedding in 1983. Chris could see she was spiraling out of control with her self indulgence and all her hanger ons and kept her distance.

According to Mick, Being the lady in the band, a lady who first and foremost was a musician and one of the lads she just said, "Do me a favor as long as me and Stevie hit it off everything will be fine, 'cause there's nothing worse than having a couple of ladies in the band who don't like each other." But at this dinner I saw that Stevie was extremely sympathetic, and that the two girls were hitting it off real well.


And I don't keep my Bob Brunning book anymore but I recall it mentions Christine said during the 80s that she didn't socialize with Stevie (almost sure that's the word she said). I understood it was because Stevie's way of life at that time.

It doesn't surprise me. I dare say that the only member that kept in touch with some frequency in the 80s was Mick.

[Macfan4life]

Originally Posted by Villavic

According to Mick, Being the lady in the band, a lady who first and foremost was a musician and one of the lads she just said, "Do me a favor as long as me and Stevie hit it off everything will be fine, 'cause there's nothing worse than having a couple of ladies in the band who don't like each other." But at this dinner I saw that Stevie was extremely sympathetic, and that the two girls were hitting it off real well.


And I don't keep my Bob Brunning book anymore but I recall it mentions Christine said during the 80s that she didn't socialize with Stevie (almost sure that's the word she said). I understood it was because Stevie's way of life at that time.

It doesn't surprise me. I dare say that the only member that kept in touch with some frequency in the 80s was Mick.

That's because Mick was broke and Stevie had primo Colombian blow. He realized even then he needed her to make another Mac album and tour to get him out of debt. Chris bailed him out with $50k that only lasted a month of his bills. The rest of the band was set and comfortable and not needing to cater to Stevie.

That quote from the book is true but has been the blah blah story over the years. Of course it would be unusual to put a girl in the band that does not play an instrument and take center stage. Yet only Stevie is brave enough to publicly admit that. No doubt they hit it off and enjoyed being in the band together early on.

[Villavic]

Originally Posted by Macfan4life

and Stevie had primo Colombian blow.

I have not had the experience to compare both but, don't underestimate the Peruvian.

[HomerMcvie]

I've done my share, but have never been able to check it's pedigree.

[Macfan4life]

Originally Posted by Villavic

I have not had the experience to compare both but, don't underestimate the Peruvian.

You could be right. We know Stevie has been to Peru and unlikely Colombia.

[Villavic]

Originally Posted by Macfan4life

You could be right. We know Stevie has been to Peru and unlikely Colombia.

One thing I won't forgive Fleetwood Mac for is not going to South America. Maybe they wouldn't have filled big stadiums like The Police and Queen did in Rio and Buenos Aires, but I guess they could have played in arenas. Though I know the 80s would have been the best years to give a profitable concert, more than during the 70, we know what was happening in the band in the 80s.

Anyway, though none of them came to Peru, Mick did know about my country during the Rumours sessions :

There was one dealer who kept us supplied with high-grade Peruvian flake, and we were so grateful to him that I considered (in my state of dementia) giving him some kind of credit on the album jacket. Unfortunately he got snuffed executed! before the thing came out.

[Macfan4life]

Originally Posted by Villavic

One thing I won't forgive Fleetwood Mac for is not going to South America. Maybe they wouldn't have filled big stadiums like The Police and Queen did in Rio and Buenos Aires, but I guess they could have played in arenas. Though I know the 80s would have been the best years to give a profitable concert, more than during the 70, we know what was happening in the band in the 80s.

Anyway, though none of them came to Peru, Mick did know about my country during the Rumours sessions :

There was one dealer who kept us supplied with high-grade Peruvian flake, and we were so grateful to him that I considered (in my state of dementia) giving him some kind of credit on the album jacket. Unfortunately he got snuffed executed! before the thing came out.

Did not Stevie go to Peru around 1979 for a bit. I know there were no concerts there but I swear she went there in the late 70s or right before she started her solo album.

It is odd they never did South American dates. Usually bands will at least do Argentina. Japanese love western music so that was a tour stop. The band was big in Australia and they loved to hang out there. The band toured Europe from the early days. In Mick's book does he not say there were talks about them playing the Soviet Union at the peak of their fame?
I am guessing South America is a long way to go for smaller returns. But surprised the blow did not lure them there

[Villavic]

Originally Posted by Macfan4life

Did not Stevie go to Peru around 1979 for a bit. I know there were no concerts there but I swear she went there in the late 70s or right before she started her solo album.

I have never heard about it, and I just googled and didn't find anything. Do you remember where you read it?

I remember Mick Jagger and David Byrne liked Peru and they came in the 80s. Personal trips, no concerts. Olivia Newton-John got married in Cusco, near an Inca ruins, but that was in 2008.

[Penguin Emeritus]

Originally Posted by Macfan4life

It is odd they never did South American dates. Usually bands will at least do Argentina. Japanese love western music so that was a tour stop. The band was big in Australia and they loved to hang out there. The band toured Europe from the early days. In Mick's book does he not say there were talks about them playing the Soviet Union at the peak of their fame?

Not sure if it was in Mick's book, but I know john mentioned it in an audio interview i have, i think from 1987 or 88. they asked if he had any regrets about things he would have liked to have seen the band do, and he said at one point they had the ball rolling to go to Russia, to the point where their tour manager went there to meet w authorities about it, but "for various reasons that fell through. That would've been exciting. i would've liked to have seen that."

maybe better they didn't go, imagine if they'd been caught w drugs there!? yikes....

--Lis

[dougl]

Originally Posted by bombaysaffires
This appears to be part 2 of a 2 part interview.

Part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCvrwgIaJ3o&t=49s

Around 44:00 they get around to him going to Chile with Stevie, which the interviewer gets wrong. Hernan says they went together to Chile after the album was finished. It was risky, because political situation was bad in Chile then and they had some bad experiences. There were curfews, and he and Stevie were out when they shouldn't have been. Got surrounded by cops with machine guns, and Stevie put their car window down and the cops put an Uzi in her face. Hernan had to talk to the cops to get away. Afterwards Stevie called her manager, and the manager called a US Senator, and then someone called the US embassy, and embassy called her and said you have to get out. And so he and she flew to Brazil.

47:20 discuss Stevie and his mom, the mom told Stevie about some lost love relationships that she had had etc. Stevie kept a notebook during that time, and she gave it to Hernan after they split up. How it all turned into Bella Donna.
49:20 he says the song Destiny Rules is the story of his relationship with Stevie, and is like a "postcard to our time in Chile"
50:00 the Tusk tour had to start and he knew their relationship was over.

[Macfan4life]

Originally Posted by dougl

Originally Posted by bombaysaffires
This appears to be part 2 of a 2 part interview.

Part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCvrwgIaJ3o&t=49s

Around 44:00 they get around to him going to Chile with Stevie, which the interviewer gets wrong. Hernan says they went together to Chile after the album was finished. It was risky, because political situation was bad in Chile then and they had some bad experiences. There were curfews, and he and Stevie were out when they shouldn't have been. Got surrounded by cops with machine guns, and Stevie put their car window down and the cops put an Uzi in her face. Hernan had to talk to the cops to get away. Afterwards Stevie called her manager, and the manager called a US Senator, and then someone called the US embassy, and embassy called her and said you have to get out. And so he and she flew to Brazil.

47:20 discuss Stevie and his mom, the mom told Stevie about some lost love relationships that she had had etc. Stevie kept a notebook during that time, and she gave it to Hernan after they split up. How it all turned into Bella Donna.
49:20 he says the song Destiny Rules is the story of his relationship with Stevie, and is like a "postcard to our time in Chile"
50:00 the Tusk tour had to start and he knew their relationship was over.

Thank you Doug. Sorry I got Chile mixed up with Peru. I knew it was a South American Country. Sorry Villavic
I just remembered it was a country with really good blow.