Mike Campbell didn't know Lindsey was fired

[sodascouts]

Originally Posted by The Catdancer

Tell me about the Mick Fleetwood phone call that started this new journey with Fleetwood Mac.

It was about four months after Tom had passed away and I have my own band (The Dirty Knobs) and I have a record coming out and I was planning on just addressing that, doing that full time. I didn’t really have any other plans. I was sitting in my backyard and my phone rang and I had met Mick once or twice at sessions or whatever but we weren’t like friends or anything. He said hi, how you doing, Lindsey has left the band … it’s what he told me, I didn’t know that he was asked to leave … so he says would you be interested in joining Fleetwood Mac? He said this is not coming from Stevie, it’s coming from me and I have been listening to your catalogue and this is not an audition, if you want it, we would love to have you. I said give me a day to think about it. I thought over the whole Lindsey aspect of it and thought, this is a good thing. So I called back and said yeah and it has been a wonderful experience. It’s the best rhythm section, longest lasting rhythm section of all time. No one else has lasted that long in rock ’n’ roll and they are beautiful. It’s a magical feel that they have and I get to play with them every night. What a joy for a guitar player! The songs are great and Stevie and I have a great history together. We’ve written songs, we get along. Of course we then bring Neil Finn in to help with the vocals and he’s just a charming dude, we get along great. Christine, John, they are just wonderful people and we have a blast every night. I know it is hard for them losing a member, I have lost a member. It’s sad but you have to carry on and I think we are doing a good job.

I have to say, the Mike-didn't-know narrative really surprises me. My theory had been all along that Stevie would never have kicked Lindsey out unless she had already secured her "Heartbreaker" replacement.

Lindsey's guitar skills can't be replaced with just any player (I'd argue he can't be replaced, period, but at any rate) - Stevie at least would realize she would need someone special, and in her mind, no one is more special than a Heartbreaker. It has always been her fantasy to be a Heartbreaker. So what would they have done if Mike had said no and her little fantasy hadn't worked out? Auditioned a bunch of guitarists? I suppose so, but it just seems like something Stevie would have been reluctant to do right before a huge tour.

I guess it was just really convenient and lucky that Mike didn't have any other commitments....