The Katz Tapes: 1987 Christine McVie Interview

[David]

Originally Posted by Macfan4life

Who was the band member who's lawyer brought the first producer? Irving? Lindsey was supposed to come in and do his 4 songs and leave. After several days they figured it was not going to work and Lindsey took over.

When the project started, an engineer named Jason Casaro was slated to produce in order to allow Lindsey a little respite from those chores. At some point after Casaro, there’s a story that the band contacted Nigel Rodgers, the mastermind behind Chic. According to Mick, after a very short time, the band realized that an outsider was not going to be either willing or able to do things the Fleetwood Mac way.

[Macfan4life]

Originally Posted by David

When the project started, an engineer named Jason Casaro was slated to produce in order to allow Lindsey a little respite from those chores. At some point after Casaro, there’s a story that the band contacted Nigel Rodgers, the mastermind behind Chic. According to Mick, after a very short time, the band realized that an outsider was not going to be either willing or able to do things the Fleetwood Mac way.

Thank you so much David.
Who was the band member who had their attorney pick the producer (according to Lindsey). My hunch was Stevie and Irving. But during Tango Stevie fired Irving but maybe this was before the Frontline debacle. But if it was Stevie, that seems pretty brazen thing to do. But maybe it was Mick trying to force the project along. Lindsey stated that was what irked him. The lawyer almost forcing the band to make the record. That detail makes me think maybe it was Mick's lawyer?
Fascinating piece of Mac history.

[SteveMacD]

Originally Posted by Macfan4life

Thank you so much David.
Who was the band member who had their attorney pick the producer (according to Lindsey). My hunch was Stevie and Irving. But during Tango Stevie fired Irving but maybe this was before the Frontline debacle. But if it was Stevie, that seems pretty brazen thing to do. But maybe it was Mick trying to force the project along. Lindsey stated that was what irked him. The lawyer almost forcing the band to make the record. That detail makes me think maybe it was Mick's lawyer?
Fascinating piece of Mac history.

I don’t think Irving was in the picture at that point.

[Macfan4life]

Originally Posted by SteveMacD

I don’t think Irving was in the picture at that point.

Thats what I first thought too. However the groundwork for Tango started as early as late 1985. Stevie did not fire Frontline until before or after her RAL tour which would be mid 1986 at the earliest. So I am curious who Lindsey is referring too. He refers to a "band member's manager who is a lawyer."

[SteveMacD]

Originally Posted by Macfan4life

Thats what I first thought too. However the groundwork for Tango started as early as late 1985. Stevie did not fire Frontline until before or after her RAL tour which would be mid 1986 at the earliest. So I am curious who Lindsey is referring too. He refers to a "band member's manager who is a lawyer."

Obviously not JC, Dennis, or Steve Wax and probably not whoever was managing Lindsey.

[Macfan4life]

Originally Posted by aleuzzi

Great interview. Talking to her is like talking to a thoroughly pleasant, thoughtful, warm person. So un-Hollywood. No ego.

What gives this chat an added interest is the timing in the band’s history. So much uncertainly — which was unsettling but potentially exciting. I remember hoping TANGO would be the start of a new run of FM records with this lineup, but upon hearing it, Lindsey’s imminent break away, forcing the band to reorganize itself, was apparent. Stevie sounded like she had come to the (sad) end of her career, Christine’s (excellent) pop tunes felt engineered to BE hits as opposed to emerging as hits. And all of Lindsey’s material, save the title track, sounded as if it were recorded alone by him. Tango is a contrived success, a calculated project—but a massively appealing one.

What pleased me about MASK (which I otherwise hated) is to hear how strong Christine and Stevie’s vocals sounded minus the synths and engineering. The arrangements were generic late 80s fare but you could tell beneath all that that the women still had a lot to give…

Exactly! I agree with everything you said.
I cant get enough of this sliver of an era. Its so weird to listen and know what was about to happen. What also makes these interviews fascinating is the interviewer. It sounds like we are eavesdropping on a private conversation. Yes they were called to promote Tango but we get all sorts of juicy details. Its more of a conversation than interview. Few interviewers would dare call an artist's solo album underrated (even though he meant it as a compliment) but it really opened up Chris to express her emotions. There is no slick promotion or ass kissing in these interviews. When someone interrupts Lindsey at his house, the interviewer asks him point blank......where are you? We also get a timestamp on these interviews which is several weeks after Seven Wonders was released. I am guessing this interview was probably in July 1987 which was one month before things blew up. I remember listening to radio promos of Tango in May 1987 and the band was always asked about touring and Lindsey was coy but sounded like he was teasing and things were a go. In this interview you sense the tension about touring. Both Chris and Lindsey almost say the same thing i.e. some like touring more than others. Chris is so happy here while Lindsey seems torn. Just incredible historic interviews. Its cute and I love how Eddy always kept Chris updated on the music charts. Lindsey mentions how he kept track of that stuff too. My other question would be is Lindsey lying that its Stevie on Family Man? If not then what other song did he fake her voice? The controversial Everywhere topic? Enquiring minds want to know!

[Macfan4life]

Originally Posted by SteveMacD

Obviously not JC, Dennis, or Steve Wax and probably not whoever was managing Lindsey.

Another clue is that 1985 Pre-RAL interview Stevie does with her gloves that is famous in Youtube. Its filmed May 1985 and says the Mac will be going to the studio in November that year which she says is about the time she might be touring (in reality her album was not even released until November 1985). However, its clear she was aware of these recordings and starting an album. She was definitely represented by Irving at that time.

[tango87]

Thanks so much for excavating these - real historical artefacts!

It's really good to hear Christine and the interviewer defending her solo album; underrated is definitely the word. In fact, I was just thinking today that it's probably the FM solo record that I've listened to the most, out of all their efforts, which really surprised me, especially as I would always have said I was a Lindsey fan most of all.

There's something cohesive about it - it has a true band feel, and her writing is so good, so positive and melodic. It makes me very happy to hear Christine's voice upfront for a whole album's-worth of songs.

[SteveMacD]

I always thought it was ironic that her solo album was a true collaborative group effort throughout, but the albums she was making with Fleetwood Mac really weren’t.

[tango87]

I suppose that's a good definition of a team player - while in FM she was able to recognise and support the strengths of those around her, while keeping her own identity, but maybe her truest instincts were to be part of a traditional 'band'.

[aleuzzi]

Originally Posted by SteveMacD

I always thought it was ironic that her solo album was a true collaborative group effort throughout, but the albums she was making with Fleetwood Mac really weren’t.

There’s a lot of truth here. She made that record the way she made projects prior to TUSK—she engaged all the available resources and often deferred to her colleagues, even when she was fronting the project.

[aleuzzi]

Originally Posted by Macfan4life

There is no slick promotion or ass kissing in these interviews.

I enjoyed that aspect of them, too. It’s journalism, not PR-driven puff pieces.

[Penguin Emeritus]

cool interview. I still have to hear Lindsey's . BTW chris said John had stopped drinking but that didn't last too long at that time, unfortunately. in 1995 he definitely still was, around the dance tour he still was. for the Q&A's here I think he was in a 'trying to stop' phase... it has been a really tough battle.

--Lis

[Macfan4life]

Originally Posted by Penguin Emeritus

cool interview. I still have to hear Lindsey's . BTW chris said John had stopped drinking but that didn't last too long at that time, unfortunately. in 1995 he definitely still was, around the dance tour he still was. for the Q&A's here I think he was in a 'trying to stop' phase... it has been a really tough battle.

--Lis

That's ok. Stevie wasn't really clean either.

[aleuzzi]

Originally Posted by Macfan4life

That's ok. Stevie wasn't really clean either.

Neither was Mick, according to his own statements in his Two Sticks and a Drum doc.