Mick's book- the "Time" Band

[wetcamelfood]

One thing I just thought of regarding Mick's comments on this time in the new book is that he basically says due to the fighting with Mason/Bekka etc. he couldn't keep this going. So how come fighting was tolerated for Rumours etc. but not this?

John

[Mr Scarrott]

Originally Posted by wetcamelfood

One thing I just thought of regarding Mick's comments on this time in the new book is that he basically says due to the fighting with Mason/Bekka etc. he couldn't keep this going. So how come fighting was tolerated for Rumours etc. but not this?

John

I think it came down to money (or rather the lack of it) and artistic failure, don't you? I just wish that Rick had stayed and Billy had left permanently instead. No Mason/Bramlett incarnation, but maybe, just maybe we could have had a Rick/Chris/John/Mick blues combo touring smaller venues for a couple of years or so. That would really have worked, and people would have bought into the idea. Congratulations, John on your imminent 2000th post!

Mike (Scarrott)

[SteveMacD]

Originally Posted by wetcamelfood

One thing I just thought of regarding Mick's comments on this time in the new book is that he basically says due to the fighting with Mason/Bekka etc. he couldn't keep this going. So how come fighting was tolerated for Rumours etc. but not this?

1. Mick, John, and Christine were still dealing with the lawsuit over who owned the name Fleetwood Mac during Rumours.

2. The band had finally broken through and were touring behind a hit album when the personal relationships fell apart. They were able to use that as creative inspiration.

3. There's a big difference between couples breaking up and two people who don't like each other. Neither is pleasant, but the couples were able to maintain professional relationships.

4. Lindsey Buckingham was back in the picture by that point. A Buckingham-Fleetwood tour would have been more respectable than a Fleetwood Mac tour that didn't feature any of the Rumours singers while still relying heavily on that material.

Originally Posted by Mr Scarrott

I think it came down to money (or rather the lack of it) and artistic failure, don't you?

Probably. The fact is they never toured in support of that album, so we'll never really know what potential it had, if any. Given the weak sales numbers of the solo albums by Stevie and Lindsey, I doubt it would have done a lot better.

I just wish that Rick had stayed and Billy had left permanently instead. No Mason/Bramlett incarnation, but maybe, just maybe we could have had a Rick/Chris/John/Mick blues combo touring smaller venues for a couple of years or so. That would really have worked, and people would have bought into the idea.

The problem with that is Christine had retired from touring by that point. I wish Rick and Billy had both stayed and the band still brought Bekka on board.

The problem with the whole era, starting with the Tango tour, is that they were too subservient to the Rumours legacy, which was understandable, but not something that they had done during the previous personnel changes. They didn't do any Peter Green songs on the Kiln House tour, for example. As a result, the new members were allowed to develop their own identities within the context of Fleetwood Mac.

[wetcamelfood]

Originally Posted by Mr Scarrott

Congratulations, John on your imminent 2000th post!

Mike (Scarrott)

Thanks Mike, didn't even notice. here it is I guess!

John

[PenguinHead]

I was on a roller coaster excursion at Six Flags in California and was surprised to see that Fleetwood Mac was performing there, later that day,along with REO Speedwagon and Pat Benatar. I was both elated and skeptical.

I knew that Stevie, Lindsey and Christine were gone, and felt crestfallen that their status was now at level where they were performing shows at an amusement park with two somewhat has-beens from the 1980s. The only saving grace was that they were the headliners.

The show was fine for what it was. But it was a little disconcerting when they performed classic Fleetwood Mac songs. Most of the audience was likely very confused and not informed about drastic line up change. Only a fraction of the venue was filled, and I saw people walking out during the show. It was sad. I recall feeling so worried about what kind of future was in store for the band.

I can't recall, but I thought I already had the Time album when I saw this show. But I've seen some posts saying that the album didn't come out until after their tour.

[SteveMacD]

Originally Posted by PenguinHead

I can't recall, but I thought I already had the Time album when I saw this show. But I've seen some posts saying that the album didn't come out until after their tour.

It was released Oct. 10, 1995. There was BTM with Billy and "Shakin' The Cage" by the Zoo with Bekka.

[chiliD]

Originally Posted by SteveMacD

Probably. The fact is they never toured in support of that album, so we'll never really know what potential it had, if any. Given the weak sales numbers of the solo albums by Stevie and Lindsey, I doubt it would have done a lot better.

The problem with the whole era, starting with the Tango tour, is that they were too subservient to the Rumours legacy, which was understandable, but not something that they had done during the previous personnel changes. They didn't do any Peter Green songs on the Kiln House tour, for example. As a result, the new members were allowed to develop their own identities within the context of Fleetwood Mac.

Wasn't until Welch got in the band did they start adding Peter's tunes again. (and even Danny took a shot at singing "Black Magic Woman" for a while...that was pretty cool; he did a great job with it.)

Originally Posted by PenguinHead

The show was fine for what it was. But it was a little disconcerting when they performed classic Fleetwood Mac songs. Most of the audience was likely very confused and not informed about drastic line up change. Only a fraction of the venue was filled, and I saw people walking out during the show. It was sad. I recall feeling so worried about what kind of future was in store for the band.

It really WASN'T "drastic", the changes happened over the course of about 8 years...it wasn't their fault if you (the euphemistic "you", not "you" in particular) didn't "keep up". I saw them almost a year to the day before the Time album came out...(T-shirts & posters were promoting the "upcoming album Another Link In The Chain")...they were great! (even a guest appearance by Bekka's mom, Bonnie) It was a bit weird seeing Dave Mason with them...but I figured that would be the case, since it was their first (and what turned out to be, only) tour with this lineup. Knowing that they would have to play a few of the Rumours hits, I was really looking forward to hearing what this lineup would come up on their own.

What has really surprised me is that the show I saw was broadcast in its entirety on then radio station KLSX-FM, yet I've never seen a recording of the show in bootleg trading circles. Did nobody at the radio station hit the "record" button?

Originally Posted by PenguinHead

I can't recall, but I thought I already had the Time album when I saw this show. But I've seen some posts saying that the album didn't come out until after their tour.

Originally Posted by SteveMacD

It was released Oct. 10, 1995. .

I believe the last tour date was in September of '95...but the website I normally go to "fact check" myself on FMac tour related things isn't in biz anymore.

[PenguinHead]

Originally Posted by chiliD

It really WASN'T "drastic", the changes happened over the course of about 8 years...it wasn't their fault if you (the euphemistic "you", not "you" in particular) didn't "keep up".

Most people who go to Six Flags were there for the amusements and rides -- and not expecting or intending to see Fleetwood Mac there. I know I wasn't!

Many of the attendees who went to the show, did so on a whim, with little knowledge of the band's history and the various configurations and changes in the group.

I assume they expected to see the most famous incarnation of the band, and its most identifiable members: Stevie, Lindsey and Christine. For them, it certainly was DRASTIC (capitalized, italicized and bolded for dramatic emphasis, I guess! lol)

[PenguinHead]

Originally Posted by wetcamelfood

One thing I just thought of regarding Mick's comments on this time in the new book is that he basically says due to the fighting with Mason/Bekka etc. he couldn't keep this going. So how come fighting was tolerated for Rumours etc. but not this?

John

It was a very different time, different place, different people.

In 1976 the band was experiencing a huge wave of creative and commercial success. It's well documented that the chemistry they had was worth preserving despite the infighting. They had a future ahead of them.

By the time the of the Time, Fleetwood Mac's stature was in flux. Now they were old school. Two of the prominent members were gone, and the third one (Christine) was barely holding on. The market/music scene, as well as their image had changed drastically.

They're performing in amusement parks, with two other somewhat has-been bands. They hardly had the chemistry or constitution to withstand the tensions between them. It's not hard to understand why this configuration had a short shelve life. It hindsight, Christine's tentative presence was precursor

In circumspect, it was Mick's attempt to persevere; to keep Fleetwood Mac alive. It was another link in the chain; a place holder of sorts, which allowed the next chapter of the the band to unfold: The Dance.