That famous Dreams lick

DownOnRodeo · #1 09-09-2002, 08:13 PM

I'm always curious about just how the old FM songs were written, especially on Rumours. Oh to be a fly on the studio wall!

Does anyone know who wrote that guitar lick in Dreams? Was it part of Stevie's original Casio inspiration, or was it one of Lindsey's many musical augmentations to the girl's songs?

You know: C..... A G A D....etc
Dreams is full of unbelievable hooks flowing from Lindsey's guitar.
I'm not starting up a Who Contributed How Much debate, I'm just really curious about the notes - who wrote them??
.....I'm guessing Lindsey.

Les · #2 09-09-2002, 08:36 PM

Hi Joe,

This sort of addresses it a little bit. From Q magazine, May 1997:

Christine McVie: Dreams developed in a bizarre way. When Stevie first played it for me on the piano, it was just three chords and one note in the left hand. I thought, This is really boring, but the Lindsey genius came into play and he fashioned three sections out of identical chords, making each section sound completely different. He created the impression that there's a thread running through the whole thing.

DownOnRodeo · #3 09-09-2002, 08:51 PM

Unbelievable! (My suspicisions confirmed) Thanks Les!

LOL Christine is so funny, her interviews are so grounded, they always crack me up!

Hmmm...anymore song development info?!?!

BTW, I feel a bit bad for you bothering to dredge up that interview - do you have a scrapbook of interviews or something at ready to answer lame Ledgie questions??

Les · #4 09-09-2002, 08:54 PM

It's the joys of the Penguin's Blue Letter Archives to have so many great articles as resources!

(For some reason, I just remembered that particular interview as one that had quotes about how Rumours was developed.

)

wondergirl9847 · #5 09-09-2002, 09:40 PM

When I first glanced at the subject line, I was like Who licked? WHAT?? LOL Sorry, my mind is somewhere else apparently.

DownOnRodeo · #6 09-09-2002, 09:44 PM

Christy, tch tch (shakes head sorrowfully)
Whatever can we do with you.

lol

I guess it was a bit ambiguous!

wondergirl9847 · #7 09-09-2002, 10:03 PM

Am I the ONLY one who thought THAT? COME ON!!

I'm not the only WIERDO on this board....am I?

Street_Dreamer · #8 09-09-2002, 10:13 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by wondergirl9847
Am I the ONLY one who thought THAT? COME ON!! I'm not the only WIERDO on this board....am I?

:cough: Um... yes?

But you KNEW I would say that didn't you Christy?

Matt

wondergirl9847 · #9 09-09-2002, 10:21 PM

BITE ME!! LOL You know darn good and well you thought that too!!

CarneVaca · #10 09-10-2002, 08:51 AM

DownOnRodeo, what's the rest of the lick, while you're at it? I can figure out chords, but I have a hard time figuring out individual notes.

By the way, I think Dreams is emblematic of how Rumours came about, as well as much of what followed. Once a song got into Lindsey's hands, it was transformed from a mere song to a work of art.

Peace.

DownOnRodeo · #11 09-10-2002, 10:23 AM

Amen brother (re what Christone herself called 'the Lindsey magic'. I guessed it was so but didn;t want to presume, hence this thread).

Well I just muck around on my synth/piano (Roland XV88) and play FM by ear (most of my preferred songs aren't in piano books anyway). Here's basically how I play it. Hmm I think I'll listen to the real thing just before I get it wrong.

OK try this. BTW you'll have to translate the rythm for yourself I guess.

(Bass) A3 (Treble) C5....... A5-G4-A5-G4-A5 D4 ..... A4 G4 D4
C4 D4 !A4!

Pretty lame I know ... even if it is musically right, which it seems to be, sorry it isn't written any more clearly. Is there a way to post tiny mp3 files here? I can record my rendition and convert it to mp3.

Yeah the thing about Lindsey's licks in the hook-filled Rumours and Tango albums is that they ARE the chords... If you're playing piano, just have your treble hand hovering over the same chord as in your bass (up some ocatves though obviously!), or perhaps an inversion of that chord. You'll find that these MAGICAL/MILLION-SELLING notes that Lindsey seems to pull out of the ether are 'almost' "random" notes along that chord. Mind you I'm finding it comparatively frustrating to compose my own such hooks...stupid Lindsey, used them all up! Lol.

Although it's not FM written, it's still my favourite FM lick of that kind.. The one that appears at the intro and chorus of Seven Wonders.
This is in E.
(treble) #D E B #D E #C

Now... if anyone can tell me whether that was Lindsey's riff or Sandy Stewart's... that's what I wanna know!!!

DownOnRodeo · #12 09-10-2002, 10:25 AM

Bahahaa Christone! I'm not even gonna edit that. What a pun! This just recetly happened to someone else in oneof these boards.

CarneVaca · #13 09-10-2002, 09:20 PM

Thanks, dude. You rule.