Stevie Nicks was in the VIP tent at Taylor Swifts Eras Tour night 3 in Dublin June 30, 2024. During the show she performed "Clara Bow" for the first time, a song off her most recent album The Tortured Poets Department. In the song, she references Stevie Nicks. In the videos below watch Taylor introduce the song mentioning Stevie and Stevie in the VIP tent capturing the moment on her phone! Julia Roberts was also there, she's the blonde to Stevie's right with the glasses.
"You look like Stevie Nicks In '75, the hair and lips Crowd goes wild at her fingertips Half moonshine, a full eclipse"
“The reason I want to play this tonight is because a friend of mine is here who’s watching the show and who has been one of the reasons why I, or any female artist, get to do what we get to do. She’s become friends with so many female artists just to be a guiding hand. I can’t tell you how rare that is. She’s a hero of mine and also someone that I can tell any secret and she’d never tell anybody. She’s really helped me through so much over the years. I’m talking about Stevie Nicks!”
FOR MICK FLEETWOOD - the one constant figure and unwavering force during the entire 57-year journey of Fleetwood Mac- the last few years have been, by his own admission, a personal and professional challenge.
When the most recent incarnation of Fleetwood Mac-Fleetwood, John McVie, Christine McVie, and Stevie Nicks, aided by Neil Finn and Mike Campbell-played the last show of a year-long world tour in November 2019, the drummer didn't think it would be a final farewell.
"There was a full intention, without waiting too long, that we'd go and pick things back up." says Fleetwood. "That we'd play stadiums, big shows, and festivals... and then at that point it was heading towards us saying goodbye."
However, in early 2020- just after Fleetwood led an all-star concert tribute to late Mac founder Peter Green at the London Palladium - lockdown scuttled further touring plans. An even bigger blow to the future of Fleetwood Mac came in November of 2022, with the death of Christine McVie.
Though Fleetwood is open to the idea of adding a final chapter to the band's story, he is mostly resigned to the fact that Fleetwood Mac, or as he puts it "the mothership", may be harboured permanently.
"It's been a strange time for me," admits Fleetwood. "Losing sweet Christine was catastrophic. And then, in my world, sort of losing the band too. And I [split] with my partner as well. I just found myself "licking my wounds."
Then, last summer, Fleetwood's adopted home of Maui, Hawaii-specifically the city of Lahaina - was ravaged by a series of wildfires that killed over 100 people, and destroyed some 80 per cent of its homes and businesses, including his long-running restaurant, Fleetwood's, on Front Street.
“It was a hardcore hit for everyone on this lovely little island," says Fleetwood. "I mean, we're just Lucky to be here, but there was a lot of terrible loss, lots of people without homes, people who were badly affected.”
Nearly a year after the fires, Fleetwood says the residents of Lahaina “are making progress. And people are coming back to the island, which gives us a lot of hope of coming through this. It just takes time. Even I’m starting to think about bringing back my crazy little restaurant. It was a place where people around here would gather and commune.”
More recently, Fleetwood saw solace and found, renewed inspiration and playing music again. “I had to just get off my bottom, “he says. “I was sitting around twiddling my fingers for a long time. I finally plugged into the fact that I’m a drummer, I need to go play.” Fleetwood confirms he’s in the middle of making a new solo record, his first in 20 years. “And believe it or not, I’m actually starting to sing so God help you,” he adds, laughing.
In between work on the project, Fleetwood will spend part of the summer in the UK, where he's planning on attending Nick‘s Hyde Park concert in July, as well as shows by recent bandmate Neil Finns group Crowded House, and his old pal, ZZ Top guitarist Billy Gibbons.
"I'm gonna get myself a vicarious fix," says Fleetwood. "For once, I get to be a punter in the audience and see them do all the work."
Four hours was barely enough time for the Two Icons, One Night tour at on Friday night at Soldier Field. Commencing at 7:15 p.m. and wrapping at 11:25 p.m., the catalog-busting doubleheader from Billy Joel and Stevie Nicks delivered 37 songs in brilliant succession, but still left fans wanting more.
It’s greedy to even say. The two legends are an incredible 75 and 76 years old, respectively, and the fact they are still performing at this level is a gift. Nicks just returned to the stage after an illness that sidelined her gigs in Michigan and Pennsylvania over the past week and kept apologizing for being hoarse and “not her best” (she could’ve fooled us). Joel kept using throat spray and had his own disclaimers for not being able to hit the high notes in “An Innocent Man” (no one seemed to mind).
Such limitations aside, both performers gave it their all amid a winding summer stadium trek that also marked their first time sharing a stage in our city. The pinnacle came as they joined together to duet on “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around,” Nicks’s 1981 collaboration with the late Tom Petty.
Even while being able to hear “Gold Dust Woman” on the same night as “We Didn’t Start The Fire” was itself a total rock and roll fantasy, it still was a mere tease of the voluminous songbooks from two music icons who have been performing a collective 118 years.
“If it seems like I’m rushed tonight, I am,” Nicks shared as she opened the festivities, donning her iconic black velvet, witchy ensemble in the near 90-degree heat, and explaining she had to curtail her typically juicy storytelling between songs. She still managed a few gems, like recalling working with Petty, and the tale of hearing Buffalo Springfield’s “For What It’s Worth” on the radio years ago and desiring to cover it. Nicks did so on this night, using the track’s political overtones to pivot to an endorsement to vote, lamenting she didn’t do so until she was 70 years old.
The 14-song set was almost identical to her headlining date at United Center last June, with the addition of “Leather and Lace” as her gifted vocal coach Steve Real filled in for Don Henley’s parts. But something felt heavier on this night, in the wake of her recent interview with Mojo in which she declared there’s “no chance of putting Fleetwood Mac back together in any way.”
There was a new immediacy to hearing “Rhiannon” and “Dreams” and of course “Landslide.” The latter was flanked by a slideshow of throwback images of Nicks and the late Christine McVie. As their baby faces took over the screens, the lyrical line “even children get older” took on more meaning and became a cornerstone of the entire night. It was hard not to reflect on time passed, how much has changed, and yet how much this music and coming-of-age songs still have a hold on us.
As Billy Joel reigned in the second half of the night, that sentiment carried over. It hit a fever pitch on “Piano Man,” as Joel let the audience take over the last verse. It soon morphed into a spirited acapella singalong, thousands of camera lights held high in the air, as the capacity crowd begged him to “sing us a song tonight.”
Nostalgia waved over the performer during moments like these in the 23-song set delivered from a bare-bones stage. After serenading the crowd with a snippet of “My Kind of Town,” he thanked everyone for “making me a lucky man … I had no idea I’d still be doing this at 75.”
He also recalled a time when he could do flips off the piano, admitting, “I’m a little too long in the tooth now.” And he tore through some of his most gilded works, sticking heavily to cuts from 1977’s “The Stranger,” 1978’s “52nd Street” and 1980’s “Glass Houses.”
Other standouts included the opener “My Life,” in which Joel showed his never-wavering dexterity on the keys, as well as a barbershop rendition of “The Longest Time” featuring four of his multi-talented bandmates, and a rousing edition of “We Didn’t Start The Fire” with Joel on guitar.
Unexpected moments included a cover of The Rolling Stones’ “Start Me Up,” foreshadowing that band’s impending takeover of Soldier Field, and several of Joel’s eight-piece backing ensemble getting moments to shine. Among them was Gary, Indiana, native Crystal Taliefero aceing Ike and Tina Turner’s “River Deep Mountain High,” and Mike DelGuidice offering an unreal operatic turn with Puccini’s “Nessun Dorma.”
Friday night was an incredibly special moment to see Joel live — even if the venue was a big change from his home-away-from-home at Wrigley Field. The gig falls smack dab in his long-running residency at Madison Square Garden and just ahead of his 150th and final show at the legendary New York venue on July 25.
It’s good to be Billy Joel. The veteran singer-songwriter admitted as much Friday at a packed Soldier Field, where he and Stevie Nicks concluded the 2024 stretch of their ongoing Two Icons One Night trek. And really, how could he not?
Primarily seated at a grand piano that rotated on a turntable, and surrounded by a versatile eight-piece band, an affable Joel entertained a football stadium’s worth of people while barely breaking a sweat amid a punishing heat wave. Holding court with recognizable oldies, laissez-faire attitude, goofball humor and his trademark flyswatter, he inhabited the titular role of his signature tune, “Piano Man.”
Sure, the stage was far grander, and the tip jar transformed into merch stands hawking $100 sweatshirts. Yet the gist of Joel’s 135-minute concert connected to the feeling of performances given in bars everywhere by pianists who always take the same requests and still manage to smile: comfort, reminiscence and sing-a-long melodies that slosh around in your head.
At Joel’s outdoor establishment, nostalgia, familiarity and professionalism ruled. The most recent song he sang dated back to President Clinton’s first term. The slickest visuals amounted to the backdrop screens depicting an iPad revealing finger-swiped images of historical figures cited in the listicle anthem “We Didn’t Start the Fire.” Joel’s retro-minded approach proved wise. A production with the extravagance embraced by modern pop stars would’ve looked silly.
Besides, who needs choreography teams or pyrotechnics when faithful readings of doo-wop classics get the crowd on its feet? Or when a short snippet of “Hey Joe” — the bluesy revenge tune popularized by Jimi Hendrix — generated pleas for Joel to continue to the next stanza? With cameras panning the audience for reactions and consistently displaying that most fans knew every word to every chorus of Joel’s songs, following the work-smarter-not-harder observations outlined in “Movin’ Out (Anthony’s Song)” seemed a foregone conclusion.
No artist has more successfully traded on their back catalog than Joel. Though his contemporaries keep cranking out LPs, he figured out long ago that traditional release-and-promotion cycles could be bypassed without consequence at the box office. Joel recently said, for him, writing amounts to self-torture and fostered unhealthy addictions. With apparent seriousness, he also suggested that hardly anyone makes albums nowadays, which might surprise those who pay attention to the contemporary music scene.
No matter. Save for three originals, including one (“Turn the Lights Back On”) issued earlier this year, Joel effectively shut off the creative spigot decades ago. Rather than toil in a studio, he spent a majority of the past 30 years filling seats on his own terms. The singer ranks in the top 15 highest-grossing touring artists of all time. Banners touting his streaks of sold-out shows hang from the rafters of multiple East Coast arenas. Next month, Joel will end his unprecedented run of 150 sold-out hometown shows at Madison Square Garden, culminating a residency of the singer playing the venue on a monthly basis for 10 years.
Nice work, if you can get it. Joel mentioned he’s been lucky to do the same job since he was 15. Now 75, his head bald and neatly trimmed facial hair snowy white, the New York City native showed a levity that tended to escape him in the past. Joel derided one of his albums (“Streetlife Serenade”), placed his rock-star moves beneath those of Mick Jagger (a slowed and abbreviated version of the Rolling Stones’ “Start Me Up”), paused and stared at his watch to elicit a pun (“The Longest Time”) and jested about the lack of special effects.
He also half-jokingly offered a disclaimer regarding his uncertainty about reaching upper-register notes. It contained plenty of truth. Joel’s midrange and low-end scope remain solid. His falsetto, too, admirably blended with group vocals. But attempts at hitting or holding lofty highs failed. A rough ride through “An Innocent Man” found him not only ceding choral elements to others, but stumbling amid verses.
Fortunately, the vocal snafus were limited. Joel activated black-tie crooner mode for an apropos stab at “My Kind of Town,” stood on an imaginary streetcorner for the cascading doo-wop of “Uptown Girl” and unveiled tonal elasticity for the moonlit ballad “New York State of Mind.” Eyebrows arched and eyes wide, he often looked as if he was ready to bite into a tall triple-decker club sandwich when he went all-in on mid-tempo material. Ironically, the most soulful Joel got occurred when multi-instrumentalist/vocalist Crystal Taliefero led a cover of “River Deep — Mountain High” in the middle of “The River of Dreams.”
Brassy horns provided additional assists and paired well with Joel’s stable piano lines. Steadiness, sentimental journeys to fictitious neighborhood joints and check-ins with common characters steered Joel’s direction. Aside from a cover of Puccini’s operatic aria “Nessun dorma” sung by band member Mike DelGuidice, there were no surprises or diversions, and scant edginess to interfere with the breezy moods. Even songs about lust (the drab “Sleeping with the Television On,” the prophetic “Sometimes a Fantasy,” the clever “Only the Good Die Young”) blushed with a high degree of innocence.
“I am not an innocent man,” Joel declared toward the end of the show. Fair enough. His music and persona, however, thrive on that illusion.
Joel boasts more hits than Nicks, yet the Fleetwood Mac legend possessed more depth, charisma and grit. Almost a year to the day since her memorable 2023 show at United Center, the 76-year-old faced several challenges she avoided then. The opening slot forced her to trim her set and curtail her amusing song introductions, though she injected some storytelling by talking at a rapid clip. The biggest issue concerned Nicks’ voice.
She twice apologized for hoarseness and leaned on backing vocalists for extra support. Despite the shortcomings, which extended to overly sharp nasal deliveries, Nicks demonstrated why she continues to enjoy a late-career surge in appreciation and influence. Feisty and forward, the twice-inducted Rock and Roll Hall of Famer kept it real by presenting her raspy, warts-and-all singing without artificial enhancements. Her body language did the rest.
Twirling, curtseying, bowing, air drumming, tracing human silhouettes, leaning into a ribbon-festooned microphone stand as the wind blew her various shawls, capes and wraps: Nicks embodied a magnetic combination of physical energy and mystic mystery. After a threatening version of the serpentining classic “Gold Dust Woman,” she confessed her animated movements represented the struggle to live out the song.
For “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around,” Nicks invited Joel to step into the role originally occupied by Tom Petty. The duet lacked requisite heat. Joel’s tendency to stare at what appeared to be a TelePrompter scrolling the lyrics snuffed out any potential chemistry. Nicks’ collaboration with her vocal coach, Steve Real, on “Leather and Lace” fared better.
In terms of rock stars overstepping their bounds, one could fault Nicks for imploring people to vote before soon divulging she neglected to cast a ballot for most of her life. Yet given the way she attacked the cautionary “Stand Back” and raised her arm in triumph at its close, you might want to think twice before going after an icon who is having another moment.
Still, even a band that doesn’t shy away from motivational affirmations (see: “Don’t Stop!” “On With The Show”) might have to acknowledge that the passing of Christine McVie in 2022 likely spells an end to any subsequent reformations of Fleetwood Mac, a band that created spellbinding music for its reliably enormous audiences for over 50 years. Even Mr Resilient himself, Mick Fleetwood, admits these days it would be “a tall order” to do anything as Fleetwood Mac. “…But stranger things have happened.”
It’s the band’s incredible legacy that we celebrate in this 172-page definitive edition of our Ultimate Music Guide to Fleetwood Mac. From our curated selection of classic interviews, you can enjoy a vivid inside track on the band’s saga, its key players, and the drama that unfolded around them. As we dive deep into the music, our team of expert writers reveals the evolving Mac sound: from the melancholy blues tones of their earliest triumphs through to the sophisticated pop rock that brought them their greatest successes. In our foldout timeline, we take a – literally – sideways journey through the band’s career.
Fleetwood Mac always fought hard to field a winning team, but there was life for its members outside it and we have taken the opportunity in this edition to dig deeper into the solo careers of its members in reviews and interviews. In 2020, Christine McVie looks back humbly on her achievements and decides she’ll soon be shutting up shop, songs-wise. We review the erratic solo work of Peter Green while Rob Hughes tracks down the close associates who would meet him once a month to jam in his front room. We have tea on Lindsey Buckingham’s patio.
Excitingly, we also discover a long-lost conversation with Stevie Nicks. She and her dog Shulamith are being driven to a Fleetwood Mac rehearsal, while we sit rather in awe of her candour and insight. It’s a bittersweet conversation to look back on from the viewpoint of 2024. On the one hand, Stevie is out there now playing a well-received solo tour, where she hits her Mac songbook hard. On the other, her tender recollections of Christine McVie’s return to Fleetwood Mac in 2013 only remind us more acutely of her absence now.
“The second people saw she was coming back, the tickets just sold,” Stevie tells us. “I tell her, Chris, it’s all about you – everyone wants to see you. And we’re thrilled. It’s kinda fun to see it through her eyes…”
This special 2LP is back in circulation after a limited release in 2021 for Record Store Day. The fourteen-song album is compiled from the Fleetwood Mac Super Deluxe release, featuring seven tracks from the Tusk tour, four from the 1977 Rumours tour, and three from the 1982 Mirage tour.
Only seeing it on UK Record store websites, not sure of a North American release, so check with your local record store retailer if you're interested.
Track listing:
Second Hand News*
The Chain **
Think About Me **
What Makes You Think You’re The One **
Gold Dust Woman ***
Brown Eyes *
The Green Manalishi (With The Two-Pronged Crown) ***
In this exclusive interview with MOJO, Stevie Nicks revealed she is working on new music, her first solo project since 2011’s "In Your Dreams." (24 Karat Gold was released in 2014, technically a solo album, but was filled with previously written material from the past 4 decades). Nicks plans to enter the studio later this summer to record her new material, including a song about women’s rights and another titled "The Vampire’s Wife," which she describes to Mojo as one of the best things she has ever written. This new music comes after Nicks released "Show Them The Way" in 2020 and a cover of Buffalo Springfield’s "For What It’s Worth" in 2022.
Reflecting on the past, Nicks mentioned her emotional last performance with Tom Petty at Hyde Park in 2017, just months before his death. Nicks, who will headline at Hyde Park again in July, noted that tributes to Petty and Christine McVie are now a significant part of her sets. McVie’s passing in 2022 has profoundly impacted Nicks, who stated that it has effectively ended any possibility of a Fleetwood Mac reunion. Without McVie, Nicks believes the band could not function as it did before.
Nicks also touched on her relationship with Lindsey Buckingham, citing his health issues and the demanding nature of Fleetwood Mac tours as barriers to a potential reunion. Buckingham’s place in the band's last tour was filled by Mike Campbell and Neil Finn, with Finn expressing his surprise at being invited to join the band. Finn, who has since returned to Crowded House, supports Nicks' view that Fleetwood Mac is not currently active.
While Stevie Nicks is moving forward with new solo music, the legacy of Fleetwood Mac seems to be in the past, deeply influenced by the loss of Christine McVie and the challenges faced by its members.
The new date for Hershey, PA that was initially intended to take place June 15th will now take place on September 28th. All prior ticket purchases will be honored.
Due to illness, the Stevie Nicks concert on Tuesday, June 18 in Grand Rapids has been postponed. New date for Grand Rapids is September 24th.
Customers should hold on to their tickets, previously purchased tickets will be honored. Stevie looks forward to seeing fans on Friday night in Chicago.
Stevie Nicks: “Without Christine there is no chance of putting Fleetwood Mac back together.”
Stevie Nicks speaks exclusively to MOJO about the “devastating” loss of her Fleetwood Mac bandmate Christine McVie and what it means for the future of the group.
Speaking exclusively in the latest issue of MOJO, Stevie Nicks describes the “devastating” loss of her Fleetwood Mac bandmate Christine McVie and what it means for the future of the band.
“It was all stunningly strange because there wasn’t any lead up to it,” says Nicks of McVie’s death following a stroke in Autumn 2022. “We got a call, and I was going to rent a plane and go see her, but her family said, ‘Don’t come, because she may not be here tomorrow.’ And the next day, she passed away.
“I wanted to go there and sit on her bed and sing to her – which definitely would have made her pass away faster,” jokes Nicks to MOJO’s Bob Mehr through tears. “But I needed to be with her. And I didn’t get to do that. So that was very hard for me. I didn’t get to say goodbye.”
Since McVie’s death, Nicks has been adamant that she no longer considers Fleetwood Mac a going concern. “Without Christine, no can do,” she says. “There is no chance of putting Fleetwood Mac back together in any way. Without her, it just couldn’t work.”
“Even if I thought I could work with Lindsey again, he’s had some health problems,” says Nicks, referring to Buckingham’s emergency open heart surgery in 2019. “It’s not for me to say, but I’m not sure if Lindsey could do the kind of touring that Fleetwood Mac does, where you go out for a year and a half. It’s so demanding.”
Nick's own solo tour returns to Europe for a run of dates this summer, including her headlining show at London's Hyde Park on July 12.
“I do [Landslide] and we have a beautiful video montage of me and Chris,” says Nicks of her current set. “I can never look at it, though, when I’m singing, because I’ll just get hysterical and sob. The world is a little bit of an empty place without her.”
Although she’s lost several musical comrades in recent years, including Tom Petty, Nicks continues to find a connection in her band, which includes decades-long collaborators Sharon Celani and Waddy Wachtel.
“When I walk on stage, I couldn’t be prouder of my band,” says Nicks. “I mean, I would rather not be freed up from Fleetwood Mac, because of Christine. But I’m in a place where I can concentrate on my solo work. I can do anything I want now, and not have to worry about stopping and going back to Fleetwood Mac.”
At the same time, Nicks admits that “Fleetwood Mac is all over my set. Now that there is no more Fleetwood Mac, that opens the door for me to do other songs, like The Chain, that I’ve never done [solo]. I will keep the music of Fleetwood Mac alive, for as long as I can.”
“Rumours was a lot to experience – and all happened very fast. In a way, it still seems sort of unreal…” Stevie Nicks relives her rollercoaster ride in rock ‘n’ roll, from her first musical excursions, the wild success of Fleetwood Mac, solo stardom, fallen friends, Barbie, and more.
- By Bob Mehr
Read the full interview in the 11 page feature, only in the latest issue of MOJO (August, 2024).
Stevie Nicks' performance scheduled for Saturday June 15th at Hersheypark Stadium was postponed less than two hours before the show was set to begin due to “illness in the band,” according to a Hersheypark Stadium. Nicks’ performance is being rescheduled for a later date, which has not been announced as of Saturday. Hersheypark Stadium is advising all customers to keep their tickets while a new date is worked out.
The "20th Century Lindsey" Box Set by Lindsey Buckingham, comprises his first trio of solo albums in the 20th century along with eight exclusive bonus tracks is out now!
FORMATS AVAILABLE
Available June 14th as a deluxe 4-LP vinyl collection (and on digital formats). The vinyl is ONLY available from Rhino and is limited to 3,000.
The 4-CD edition is set to release on August 16, 2024. The boxed set includes:
1. "Law and Order" (1981)
2. "Go Insane" (1984)
3. "Out of the Cradle" (1992)
4. "20th Century Rarities" (Compilation of rare tracks)
All three studio albums have undergone remastering in 2017, ensuring optimal sound quality from the original master tapes. The "20th Century Rarities" LP comprises eight coveted bonus tracks.
"Law and Order" (1981): Buckingham's inaugural solo venture showcases his distinctive songwriting and production prowess, with him assuming nearly all instrumental duties. Notable tracks include the top 10 hit "Trouble," featuring Mick Fleetwood on drums, alongside gems like "Mary Lee Jones" and "It Was I."
"Go Insane" (1984): Embracing experimentation, this album features standout tracks such as the titular "Go Insane" and the poignant "Slow Dancing." The title track soared to No. 23 on the Billboard Hot 100, while "I Want You" captivates with its intricate harmonies and innovative production.
"Out of the Cradle" (1992): Regarded as one of Buckingham's finest works, his third solo effort dazzles with tracks like "Countdown," "Soul Drifter," and "Wrong." Praised for its intricate guitar compositions and groundbreaking production, the album garnered widespread critical acclaim.
"20th Century Rarities":This compilation of eight rare tracks is a treasure trove for enthusiasts, featuring elusive mixes and contributions to soundtracks such as:
“Holiday Road” (National Lampoon's Vacation 1983)
“Dancin’ Across The USA” (National Lampoon's Vacation 1983)
Notably, the extended version of "Slow Dancing" makes its digital debut nearly four decades after its initial release as a 12" single in Europe. Showcasing Buckingham's mastery of layered production and infectious melodies, it stands as a testament to his enduring creativity.
Explore the "20th Century Lindsey" Box Set to delve into Buckingham's distinct songwriting, intricate guitar craftsmanship, and trailblazing production across a plethora of tracks. This collection shines a well-deserved spotlight on his solo oeuvre, often overshadowed by his contributions to Fleetwood Mac, celebrating its fusion of daring experimentation, memorable hooks, and raw emotional depth.
We’re taking you inside the new Lindsey Buckingham collection of his solo music created between 1981 and 1992, including rarities and soundtrack songs! Featuring hits including TROUBLE, GO INSANE and of course, The National Lampoon’s VACATION classic, HOLIDAY ROAD, it’s all things Buckingham on the latest episode.
For the week ending June 14, 1980, "Sisters of The Moon", Fleetwood Mac's 4th and final single released from "Tusk" peaked at No.86 on the Billboard Hot 100. The single only lasted 3 weeks on the chart which is the poorest showing in terms of weeks on the Hot 100 chart for any of their singles released that made it onto the chart
Maybe the track isn't the most radio friendly, but it's still a great track... Cash Box got it right with their review:
The great white witch of Fleetwood Mac, Stevie Nicks, casts her inviting incantations over the Top 40 airwaves once again on this edited re-mix of the track from the "Tusk” LP. Lindsey Buckingham's guitar notes cry out like a banshee in the night, rising to a fever pitch at the cold close. Mysterious and marvelous, this is prime Mac. - Cash Box 1980
Nearly 10,000 people turned out to see the former Fleetwood Mac singer/solo star play at the MVP Arena on Wednesday night. They were vociferous in their applause throughout the evening, and the enthusiasm was justified as Nicks and her stellar band gave a fantastic 15-song, two-hour performance that touched on all aspects of her legendary career.
After coming out to Tom Petty’s “Running Down a Dream,” Nicks and band got off to a hot start with a solid version of “Outside the Rain” that segued into a crowd-pleasing rendition of Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams” and her own “If Anyone Falls.”
From there, Nicks slowed down the pace a little and indulged in some personal anecdotes and memories. A tight take on “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around” was preceded with a story about collaborating with Tom Petty on the smash single, while she prefaced “Gypsy” with a lengthy tale of how she and her then-boyfriend Lindsey Buckingham ended up joining Fleetwood Mac. In theory, a cover of Buffalo Springfield’s iconic “For What it’s Worth” should have felt unnecessary, but Nicks made it relevant to her own body of work by explaining how it was a song she’s wanted to perform since hearing it for the first time as an 18-year-old in 1966.
Nicks’ band was on-point throughout, particularly on a thumping, arena-sized take on “Stand Back.” It would have been the biggest rocker of the evening, if not for main set closer “Edge of Seventeen.” On the latter, lead guitarist (and accomplished sideman) Waddy Wachtel was able to shine. As the band vamped to open up the song, he cut loose with some extended soloing.
To close out the evening, Nicks played a couple of beloved Fleetwood Mac tracks. First up was “Rhiannon,” then a heartfelt, acoustic spin on “Landslide” ended the night. While Nicks sang, the video screen behind her displayed a series of images of her with her former Fleetwood Mac bandmate, the late Christine McVie. Upon its conclusion, Nicks told the adoring audience that the primary way she’s processed the pain of her best friend’s 2022 death is by going back on stage and singing, and thanked the Albany faithful for coming out to the show.
Throughout the evening, Nicks cut a dignified figure on-stage and sang with a vigor and warmth that belied her 76 years. Closing with a musical and spoken tribute to McVie was an elegant capper on an evening centered on songs and memories meaningful to Nicks and just as importantly, made for a moving coda to the Fleetwood Mac story.
Prior to Nicks taking the stage, singer-songwriter Nicole Atkins played a solo acoustic set. The rootsy chanteuse’s 30 minutes or so on-stage was delightful and her cover of Roy Orbison’s “Crying” was excellent.
In a rare, exclusive interview, Stevie Nicks relives her rollercoaster ride in rock’n’roll: Fleetwood Mac, solo stardom, lost comrades, Lindsey, and Barbie!
COVER STORY: STEVIE NICKS The ultimate rock diva on Fleetwood Mac fame, solo stardom, the “lost years” of addiction, and owning the stage, still, at 76. Plus! Mick Fleetwood offers a hymn to her… and a eulogy for his storied band?
THIS MONTH’S COVERMOUNT CD is Second Hand News: The Songs Of Stevie Nicks & Fleetwood Mac. Featuring Stevie Nicks, Primal Scream, The Twilight Singers, Vetiver, Dennis Brown, The Decemberists, Jonathan Wilson, Melvins and more!
Fleetwood Mac can always be found on several Billboard charts. Every week, the band appears on a number of lists of the bestselling and top-performing albums in the country. This time around, in addition to their successful full-lengths, one of the group’s most popular songs is present on one tally…and it’s given them a big hit once again.
“Dreams” rises one rung on the Rock Streaming Songs chart this week. The tune now sits at No. 10 on Billboard’s list of the most-streamed cuts in the U.S. that can be classified as “rock” when it comes to genre.
It’s not odd for a legacy act to see their most successful albums and compilations find space on the Billboard charts…but the same can’t be said for songs. Typically, singles have a shorter shelf life in the U.S. than full-lengths. While it’s not unheard of for a decades-old track to continue to chart, it’s also not common.
“Dreams” has thus far spent 228 weeks on the Rock Streaming Songs chart. The tune once climbed all the way to No. 1 in late 2020, when it went viral and became a smash all over again.
So far, “Dreams” stands as Fleetwood Mac’s only No. 1 on the streaming chart that focuses solely on rock. It’s one of the band’s two top 10s, as “The Chain” peaked at No. 5. Despite having a catalog filled with beloved titles, the band has only sent a trio of tunes to this roster. “Landslide” fills out their three wins, as it previously topped out at No. 14.
This week, “Dreams” is the only new entrant inside the top 10 on the Rock Streaming Songs chart. The other nine tracks that appear within the highest tier on the tally were already present in the region last frame, though there is some movement among the hits.
This week, Fleetwood Mac also appears on at least six other Billboard charts. The band’s masterpiece Rumours is falling on every list it carves out space on, though it’s not down by much on any of them. Their Greatest Hits compilation can also be found on several rosters, though not as many as Rumours.
Rumours and Greatest Hits this week on the Billboard Charts in the US
As with any personal achievement worthy of public merit. "The visitor" began as a dream. And it was Mick Fleetwood's belief in what he would find that finally moved five tons of musical and recording equipment to a little village in Ghana late last December (1980). Then, for the next six weeks, over 200 musicians from all over Ghana gathered in Accra to join with producer Richard Dashut, bassist George Hawkins, guitarist Todd Sharpe, and a Ghanaian percussion section in which the oldest player is 12 years. Mick Fleetwood's dream became a reality. "The Visitor" is Mick Fleetwood's triumph. But it is much more: it is a gift for the world from a place that never stops giving.
Mick Fleetwood "The Visitor"
Released June, 1981
Billboard Top 200 debut at No.140.
Peak Position No.43
14 weeks on the chart.
Singles Released: "You Weren't In Love" and "Walk a Thin Line" (Fleetwood Mac cover)
Ghana's Drumbeats Strike A Fleetwood Nerve
Billboard September 12, 1981
LOS ANGELES - With his first solo album, "The Visitor" which was made in Ghana with African musicians, Fleetwood Mac's Mick Fleetwood had at least two goals: to make an African-influenced album that mainstream Western pop audiences would listen to and to establish a link with Africa that will enable him to record there in future and produce African artists.
"The rest of Fleetwood Mac thought I was going to come back with howling in trees," laughs Fleetwood. "I wanted the album to be accessible. That was the point. If I had come back with a totally African album, I know it would have sat on the shelf in some little record store somewhere like some of these jazz albums. There's really no point in that."
Fleetwood, a fan of various types of percussion, had dreamed of going to Africa to participate with African musicians -for him, many of their rhythms are at the heart of rock music. He wanted to have selected African musicians perform Western songs mixed with traditional African songs. "I had a meeting with a Ghanain professor, a musicologist who was lecturing at UCLA on drum music," recalls Fleetwood.
"He played me tapes of stuff I could expect to hear and I played him stuff that I liked and had played on. I told him I wanted to go and be able to play around with material yet keep it pretty much as it was. We haven't taken any of the African songs and put English words to them or taken the melodies and worked in new words. These are their songs. I asked the professor if this was something he would find appealing or would the people be insulted?"
With the go-ahead from the professor, Fleetwood prepared to go. The African material was chosen in Africa while the Western songs came from a variety of sources. The single, "You Weren't In Love," comes from Australia. He and coproducer Richard Dashut found it while resting in that country before heading to Africa. "We were in a bar and heard the song. It turned out to be a huge hit for the artist, Billy Fields, but at that time it was just a demo," he recalls. "We asked the bar owner about it and he said that Fields brought it in just for him to play at his restaurant. We looked Fields up the next day."
Traveling with Fleetwood were fellow Western musicians guitarist/vocalist Todd Sharp and bassist /vocalist George Hawkins. Former Fleetwood Mac member Peter Green contributes vocal and guitar overdubs on one track. He doesn't feel this overlaying of Western styles harms the African spirit. "I wanted to participate with them," he says. "I wasn't going to pretend that I was going to learn to play African drum rhythms in two weeks. I wanted to be Mick doing something somewhere else and have people I met do things I wanted to do. I wanted to have them confronted with playing 'Not Fade Away' or whatever."
Fleetwood's work stylistically fits in with what Talking Heads' David Byrne and producer Brian Eno have done in terms of incorporating African rhythms into pop music. However, Fleetwood feels his methods are different.
"Eno was there when I was there. He was up north at a drum festival and he produced a Ghanain hi-life (an electrified form of African music) band. The rest of the time I think he was sitting there with his tape recorder getting ideas. It's healthy but that's not what I wanted to do," he declares.
"I'm not putting him down. I'm sure he has all the good intentions in the world but when you see how easy it is to steal from a certain situation you say `somebody should be putting something back'."
Part of his "putting something back" includes cutting the African musicians in on the royalties from "The Visitor" and lending credibility to the recently formed Musicians Union in Ghana. In return for the use of Ghana Film Studios, where the LP was recorded, Fleetwood and crew bought $15,000 worth of film for the financially ailing studio. The studio used it to document the Fleetwood trip and the film may air on PBS in the near future.
Fleetwood has already featured several of the Ghanain drummers on German television and two tracks on which Ghanains participated may make it onto the next Fleetwood Mac album. No matter how "The Visitor" does, Fleetwood is planning to bring out an album of a concert Fleetwood participated in on his last day in Ghana. "I'm hoping my album will open the door and then I can present an album which is hard-core. I like to think we can play a little part in getting people to listen to more diverse stuff without being frightened off," Fleetwood comments.
So far, he is pleased with the reception the album has gotten. The album has gone top 50 in the U.S. "I wish more of the African stuff was getting played - comparatively little of it is," he bemoans. "If they started playing it, people would probably start phoning like crazy. If `You Weren't In Love' isn't a hit, it might well be worth going for one of the African songs as a single. At least, it would get played a little bit. It is refreshing, yet it's not like having to listen to jazz fusion in X, Y, and Z key or something. It's easy to listen to."
Warner Bros. didn't think so. Fleetwood Mac's label declined to release the package so "The Visitor" is on RCA. "I'm not angry at Warner Bros.," he says. "I'm quite happy with RCA. It's just one of those things. I was surprised and initially disappointed. But in retrospect, it's just business."
For the future, Fleetwood sees returning to Africa and bringing some of the musicians over here. "I wouldn't mind going there and just using the studio to make an album which might consist of something devoid of using African musicians. I would do it just to be there," he states. "I really hope though, I can bring some of the bands over. If I could just get them on a couple of talk shows. I know the effect would be amazing. If some of the bands from Jamaica can do it, I know it's possible."
Mick Fleetwood (drummer with Fleetwood Mac) visiting and playing with master musicians in Ghana.
Produced by Sunset and Vine of London for the BBC in 1982.
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