Stevie Nicks finishes in a downpour - Charlotte, NC Review

What will I remember most about Lovin’ Life? Probably when Stevie Nicks made it rain.

by: THÉODEN JANES

The Charlotte Observer

May 6, 

There was a moment on Saturday night, shortly after Stevie Nicks took the stage at the Lovin’ Life Music Fest in uptown Charlotte, when I suddenly thought to myself, STEVIE, what in the world are you doing?? Stop it!!

To that point, the festival had weathered 18-1/2 hours over two days and nights without encountering more than a couple of gentle showers despite ominous forecasts. But then the witchiest member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame got just one song into her highly anticipated set and went ahead and said this:

“We have prayed for no rain all day — and every day for the past week — and look! There’s no rain right now.”

I knew, immediately, what was going to happen before the night was through. When the drenching downpour was unleashed over the inaugural outdoor festival a little over an hour later, however, the outcome took me by genuine surprise.

It was not something dismal. It was something divine.

Stevie Nicks finishes in a downpour

Like I said, she jinxed it.

Less than 10 minutes shy of 11 p.m. on Saturday — as Nicks charged through an encore that started with a cover of Tom Petty’s “Free Fallin’” and continued with her appropriately witchy rendition of Fleetwood Mac’s “Rhiannon” — a spitting rain turned into a spouting rain, then a steady one.

Anyone who didn’t have a poncho was drenched by the end of “Rhiannon.” It wasn’t letting up, either. Yet she refused to rush things.

“For this last song,” she told the huge crowd, which was sticking it out through what had become a monsoon, “I would like to tell you that usually right now I talk a little bit about Christine McVie, my friend that I lost awhile ago. ... But tonight, I’m gonna change it up. ...

“I would like to dedicate this song to the four officers that were lost,” Nicks continued, referring to those killed in Charlotte last Monday. “We came in just about when it all happened, and turned on the television and there it was. And I just want you to know — from the bottom of my heart — how sorry I am.”

There were other tributes from other artists throughout the weekend, but she’s the only one I know of whose voice started shaking as she delivered hers.

In the audience, rain surely camouflaged some tears. And for the next 3 minutes and 20 seconds, as the drenching continued, Nicks beautifully warbled through one of Fleetwood Mac’s most emotive hits: “Landslide,” with its timeless message about the changes and challenges of life.

I took my love, I took it down

I climbed a mountain and I turned around

And I saw my reflection in the snow-covered hills

‘Til the landslide brought me down

Friends and couples and singles danced in puddles like they hoped it would never end — this moment, this song, this rain, this show, this night, this festival. When it was over, they went home wet but happy.

Fleetwood Mac's Rumours is the best-selling UK vinyl in the 21st Century

The Official Top 40 best-selling vinyl albums of the 21st century from the 1970s, 80s and 90s revealed

The biggest vinyl albums of this century, which were released between 1970-1999 revealed.

Fleetwood Mac's Rumours has been announced as the best-selling vinyl album of the 21st century, from records that were released between 1970-1999.

As heard live across the country on Greatest Hits Radio and compiled by data from the Official Charts Company, some of the most popular and influential LPs ever recorded have made the list.

Despite never sending one of its timeless tracks to Number 1 on the Official Singles Chart (Fleetwood Mac's only UK Number 1 single remains 1968's Albatross) Rumours is one of the most successful and enduring LPs ever released in the UK - it's spent a total of 1,042 weeks inside the Official Albums Chart since its release in 1977.

This week, you'll also see Rumours is back inside the Top 10 of the Official Albums Chart, solidifying its status as one of the most popular records with the British public of all time.

According to Official Charts Company data, Rumours has logged 280,000 vinyl sales since the beginning of the new millennium. 

Number 12 on the top 40 best-selling vinyl albums is Fleetwood Mac's "Greatest Hits".

Full article at Officialcharts.

Fleetwood Mac's "EVERYWHERE" single achieves UK 5x Platinum status

Fleetwood Mac's "EVERYWHERE" single achieved 5x Platinum status in the UK today April 26, 2024 becoming Fleetwood Mac's highest certified single in the UK. 5 x Platinum represents 3 million units sold. 

Since 2014 audio streams have been factored into the certification process.

Fleetwood Mac has two Album in the UK Top 10

April 26, 2024 - Fleetwood Mac has two albums in the UK Top 10 this week.  "Rumours" jumped up to No.9 this week from No.36 on sales of 5,459 units following the release of the album on picture disc. Rumours was last in the top 10 69 week ago. 

"50 Years - Don't Stop" moves back into the top 10 at No.8 from No.15 last week on sales of 5,607 units. 

 

Stevie Nicks Features Prominently on Taylor Swift's Latest Album, 'The Tortured Poets Department

Fellow tortured poet, Stevie Nicks has written the introductory poem in the new Taylor Swift album.

All physical (LP and CD) copies of Taylor Swift's new album "The Tortured Poets Department" include Stevie's introductory poem.

Inscribed "For T — and me," the handwritten poem bears Nicks' graceful prose, foreshadowing what unfolds next. But there's more to the tale: Stevie's influence echoes through the album, notably in the track "Clara Bow." She embodies one of the "It" girls, evoked as: "'You look like Stevie Nicks / In '75 / The hair and lips / Crowd goes wild at her fingertips / Half moonshine / A full eclipse."

Their collaboration isn't new; they graced the stage together at the 52nd annual Grammy Awards in 2010, and performed Fleetwood Mac's "Rhiannon" and Taylor's "You Belong With Me." 

In a Time magazine tribute that year, Nicks hailed Swift as a reflection of herself, offering glowing praise: "Taylor is writing for the universal woman and for the man who wants to know her. The female rock-'n'-roll-country-pop songwriter is back, and her name is Taylor Swift. And it's women like her who are going to save the music business."

Just last year, during a tour performance, Stevie shared how Swift's "You're on Your Own, Kid" from the "Midnights" album brought solace as she mourned her late Fleetwood Mac bandmate, Christine McVie. "Thank you to Taylor Swift for doing this thing for me, and that is writing a song called 'You're on Your Own, Kid,'" Nicks said at the time. "That is the sadness of how I feel."

The Tortured Poets Department is out now.

For T — and me

He was in love with her

Or at least she thought so

She was brokenhearted

~Maybe he was too~

Neither of them knew.

She was way too hot to handle

He was way too high to try —

He couldn't even see her

He wouldn't open his eyes

She was on her way to the stars

He didn't say goodbye

She looked back from her future

And shed a few tears

He looked into his past

And actually felt fear.

For both of them

The answers ~ would never be ~

Ever clear —

Don't ask questions now

Do that later —

She brings joy

He brings Shakespeare —

It's almost a tragedy —

Says she "don't endanger me —

[Pause] Don't endanger me"

He really can't answer her

He's afraid of her —

He's hiding from her

And he knows that he's hurting her

She tells the truth

She writes about it

She's an informer

He's an x-lover

There's nothing there for her

She's already gone

There's nothing that can stop her —

She was just flying —

Thru the clouds ~

When he saw her...

She was just making her way —

To the stars ~

When he lost her...

Neil Finn discusses joining Fleetwood Mac in 2018 following the departure of Lindsey Buckingham

Crowded House leader Neil Finn speaks to MOJO about his surprise move to replace Lindsey Buckingham in Fleetwood Mac in 2018.

MOJO MAGAZINE APRIL 2024 OUT NOW

Drafted in as a teenager to join older brother Tim’s band, beloved New Zealand New Wavers Split Enz, before breaking America and Europe as leader of Crowded House, Neil Finn’s deep but accessible songwriting has carved out a unique place within the musical landscape over the past four decades, earning him famous admirers ranging from members of Radiohead and Pearl Jam to Elvis Costello and Mick Fleetwood. 

In this extract from our exclusive interview with Finn in the latest issue of MOJO, he discusses joining Fleetwood Mac in 2018 following the departure of Lindsey Buckingham…

Did joining Fleetwood Mac surprise you?

I was gobsmacked. I was 60 and I’d had a wonderfully diverse musical life when Mick called and said, “We’ve got rid of Lindsey, would you play with us?” I’d just done [2018 album] Lightsleeper with [Finn’s son]Liam so he had a vested interest in my not doing it, but he said, “Give it a shot,” so I auditioned.

What? Neil Finn auditioned?

It’s the only audition I’ve ever done. I went to Hawaii and Mick spent an hour telling me it wasn’t an audition, but it was. I was auditioning them too: I wasn’t sure it was the right thing, I was quite conflicted, but I liked the people and the welcome was universal.

What did you bring?

The naysayers said, “No Lindsey Buckingham, no Fleetwood Mac,” but I brought personality and the ability to sing with Stevie and Christine. I could never be capable of sounding like Lindsey but I put a similar intensity into his songs.

Have you had contact with Lindsey?

No, but I’d really like to have a dinner with him. There’s a lot of ill-will, but I don’t think he bears any towards me and I do think he had prior appreciation of the music I’d made. Hopefully, once he got over the massive disappointment, he’d have thought, “At least someone with something going for them is singing my songs.”

Who’s running Fleetwood Mac these days?

It doesn’t currently exist, but when I was there Mick carried the flag. He always has and he’s the heart and soul. Yet Stevie’s the leader in many ways, because Stevie wants it the way Stevie wants it and that’s the way it’ll be. She couldn’t bear to be in a band with Lindsey any more, but she still wanted to do it exactly the way he would have. It was more difficult for [Heartbreakers guitarist] Mike Campbell: she was really happy with the way it sounded between me and her, but she put a lot of pressure on Mike to be more like Lindsey. Sometimes Mike’s solos would go on and Stevie would get exhausted playing tambourine. She’d be, “Fucking hell, Lindsey only did 12 bars!”