Mick Fleetwood's "The Visitor" turns 43

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.

Review Stevie Nicks Arrives By Helicopter To Mohegan Sun June 9, 2024

Stevie Nicks Soars Through a Night of Songs & Stories at Mohegan Sun: 5 Best Moments

The rock icon arrived by helicopter, with her Barbie, to put on a show brimming with career anecdotes and classics from Fleetwood Mac's discography and solo releases.

By Ashley Iasimone, June 10, 2024

Billboard

Photo: Mohegan Sun Casino

At 76 years old, Stevie Nicks — who breezily brought up her age a few times on stage Sunday night (June 9) — maintains the distinct, strong vocal performance for which she’s become iconic. She carries it through a showtime of about two hours, with a 15-song set and several stories spanning her fascinating journey in rock ‘n’ roll.

Nicks brought her headlining tour to the Mohegan Sun Arena, a well-designed, 10,000-seat venue in southeastern Connecticut that’s within the Mohegan Sun casino/entertainment complex owned by the Mohegan Tribe.

She has plenty to play, and so much to say — and with the life experience she’s had as an entertainer for so many years, rightly so. On Sunday Nicks was a lively conversationalist, letting her sense of humor shine while telling the crowd about her early days with Fleetwood Mac in the 1970s, how her debut solo album hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in 1981, and what’s currently on her mind in 2024.

Who wouldn’t want to hear what Stevie Nicks has to say? This January it’ll be 50 years since the 1975 lineup of Fleetwood Mac (with Nicks) came to be, a musical ride that followed humble beginnings alongside eventual Mac co-star Lindsey Buckingham with the Buckingham Nicks project, and preceded the ascent of her solo career.

Nicks’ concert at Mohegan Sun Arena featured setlist staples like “Dreams,” “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around,” “Stand Back,” “Leather and Lace,” “Rhiannon,” “Gypsy” and an encore of “Landslide,” a beautiful tribute to late best friend and bandmate Christine McVie. Mixed in with the chart-toppers were the singer-songwriter’s stories, almost like mini lessons on the history of Nicks’ path.

During a quick restroom break my husband overheard someone making small-talk wisecracks at the urinal: “She talks a lot, huh?” I grew up with a parent who’d listen to Fleetwood Mac albums on repeat. I could listen to her voice telling stories 100 times over and still find it soothing. We didn’t find the bathroom joke funny, but it was amusing timing.

As though she could sense what someone, somewhere, was saying, a charming Nicks was actually on stage poking fun at herself: “I’m trying, I’m making a big effort to shorten down my stories. My stories are starting to become as long as the show,” she quipped at the start of a 13-minute introduction to her performance of 1982 single “Gypsy.”

“Every time I do it, I mess up,” she said. “I take a part off, it’s impossible to understand where I’ve stopped and where I should start up again. I’m only sharing this with you because it’s part of the fun of being my age.”

“I’m so old … What’s everybody gonna say to me? ‘Stop! You can’t do this anymore!’ I’ll say, ‘OK. Fine. I’ll just go home and be alone in a rocking chair with my dog Lily,” Nicks said with a grin.

Below, see five of the best moments from Stevie Nicks’ concert at Mohegan Sun Arena. Nicks is currently on tour through June 21 in North America, then heading to Europe in July. See the full tour date list on her official website.

Stevie Arrives in Style for Her Show

Making an entrance with her long, cascading curls and signature black stage ensemble, Nicks launched her set with the energy of Bella Donna album track “Outside the Rain,” and then the Fleetwood Mac Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hit “Dreams,” from Rumours.

“We’re very glad to be here,” Nicks, live band by her side, said to cheers from the audience. “We got to fly in on a helicopter. It was truly magnificent,” she shared of her trip into town.

Even better? “I got to photograph my Barbie sitting in the window with the background of New York, and then here [Connecticut], the whole time,” Nicks happily reported — before moving forward with “If Anyone Falls,” off 1983’s The Wild Heart.

Yes, Nicks proudly has a cool Barbie doll that was created in her likeness by Mattel, in partnership with Primary Wave, which the star announced in late 2023. Nicks’ version of Barbie is fashioned after the singer at age 27, on the cover of Rumours. She was very hands-on in the process, even down to the Barbie-sized tambourine.

How She Got Her Biggest Billboard Hit & No. 1 Solo Debut

Nicks’ first solo project, her 1981 album Bella Donna, was done, she told the audience in the chatter between songs Sunday night, until Jimmy Iovine (who was her producer and then-boyfriend) told her she just didn’t have a hit single on the album.

“Stevie, I think we have a problem,” Nicks recalled him saying to her. “Well, you don’t have a single, and if you don’t have a single, then your beautiful record will probably tank,” he told her.

“And I’m going, ‘He’s so sensitive. He so nicely delivered that,'” Nicks said to fans. “I’m like, well, do you have a plan?”

His plan was to connect her to Tom Petty: “‘He has a song for you that he thinks would be great for you. He thinks it would be a great duet, and he would love to sing it with you if you’d like to,'” she said of her memory of the moment, sharing with the crowd that she definitely wanted to work with Petty. She continued her story: “He goes, ”Cause you know, I know that you’d really love to join this band. The first time you walk in to meet him, don’t, like, say that. Don’t go, ‘Can I join your band?’ Cause he’s gonna say, ‘No girls allowed.’ That was Tom Petty, that was their thing.”

“I said, at that moment, and I swear to god this is true — this is a new layer — I said, ‘I’m gonna prove you wrong. I’m gonna instantly, definitely be allowed into The Heartbreakers,” said Nicks at the show.

Nicks and Petty, of course, ended up recording “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around,” and she happily announced to the crowd how upon its release that year it “went straight to No. 3 in Billboard [on the Hot 100],” with Bella Donna going “straight to No. 1 [on the Billboard 200 albums chart].”

“Thank you, Tom Petty,” Nicks said to her late friend.

"Gypsy" Has a Glimmering Moment

Before playing “Gypsy,” from Fleetwood Mac’s 1982 album Mirage, Nicks recalled the interesting chain of events that led to her joining Fleetwood Mac in 1975. This was a 13-minute version of a story she’s likely told all too many times, but there’s a special charisma to her telling it in-person — all leading up to her introducing the song, a highlight among a crowd dressed in outfits inspired by Nicks’ timeless “Gypsy” style.

“There was a certain part of that beginning part, from 1971-1975, that I started to really miss,” Nicks confessed of her younger, pre-fame days, when she had started making music with Lindsey Buckingham and struggled to make ends meet, as her parents were not supporting her financially outside of college.

Writing “Gypsy,” she was in the mindset of nostalgia, and of romanticizing that time period of her life: “I kind of miss being a cleaning lady, in a way,” she recalled. “I kind of miss waitressing. I miss what I call the halcyon days … the wine and roses days. I kind of miss it.”

“This song came out of that. For all you travelers, and nomads, and gypsies, this is your song,” she said to a packed arena.

Stevie Gets Candid About Regret & Performs a Poignant Cover Song

Sprinkled into Nicks’ setlist on Sunday was a cover of Buffalo Springfield‘s “For What It’s Worth,” written by Stephen Stills and originally released in 1966. Nicks recorded a version of the protest track in 2022.

Ahead of singing, she used her platform to nudge people to vote in the upcoming election, something she failed to do for many years. One of Nicks’ only regrets — of which she has very few, she says — is not voting earlier in her life. “We should all vote,” Nicks told the crowd. “We should.”

“I didn’t vote until I was like 70 years old,” she said. “Maybe a little younger than that. You might ask, ‘Well, why? Why, Stevie?'”

“And I might say, ‘Well, ’cause I was busy,'” she said, hands on hips, mocking herself about a schedule of fittings, dinners and distractions, like Don Henley introducing her to salmon-pink lightbulbs. “It was so beautiful that I went out and bought a truckload of them,” Nicks noted. “They eventually discontinued them, so that was a huge bummer in my mind. Anyway, it was things like that. I was tracking down lightbulbs. I was busy! She was busy!”

Now she’ll make the time for it. “As I look back on it, I think, ‘How long could it take to go down and vote?'” Nicks admitted. “I think it’s a good idea for us all to vote. I will certainly vote. You vote, too … I’m 76 years old, so it’s like, how much time do I have? But you, most of you, anyway, probably have a lot longer than I do, so you don’t have the regrets.”

"Landslide," a Sweet Encore & Tribute to Christine McVie

After leaving the stage briefly, Nicks and her band returned for a two-song encore, likely the most-anticipated pair of Fleetwood Mac songs Nicks would deliver that night, “Rhiannon” and “Landslide.”

Her eyes glistening as she sang, Nicks delivered a beautiful performance of “Landslide,” the 1975 Fleetwood Mac ballad that’s more than stood the test of time.

As fans sang along, a video montage played of photos featuring Fleetwood Mac’s Christine McVie (many being snapshots of Nicks with McVie) across the big stage screen at Mohegan Sun Arena; McVie sadly passed away in 2022. With the stage set up in her memory, Nicks closes the show backed by the spirit of her longtime friend and musical collaborator each night she performs.

Lindsey Buckingham and Christine McVie Released 7 Years Ago June 9, 2017

 7 years ago today - June 9, 2017 

Lindsey Buckingham and Christine McVie 

released their duet album

Their collaboration began in 2014 when McVie rejoined Fleetwood Mac for the group’s “On With The Show” tour.   The pair went in to record new material prior to rehearsals for the tour and their natural creative chemistry was reignited.  According to Buckingham, “We were exploring a creative process, and the identity of the project took on a life organically. The body of work felt like it was meant to be a duet album. We acknowledged that to each other on many occasions, and said to ourselves, ‘what took us so long?!!’”

“We’ve always written well together, Lindsey and I, and this has just spiraled into something really amazing that we’ve done between us.”  Said Christine McVie.

The album was released on CD | LP and Digital. If you haven't heard it, I suggest you check it out. With Mick and John contributing, it's almost a Fleetwood Mac album. 

Below is a SiriusXM interview from June 16, 2017

Denver Review Stevie Nicks Keeps Her Legacy Alive at Ball Arena

Stevie Nicks Keeps Her Legacy Alive at Ball Arena

BY CALEB PAULSON

303 Magazine

The Colorado sunshine set the perfect scene for Stevie Nicks’ stop at Ball Arena on June 1st. Throughout her storied career, Nicks has developed a unique ability to connect with each rising generation, creating a legacy in music that fiercely endures the passing of time. Her fanbase spans generations and this was evident in the atmosphere — the music, the life, the person, all iconic.

The atmosphere in the arena was inviting, with strangers becoming fast friends as they bonded over their shared love for Nicks’s music. She took the audience on a mesmerizing journey through her life’s music and stories, inviting them to see the world through her eyes for an unforgettable night.

Part of the charm of Nicks’s shows is you get a true feel of her personality. Now 76 years old, if you closed your eyes, you might think you’d been transported back in time. Her voice still carries the same tones and powerful qualities from her youth.

After finishing songs, she would share quirky life stories, from lunches with famous friends to her love for a discontinued pink lightbulb. She could easily do a show just telling stories. She interacted with family members in the crowd, shared jokes, and seemed genuinely enthralled with life, showing off her extravagant shawls with multiple outfit changes and casually named-dropping other legends.

“Dreams,” a timeless classic, made an early appearance in the setlist. Despite being released over four decades ago, in 2020, the song went viral on TikTok, introducing it to a new generation and re-entering the Billboard Top 10. This resurgence proved that Nicks’s music, which speaks to the human condition, will always find a place in people’s hearts.

Nicks shared her long-time love for the song “For What It’s Worth,” explaining how it resonated with her and how she finally got to release a cover two years ago. The song is timeless, and Stevie is a reminder of the rich history behind the song. Making multiple outfit changes throughout the night, she showcased her signature whimsical style. With each extravagant shawl and sparkling accessory, Nicks exuded a magical aura. After the song finished, she shared with the audience that her ring fell off and that it was the only thing she could think about while singing.

Music has opened many doors for Nicks, allowing her to connect with people in extraordinary ways. She recounted stories of her trips overseas to give American soldiers iPods, which had a profound impact on her. This was followed by an impassioned speech supporting Ukraine and a heartfelt performance of “Soldier’s Angel.”

Her longtime vocal coach, Steve Real, joined her for “Leather and Lace,” and the pair shined together. His voice had the classic 80s pop tone, harmonizing beautifully with hers. Still, Stevie’s voice cuts through and soars above all other noise, demanding attention.

Nicks’ longtime friend and guitarist, Waddy Wachtel, delivered the iconic droning guitar riff of “Edge of Seventeen,” adding small flourishes to build the tension. He stood center stage while Stevie stayed out of sight, swiftly re-emerging in a new shawl. As she sang, “Just like the white winged dove/ Sings a song sounds like she’s singing,” the audience echoed back the oohs, creating a push and pull with the guitars and drums. Stevie’s hypnotizing melody over top put the audience into a trance.

The concert concluded with “Landslide,” a performance that made it impossible not to be overcome with emotions. It is one of the greatest songs of all time, and Stevie still performs it just like the day she recorded it. Pictures of Christine McVie and Nicks flashed on the screen, resembling photos any person might have with their best friend — a humanizing reminder that beneath her legacy, she’s just a person. The audience hugged and cheered as the ballad rang out, creating a truly pure and good finale. 

NEW: Lindsey Buckingham "Trouble" video given the HD treatment

Lindsey Buckingham - Trouble (Official Music Video) [HD Remaster]

 

Stevie Nicks "Street Angel" 30th Anniversary

 STEVIE NICKS CIRCA 1994

- Music Voice, July 1994 -

I've never really been an ardent Stevie Nicks Fan. Her voice has never quite done "it" for me, her lyrics seem somehow vain and her reality different than mine. Don't get upset, it's just my opinion- I'm used to pissing people off with my opinion. When "Buckingham Nicks" (the album was released 3 billion years ago, I associated with some of Ms. Nicks' relatives- they thought Nicks was God-head. A few short months later Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks, barely out of the cradle, were drafted into the supper group Fleetwood Mac. Coincidentally, their solo album never "went" anywhere. I never really thought Mr. Buckingham to be a great guitar player either- especially in the shoes of his Fleetwood Mac predecessors, but, so. what!

I don't have to tell you what was in their future, for it is now history, and a tumultuous one at that.

Presently, Stevie Nicks returns with her fifth solo album (not including her best of, "Timespace") "Street Angel". It contains, in my humble opinion, much of what we have grown to expect from her by way of songs. A bit corny, a bit dated-but she likes it and many of you, whom I mean no disrespect for with my opinion, will too.

"I'm totally excited about this new record," says Nicks. "I can't wait for people to hear it. I sit in my living room and crank up the old surround-sound, and it instantly gets me on my feet."

I'm not sure how much objectivity an artist can claim when listening to their most recent work of art. Most I have known may have believed, but have not really been. 

*I feel excited every time I do a new project," she continues, "I look forward to doing something different, meeting new people, making new music." 

Nicks has always been very lucky, possibly to the extent of not really being completely aware how "the other side lives," or how other musicians must survive and what they have to do for success. Though she has undoubtedly experienced hard times, both personal (as seemed obvious with her 1989 release " The Other Side Of The Mirror,") and professional- as with the very well publicized "goings on" during the late Fleetwood Mac years. 

In an interview I did with Mick Fleetwood last year he confessed to how himself and "the band" (not necessarily naming any names) partied very hard with both booze and drugs and whatever may have been available. Fleet-wood admitted never having done one gig sober until with his last band, The Zoo. 

This time around Nicks surrounds herself with some of the finest session rock musicians money can buy. The elite group in question consists of keyboardist Benmont Tench, and guitarist Mike Campbell - both of which have done hundreds of sessions with their own band Tom Petty & The Hearlbreak-ers, Andy Fairweather Low, Bearnie Leadon (former Eagles), Waddy Watchtel, and special guests appearances on the album by Bob Dylan and David Crosby.

Many of these names have appeared on a majority of L.A. recorded and produced albums by a list of "who's who" in the Hollywood rock world. From Joni Mitchell, Jackson Browne, The Eagles, Linda Rondstadt to Keith Richards, Barefoot Servants and literally dozens of lesser known names. I guess you could call it the L.A. Band or the Click.

This group, of course does not include Bob Dylan - though he too has been known to make a guest appearance here and there. Nicks insisted on having the man himself for her rendition of "Just Like A Woman."

"He didn't want to do anything on it... until I begged him. I told him; There's got to be some sort of spiritual connection. A lot of people will have never heard this song, and it's got to have you on it."

The only people more devoted than Stevie are her fans. Ever since it was announced that she would be doing a new album, Modem Records ( a division of Atlantic) has been getting calls regularly inquiring about its arrival. The same goes for many record retailers. It's finally here, but according to Nicks it's been in the makings for a long time. Even when Fleetwood Mac played at President Clinton's inauguration last year.

"I already had the title song in mind, for instance, I wanted it to be about people whose dreams have gone bad. I had an idea of a Charles Dickens-style character, a homeless women who doesn't want to leave the streets, and the rich man who loves her."

Fantasy? I'll say. But many songs start as just that. They metamorphosize into what we end up hearing after many processes, some mechanical, some emotional, some indescribable.

"It started with 40 songs, * she informs us. "We cut it down to about 17, all of which were actually recorded before going through the inevitable, painful process of eliminating the ones we thought didn't fit."

"We spent a lot of time on arrangements. We spent a good six or seven weeks sitting together in a room in my house before we even went into the studio."

Stevie Nicks has approached music as an art, as an affair and finally as a profession- love her or not. She is currently working on a book to be entitled "Dreams, Stories and Poems." Isn't it just like a woman to have a title for a book which is merely a concept.

That certainly is one department where Stevie Nicks has never been challenged. She always remained very representative of feminism. She has always been quite a woman. Nicks plans to include some drawings and photographs in her book.

Just like her music, I'm sure her loving fans will "eat" up her book. To some, Stevie Nicks can do no wrong - which, l guess, is what the world is all about. Isn't it. 

'That's exactly what makes it all worth it, " she comments. "What I get back from those who listen to my music can not ever be measured. It's all about love and trust and acceptance, and it's completely priceless."

Street Angel was released in North America, June 7, 1994. 

2024 marks the 30th Anniversary of it's release.