Christine Mcvie

Could it really, really be?

If y'all want an unheralded example of what she could do with voice and piano, check this out:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R43ZTRVZjfc

That's lovely. Here's one of my favorites.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-RQC2mPvmEs

And the songbirds are singing,
Like they know the score

just thinkin bout “songbird” atm.. *tears*

My favorite version: her voice higher, slightly ragged, but so damn pure. A pro.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eLRyYETnoIE

I've only two words, "Brown Eyes".

What A (Albeit Unintentional) Way To Sign Off!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RH83Y20y70U

You opened the door
And I stepped in
Not knowing where I'm going
But I know I'm gonna win
I can fly again
Got the freedom in my mouth
Travellin' girl is movin' north, west, east, and south

I want it all

Omg the wordless chorus of Brown Eyes, geez

Can anyone explain to me what it is about the rhythm section of Fleetwood Mac that so entirely rules? I don’t really have the musicologist words for it but I know it’s there

It’s in the off-beats in “brown eyes” for example — I feel like you wouldn’t get those touches with a conventional rhythm section

Fleetwood plays slightly behind the beat but has an instinct for the punctuative roll or fill that other bands would kill for.

mcvie’s power (that signature doubled root note on the 1) and telepathic chemistry with him means that even the most delicate fm song grooves like crazy

Forgot about Willie's record with Ryan Adams & The Cardinals that covers and takes it name from "Songbird"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcEsdI-ifMA

Yeah, Soto otm re: Mick's gifts. And John, he's pretty great, too, of course; iirc Mike Mills had a "what would John McVie do?" maxim. I think in their case as a rhythm section, it could be the result of all those formative years woodshedding, which helps them swing and shuffle through stuff like "Over My Head." Though keep in mind that c. "Tusk" specifically, Bucky was pushing Mick in pretty weird directions, and around "Mirage" and "Tango" I suspect there was a lot of studio magic at work on the drums, when it's even Mick.

He's barely on Tango. It's definitely him on "Little Lies," "Seven Wonders," and the title track, but the rhythm tracks on "Big Love" and "Everywhere" and "Isn't It Midnight" and "You and I" sound like drum machines.

Nice note from latter-day bandmate Mike Campbell:

Oh dear…..sweet Christine has left us…..that voice, those eyes, that smile. No one like her in the universe.
I remember in rehearsal once after playing “I’d Rather Go Blind,” she looked at me and said, “I like playing the blues with you, Mike.” I’ve never met anyone with such an angelic aura. Always so kind to everyone.

We will all miss you so…..no one could ever fill those shoes….
Mike

That’s great!

Has...there been a comment from Mr. Buckingham yet?

Neil Finn posted a nice note.

xp Probably coming. I guess they were all very close but I thought that might be especially true with Christine and Lindsey based on how closely they worked together.

Platonically I should emphasize

Jeff Tweedy substack tribute with covers - "Little Lies" in front of the paywall: https://jefftweedy.substack.com/p/christine-mcvie

In an interview last year promoting his album, Buckingham said (I paraphrase) that he grew to really admire McVie's songcraft after working so closely on the 2017 album; he said he genuinely loved taking the time to arrange her songs.

the 2017 album was Bucky, McVie, Mick and Xtine… but you can't call it Fleetwood Mac. Stevie has said a number of times that she doesn't want to record new music any more, because the massive budgeted studio method they emblemized can no longer provide her a return she considers sufficient, but the 2017 was evidently done in a cost efficient manner. But no, that could not be called a Fleetwood Mac record. Whereas Xtine left for 15 years but they could call it Fleetwood Mac, and when Bucky leaves, ditto. Perhaps Irving Azoff has concluded there can be no Fleetwood Mac without Stevie, but it's just as likely that's what she thinks.

Xtine kinda stuck with organ and piano, huh? does anyone know if she fucked with synths on any of the records? Seems to me that the intros for "Little Lies" and "everywhere" would be Lindsey or Dashut or someone like that? Or am I wrong?

She's definitely playing the handful of synth parts on the 1975 album and Rumours, probably played less of the programmed stuff by the time of Tango.

My favorite video of Christine McVie and Stevie Nicks blasted all the way to mars pic.twitter.com/dpFloDpemo

— erb (@bentleyliz2) November 30, 2022

Xtine kinda stuck with organ and piano, huh? does anyone know if she fucked with synths on any of the records? Seems to me that the intros for "Little Lies" and "everywhere" would be Lindsey or Dashut or someone like that? Or am I wrong?

― veronica moser, Thursday, December 1, 2022 3:20 PM (fifteen minutes ago) bookmarkflaglink

She's definitely playing the handful of synth parts on the 1975 album and Rumours, probably played less of the programmed stuff by the time of Tango.

― Halfway there but for you, Thursday, December 1, 2022

She's credited with ARP as far back as Heroes Are Hard to Find.

She could also kick out the jams on accordion!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5HQ2sEqZZE

Steve Winwood on FB:

“Christine was a lovely lady. I knew her briefly in the early days of the blues and folk scene in Birmingham, then later in the mid 80s when she lived in L.A., and shortly after I was lucky and privileged to play on one of her solo albums.

She had a beautiful alto voice that had elements of blues and church choral music, which in many ways set her apart from some of her melismatic contemporaries. Her beautiful, syllabic style was a joy to listen to. Together with her engaging, heartfelt songs she will be greatly missed. R.I.P. Christine” - SW

...some of her melismatic contemporaries OTM. Listening to the Christine Perfect album yesterday for the first time in a long time, it struck me that while she was of the British blues boom, she's never exactly emulating Etta James or Tina Turner on the songs of theirs she covered. She replaced the overemoting of many of her contemporaries with a sort of "coolness" that served her well as Mac became a pop band.

That's the best thing Winwood's ever written, including "Valerie."

There are definitely some good tracks on Chicken Shack's "Blue Horizon Sessions" collection.

I've always thought Christine's take on "I'd Rather Go Blind" was very beautiful and definitely shows the laid back coolness of the delivery. I got to think she liked some Dusty Springfield and maybe in a different set of circumstances, you could see some US label signing her like they did Rod Stewart out of that scene.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ao9HpsXfuzY

I remember Sony sneaking that track on to The Best of Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac CD from 2002. A cheat, but a welcome one.

Lindsey has now posted a handwritten message:

Christine McVie’s sudden passing is profoundly heartbreaking. Not only were she and I part of the magical family of Fleetwood Mac, to me Christine was a musical comrade, a friend, a soul mate, a sister. For over four decades, we helped each other create a beautiful body of work and a lasting legacy that continues to resonate today. I feel very lucky to have known her. Though she will be deeply missed, her spirit will live on through that body of work and that legacy.

rip :(

so sad :'(

My obit: https://www.billboard.com/music/rock/christine-mcvie-dead-appreciation-fleetwood-mac-1235179553/

Erin Osmon with some grand thoughts

https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/music/story/2022-12-01/fleetwood-mac-christine-mcvie-stevie-nicks

There's a picture in that LA Times article of Christine onstage in 1977 playing a tom-tom, what song could they be performing?

That's a good question. Supposedly Atlanta GA, 1977. She would step out front for World Turning, but usually with maracas.... for the jam sesh portion Mick would come out with a talking drum or whatever so that's my first guess- an unusual jam part of World Turning.

My only other guess is it could be a proto Sisters of the Moon.... what? I looked for some more pictures of this show by the same photographer, and one of the results is a shot of Lindsey with short hair and no beard, playing a Les Paul. He went with his new look when they started Tusk in 78, but stopped playing Les Pauls by 79, IIRC. Assuming the city is correct this could be from 8/29/78. Sisters is the only new song in that setlist and it is a song that Stevie holds a cowbell for. Maybe C hadn't worked out her part yet?

the 16 songs she takes lead vocal on (15 of which she wrote) from their 1971-1974 period would make a classic double LP.

probably someone more knowledgeable than me might know this: how often did the band revisit those tracks after buckingham/nicks arrived? so many of those tracks could have fit in beautifully on the s/t or rumours or tusk. it remains sort of a lost era (for the entire band, really.)

There are live takes of "Why", "Spare Me A Little of Your Love" and "Station Man" (among other early tracks) on the deluxe S/T album box, but I think the Christine stuff from that era didn't last much longer as concert material once Rumours came along.

Hadn't seen this before. Paul Bartel!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DnuKxTff55s

Even for 1984 that's a lot of makeup.

I love when Fleetwood Mac (as a band and solo) goes country.

I saw that in 1984 on my local video show! Obviously someone thought that it could be of interest to an audience of 12-year olds. That was before the advent of "mature" rock videos for older artists and audiences.

If you can believe it, "Got a Hold On Me" was in heavy rotation in early 1984.

Even for 1984 that's a lot of makeup shoulder pads.

It was either make that video, or do a six episode arc as Lady Christine Thistlewick on Dynasty.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjH84W_-V1c

Bob Welch w/Christine & Mick in '81