Fleetwood Mac – My New Boyfriend

Music Box: In 1997, Fleetwood Mac Danced Again

*****

It would have been easy, even in 1997, to discount Fleetwood Mac’s Phoenix-from-the-flame resurrection. Yes, it had been, at that point, almost 7 years since their last quasi-hit album, the Top 20 Buckingham-less BEHIND THE MASK, and a full decade since their last Top 10 (1987s TANGO IN THE NIGHT). Their last #1, MIRAGE, was in 1982. But the Mac’s legend supersedes such frivolities. One should never underestimate the power of hundreds of millions of sold albums, or a Rock n Roll soap opera nonpareil. Fleetwood Mac might have been dinosaurs by the late 1990s, but they were far from extinct.

Of course, with all the turmoil that imploded the band, it was a pipe dream for any ardent Mac fan to ever hope that the classic line-up – obviously its most artistic, and not to mention, lucrative – would ever reform. McVie retired in her English castle, Buckingham was busy with his own career, and Nicks had her own solo career with varying degrees of success, half of which was riddled with drug addiction and recovery.

This lineup’s last public performance was at the request of the White House. Throughout his campaign for president, Bill Clinton used “Don’t Stop” as his official theme song, and President-elect Clinton requested the Mac perform it at his 1993 inauguration. But reuniting wasn’t even on their radar.

But, reunite they did, and the result was a wonderful live album called The Dance. The Grammy-nominated CD hit #1 and a refreshed, healthy, sober and exhilarating Fleetwood Mac embarked upon a comeback for the ages, mounting a monumentally successful tour and reigniting the world’s passion for the classic assemblage.

In the following clips, Stevie Nicks, Lindsay Buckingham, Christine McVie, John McVie and Mick Fleetwood are interviewed in North Hollywood, California, during their rehearsals that begot the CD and live TV concert. The interview took place on April 18 1997.

Enjoy these rare, behind the scenes interviews and performances from Fleetwood Mac!

*****

Music Box: Stevie Nicks – Lady In Red

Released in 1982, after a short hiatus following the successful TUSK tour, Fleetwood Mac’s MIRAGE brought them back to the #1 spot on Billboard’s Top 200 chart, something that eluded them since 1977s mega successful RUMOURS LP, which remains one of the Top 5 selling albums in history.

The first single was the Christine McVie/Robbie Patton-penned “Hold Me”, which reached #4 on Billboard’s Hot 100, and remained there for almost 2 months (it was the 31st biggest single of that year). With McVie’s husky, smoky delivery and her impeccable gift of writing great pop melodious gems, “Hold Me” remains one of Fleetwood Mac’s most indelible classics.

In the summer of 1982, with temperatures reaching more than 100 degrees, director Steve Barron (who had recently directed the classic video “Don’t You Want Me Video” for the Human League) took Fleetwood Mac to the Mojave desert to shoot the video for “Hold Me”; the video, like so many other videos from that era, makes little-to-no sense, especially when married to the song. John McVie and Mick Fleetwood goofily “play” archaeologists unearthing ancient guitars. As Christine spies through a telescope, Lindsay paints Stevie in the blistering heat, then Stevie paints Stevie in the blistering heat, who then in turn, traipses across the desert in her red platform boots carrying her canvas. It was/is all quite ridiculous, but the video was a huge hit for MTV at the time and remains a fan favorite.

Barron directed other classics of the early days of music videos, such as a-ha’s “Take On Me” and Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean”, but “Hold Me” is inexplicably left off of his Wikiepedia page.

In this rare behind the scenes dailies, Barron directs a breathtakingly beautiful Stevie Nicks for some of her scenes in the video. Stevie’s was the only footage I was able to unearth. The clapper board dates this as June 24, 1982.

Feast your eyes~

Music Box: Stevie Nicks Rocks A Little

*****

Interviewed in Los Angeles, on May 11 1985, a few months before the release of her 3rd solo LP ROCK A LITTLE, Stevie Nicks – the Rolling Stone-anointed “Queen Of Rock & Roll” – takes on a myriad of subjects.

In part 1, Stevie discusses the hopefully-imminent release of ROCK A LITTLE and what that means, working with her band and the recording of a few of the tracks in a Dallas church, with Jimmy Iovine, music videos (at this point, the first single wasn’t even chosen – eventually it was “Talk To Me”, which hit #4 on Billboard’s Hot 100) and touring, the surge of women in Rock N Roll that year and how Fleetwood Mac helped her become the rock star she is and how they protected her as “the little sister.”

In part 2, Stevie discusses her influence on other artists and how she hopes that, through her energy – if not her singing – those artists could learn something; her fashion influences (Madonna gets out of such comparative influences easily, Prince does not!), the admiration she has for up-and-coming newbie Cyndi Lauper’s strength and Tina Turner’s tenacity and fortitude. She also happily discusses her back-up singers Lori Perry and Sharon Celani (and “Minnie” – you have to watch) and how having them as friends and support make her life so much easier, and the relations and alleged competition between women in general, in music and in life.

She also discusses where her passion for her love of painting comes from, how it sedates her and grounds her and how it’s never been an innate ability or desire until only a few years prior. She opens up about how this passion started due to the sickness of her friend Robin (whom she doesn’t mention by name) and how she started drawing so, when Stevie could not be with her, the image of her drawings kept them connected. She “summons” Sister Honey for the interviewer (which can be seen in the next part of the video), a painting that has become a favorite over the years for Nicks’ fans.

The video is damaged around the 7 minute mark in part 2, but it’s only briefly – and you can still hear the audio.

In the final part, her painting Sister Honey is brought into the room and Nicks explains her origins and again states that this is all (painting, that is) still very new to her. Stevie is then asked about her “book that is coming out”, called “The Wild Heart” and its contents:

“A lot of poetry, it’s some journalistic stuff; it’s a lot of the actual nights of recording of THE WILD HEART and the experiences that happened during that 2-3 year period. There are some things from my Fleetwood Mac stash of 10 years of writing….the real essence of that isn’t in this book because that’s a book in itself…it’s my life, and it’s very honest.”

The book has a lot of “advice” and “philosophy” and a way to “give a little bit more of me”. She’s “very excited about them (her fans) receiving it” more than actually putting it out. (We fans have been wishing for years for any book from Stevie – but sadly, “The Wild Heart” was never published.)

She talks about what she does in her down time – which is a foreign concept to her. She’s been working non-stop for over a year and a half, and hopes to take a vacation when it’s over. She talks a little about love, and the possible resurrection of Fleetwood Mac and the bond they share…and how she liked Christine McVie’s solo album and loved the video for McVie’s “Got A Hold On Me” video.

Before the interview is over, Stevie wants to add an an addendum to her earlier philosophy of love, and how she doesn’t want anyone to misinterpret that it’s an impossible ideal – she does believe one can find it…one just has to look hard.