Lindsay Buckingham – My New Boyfriend

Music Box: In 1997, Fleetwood Mac Danced Again

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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!

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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~