Before joining Fleetwood Mac, Christine McVie recorded a solo album titled Christine Perfect in 1970.[4] However, she later expressed a strong dislike for her debut album,[6] and explained that she did not intend to launch that "first, disastrous solo career," arguing that she was "very immature emotionally", was not "at all ready for it",[4] and that she did not feel "artistically together" until she joined Fleetwood Mac.[7]
Many of McVie's bandmates —Lindsey Buckingham, Stevie Nicks and Mick Fleetwood— had already begun working on their solo careers since 1980, after the end of the Tusk Tour.[8] She later admitted that she had wanted to record a solo album for a long time, but felt "nervous about it".[9] McVie explained that she was not ready when "everybody else was doing it", did not want "that kind of pressure or responsibility", and that she was "insecure" about her material,[10] but added: "After all, I'd been so used to being a fifth of a band, and suddenly it had reached a point where this record was expected of me."[9]
It was not until the end of the promotional tour for Mirage, when the band went on hiatus to keep working on their separate projects, that McVie contemplated recording what she considered to be her first "real" solo album.[4][11] She explained that, at first, touring with Fleetwood Mac had left her "shattered", making her want to "spend time at home," fixing up her house, and getting to know her dogs again.[4] However, she "inevitably" got bored and "started spending more time in the music room", as she was "ready for something adventurous, like stepping out the front door."[12]
As a result, on 5 February 1983, Christine McVie revealed that she was assembling songs for a solo album, with the intention of releasing it by Christmas.[11] Although McVie had previously produced one of Robbie Patton's solo albums, she still felt unprepared to tackle the responsibility on her own album, and hired Russ Titelman as producer.[13] McVie did not expect the recording sessions to begin until June 1983, as Titelman was occupied working on Paul Simon'sHearts and Bones during the first half of the year.[7][11] She met guitarist Todd Sharp a few years prior, when he was playing with Bob Welch,[12] and established an important songwriting partnership with him on the upcoming album.[7] George Hawkins, who had previously played bass on Lindsey Buckingham's song "Trouble" and worked together with Sharp on Mick Fleetwood's first solo album, The Visitor,[14][15] was recruited shortly after, although McVie still lacked a drummer.[16] At the recommendation of Titelman, they ultimately selected Steve Ferrone, who previously worked with Titelman at a Paul Simon recording session in New York City,[17] and had recently departed from the Average White Band.[16] Ferrone originally declined Titleman's offer, as he already had prior obligations with George Benson, but eventually reconsidered after further contemplation.[18] Sharp and McVie initially worried that Ferrone's playing was too "slick" and "sophisticated" for the project, but they changed their minds after he ran through two songs with the band.[16][17]
Recording and composition
It was not until 1982's Mirage that McVie started to collaborate with other songwriters on her compositions,[19] as her previous work had mostly been written alone.[12][20] She chose to continue this approach for her solo album, as it gave her writing a different direction and seemed to "lift" her out of her insecurities.[19] McVie also explained that an entire record of her own songs might have become "tiresome"[19] and emphasized that she valued "exciting and innovative" content over having it be solely hers.[12] This led her to co-write half of the album's songs with guitarist Todd Sharp, who also contributed three other tracks.[4] Reflecting on the experience, she said:
"It was fun co-writing with someone. I knew that Todd Sharp was the guitar player I wanted, but I wasn't aware when I made that decision that I might do as much writing with him as I actually did. We are very compatible writers, and I think the songs are refreshing. To me, it's an exciting record even bearing in mind that it's just me singing throughout it."[12]
The album's two main singles, "Got a Hold on Me" and "Love Will Show Us How" were written by McVie and Sharp. McVie later revealed that "Got a Hold on Me" was totally fictional, saying: "at the time I wrote it no one did have a hold on me."[12] The majority of the album was recorded in Montreux, Switzerland, over the span of three months with additional work taking place in the UK.[12][19] Sharp commented that they "breezed through the record" because they had already prepared a series of demos before the recording process began in earnest.[16] The recording facility was a multi-purpose building that contained, among other things, a casino and a coffee shop.[19] Basic tracking took place in a large hall where the Montreux Jazz Festival was held. The drums were positioned in the center of the room, which resulted in some "great live drum sounds" according to McVie.[19] After two weeks of initial recording in Switzerland, the band took a brief break while McVie worked on lyrics.[12] She subsequently contacted Steve Winwood and asked him to collaborate on a song, to which he agreed.[21] She traveled to his home studio in Gloucester, where they worked on what became "Ask Anybody".[12] McVie later recalled:
"At first, we were both very edgy and nervous about working together so we went down to the pub and socked back a few pints, and then we went to his studio. The song really came easily. We just got about six different ideas together and chose the best one."[12]
McVie ended up staying in Gloucester for over a week and asked Mick Fleetwood to play drums on the track.[21][22] She wrote some of the lyrics to "Ask Anybody" three years prior, about her relationship with Dennis Wilson,[12] but the song lacked a melody.[23] In his studio, Winwood "found just the right ambiance, the right vibes, for the words."[23] A second recording session was later arranged, during which Winwood added keyboards and sang on the chorus, while McVie and Sharp worked on additional vocals.[12] Winwood showed interest in singing in "One in a Million", and took the second verse at McVie's suggestion.[12] Although the song was not initially conceived as a duet, McVie felt "it worked out really nicely."[21] During this session, Winwood also recorded Prophet synthesizer for "The Smile I Live For", McVie's sole solo composition on the album, written in Montreux during the break between sessions.[12][24]
McVie asked Eric Clapton to play guitar on "The Challenge", a song, according to McVie, "about life and remorse and rejection."[25] Clapton recorded his guitar part in roughly an hour,[24] and Ray Cooper came into the studio the day after to overdub percussion.[24] McVie had to miss the session and was unable to meet him.[19]
Both Lindsey Buckingham and John McVie visited Montreux when the album was being recorded.[21] John was on vacation with his family and did not play on the album since all bass parts were already completed.[21] Buckingham, meanwhile, was in London seeking a producer for his upcoming Go Insane album, and accepted McVie's invitation to visit the studio.[21] Unable to resist getting involved, he contributed guitar and vocal parts,[21] including a solo on "The Smile I Live For" and harmonies on "Who's Dreaming This Dream".[19]
Danny Douma, who had opened for Fleetwood Mac during the Tusk Tour,[26] came up with the title of "Who's Dreaming This Dream", which he co-wrote with Sharp.[24] "I'm the One" was solely written by Sharp and presented to McVie, who agreed to record the song.[24] Sharp later remembered that that she "really liked it and was very encouraging to me at that time with my writing".[24] "Keeping Secrets" was a co-write with Sharp and Alan Pasqua, who first met Sharp while doing session work.[27] Pasqua recalled that he gravitated toward Sharp's songwriting and vocals, which compelled him to collaborate on a song together.[27] Once the recording sessions for McVie's self-titled album began, Sharp submitted the song for inclusion, which McVie accepted.[27] Sharp also co-wrote "So Excited" with McVie and future Fleetwood Mac member Billy Burnette, a track which featured guitar work by Buckingham.[4]
The album was ultimately mixed in New York City, which took around two weeks.[19][24]
An MTVChristine McVie Special was broadcast in January 1984 which, as a presentation, took a "behind-the-scenes look at the recording of Christine McVie's solo album."[28]
Outtake
"Too Much is Not Enough", was recorded as a studio jam during the recording sessions, but was not ultimately included in the album.[12][29] McVie explained that, although it was a "really good and raunchy rock and roll" track, she was not satisfied with the vocals.[12] She added that, if she had re-recorded it, she might have considered releasing it as a B-side.[12] No other unused songs were recorded, as McVie said: "We didn't over-record like some bands do; we were very compact."[12]
"Too Much is Not Enough" was performed in some of the live shows from her 1984 tour.[30] Jeremy Spangler of Deseret News described it as "exciting" and thought that it was a "promising indication that more traditional McVie love songs may be soon forthcoming."[30]
Release
Christine McVie was released on 28 January 1984,[3] and was promoted with four singles. The album's two main singles, "Got a Hold on Me" and "Love Will Show Us How" both reached the top 40 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, peaking at numbers 10 and 30, respectively.[31] "Got a Hold on Me" also spent four weeks at number 1 on the Adult Contemporary chart.[31] Music videos were made for both of these singles: the one for "Got a Hold on Me" was filmed in a studio in London,[12] produced by Jon Roseman and directed by Mike Brady,[32] while the one for "Love Will Show Us How" featured Paul Bartel as a "symbolism-crazed director."[10] "I'm the One" was released as the album's single but did not chart.[2]Billboard described the song as a "punchy, percussive tune" that expressed interpersonal dissatisfaction.[33] "One in a Million" also reached the top thirty on the Mainstream Rock chart in February 1984.[34]
The album was reissued and digitally remastered in 1997 as part of the promotion for Fleetwood Mac's The Dance album and its accompanying North American tour.[35] In 2022, remixes of "The Challenge" and "Ask Anybody" were included on McVie's Songbird (A Solo Collection).[23] On 12 July 2023, for what would have been McVie's 80th birthday, Rhino Entertainment announced their plans to re-release Christine McVie and In the Meantime later that year.[36][37] Subsequently, on November 3rd, a remastered version of Christine McVie was issued on CD, LP, and a cola-bottle clear vinyl edition.[36][37]
The album's cover photograph was taken two hours away from London, in Wiltshire (a county partly famous for Stonehenge).[19] McVie remembered that the place looked "gorgeous" but that it "was so cold that the frost was about an inch thick on the trees."[19] The group had to be there at six in the morning and wait for the optimal lighting, which did not happen until three in the afternoon. That day, studio shots were also done for the single sleeves.[19]
Jeanette Leech of Dig! commented that the length of the photo-shoot was a "good metaphor" for the album, as it was "the product of a patient artist waiting for the perfect time."[29]
Live performances
McVie did not initially intend to tour, but changed her mind when work on Fleetwood Mac continued to be put on hold by other members' solo work.[38] She assembled a live band with some of her collaborators from the album, that consisted of: Todd Sharp on guitars, Steve Ferrone on drums, George Hawkins on bass, and Stephen Brunton on rhythm guitars,[39][40] along with guitarist Billy Burnette and McVie's then-boyfriend and keyboardist, Eddy Quintela.[12][21]
The tour took place between April and June of 1984,[21] scheduled with 34 stops, and featured The Baxter Robinson as the opening act.[41][30] The setlist included all but one of the songs from Christine McVie in addition to some of her Fleetwood Mac favorites, featuring "deep cuts" like "Just Crazy Love" (from 1973's Mystery to Me) and "Spare Me a Little of Your Love" (from 1972's Bare Trees).[38] An unreleased track from the recording sessions, "Too Much Is Not Enough", was also sometimes performed.[30]
Talking about the tour, McVie commented that it was "very different" from the Fleetwood Mac ones, stating:
"It's a lot smaller scale. We're not doing the limousine treatment this time around. This is something I haven't done in a while, playing in small places. This is a bit like the old days, actually. It's quite fun to do. However, it's nothing I'd take on as a career."[38]
MTV Concert
In December 1983, an MTV concert featuring Christine McVie was recorded at the Los Angeles Country Club.[32][42] This marked the first time, since joining Fleetwood Mac, that she performed as a solo artist and with her own band, and it primarily showcased material from her then upcoming album.[32][42] Attendance at the event was by invitation only, and a large portion of the tickets were given away through a local MTV contest.[32] The recorded concert aired on 28 January 1984.[32]
On 11 February 1984, Billboard commented that while Christine McVie "inevitably" shared Fleetwood Mac's "current melodic thrust," the material and musicians opened up a "persuasive platform".[49] The magazine highlighted how McVie flexed "her R&B muscles" on "One in a Million", simmered "midtempo blues rock", and delivered "several sweetly moody ballads."[49] The next day, Stephen Holden of The New York Times argued that since McVie's "charm lies in her beguilingly enigmatic calm", her debut album as a "solo rock star" fell "flat" in comparison to Stevie Nicks' career.[50] He found "So Excited" to be the energetic high point of the album, but thought it was due to Titelman's production rather than McVie's "friendly understated singing."[50] Furthermore, he considered the "blandness" of the songs to be a key problem of the album, which "describing typical cat-and-mouse romantic games in the terse, cliched vocabulary of late 70's Los Angeles pop", did not let McVie "meditate quietly in acoustic folk-blues settings."[50] On February 26, Rick Shefchik of the Lexington Herald-Leader gave the album a 9 rating, writing that its songs were "every bit as catchy" as anything Fleetwood Mac had recorded and that McVie's "romantic moods" were not "constantly interrupted" in it, as collaborator Todd Sharp seemed to share her "sturdy" songwriting style.[51]
The next month, on March 15, Don Shewey of Rolling Stone gave the album a two-star rating, arguing that a "long, uninterrupted stretch" of McVie singing solo tended to get "pretty boring."[45] Shewey thought her voice was "limited" in range and expressiveness and found that in the record a "rather mundane, midtempo" love song gave way to another.[45] He concluded by saying that the "sameness" of the material and of McVie's singing drove the record into a "very dull rut."[45] A few days later, People gave the album a B, writing that there was a "loose, good-time feeling" to it, with "tunes that are snappy and full of rhythmic rock and roll hooks."[44] However, they commented that the "subtle harmonic skills" that made McVie a "peerless ensemble singer and musician" with Fleetwood Mac did not necessarily translate into a solo act.[44] The magazine selected "One in a Million" as the album's "most striking track" and found that, at times, her singing was "colorless" and her keyboard work was "overshadowed by her sidemen."[44]
John Swenson of Creem wrote in May of that year that the album was less of a departure from McVie's "current day job than her first record was from Chicken Shack."[52] Swenson described McVie's songs as "eloquent and personal an account of her love life" as Joni Mitchell's, but without the "unseemly exhibitionism."[52] In relation to Steve Winwood's contributions, he said that the "opus-de-funk" "One in a Million" was a "dramatic vocal trade-off" between McVie and Winwood that "reminds you just how good a blues singer Christine is", and argued that "Ask Anybody" was McVie's "most moving vocal performance on the record" because her "gentler, introspective tone" was supported "superbly" by Winwood's "brilliantly understated" keyboard and backing vocals.[52] He concluded by stating that Christine McVie was "the finest Fleetwood Mac spinoff solo album yet."[52]
Music journalist Robert Christgau gave the album a B+, describing the songs as "unimpeachably sensible and unfailingly pleasant" and saying that, except for "The Smile I Live For", they pace "proudly by in full confidence" and "set you humming."[46] He agreed that the "proceedings" were "somnolent", but argued that it was because the "deep satisfactions" of McVie's voice were better appreciated in the company of "brighter and flightier" ones and on a "drummer who isn't Mick and a bassist who isn't John."[46]
In general, the album received mixed reviews from critics upon its release. McVie addressed these criticisms in a 1987 interview with Larry Katz, saying:
A lot of people suspected it [sounded] more like Fleetwood Mac than Fleetwood Mac. I couldn't understand for the life of me why that would be so wrong since I felt that I contributed a lot of the hit songs. Part of Fleetwood Mac's sound was mine.[53]
In a retrospective review, AllMusic reviewer Stephen Thomas Erlewine called Christine McVie "a collection of soft rock/pop and ballads that are pleasantly melodic and ingratiating."[43] However, he commented that the album suffered a "rather predictable fate" since it was a "little too sweet and laid-back to be consumed in one sitting" and thought that its songs would sound better if they were balanced by Buckingham's "insular, paranoid genius" and Nicks' "hippie-folk mysticism."[43]
Fleetwood Mac are a British-American rock band formed in London in 1967 by guitarist and singer Peter Green. Green named the band by combining the surnames of drummer Mick Fleetwood and bassist John McVie, who have remained with the band throughout its many lineup changes. Fleetwood Mac have sold more than 120 million records worldwide, making them one of the world's best-selling bands.
Lindsey Adams Buckingham is an American musician, record producer, and the lead guitarist and co-lead vocalist of the rock band Fleetwood Mac from 1975 to 1987 and 1997 to 2018. In addition to his tenure with Fleetwood Mac, Buckingham has released seven solo studio albums and three live albums. As a member of Fleetwood Mac, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998. Buckingham was ranked 100th in Rolling Stone's 2011 list of "The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time". Buckingham is known for his fingerpicking guitar style.
Christine Anne McVie was an English musician and singer-songwriter. She was the keyboardist and one of the vocalists and songwriters of Fleetwood Mac.
Stephanie Lynn Nicks is an American singer-songwriter, known for her work with the band Fleetwood Mac and as a solo artist.
Fleetwood Mac is the tenth studio album by the British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac, released on 11 July 1975 in the United States and on 1 August 1975 in the United Kingdom by Reprise Records. It is the band's second eponymous album, the first being their 1968 debut album, and is sometimes referred to by fans as the White Album. It is the first Fleetwood Mac album with Lindsey Buckingham as guitarist and Stevie Nicks as a vocalist, after Bob Welch departed the band in late 1974. It is also the band's last album to be released on the Reprise label until 1997's The Dance; the band's subsequent albums until then were released through Warner Bros. Records, Reprise's parent company.
Mirage is the thirteenth studio album by British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac, released on 2 July 1982 by Warner Bros. Records. This studio effort's soft rock sound stood in stark contrast to its more experimental predecessor, 1979's Tusk. Mirage yielded several singles: "Hold Me", "Gypsy", "Love in Store", "Oh Diane", and "Can't Go Back".
Say You Will is the seventeenth and final studio album by British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac, released on 15 April 2003. It followed 1995's Time and was their first album since 1970 without vocalist/keyboardist Christine McVie as a full member following her departure in 1998, although she participated in some songs as a guest musician; it would be her last time being involved with the band in a studio capacity before her death in 2022. Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks shared keyboard duties throughout the album.
Tango in the Night is the fourteenth studio album by British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac, released on 13 April 1987 by Warner Records. As a result of Lindsey Buckingham's departure later that year, it is the fifth and final studio album with the band's most successful lineup of Buckingham, Mick Fleetwood, Christine McVie, John McVie, and Stevie Nicks, though Christine McVie would make guest appearances on the band's 2003 album, Say You Will. This lineup did not reconvene again for another album until 1997's live album The Dance.
Time is the sixteenth studio album by British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac, released on 10 October 1995. This album features a unique line-up for the band, featuring the addition of country vocalist Bekka Bramlett and former Traffic guitarist Dave Mason. It was the second album released after the departure of Lindsey Buckingham in 1987, and the only Fleetwood Mac album since 1974's Heroes Are Hard to Find to not feature any contribution from Stevie Nicks. Additionally, it is the final Fleetwood Mac studio album to feature Christine McVie as an official member.
"Got a Hold on Me" is a song by Christine McVie, released as the lead single from her eponymous second solo album in 1984.
"The Chain" is a song by British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac, released on their 1977 album Rumours. It is the only song from the album with writing credits for all five members.
"You Make Loving Fun" is a song by the British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac, written and sung by Christine McVie. It was released as the fourth and final single from the band's 1977 album Rumours. "You Make Loving Fun" peaked at number nine on the US Billboard Hot 100 and became the album's fourth top-ten hit.
"Sara" is a song written by singer-songwriter Stevie Nicks of the British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac, which was released as a single from the 1979 Tusk double LP. The song peaked at No. 7 in the US for three weeks, No. 37 in the UK for two weeks, No. 11 in Australia, and No. 12 in Canada.
"Sisters of the Moon" is a song by British-American rock group Fleetwood Mac. It was written and sung by band-member Stevie Nicks and was released in the US as the fourth single from the 1979 album Tusk. The song peaked at No. 86 on the Billboard Hot 100, although it was not released in the UK. The single version of "Sisters of the Moon" is included on the compilation The Very Best of Fleetwood Mac and both the 2004 and 2015 remasters of 'Tusk'.
"Hold Me" is a 1982 song by the British-American rock group Fleetwood Mac. It was the first track to be released as a single from the band's thirteenth album Mirage. Written by Christine McVie and Robbie Patton, McVie and Lindsey Buckingham shared lead vocals on the song. The single reached #4 on the US Billboard Hot 100, the band's first to break the top five since 1977.
"Say You Love Me" is a song written by English singer-songwriter Christine McVie for Fleetwood Mac's 1975 self-titled album. The song peaked at No. 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 for three weeks, and remains one of the band's most recognizable songs. Its success helped the group's eponymous 1975 album sell over eight million copies worldwide.
"Love in Store" is a song by British-American rock group Fleetwood Mac. The song is the opening track on the 1982 album Mirage, the fourth album by the band with Lindsey Buckingham acting as main producer with Richard Dashut and Ken Caillat. "Love in Store" was written by Christine McVie and Jim Recor and it became the album's third single in the US. Released in November 1982, it went on to peak at No. 22 for three weeks as the follow-up to Top 20 hits "Hold Me" and "Gypsy". It also peaked at number 11 on the Adult Contemporary chart. The song features lead vocals by Christine McVie with prominent vocal harmonies by Stevie Nicks and background vocals by Lindsey Buckingham.
"Silver Springs" is a song written by Stevie Nicks and performed by British-American band Fleetwood Mac. It was originally intended for the band's 1977 album Rumours, but became a B-side to the single "Go Your Own Way". A live version was released as a single from the 1997 album The Dance; this version of the song was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals in 1998.
"Think About Me" is a song by British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac, released in the US in March 1980. The song was composed by Fleetwood Mac keyboardist Christine McVie. "Think About Me" was slightly remixed for single release.
Lindsey Buckingham Christine McVie is a studio album by Fleetwood Mac vocalists Lindsey Buckingham and Christine McVie, released on June 9, 2017. Four of the five "classic members" of Fleetwood Mac are featured on the album; vocalist Stevie Nicks is the sole member absent. The album sold over 22,000 units in the United States in its first week and debuted within the top 20. It proved to be even more successful in the United Kingdom, where it debuted at No. 5. In November 2017, the album was also certified silver with sales exceeding 60,000 units.
1 2 3 Tebbutt, Simon (5 February 1983). "The Macs Factor". Record Mirror. Archived from the original on 1 January 2016. Retrieved 23 October 2023– via The Blue Letter Archives.
↑ Hunt, Dennis (26 February 1984). "Getting A Hold On Mac's McVie". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 1 January 2016. Retrieved 17 October 2023– via The Blue Letter Archives.
↑ Fleetwood, Mick; Davis, Stephen (1990). Fleetwood: My Life and Adventures with Fleetwood Mac. New York: William Morrow and Company. p.256. ISBN0-688-06647-X.
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