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Going His Own Way Only To Be Patched Up By A Heartbreaker and A Crowded House

This is an extremely brief article just scratching the surface of Fleetwood Mac's history and where it is about to go. A very quick synopses, and who knows, maybe writing about Fleetwood Mac will become a knew norm.
All quotes for this article come from Fleetwood Mac's appearance on CBS with Anthony Mason on 25 April, 2018 - a link to CBS article, as well as a video will be posted.

9 April, 2018, you couldn't escape the headlines if you were on your handheld devices or anywhere near a screen late afternoon (EST); Lindsey Buckingham had been, as the reports state, "fired" from Fleetwood Mac. But, let's not use the word "fired"  after this morning's interview (with CBS Anthony Mason) band founder Mick Fleetwood, said he didn't like using that word,
"I think it(the word 'fired')'s ugly". 
Lindsey Buckingham had started working with Fleetwood Mac, in 1974, when he and then girlfriend, Stevie Nicks, brought this, already multi-rearranged and changing band, to heights at number one in Billboard 200 charts, with their 1975 album Fleetwood Mac- and let's not forget about their overall success with  Rumors!
You couldn't escape Fleetwood Mac in the mid to late seventies and eighties with help of Buckingham and Nicks. The harmonies  of Lindsey Buckingham, Stevie Nicks, and Christine McVie where crooned through every car radio, bounced through every static speaker, as the band made hit after hit with songs like Nicks, "Rhiannon" and "Landslide", Buckingham's "Go Your Own Way" and "Never Go Back Again", to "The Chain", credited to all five members of the band- at that time. Even today you can't walk into a grocery store or a shopping mall without hearing a Fleetwood Mac song being played through the PA systems!

Unfortunately, it isn't uncommon for tension to run high in band's, or any close knit group, and Fleetwood Mac has had a history of band members leaving, new ones being hired, and so forth. There were, actually on multiple occasions, when Stevie Nicks, Christine McVie, and Lindsey Buckingham each left.
Christine McVie took her time off to release two solo albums, one in 1984 and another in 2004. She also went on to record an album with Lindsey Buckingham in 2017. After splitting from Fleetwood Mac after The Dance tour, McVie took time off to be closer to family, but returned back to Fleetwood Mac in 2014.  As mentioned previously, Lindsey Buckingham also left the band multiple times. During those periods he had created a solo career for himself, wrote for the song best associated with National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, "Holiday Road" and toured. Nothing however, to the height of his Fleetwood stature. Stevie Nicks, or should I say the "Queen of Rock and Roll", had made the biggest name for herself out of any member from the band. Her first solo hit was written by Tom Petty and Mike Campbell of Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers. The song was "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around", featuring Tom on vocals and Mike on lead guitar. Nick's first solo album, Bella Donna (1981), reached #1 in US Charts, going achieving Platinum four times. She had since gone on to record eight studio solo albums.  Despite, the achievement of solo career or lives beyond the studio, it can simply be stated that the backbones to Fleetwood Mac has without a doubt been Mick Fleetwood and John "Mac" McVie, whom founded the band and have been the only members, throughout history, before Buckingham and Nicks joined, who have stayed. To include, and not get into all of the details about each band member and what happened to them, here is a list of every member (not previously mentioned) who were part of Fleetwood Mac at one point;  Jeremy Spencer, Peter Green, Danny Kirwan, Bob Welch, Bob Weston, Dave Walker, Billy Burnette, Rick Vito, Bekka Bramlett, and Dave Mason.

MusiCare's
However, no matter how many members came and went Fleetwood Mac can arguably be viewed as the main five; Mick Fleetwood, John McVie, Christine McVie, Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks. Relationships within the band formed and fell, skin were scrapped and healed, but some bridges were burned and never have been able to be rebuilt on the same foundation which is where we are today. It was only this past January that most music lovers, or non music lovers, were reading are watching highlights about the MusiCare's Person of The Year event, honoring this year's group recognition, Fleetwood Mac. The main five took the stage, and in front of our eyes everything seemed to have looked alright.  However, as we sat perched by our televisions mouthing the words to these classics as they came across the screen, we could see the guitars, drums, keys, and tambourines flash before our eyes but what we couldn't see was the heartbreak that was about to come, as the band had looked so together- perhaps, those smiles were just Little Lies?

(As mentioned at the very beginning) Fleetwood Mac sat down with CBS reporter Anthony Mason this morning with new band-member's Crowded House's Neil Finn and Tom Petty and The Heartbreaker's Mike Campbell, whom both will be replacing Lindsey Buckingham. The interview was very well done whereas the band had discuss when they had realized that Lindsey had had to go and how it came to be that Finn and Campbell had joined the band - a video and link will be provided.  

So how did it come to the final decision to make the decision to cut ties with Lindsey Buckingham from the rest of Fleetwood Mac? The band had been planning a 2019 tour for over a year and a half when Buckingham refused to sign off on it.
"This team wanted to get out on the road. And one of the members did not want to get out on the road for a year. We just couldn't agree. And you know, when you're in a band, it's a team. I mean I have a solo career, and I love my solo career, and I'm the boss. Absolutely. But I'm not the boss in this band." - Stevie Nicks
Mike Campbell, whom is best known for his work alongside Tom Petty for over forty years, with Mudcrutch to The Heartbreakers, got the call only six days after the MusiCare's event.
"I was wondering what I was gonna do. I had a few things, but nothing quiet as big as this." - Mike Campbell
Accepting the offer as lead guitarist, Campbell said that Fleetwood Mac is his main priority as of right now.

Mike Campbell and Stevie Nicks have a long history together. Since 1981, Stevie Nicks had been trying to make her way into The Heartbreakers but there was always this kind of unspoken brotherhood and rule, that Doug Morris', president of Atlantic Records reminded Nicks,
"You obviously haven't heard Tom Petty's mantra: 'No girls allowed.'"
Petty, Nicks, and Campbell
For Bella Donna, Nicks had worked with Tom Petty and The Heartbreaker's producer, Jimmy Iovine, whom then became romantically involved.  Having starting her own solo career at this time, and both Petty and Nicks working closely with Iovine, a friendship between The Heartbreakers and Stevie Nicks had formed, and a very nice one at that. For The Heartbreakers 1981 album, Hard Promises, Petty had written "Insider", a gorgeous track to be given to Stevie Nicks, whom refused the offer because she saw how much Tom had wanted it for his own album. The track is a smooth blend of Petty and Nicks' vocals, of course with the talents of the brilliant Heartbreakers.  Then came "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around", followed by Heartbreaker's such as Stan Lynch, Benmont Tench, Ron Blair, all playing on various Nicks' albums.  The collaboration between Nicks and Heartbreakers, between Nicks and Petty, and/or between Nicks playing songs Mike has written or played guitar on are too much to list. The love and chemistry that lies between them is unmistakable, and there is no doubt in my mind that Mike Campbell will make a great addition to the Fleetwood Mac community for the time being.


With a lead guitarist now on board, how do you match Buckingham's vocals? The band interviewed handfuls of musicians and singers to replace Lindsey, from ages of 27-65. 
"I just had this kind of big grin on my face 'cause it's a call you never expect to get." -Neil Finn
 Neil Finn, a lovable musician from New Zealand, most likely known from as front man for the band Crowded House, as well as a well received solo career, has also joined on the Fleetwood Mac bandwagon to replace the vocals of Lindsey Buckingham.  When Anthony Mason asked if he had seen this as a temporary gig, Neil simply replied,
"No, not at all."
Reading various thoughts and comments around social media, Neil Finn as the singer is favorable amongst music and Fleetwood Mac fans - check out the video attached via Youtube or the link that will be posted will also have the video in it if Youtube is not working -for a quick cellphone video that proves, Finn's vocal range is the pitch, sound and attitude needed to carry forth with the Fleetwood legacy.

The new line-up met in Maui, March 21 of this year for a two-three day rehearsal where anything but tension were bouncing off the walls and soaring through the atmosphere.
"The essence of the band was great, and fun, and the three voices sound really good together." -Christine McVie
Mike Campbell agreed, stating that it's going to be incredible after a few more reherasals but it's beginning to sound like a real band.

This will be the first tour Campbell will partake in since the passing of Tom Petty 02 October, 2017.
"It changed me and Mike for sure, in that you know, we need to take everyday that we have until we're gone and make it the best day we can because if that could happen to Tom, then it could happen to anybody," Nicks said. "And I'm gonna have the most fun I can and I'm gonna stop complaining. And I'm gonna throw myself into all these projects because you just never know." - Stevie Nicks, Fleetwood Mac Reveals Why Lindsey Buckingham Was Ousted
 Personally,  I believe being on the road, working on a new project, especially I think with someone who shared a relationship with Tom Petty, will hopefully bring some kind of peace of mind to Mike, as well as Stevie. I know the fans (especially I know two in Boston) will welcome and send all their love and gratitude towards them in a way that they'll never feel sorrow again.

The band is in hopes of recording and exploring more avenues together, so keep your ears open.
Pre-sale tickets go on sale 30 April, 2018. 

Video from Anthony Mason's CBS Intverview via Youtube;


  CBS Interview Link (video is also included in link).


Some Sites I Recommend and Sources I used for this article; 


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