Christine McVie – PowerPop… An Eclectic Collection of Pop Culture

Fleetwood Mac – Kiln House …album review

When most folks hear the words Fleetwood Mac, they immediately think of the Rumours-era band. But rewind just a few years earlier and you’ll find a very different band, one still rooted in the blues, still searching for direction after the departure of founding guitarist Peter Green. Starting that transitional phase is the album Kiln House.

Fleetwood Mac was changing throughout the decade, but 1970s Kiln House was one of their strangest detours. After Peter Green’s sudden exit, the band found itself leaderless. Instead of breaking up, Jeremy Spencer and Danny Kirwan took the lead and led the band through a melodic 1950s-inspired sound with that glorious echo. The entire album isn’t that, but it’s a heavy influence.

This is one of the most interesting bands ever. You can find a song in one of their many eras to satisfy anyone. This album was a departure from the Peter Green era. It didn’t have the intensity that Green brought, but it made up for it in some great songs. It was highly melodic with some complicated melodies, like Station Man (written by Danny Kirwan, Spencer, and John McVie); the later incarnation picked up on that song as well. The first song of this period I took notice of a few years ago was Jewel Eyed Judy from this album.

Jeremy Spencer adored that 1950s rock style, and This Is the Rock is one of his tributes to that era. Another obvious one is the song Buddy’s Song. They also had some nice straight-out rock on the album with Kirwan’s Tell Me All the Things You Do.

This album ties the eras together for me. You had straight out rock, a touch of blues, rockabilly, country, and some pop that foreshadowed what was to come. It is probably the most varied Fleetwood Mac album I’ve listened to. You can hear Fleetwood Mac going toward something new.

The album peaked at #69 on the Billboard Album Charts, #67 in Canada, and #39 in the UK. Christine McVie not only drew the cover, she also contributed to the album with backup vocals, keyboards, and even cover art. After this album, she became a full member.

This Is The Rock

This is the rockWe’ve been talking about (this is the rock)Yeah, this is the rockMakes you jump and shout (this is the rock)This is the rockThat knocks you right out

It makes you loseAll your troubles and caresYou’ll lose your bluesThey ain’t going nowhereThis is the rockThat hits you right there

Well you can get back on the roofAnd shout it all aroundGet up off your seats is what I’m putting downGet ’em all a hoppin’ to that crazy beatGet ’em all a boppin’ and a tappin’ their feet

‘Cause it’s the rockMoves you all day long (it’s the rock)Yeah, it’s the rockGettin’ everyone (it’s the rock)This is the rockIt really turns you on, woo

‘Cause it’s the rock (it’s the rock)Moves you all day long (it’s the rock)Yeah, yeah it’s the rockGettin’ everyone (it’s the rock)This is the rockIt really turns you on

Yeah, this is the rockIt really turns you onThis is the rockIt really turns you on

Well this is the rock

Santana – Black Magic Woman ….Under The Covers Tuesday

This song was not written by guitarist Carlos Santana but by the great guitarist for Fleetwood Mac. No not Lindsey Buckingham or Bob Welch…but the great blues guitarist Peter Green. I have to admit I like both versions about the same. Two legendary guitar players make this song come alive. I always thought Santana wrote it until a few years ago.

This song was Santana’s first single from their second album Abraxas. The album was released in 1970. It was a year after their acclaimed appearance at Woodstock. That performance launched Santana into national fame. When Carlos Santana played Woodstock, he had yet not released an album. He was one of the most unknown artists. Basically, his manager, Bill Graham, forced the band’s way onto the bill. A couple of weeks later, riding the great press from his Woodstock performance, Santana released “Black Magic Woman” and the rest is history.

Peter Green made friends with an occult group that dabbled in black magic. In turn, they turned Green on to acid which untimely destroyed him. He left Fleetwood Mac a couple of years after that. Green was probably happy that Santana covered this song. Green was convinced to give all of his money away. The royalties from this song helped him later on to live. He ended up taking jobs wherever he could find work, including one as a grave digger.

Fleetwood Mac’s version peaked at #37 in the UK charts in 1968. It was a non-album single. It later appeared on the band’s 1969 compilation album, The Pious Bird of Good Omen. Fleetwood Mac played the song on their last tour with Stevie Nicks singing it from a woman’s point of view. It just didn’t have the power that the original band did.

Santana’s version peaked at #4 on the Billboard 100 and #4 in Canada in 1970-71.

Christine McVie: “Something snapped in him, he dropped this fatal tab of acid and withdrew. He still has this amazing power, but it’s negative. You don’t want him around. We’ve all cried a lot of tears over Peter. We’ve all spent so much time and energy talking him into more positive channels. He’ll just sit there and laugh. ‘FUCK IT . . .’”

Santana: “I used to go to see the original Fleetwood Mac, and they used to kill me, just knock me out, to me, they were the best blues band.”

Mick Fleetwood: “Three minutes of sustain/reverb guitar with two exquisite solos from Peter.”

Santana AND Green

Black Magic Woman

Got a black magic woman
Got a black magic woman
I’ve got a black magic woman
Got me so blind I can’t see
That she’s a black magic woman
She’s trying to make a devil out of me

Don’t turn your back on me, baby
Don’t turn your back on me, baby
Yes, don’t turn your back on me, baby
Stop messing ’round with your tricks
Don’t turn your back on me, baby
You just might pick up my magic sticks

You got your spell on me, baby
You got your spell on me, baby
Yes, you got your spell on me, baby
Turnin’ my heart into stone
I need you so bad
Magic woman I can’t leave you alone

Fleetwood Mac – Say You Love Me

This song was on Fleetwood Mac’s self-titled album, the first one with Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks.

I know that Rumours is the big album of Fleetwood Mac but I have a special place for the Buckingham and Nicks debut album with the band. For me, it was up there with Rumours. The songs include Monday Morning, Rhiannon, Landslide, Over My Head, World Turning, and this song. It was the tenth album by the band and was released in 1975. I have to admit that I favor it now over Rumours because of the extensive play of that album.

After Bob Welch left the band in 1974 the band was talking to producer Keith Olsen and he played Mick Fleetwood the Buckingham and Nicks album. Mick liked the guitar player and wanted to hire him to take Welch’s place. Buckingham would not join unless they took Stevie Nicks…which they did.

This album had 3 top twenty hits (Say That You Love Me, Rhiannon, and Over My Head) and songs like Landslide and Monday Morning that remained favorites by fans. Say That You Love me peaked at #11 on The Billboard 100, #29 in Canada, and #40 in the UK.

The album peaked at #1 on the Billboard Album Charts, #2 in Canada, #23 in the UK, and #4 in New Zealand. Christine McVie wrote this song and personally, besides Buckingham…she is my favorite singer/songwriter in the band.

From Wiki: Shirley Eikhard covered “Say You Love Me” and released it as single several weeks in advance of Fleetwood Mac in early June 1976. Eikhard’s version became a Canadian top 40, peaking at No. 34; Fleetwood Mac’s version, released only a few weeks later, peaked at No. 29 in September. That version is below.

Say That You Love Me

Have mercy baby,On a poor girl like me,You know I’m falling falling,Falling at your feet.

I’m tingling right,From my head to my toes,So help me help me,Help me make the feeling grow.

‘Cause when the loving starts and the lights go down,And there’s not another living soul around,You woo me until the sun comes up,And you say that you love me.

Pity, baby, just,When I thought it was over,And now you got me runnin’, runnin’,Runnin’ for cover.

I’m begging you for, a bit ofSympathy,If you use me again,It’ll be the end of me.

‘Cause when the lovin’ starts and the lights go down,And there’s not another living soul around,You woo me until the sun comes up,And you say that you love me.

Baby, baby hope,You’re gonna stay away,‘Cause I’m getting weaker,Weaker every day.

I guess I’m not as strong,As I used to be,If you use me again,It’ll be the end of me.

‘Cause when the lovin’ starts and the lights go down,And there’s not another living soul around,You woo me until the sun comes up,And you say that you love me.

Say that you love me,Say that you love me,Say that you love me.

Fallin’ fallin’ fallin’,Fallin’ fallin’ fallin’,Fallin’ fallin’ fallin’,Fallin’ fallin’ fallin’.

Fleetwood Mac – Hold Me

Stevie Nicks always got more attention in Fleetwood Mac but I’ve always favored Christine’s songs. McVie has written some superb pop songs. This video I saw many times on the still new MTV.

Fleetwood Mac singer/keyboard player Christine McVie wrote this song with Robbie Patton, a singer who had a US hit in 1981 with “Don’t Give It Up,” which features guitar by Lindsey Buckingham.

This song was inspired by Christine McVie’s relationship with Beach Boys drummer Dennis Wilson. After she split with Fleetwood Mac bass player John McVie, Christine dated Wilson for several years before they broke up in 1981. Wilson died in 1983 in a drunk-drowning accident.

Hold Me was on the Mirage album released in 1982. The band recorded the album at the Château d’Hérouville outside of Paris… they filmed the video for this song in the Mojave Desert outside of Palm Springs. The album peaked at #1 in the Billboard Album Charts, #5 in the UK, and #4 in Canada in 1982.

The song peaked at #4 in the Billboard 100, #7 in Canada, and #94 in the UK.

Christine McVie on Mirage getting overlooked: “It does, and I don’t know why,” she says. But, she adds, “As it stands today, a lot of people know every track on it. Which is quite unbelievable. So I just take it for what it is.”

I suppose we all felt in a way that what we were doing was kind of an homage to Rumours, in the sense that, obviously, after Rumours we went completely the opposite way and made a double album of an entirely different nature with Tusk. And for Tusk we had done this hugely long tour. Two world tours, I believe. Then we all disappeared for a few years. But we have a habit of doing that, Fleetwood Mac. Just kind of taking quite long hiatuses. And as we got together again, I think it was Mick who had this idea that perhaps we should enter another bubble-like situation, which was similar to what we had done for the Rumours album, when we recorded in Sausalito. Just taking us away from familiar things, like our families. There was the idea that maybe something would emerge from there that was completely different. Maybe it would make us more creative. And I think it worked, to an extent. It was definitely an unusual experience.

From Songfacts

Robbie Patton toured as an opening act with Fleetwood Mac in 1979 and McVie produced his albums Distant Shores (1981) and Orders From Headquarters (1982).

The video for this song was inspired in large part by the works of the Belgian painter Magritte, whose paintings appear in the clip. It was directed by Steve Barron and shot in the Mojave Desert. The combination of extreme heat and band tension made for a very difficult shoot. Christine McVie, Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks had all started solo projects, and getting the band to collaborate was a lesson in futility. The video’s producer Simon Fields said in I Want My MTV by Craig Marks, “John McVie was drunk and tried to punch me. Stevie Nicks didn’t want to walk on the sand with her platforms. Christine McVie was fed up with all of them. They were a fractious bunch.”

The video was subpar, but it was a fresh Fleetwood Mac video, which was good enough for MTV, which in 1982 was desperate for new clips by rock artists, especially established ones. Fleetwood Mac’s video for “Tusk” was one of the few they had available when they launched on August 1, 1981.

Christine McVie and Lindsey Buckingham share the lead vocals on this track.

Hold Me

Can you understand me
Baby don’t you hand me a line
Although it doesn’t matter
You and me got plenty of time

There’s nobody in the future
So baby let me hand you my love
Oh, there’s no step for you to dance to
So slip your hand inside of my glove

Hold me, hold me, hold me
Hold me, hold me, hold me

I don’t want no damage
But how am I gonna manage with you
You hold the percentage
But I’m the fool payin’ the dues

I’m just around the corner
If you got a minute to spare
I’ll be waitin’ for ya’
If you ever want to be there

Hold me, hold me, hold me
Hold me, hold me, hold me
Hold me, hold me, hold me
Hold me, hold me, hold me

Hold me, hold me, hold me
Hold me, hold me, hold me
Hold me, hold me, hold me
Hold me, hold me, hold me
Hold me, hold me, hold me
Hold me, hold me, hold me
Hold me, hold me, hold me
Hold me, hold me, hold me