A Tribute to Fleetwood Mac's Songbird


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This page is dedicated to the most underrated singer\songwriter from the Rumours incarnation of Fleetwood Mac. Christine joined the band in 1970, after the departure of 2 key members. Peter Green, followed later by Jeremy Spencer, both left the band for religious reasons. The loss of these seemingly essential artists could have dealt the Mac a mortal blow. In fact, the Mac probably should have cut their losses and packed it in, according to the prevailing logic of the music industry. Imagine the Stones losing both Mick Jagger and Keith Richards within a year. Would the band survive? Christine McVie and Bob Welch were relied upon to provide fresh blood and a new direction for the Mac. The band did survive and create some classic albums during this period. Mystery to Me, Bare Trees and Future Games compare favorably to the material produced by the succeeding lineups. Indeed, the landmark Rumours album would not have been possible if Welch, Christne and company had not kept the torch burning. With the departure of Welch, another potentially deadly wound, the Mac was challenged with yet again, redefining itself. A dynamic duo by the name of Buckingham\Nicks was hired and the rest is history..... Or is it? While I do not wish to diminish the contributions of any Mac member, I believe that Christine's efforts are often undervalued. The Buckingham\Nicks LP is an excellent debut, but it was not a financial success. Would Lindsey or Stevie have succeeded without the Mac? I don't have that answer, but it is undeniable that they owe the Mac as much as the Mac is indebted to them. A good friend called Christine "the glue that holds the Mac together". She certainly glued or bridged the past to the present by providing continuity between the Welch and Buckingham\Nicks eras. It is often forgotten that on the do or die self-titled record, a.k.a. "The White Album", Christine produced 2 of the 3 singles. These hits led to the sale of over 4 million copies of that album, and insured that the band had a future. On Rumours, she penned 2 of the 4 hits. Every album the Mac has released has contained consistently strong material from her. Here then, is my tribute to her. You will not find a bio of her, as this has been thoroughly researched by others. See the link below to the Penquin. You will not find tons of pictures, although I think I have some nice ones. What you will find are some glimpses at what is really important, the music. I have provided some rare clips of her lesser known material. This page is and will continue to be under construction. Enjoy your look at a phenominal artist...I present Ms. Christine McVie!!!

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Christine in Chicken Shack

Christine's first band, "Shades of Blue", was in her own words "a terrible band", in which "for some obscure reason, I was playing bass". Apparently record execs shared this opinion, Christine and band members Stan Webb and Andy Silvester did not receive a recording contract.

Christine began her professional career in the blues band, Chicken Shack. This group, led by Stan Webb, with Andy Silvester on bass, released two albums with Christine performing on keyboards and some vocals, Forty Blues Fingers, Packed and Ready to Serve and O. K. Ken? It is not surprising that Christine's rendition of the Etta James standard, "I'd Rather Go Blind, was Chicken Shack's only hit single. In spite of the success of this song, Christine seemed out of place in this band. Her voice not really totally at home singing the blues. Also, in an age when women were rallying for independence and advocating "women's lib.", Christine's songs are a stark contrast to these attitudes. Lines like "love me baby, but don't leave", "I just can't help myself for loving you", which refer to cheating men, hardly furthered the feminist cause. This does not mean to say that she did not cut some very nice tracks with this band. Some snipets are included below.

"When the Train Comes Back" and "You're No Good" appeared on Forty Blues Fingers, Packed and Ready to Serve. As far as I know, it is available as an import. A thorough search of "Goldmine" magazine might reveal a domestic vendor.
"I Wanna See My Baby", Mean Old World, and "Get Like You Used To Be" originally appeared on O. K. Ken? . "Get Like You Used To Be" was later resurrected and performed by Fleetwood Mac during their 1975 tour. I have included clips of both the studio version and the live performance.

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The cover of 40 Blues Fingers Packed and Ready to Serve

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The cover of OK Ken?

To order "OK Ken?", click the link below to Tower Records
O.K. Ken


For more of Christine's early music, click the link below.
Christine McVie II
For more information on Christine, including an excellent biography, click below.
The Penguin: A Home Page Dedicated to Fleetwo...