Allstar Music Magazine, Mick Fleetwood Explains The Fleetwood Mac Reunion

Allstar Music Magazine, August 19, 1997

Mick Fleetwood Explains The Fleetwood Mac Reunion
'Something Was Horribly Right'

Mick Fleetwood wants everyone to know that Fleetwood Mac is not pulling an Eagles on us. "It happened the right way around," says Fleetwood of the reunion of the famed Fleetwood Mac lineup -- Lindsey Buckingham, Stevie Nicks, Christine McVie, John McVie, and himself.

"It wasn't like someone said, 'We have a huge bank that's gonna put out a zillion dollars, how about it guys?'," continues Fleetwood. "I think the Eagles basically did it that way, they make no secret of it. But they really don't have any relationship with one another. With us bunch, it is very different. "

After seeing the band reunite on last week's MTV special, it's quite apparent how different it really is. The once- married Nicks and Buckingham still can't get through "Landslide" with a dry eye, and the emotional intensity that led the band to its peak in the '70s is still there after all these years. "There's probably not going to be many performances where I won't be sitting at the side of the stage watching Stevie and Lindsey sing 'Landslide' without crying, and certainly me and Stevie always sit and watch Chris sing 'Songbird.' That's how we are, we are highly emotional," Fleetwood laughs.

According to Fleetwood, the reunion came about after Buckingham asked him to play drums on his solo project. Then they brought in John McVie to play bass, then Christine came in to lay down some vocals. Buckingham then co-wrote "Twisted" with Nicks for the Twister soundtrack, which featured Fleetwood on drums. "This truly came about from the inside out," says Fleetwood. "In years gone by, we had outside factions strongly suggesting what a great thing it would be [e.g., the Clinton inaugural performance of "Don't Stop"]. But it wasn't ever in the cards. This came about from the music. From the first day I began working with Lindsey, it was glaringly obvious that something was horribly right."

The reunion -- which comes on the 20th anniversary of the release of one of the best- selling albums of all time, Rumours, and the 30th anniversary of Fleetwood Mac -- involves a live album, The Dance, featuring four new songs, along with a home video release, MTV and VH1 specials, and a 45-date tour. In fact, Fleetwood credits not only the group's record label, Reprise, but MTV for helping this reunion along. "I think basically it was a reaction to the record company, and it was a reaction to MTV and the powers that be letting us know that should we choose to take the mission, these people would be very excited about the possibilities of what would happen," says Fleetwood. "But I'd be lying if I didn't say in my wildest dreams it probably would've been high on my wish list to see this happen before I get put out to pasture."

As for the future of Fleetwood Mac: "I don't know," he says. "I think we're approaching it like AA -- one month or three months at a time. That's the spirit of it."

Thanks to Jeff Kenney for the submission.