Fleetwood Mac's Christine McVie has passed

November 30, 2022 2:45 PM

The singer, songwriter, and keyboardist was 79.
posted by humbug (72 comments total)

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posted by hydra77 at 2:48 PM on November 30, 2022

Don't Stop Thinkin' About Tomorrow, which McVie wrote, has kept me going through some pretty not-great times. Deepest song ever? Nah. But comforting.
posted by humbug at 2:48 PM on November 30, 2022 [9 favorites]

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posted by valkane at 2:49 PM on November 30, 2022

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posted by Pendragon at 2:53 PM on November 30, 2022

Which of the songs that you have written are you most proud of? georgialh

I’ve got to say Songbird. I couldn’t sleep, started to get a song rolling around in my head and I wrote it in half an hour. “For you there’d be no more crying …” It’s sort of like a little prayer for everybody. We went into Zellerbach Hall studios [In Berkeley, California], they got me a bunch of red roses and I sang it alone on the stage.
posted by chavenet at 2:59 PM on November 30, 2022 [6 favorites]

The singer, songwriter, and keyboardist

and artist responsible for the cover of Kiln House -- a personal fave.


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posted by philip-random at 3:02 PM on November 30, 2022 [6 favorites]

I did not know that! Thanks for the clue-in.
posted by humbug at 3:04 PM on November 30, 2022

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posted by gentlyepigrams at 3:08 PM on November 30, 2022

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posted by JustSayNoDawg at 3:08 PM on November 30, 2022

Oh daddy.
posted by hwyengr at 3:10 PM on November 30, 2022 [1 favorite]

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posted by bz at 3:22 PM on November 30, 2022

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posted by doctor_negative at 3:26 PM on November 30, 2022

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posted by armeowda at 3:31 PM on November 30, 2022

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posted by /\/\/\/ at 3:33 PM on November 30, 2022

We danced to Songbird at our wedding. What a loss.

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posted by JoeZydeco at 3:41 PM on November 30, 2022

I can still hear you saying
You would never break the chain
(Never break the chain)
posted by clavdivs at 3:45 PM on November 30, 2022 [7 favorites]

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posted by 3.2.3 at 3:46 PM on November 30, 2022

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posted by bookmammal at 3:52 PM on November 30, 2022

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posted by Phssthpok at 3:54 PM on November 30, 2022

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posted by kensington314 at 3:54 PM on November 30, 2022

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She had the most gorgeous voice.
posted by annieb at 3:55 PM on November 30, 2022 [7 favorites]

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Her solo debut album is fantastic, too.
posted by The Card Cheat at 4:09 PM on November 30, 2022 [3 favorites]

Her 1984 solo album is really underappreciated in my view. Some real standout tunes on there.
posted by kensington314 at 4:13 PM on November 30, 2022 [2 favorites]

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posted by kingless at 4:15 PM on November 30, 2022

I’ve been listening to her music since the days of Rumours. When their joint album came out (2017), I saw her perform with Lindsey Buckingham. I really liked the album, and the performance was just great. I’d always hoped they’d make another album and maybe the whole gang would get back one more time.
May her memory be a blessing.
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posted by AMyNameIs at 4:26 PM on November 30, 2022 [2 favorites]

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posted by They sucked his brains out! at 4:28 PM on November 30, 2022

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posted by elmay at 4:31 PM on November 30, 2022

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posted by pazazygeek at 4:38 PM on November 30, 2022

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posted by kabong the wiser at 4:39 PM on November 30, 2022

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posted by jquinby at 4:39 PM on November 30, 2022

This version of "Don't Stop" from the 1982 US Festival features Ms. McVie prominently.

This version of "Don't Stop" is from when Ms. McVie joined the band on stage at London’s O2 Arena on September 25, 2013. It was her first appearance with Fleetwood Mac since leaving the band in 1998.

In December 2012, Stevie Nicks said, “I would say there’s no more a chance of [McVie rejoining the band] than an asteroid hitting the earth.”
posted by kirkaracha at 5:08 PM on November 30, 2022 [2 favorites]

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posted by Snowflake at 5:09 PM on November 30, 2022

Kirkaracha, I recall a quote from McVie before the reunion about said unlikeliness of her coming back. Something about she loves her farm in the UK and possibly the very large amount of money it would require. My Google-fu stinks—maybe one of you all can locate it.
posted by computech_apolloniajames at 5:32 PM on November 30, 2022 [1 favorite]

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posted by bryon at 5:32 PM on November 30, 2022

Amazing voice. She added so much to the early 70s Fleetwood Mac lineup. An obviously the later stuff too.
posted by Liquidwolf at 5:37 PM on November 30, 2022 [2 favorites]

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posted by kinnakeet at 5:47 PM on November 30, 2022

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posted by vibratory manner of working at 5:49 PM on November 30, 2022

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posted by Inkslinger at 5:50 PM on November 30, 2022

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posted by virago at 5:50 PM on November 30, 2022

🎹 𝄻
posted by adekllny at 5:55 PM on November 30, 2022 [1 favorite]

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posted by riverlife at 6:20 PM on November 30, 2022

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posted by Katjusa Roquette at 6:26 PM on November 30, 2022

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posted by allthinky at 6:28 PM on November 30, 2022

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posted by dougfelt at 7:16 PM on November 30, 2022

Oh man. Profound influence on my musical education back in the day. One of the greats. I wore out my copy of her first solo album, eventually it was nothing but pops and scratches.
posted by kitten kaboodle at 8:11 PM on November 30, 2022 [1 favorite]

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posted by jokeefe at 8:15 PM on November 30, 2022

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posted by tonycpsu at 8:19 PM on November 30, 2022

Yesterday's gone.

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posted by Halloween Jack at 8:39 PM on November 30, 2022

I've loved Christine McVie's singing voice since I first heard it. It had such a calmness and clarity to it.
posted by orange swan at 8:47 PM on November 30, 2022 [4 favorites]

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posted by Silverstone at 8:55 PM on November 30, 2022

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posted by sammyo at 9:23 PM on November 30, 2022

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posted by brambleboy at 10:25 PM on November 30, 2022

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posted by Spike Glee at 10:51 PM on November 30, 2022

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posted by Sphinx at 11:43 PM on November 30, 2022

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posted by pangolin party at 2:53 AM on December 1, 2022

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posted by Thorzdad at 3:41 AM on December 1, 2022

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posted by ceejaytee at 4:29 AM on December 1, 2022

RIP, sweet songbird
posted by Ber at 4:38 AM on December 1, 2022

Yes, she had a great voice and wrote some great tunes. It helped that she sounded very different than Stevie Nicks, too. Gave the band three very distinct voices. RIP Christine and RIP (in progress) 1970s.
posted by SoberHighland at 4:40 AM on December 1, 2022 [2 favorites]

If we're sharing favorites, Keep on Going is an all-time banger.
posted by saladin at 6:08 AM on December 1, 2022 [1 favorite]

And the songbirds are singing, like they know the score.

Vale.
posted by flabdablet at 6:28 AM on December 1, 2022 [1 favorite]

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posted by Etrigan at 6:51 AM on December 1, 2022

I started listening to Fleetwood Mac when Kiln House, to which she contributed album art and backup vocals, came out . I loved Christine so much; her educated take on vocals, keyboards and songwriting all appealed to me because I was always wanting to hear more from women actively performing in rock and roll. Rest in power. I'll miss you. ♥
posted by Lynsey at 8:05 AM on December 1, 2022 [2 favorites]

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posted by Splunge at 8:10 AM on December 1, 2022

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posted by Joey Michaels at 8:30 AM on December 1, 2022

Stevie Nicks posted a letter. It's heartbreaking.
posted by JoeZydeco at 10:08 AM on December 1, 2022 [4 favorites]

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posted by treepour at 10:27 AM on December 1, 2022

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posted by spinifex23 at 10:40 AM on December 1, 2022

Her solo album also gave us one music video from the 'making fun of the music video' genre: Love Will Show Us How With Paul Bartel playing "The Video Director"
posted by Mutant Lobsters from Riverhead at 2:48 PM on December 1, 2022

Profile/interview in Contemporary Keyboard 1980

I can't find the exact interview, but paraphrase: the band also tried out back-up keyboard players who were technically better musicians, but they just didn't sound right.
posted by ovvl at 5:06 PM on December 1, 2022 [1 favorite]

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posted by viramamunivar at 6:00 PM on December 1, 2022

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posted by suetanvil at 9:11 AM on December 2, 2022