In 1977 when I was 18 years old, one of my singing idols was Stevie Nicks and the band Fleetwood Mac. Singing was and is a passion of mine. I joined a rock n' roll band and sang for many years. My husband was the lead guitarist in the band. Our band did not get a break even though we worked hard, starved, and struggled through our passions. Primarily a British blues band, Fleetwood Mac scored a UK number one with 'Albatross', and had other hits such as the singles 'Oh Well' and 'Man of the World'. All three guitarists left in succession during the early 1970s, to be replaced by guitarists Bob Welch and Bob Weston and vocalist Dave Walker.
For over four decades Mick Fleetwood has been the drummer for one of the most successful bands of all time -- Fleetwood Mac -- and now the 67-year-old musician has written his memoir. 'Play On: Now, Then, and Fleetwood Mac: The Autobiography' tells the story of the legendary band's creation, Fleetwood's affair with Stevie Nicks, and his problems with hard drugs.
FOX411: Did you enjoy writing the book?
Mick Fleetwood: A creative outlook would be a good way to explain for me the process of what it reveals to me. I don't sit around writing songs. It's been a great vehicle for me to take responsibility for the way the book turned out and it comes under the heading of enjoying the creative thought process. I found it stimulating.
FOX411: You write about your affair with Stevie Nicks and it sounds like you feel you two could have had a future together.
After five decades, the legendary band Fleetwood Mac continues to endure. The band's 2018 reunion tour saw a total of 88 performances over four legs around the world, while even in the fall of 2020 the use of their song 'Dreams' on a viral TikTok video caused streams of the song to triple, according to the L.A. Times, bringing the music of Rumours to a new audience. Broken Chain: A History of Fleetwood Mac Firings and Departures Lindsey Buckingham’s firing is just the latest in a decades-long game of musical chairs for the Hall of Fame band. Rumours: The Ultimate Fleetwood Mac Tribute Show, was formed in Los Angeles, CA, the Summer of 2012. Shortly after they finished their residency at the legendary Roxy, LA. They were asked to be on AXS TV's 'World Greatest Tribute Bands'.
Fleetwood: That's true. We had a very bright moment. It wasn't an on-again-off-again relationship. It was on for the time it was on and we know why, and it was not be, though it was a timely thing for both of us that we parted in the night. Having said that we are and we were before that little firefly connection that we certainly both own is that we were great friends before and we are great friends after and for that we are lucky and grateful that it is the case.
But it was very real and it is quietly thought provoking, but that's one of those things. Once in a while, especially when someone asks you about it, you go, 'Wow, another place and not such a crazy world around, maybe those two souls may have been positioned to have a longer moment together or a very long period of being together.' We celebrate that we are still great friends and we know what happened and it was very bright and crazy and we have those memories.
FOX411: During the making of 'Rumours' there was so much interpersonal drama going on among the band members.
Fleetwood: It is quite extraordinary that we survived that and all of the survival is now channeled into an understanding that my read on is that what we were doing was so powerful and focused that no one, not even in a whole heap of emotional pain, was going to walk away from. All five of us were going through the same thing. I was just spared that my partner wasn't singing into a microphone six inches away. That alone is still extraordinary and that Christine (McVie) is back with the band is an amazing thing within itself. For Stevie (Nicks) and Lindsay (Buckingham) it's been a real challenge from time to time to co-exist. All I can say is they would not be doing what they're doing unless they found a place where this can really be acceptable and okay and at least reasonably emotionally safe which is actually a really lucky thing, and we're still on that journey.
FOX411: You're unfortunately sort of infamous for the reportedly huge amount of cocaine you did in the 70's.
Fleetwood: You don't want to romanticize it but you have to have some sense of humor about it. You also have to be saying after telling a couple of war stories that the reality is it turns into a damn nightmare and is not to be lorded around, because there's a sort of an element of irresponsible behavior when you start guffawing about it. It's a hard one to talk about.
Lindsey Buckingham Of The Band Fleetwood Mac
Background information | |
---|---|
Origin | Olympia, Washington, United States |
Genres | Pop, doo-wop |
Years active | 1958–1983 |
Labels | Dolton Records, Liberty Records |
Past members | Gary Troxel Gretchen Christopher Barbara Ellis |
The Fleetwoods were an American singing group from Olympia, Washington, United States, whose members were Gary Troxel, Gretchen Christopher, and Barbara Ellis.[1]
History[edit]
The band members met as high school students in Olympia, Washington. Their first hit was the self-written 'Come Softly to Me', which was also covered by others.[2] The UK's Frankie Vaughan and The Kaye Sisters had a Top 10 chart hit in the United Kingdom with the song, though The Fleetwoods exceeded them, simultaneously charting in the UK's Top 5.[3][4]
Their second hit, 'Graduation's Here' was co-written by Ellis and Christopher, with Troxel later adding a scat line in counterpoint. That one was followed by 'Mr. Blue,' which, like 'Come Softly To Me', also topped the US pop chart.[1]
The Fleetwoods continued recording into the 1960s. They hit the Top 10 again with a remake of Thomas Wayne's 'Tragedy' in 1961.[1] Though they went on to have a total of eleven hits on the Hot 100, the beginning of the end for the group came when Troxel had to fulfill his obligation to go onto active duty in the United States Navy. He joined the Naval Reserve in 1956. Additionally, the British Invasion of the mid 1960s changed the public's taste. The trio's hits ended in 1963 with Barbara Ellis singing melody on 'Goodnight My Love'. Vic Dana, who was to go on to a successful solo career,[1] replaced Troxel in the group when he was in the service, solely for live performances.[5]
![The Bandfleetwood Mac The Bandfleetwood Mac](/uploads/1/2/6/6/126675848/828650190.jpg)
By the late 1970s, Troxel was working in a plywood plant in Washington; Ellis was managing a trailer park in California and Christopher was a housewife and modern jazz dance teacher in Washington at St. Martin's College and at The Evergreen State College. Ellis is now retired from performing. In 1983, Troxel gave his written resignation from The Fleetwoods leaving Christopher as manager with the sole authority to contract for both the original and replacement Fleetwoods. Troxel formed a new Fleetwoods group in the 1980s. His group has been performing regularly since the mid 1980s doing several 'oldies' concerts each year with two performances on the PBS Doo Wop series.[6]
The Bandfleetwood  Machine Gun
While Christopher trained replacement Fleetwoods she also resumed her solo music career, billing herself as 'Gretchen Christopher of the Fleetwoods.' Both Troxel and Christopher each continue to perform and occasionally release new recordings. A new Fleetwoods version of 'Graduation's Here' appeared on Christopher's autobiographical solo album, Gretchen's Sweet Sixteen (Suite 16) which is one of the 2007 Billboard critics' picks for 10 Best Albums of the Year. It included both the hit arrangement of 'Come Softly To Me' and the a cappella 'Come Softly', with Christopher singing all the parts.
Since their 1988 induction into the Northwest Area Music Association Hall of Fame, and their 2005 induction into the Olympia High School Alumni Association Hall of Fame, The Fleetwoods have been inducted into both the Vocal Group Hall of Fame and the Doo-Wop Hall of Fame of America in 2006.
The November 2007 release of Gretchen's Sweet Sixteen (Suite 16) was launched in Las Vegas with the second Annual Cool Bobby B Doo Wop Convention and Grand Finale Concert, headlined by 'The Fleetwoods starring Gretchen Christopher.' A year later, though all three originals were inducted and invited to the Vocal Group Hall of Fame, Christopher was the only original member of the Fleetwoods who accepted, attended and performed, dedicating songs to each of her absent partners. Troxel had every intention of attending but decided it was more important to be with his wife, because of her breast cancer treatment.
In 2000, Troxel and his wife Jenifer lost Troxel v. Granville, a landmark grandparents' rights case before the Supreme Court of the United States. The court held that under the United States Constitution, non-parents seeking custody or visitation rights of a child against the wishes of the child's parents must prove that the parents are not acting in the best interest of the child in refusing custody or visitation.[7]
In 2008 and 2009, Christopher testified before the Washington State Senate in support of the Truth in Music Advertising Bill. In 2009, it passed both the House and Senate unanimously, and was signed into law by Governor Chris Gregoire. The law provides that a performing group shall not be advertised by the name of a recording group, unless the performing group includes from the hit-making recording group at least one original member who is authorized to use the name. That authorization resides solely with Christopher, according to the performance contract and resignation signed by Troxel.
Discography[edit]
Singles[edit]
A-Side | B-Side From same album as A-side except where indicated | Release date | Label + Cat. No. | Chart positions | Album | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
US Hot 100 | Canada | UK | |||||
'Come Softly to Me' | 'I Care So Much' | February 1959 | Dolphin 1 Liberty 55188 | 1 | 1 | 6 | Mr. Blue |
'Graduation's Here' | 'Oh Lord Let It Be' (from Mr. Blue) | April 1959 | Dolton 3 | 39 | 38 | The Fleetwoods Greatest Hits | |
'Mr. Blue' | July 1959 | Dolton 5 | 1 | 1 | Mr. Blue | ||
'You Mean Everything to Me' | 84 | ||||||
'Outside My Window' | 'Magic Star' (from Goodnight My Love) | January 1960 | Dolton 15 | 28 | The Fleetwoods: Gretchen, Gary and Barbara | ||
'Runaround' | 'Truly Do' | April 1960 | Dolton 22 | 23 | 25 | ||
'The Last One to Know' | 'Dormilona' | August 1960 | Dolton 27 | 96 | Softly | ||
'Confidential' | 'I Love You So' (from Softly) | November 1960 | Dolton 30 | Mr. Blue | |||
'Bazoom (I Need Your Lovin')' | 'Little White Cloud That Cried' (from Softly) | March 1961 | Dolton 37 (cancelled) | The Fleetwoods Sing The Best Goodies of The Oldies | |||
'Tragedy' | 'Little Miss Sad One' | March 1961 | Dolton 40 | 10 | 7 | Softly | |
'(He's) The Great Imposter' | 'Poor Little Girl' | July 1961 | Dolton 45 | 30 | 7 | Deep In A Dream | |
'Billy Old Buddy' | 'Trouble' | January 1962 | Dolton 49 | Non-LP tracks | |||
'Jimmy Beware' | 'Bazoom (I Need Your Lovin')' (from The Fleetwoods Sing The Best Goodies of The Oldies) | March 1962 | Dolton 54 (cancelled) | Goodnight My Love | |||
'Lovers by Night, Strangers by Day' | 'They Tell Me It's Summer' (Non-LP track) | July 1962 | Dolton 62 | 36 | The Fleetwoods Sing for Lovers By Night | ||
'Sure Is Lonesome Downtown' | 'You Should Have Been There' (Non-LP track) | March 1963 | Dolton 74 | Goodnight My Love | |||
'Goodnight My Love' | 'Jimmy Beware' | April 1963 | Dolton 75 | 32 | |||
'What'll I Do' | 'Baby Bye-O' | October 1963 | Dolton 86 | Non-LP tracks | |||
'Ruby Red Baby Blue' | 'Lonesome Town' | March 1964 | Dolton 93 | ||||
'Ska Light, Ska Bright' (Jamaica Ska) | 'Ten Times Blue' | June 1964 | Dolton 97 | ||||
'Mr. Sandman' | 'This Is My Prayer (Non Ho l'Età Per Amarti)' | July 1964 | Dolton 98 | 113 | Before And After | ||
'Before And After (Losing You)' | 'Lonely Is As Lonely Does' | December 1964 | Dolton 302 | ||||
'Come Softly To Me' (1965 Version) | 'I'm Not Jimmy' | May 1965 | Dolton 307 | Non-LP tracks | |||
'Rainbow' | 'Just As I Need You' | August 1965 | Dolton 310 | ||||
'For Lovin' Me' | 'This Is Where I See Her' | January 1966 | Dolton 315 | Folk Rock |
Albums[edit]
Original albums[edit]
- Mr. Blue (1959)
- The Fleetwoods (1960)
- Softly (1961)
- Deep In A Dream (1961)
- The Best Goodies Of The Oldies (1961)
- For Lovers By Night (1963)
- Goodnight My Love (1963)
- Before And After (1965)
- Folk Rock (1965)
Compilations[edit]
- The Fleetwoods' Greatest Hits (1962)
- In A Mellow Mood (1966)
- The Very Best Of The Fleetwoods (1974)
- Buried Treasure (1983)
- Come Softly To Me: The Very Best Of The Fleetwoods (1993)
References[edit]
- ^ abcdColin Larkin, ed. (2002). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Fifties Music (Third ed.). Virgin Books. p. 143. ISBN1-85227-937-0.
- ^DeWitt, Howard A. 'Teen Angst and Soft Rock 'n Roll'. TheFleetwoods.us. Retrieved December 13, 2020.
- ^Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 583. ISBN1-904994-10-5.
- ^Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 205. ISBN1-904994-10-5.
- ^'The Most Trusted Place for Answering Life's Questions'. Answers.com. Retrieved 2015-05-29.
- ^'The Fleetwoods - The Fleetwoods'. Thefleetwoods.us. Retrieved 2015-05-29.
- ^'Troxel V. Granville'. Supct.law.cornell.edu. Retrieved 2015-05-29.
External links[edit]
- Biography at Allmusic
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