Christine McVie
Encyclopedia
Christine McVie is an English rock singer, keyboardist
, and songwriter. Her primary fame came as a member of the British/American rock band Fleetwood Mac
, though she has also released three solo albums. As a member of Fleetwood Mac, she was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998.
in the Lake District
of England and grew up in the Bearwood area of Smethwick
near Birmingham
, where her father, Cyril P.A.Perfect, was a concert violinist and music lecturer at St Peter's College of Education, Saltley
, Birmingham
. Christine's mother Beatrice E.M.(called Tee) née Reece, was a medium, psychic, and faith healer. Her grandfather had been an organist at Westminster Abbey
. Although Christine was introduced to the piano at the age of four, it was not until age eleven that she studied music seriously, when she was re-introduced to the instrument by Philip Fisher, a local musician and school friend of her older brother John. Continuing her classical training until the age of fifteen, her musical focus made a radical shift to rock & roll
when John brought home a Fats Domino
songbook. Other early influences included The Everly Brothers
.
and Andy Silvester
in a pub one night. At the time, they were playing in a band called "Sounds Of Blue" which had a few dates booked, but no bass guitarist. Knowing that Christine had musical talent, they asked her to join. Also during that time she would often sing with Spencer Davis
. After five years, Christine graduated from art college with a teaching degree, but by that time "Sounds of Blue" had split up.
Fresh out of art college, Christine found that she did not have enough money to launch herself into the art world, so she moved to London, where she worked briefly as a department store window dresser
.
. Chichen Shack's first record release was "It's okay with me baby" written and featuring Christine. Christine stayed with Chicken Shack for two albums. It was in that combo that her genuine feel for the blues became evident, not only in her Sonny Thompson
-style piano playing, but in her soft, low alto which rendered the songs and standards she did sing authentic. In fact, Chicken Shack scored the British hit "I'd Rather Go Blind
" with Christine on lead vocals. She was given a Melody Maker
award for female vocalist for both 1969 and 1970 respectively, and she was lauded for having one of the "top 10 pairs of legs in all of Britain". Christine left Chicken Shack in 1969 after meeting Fleetwood Mac bassist John McVie.
, and Fleetwood Mac had asked Christine to play piano as a session musician for Peter Green's songs on the band's second album, Mr. Wonderful.
Encouraged to continue her career, she recorded a solo album, Christine Perfect
; following her success as a member of Fleetwood Mac, the album was reissued under the name The Legendary Christine Perfect Album. After marrying Fleetwood Mac bass guitarist John McVie, she joined the band in 1970. She had already contributed backup vocals and painted the cover for Kiln House
. The band had just lost founding member Peter Green
, and its members were nervous about touring without him. Christine had been a huge fan of the Peter Green-era Fleetwood Mac, and since she knew all the lyrics to their songs, she went along. Christine McVie quickly became an essential member of the group and the author of some of its finest songs, over the course of nearly 25 years.
The early 1970s was a rocky time for the band, with a revolving door of musicians, and only the albums Bare Trees
and Mystery to Me
scoring any successes. Furthermore, a group impersonating Fleetwood Mac was touring the United States without their permission.
In 1974, Christine reluctantly agreed to move with the rest of the band to the US and make a fresh start. Within a year, Stevie Nicks
and Lindsey Buckingham
of Buckingham Nicks
joined the band, giving it an added dimension. Their first album together, 1975's Fleetwood Mac
, had several hit songs, with Christine's "Over My Head
" and "Say You Love Me
", both reaching Billboard's top-20 singles chart. It was "Over My Head" which first put Fleetwood Mac on American radio and into the national Top 20.
In 1976, Christine began an on-the-road affair with the band's lighting director, which inspired her to write "You Make Loving Fun
", a top-10 hit on the landmark smash Rumours
, one of the best-selling albums of all-time. Her biggest hit was "Don't Stop
", which climbed all the way to #3. The Rumours tour also included Christine's "Songbird", a ballad played as the encore of many Fleetwood Mac concerts.
By the end of the Rumours tour, the McVies had divorced. The 1979 double album Tusk
produced three more US top-20 hits ("Tusk", which is also the band's first "conceptual" music video, "Sara", and Christine's "Think About Me"), but it came nowhere near to matching the success of the Rumours album. The Tusk tour continued into 1980, after which, the band took time apart. They reunited in 1981 to record the album Mirage
at a château in France. The album, released in 1982, returned the band to the top of the US charts and also contained the top-5 hit "Hold Me
", co-written by Christine. Christine's inspiration for the song was her tortured relationship with Beach Boys member Dennis Wilson
. Her song, "Love in Store", became the third single from the album peaking at #22 in early 1983.
In 1984, Christine decided to record another solo album. She created hits with the songs "Got a Hold on Me
" (Top 10 pop and #1 adult contemporary) and "Love Will Show Us How" (#30). Christine is quoted in The Billboard Book of Number One Adult Contemporary Hits as saying of her solo album, "Maybe it isn't the most adventurous album in the world, but I wanted to be honest and please my own ears with it."
She also met keyboardist Eddy Quintela (12 years her junior), whom she married on October 18, 1986. Quintela would go on to co-write many songs with her that would be featured on subsequent Fleetwood Mac albums. The couple divorced in the mid-1990s.
After covering the Elvis Presley
standard "Can't Help Falling in Love
" for the Ted Danson
/ Howie Mandel
film A Fine Mess
, she rejoined Fleetwood Mac to record the Tango in the Night
album, which went on to become the band's biggest success since Rumours ten years earlier. The biggest hit from the album which was top 5 in both the UK and US, was Christine's "Little Lies", co-written with her husband Quintela. Another McVie single from the album, "Everywhere", reached #4 in the UK, which would be the band's third highest ever chart peak there and their final top 40 UK hit to date (the single peaked at #14 in the US).
In 1990, the band (now without Lindsey Buckingham) recorded Behind the Mask
, but the sales were considerably lower than previous albums and the singles were only marginally successful. The album did however, enter the UK album chart at #1, but there were no UK hits from the album and only Christine's song "Save Me" made the US Top 40. The second US single release from the album, Christine's "Skies the Limit", was a flop, never even making the Hot 100. Christine had always been reluctant to go on concert tours, preferring to stay close to home with friends and family. Upon the death of her father, Cyril Perfect, while she was touring for Behind the Mask, Christine made the decision to retire from touring altogether. Despite the departure of Stevie Nicks, Christine remained loyal to Mick Fleetwood and her former husband, recording five songs for the band's 1995 effort Time
.
The members of the band seemed to have gone their separate ways until Mick Fleetwood, John McVie, and Lindsey Buckingham got together again for one of Lindsey Buckingham's solo projects. Christine McVie was soon asked to sing and play on some of the tracks. Once 4/5 of the Rumours-era band was reunited, the members decided a reunion was possible. Stevie Nicks was called out of premature retirement and the resulting live album, 1997's The Dance
, went to #1 in the US album charts. Despite her reservations, Christine complied with the band's touring schedule, and then performed for the group's 1998 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
, as well as the Grammy Awards show, and the BRIT Awards
in the UK. Thereafter, she retired from Fleetwood Mac altogether.
In 2006, Paste magazine
named McVie, together with bandmates Lindsey Buckingham
and Stevie Nicks
, as the 83rd greatest living songwriter or songwriting team.
, England. Sometime after leaving Fleetwood Mac, she and Quintela divorced. In a 2004 interview, she admitted to not listening much to pop music anymore and instead prefers Classic FM
.
In December 2003, she went to see Fleetwood Mac's last UK performance on the Say You Will tour in London, but did not join her former bandmates on the stage.
Mid-2004 saw the release of Christine's new solo album, In the Meantime
, her third in a career spanning five decades. Recorded in her converted barn in Kent, Christine worked on the project with her nephew, Dan Perfect, who contributed guitar-playing, backing vocals, and songwriting. There was no tour to accompany this album, though Christine consented to a limited number of press interviews in the UK and the US. In 2006, Christine was awarded the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors
' Gold Badge of Merit at a ceremony held in London's Savoy Hotel
.
Once again, in November 2009, Christine went to see Fleetwood Mac's last UK performance on their Unleashed tour in London, but did not join her former bandmates on the stage.
Keyboardist
A keyboardist is a musician who plays keyboard instruments. Until the early 1960s musicians who played keyboards were generally classified as either pianists or organists. Since the mid-1960s, a plethora of new musical instruments with keyboards have come into common usage, requiring a more...
, and songwriter. Her primary fame came as a member of the British/American rock band Fleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac are a British–American rock band formed in 1967 in London.The only original member present in the band is its eponymous drummer, Mick Fleetwood...
, though she has also released three solo albums. As a member of Fleetwood Mac, she was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998.
Early life
Christine was born in the small village of BouthBouth
Bouth is a village in Cumbria, England. It is the birth place of Christine McVie , rock singer, keyboardist and songwriter of Fleetwood Mac fame.The village's pub, the White Hart, was shown in the short-lived ITV sitcom Not with a Bang....
in the Lake District
Lake District
The Lake District, also commonly known as The Lakes or Lakeland, is a mountainous region in North West England. A popular holiday destination, it is famous not only for its lakes and its mountains but also for its associations with the early 19th century poetry and writings of William Wordsworth...
of England and grew up in the Bearwood area of Smethwick
Smethwick
Smethwick is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Sandwell, in the West Midlands of England. It is situated on the edge of the city of Birmingham, within the historic boundaries of Staffordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire....
near Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, where her father, Cyril P.A.Perfect, was a concert violinist and music lecturer at St Peter's College of Education, Saltley
Saltley
Saltley is an inner-city area of Birmingham, east of the city centre. The area is currently part of the Washwood Heath ward, although formerly a feature of the Nechells ward...
, Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
. Christine's mother Beatrice E.M.(called Tee) née Reece, was a medium, psychic, and faith healer. Her grandfather had been an organist at Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey
The Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, popularly known as Westminster Abbey, is a large, mainly Gothic church, in the City of Westminster, London, United Kingdom, located just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is the traditional place of coronation and burial site for English,...
. Although Christine was introduced to the piano at the age of four, it was not until age eleven that she studied music seriously, when she was re-introduced to the instrument by Philip Fisher, a local musician and school friend of her older brother John. Continuing her classical training until the age of fifteen, her musical focus made a radical shift to rock & roll
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
when John brought home a Fats Domino
Fats Domino
Antoine Dominique "Fats" Domino, Jr. is an American R&B and rock and roll pianist and singer-songwriter. He was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana, and Creole was his first language....
songbook. Other early influences included The Everly Brothers
The Everly Brothers
The Everly Brothers are country-influenced rock and roll performers, known for steel-string guitar playing and close harmony singing...
.
Early music
Christine studied sculpture at an art college in Birmingham for five years, with the goal of becoming an art teacher. During that time she met a number of budding musicians in Britain's blues scene. Her first foray into the music field didn't come until she met two friends, Stan WebbStan Webb
Stan Webb is the frontman and lead guitarist with the blues band, Chicken Shack.-Career:...
and Andy Silvester
Andy Silvester
Andrew Frederick 'Andy' Sylvester is a bassist and multi-instrumentalist. Sylvester has played in various bands during his career, most notably as co-founder of both Chicken Shack and Big Town Playboys as well as a tenure in the British blues band Savoy Brown and Los Angeles based soft rock...
in a pub one night. At the time, they were playing in a band called "Sounds Of Blue" which had a few dates booked, but no bass guitarist. Knowing that Christine had musical talent, they asked her to join. Also during that time she would often sing with Spencer Davis
Spencer Davis
Spencer David Nelson Davis is a British musician and multi-instrumentalist, and the founder of the 1960s rock band, the Spencer Davis Group.-Early life:...
. After five years, Christine graduated from art college with a teaching degree, but by that time "Sounds of Blue" had split up.
Fresh out of art college, Christine found that she did not have enough money to launch herself into the art world, so she moved to London, where she worked briefly as a department store window dresser
Window dresser
Window dressers arrange displays of goods in shop windows or within a shop itself. They may work for design companies contracted to work for clients or for department stores, independent retailers, airport or hotel shops....
.
Chicken Shack
In 1967, a friend told her that her ex-band mates Andy Silvester and Stan Webb were forming a blues band and were looking for a pianist, so she wrote to them asking to join them. A few days later they replied, inviting her to play keyboards/piano and sing background vocals in their band Chicken ShackChicken Shack
Chicken Shack are a British blues band, founded in the mid-1960s by Stan Webb , Andy Silvester , and Alan Morley , who were later joined by Christine Perfect in 1968.-Career:...
. Chichen Shack's first record release was "It's okay with me baby" written and featuring Christine. Christine stayed with Chicken Shack for two albums. It was in that combo that her genuine feel for the blues became evident, not only in her Sonny Thompson
Sonny Thompson
Sonny Thompson was an American R&B bandleader and pianist, popular in the 1940s and 1950s.Born Alfonso Thompson in Centreville, Mississippi, he began recording in 1946, and in 1948 achieved two #1 R&B chart hits on the Miracle label – "Long Gone " and "Late Freight", both featuring saxophonist...
-style piano playing, but in her soft, low alto which rendered the songs and standards she did sing authentic. In fact, Chicken Shack scored the British hit "I'd Rather Go Blind
I'd Rather Go Blind
"I'd Rather Go Blind" is a Blues song written by Ellington Jordan and co-credited to Billy Foster. It was first recorded by Etta James in 1968, and has subsequently become regarded as a blues and soul classic.-Original version by Etta James:...
" with Christine on lead vocals. She was given a Melody Maker
Melody Maker
Melody Maker, published in the United Kingdom, was, according to its publisher IPC Media, the world's oldest weekly music newspaper. It was founded in 1926 as a magazine targeted at musicians; in 2000 it was merged into "long-standing rival" New Musical Express.-1950s–1960s:Originally the Melody...
award for female vocalist for both 1969 and 1970 respectively, and she was lauded for having one of the "top 10 pairs of legs in all of Britain". Christine left Chicken Shack in 1969 after meeting Fleetwood Mac bassist John McVie.
Fleetwood Mac
Christine was a fan of Fleetwood Mac at the time, and while touring with Chicken Shack the two bands would often run into each other. They were also stablemates at Blue HorizonBlue Horizon
Blue Horizon was a British blues record label founded by Mike Vernon in the mid 1960s.Its roots lay in Vernon's mail order label Purdah Records, which released just four 7" singles; including "Flapjacks" by Stone's Masonry ; and another by John Mayall and Eric Clapton "Bernard Jenkins", and...
, and Fleetwood Mac had asked Christine to play piano as a session musician for Peter Green's songs on the band's second album, Mr. Wonderful.
Encouraged to continue her career, she recorded a solo album, Christine Perfect
Christine Perfect (album)
Christine Perfect is the debut solo album of former Chicken Shack keyboardist/singer Christine McVie née Perfect. The album was released just after Perfect had left Chicken Shack, but before she joined Fleetwood Mac...
; following her success as a member of Fleetwood Mac, the album was reissued under the name The Legendary Christine Perfect Album. After marrying Fleetwood Mac bass guitarist John McVie, she joined the band in 1970. She had already contributed backup vocals and painted the cover for Kiln House
Kiln House
Kiln House is the fourth album by British rock band Fleetwood Mac, released in 1970. This is the first of the post-Peter Green Fleetwood Mac albums, and their last album to feature Jeremy Spencer...
. The band had just lost founding member Peter Green
Peter Green (musician)
Peter Green is a British blues-rock guitarist and the founder of the band Fleetwood Mac...
, and its members were nervous about touring without him. Christine had been a huge fan of the Peter Green-era Fleetwood Mac, and since she knew all the lyrics to their songs, she went along. Christine McVie quickly became an essential member of the group and the author of some of its finest songs, over the course of nearly 25 years.
The early 1970s was a rocky time for the band, with a revolving door of musicians, and only the albums Bare Trees
Bare Trees
Bare Trees is the sixth studio album by British rock band Fleetwood Mac, released in 1972. This is their last album to feature Danny Kirwan, who was fired during the tour to support this album...
and Mystery to Me
Mystery to Me
Mystery to Me is the eighth studio album by British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac, released in 1973. This was their last album to feature Bob Weston...
scoring any successes. Furthermore, a group impersonating Fleetwood Mac was touring the United States without their permission.
In 1974, Christine reluctantly agreed to move with the rest of the band to the US and make a fresh start. Within a year, Stevie Nicks
Stevie Nicks
Stephanie Lynn "Stevie" Nicks is an American singer-songwriter, best known for her work with Fleetwood Mac and an extensive solo career, which collectively have produced over forty Top 50 hits and sold over 140 million albums...
and Lindsey Buckingham
Lindsey Buckingham
Lindsey Adams Buckingham is an American guitarist, singer, composer and producer, most notable for being the guitarist and male lead singer of the musical group Fleetwood Mac. Aside from his tenure with Fleetwood Mac, Buckingham has also released six solo albums and a live album...
of Buckingham Nicks
Buckingham Nicks
Buckingham Nicks is a 10-track LP by Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham. It was recorded in 1973 and was instrumental in both Nicks and Buckingham later joining Fleetwood Mac. A reissue of the album was done in 1976...
joined the band, giving it an added dimension. Their first album together, 1975's Fleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac (1975 album)
2004 Re-issueOn 24 March 2004, Warner Bros. Records re-released the remastered album, with the following bonus tracks:"Jam #2" – 5:41"Say You Love Me" [single version] – 4:03...
, had several hit songs, with Christine's "Over My Head
Over My Head (Fleetwood Mac song)
"Over My Head" is a rock song performed by Anglo-American music group Fleetwood Mac. The song was written by group keyboardist/vocalist Christine McVie. In September 1975, "Over My Head" was released as the lead single from the LP album entitled Fleetwood Mac...
" and "Say You Love Me
Say You Love Me
"Say You Love Me" is a song written by singer Christine McVie, for the group Fleetwood Mac's 1975 album, Fleetwood Mac. The song reached #11 on the Billboard Hot 100, and remains one of their best known songs...
", both reaching Billboard's top-20 singles chart. It was "Over My Head" which first put Fleetwood Mac on American radio and into the national Top 20.
In 1976, Christine began an on-the-road affair with the band's lighting director, which inspired her to write "You Make Loving Fun
You Make Loving Fun
"You Make Loving Fun" is a song written by Christine McVie of the British-American band Fleetwood Mac. "You Make Loving Fun" was separately published as the fourth and final 45 rpm single from the band's album Rumours in 1977. McVie also sang the lead vocal for this song, and she did so for many...
", a top-10 hit on the landmark smash Rumours
Rumours
Rumours is the eleventh studio album by British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac. Largely recorded in California during 1976, it was produced by the band with Ken Caillat and Richard Dashut and was released on 4 February 1977 by Warner Bros. Records. The record peaked at the top of both the...
, one of the best-selling albums of all-time. Her biggest hit was "Don't Stop
Don't Stop (Fleetwood Mac song)
"Don't Stop" is a song by the rock group Fleetwood Mac, written by vocalist and keyboard player Christine McVie. Sung by Christine McVie and guitarist Lindsey Buckingham, it was a single taken from the band's 1977 hit album, Rumours. It is one of the band's most enduring hits, peaking at number...
", which climbed all the way to #3. The Rumours tour also included Christine's "Songbird", a ballad played as the encore of many Fleetwood Mac concerts.
By the end of the Rumours tour, the McVies had divorced. The 1979 double album Tusk
Tusk (album)
Tusk is the 12th album by the British/American rock band Fleetwood Mac. Released in 1979, it is considered experimental, primarily due to Lindsey Buckingham's sparser songwriting arrangements and the influence of punk rock and New Wave on his production techniques...
produced three more US top-20 hits ("Tusk", which is also the band's first "conceptual" music video, "Sara", and Christine's "Think About Me"), but it came nowhere near to matching the success of the Rumours album. The Tusk tour continued into 1980, after which, the band took time apart. They reunited in 1981 to record the album Mirage
Mirage (Fleetwood Mac album)
Mirage is the 13th studio album by Fleetwood Mac, released in June 1982.Following a hiatus of over a year after the completion of the worldwide Tusk tour, the band temporarily relocated to Château d'Hérouville in France to record this 12-track collection...
at a château in France. The album, released in 1982, returned the band to the top of the US charts and also contained the top-5 hit "Hold Me
Hold Me (Fleetwood Mac song)
"Hold Me" is a single by British-American rock group Fleetwood Mac. The song was the first track to be released from the 1982 album Mirage, the fourth album by the band with Lindsey Buckingham acting as main producer with Richard Dashut and Ken Caillat....
", co-written by Christine. Christine's inspiration for the song was her tortured relationship with Beach Boys member Dennis Wilson
Dennis Wilson
Dennis Carl Wilson was an American rock and roll musician best known as a founding member and the drummer of The Beach Boys. He was a member of the group from its formation until his death in 1983...
. Her song, "Love in Store", became the third single from the album peaking at #22 in early 1983.
In 1984, Christine decided to record another solo album. She created hits with the songs "Got a Hold on Me
Got a Hold on Me
"Got a Hold on Me" is a 1984 song from Fleetwood Mac's keyboardist/vocalist Christine McVie. The song rose to number ten on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and it topped the Billboard Adult Contemporary and Rock Tracks charts for four and two weeks, respectively. This was McVie's only top 10 solo hit...
" (Top 10 pop and #1 adult contemporary) and "Love Will Show Us How" (#30). Christine is quoted in The Billboard Book of Number One Adult Contemporary Hits as saying of her solo album, "Maybe it isn't the most adventurous album in the world, but I wanted to be honest and please my own ears with it."
She also met keyboardist Eddy Quintela (12 years her junior), whom she married on October 18, 1986. Quintela would go on to co-write many songs with her that would be featured on subsequent Fleetwood Mac albums. The couple divorced in the mid-1990s.
After covering the Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
standard "Can't Help Falling in Love
Can't Help Falling in Love
"Can't Help Falling in Love" is a pop song originally recorded by American singer Elvis Presley and published by Gladys Music, Elvis Presley's publishing company. It was written by Hugo Peretti, Luigi Creatore, and George David Weiss. The melody was based on "Plaisir d'Amour" but with a different...
" for the Ted Danson
Ted Danson
Edward Bridge “Ted” Danson III is an American actor best known for his role as central character Sam Malone in the sitcom Cheers, and his role as Dr. John Becker on the series Becker. He also plays a recurring role on Larry David's HBO sitcom Curb Your Enthusiasm and starred alongside Glenn Close...
/ Howie Mandel
Howie Mandel
Howard Michael "Howie" Mandel is a Canadian stand-up comedian, television host, and actor. He is well known as host of the NBC game show Deal or No Deal, as well as the show's daytime and Canadian-English counterparts. Before his career as a game show host, Mandel was best known for his role on...
film A Fine Mess
A Fine Mess
A Fine Mess is a 1986 comedy film written and directed by Blake Edwards and starring Ted Danson and Howie Mandel.The film was intended as a remake of Laurel & Hardy's classic short "The Music Box" and was to be semi-improvised in the same style as the director's earlier comedy, The Party, but...
, she rejoined Fleetwood Mac to record the Tango in the Night
Tango in the Night
Tango in the Night is the 14th studio album by the British-American band Fleetwood Mac. Released in April 1987, it is the fifth and final studio album from the line-up of Lindsey Buckingham, Stevie Nicks, Christine McVie, John McVie and Mick Fleetwood....
album, which went on to become the band's biggest success since Rumours ten years earlier. The biggest hit from the album which was top 5 in both the UK and US, was Christine's "Little Lies", co-written with her husband Quintela. Another McVie single from the album, "Everywhere", reached #4 in the UK, which would be the band's third highest ever chart peak there and their final top 40 UK hit to date (the single peaked at #14 in the US).
In 1990, the band (now without Lindsey Buckingham) recorded Behind the Mask
Behind the Mask (album)
Behind the Mask is the 15th studio album by British/American rock band Fleetwood Mac, released in 1990. It was the first album released by the band after the departure of guitarist Lindsey Buckingham. He was replaced by Billy Burnette and Rick Vito, both guitar players, singers and songwriters....
, but the sales were considerably lower than previous albums and the singles were only marginally successful. The album did however, enter the UK album chart at #1, but there were no UK hits from the album and only Christine's song "Save Me" made the US Top 40. The second US single release from the album, Christine's "Skies the Limit", was a flop, never even making the Hot 100. Christine had always been reluctant to go on concert tours, preferring to stay close to home with friends and family. Upon the death of her father, Cyril Perfect, while she was touring for Behind the Mask, Christine made the decision to retire from touring altogether. Despite the departure of Stevie Nicks, Christine remained loyal to Mick Fleetwood and her former husband, recording five songs for the band's 1995 effort Time
Time (Fleetwood Mac album)
Time is the 16th studio album by British/American rock band Fleetwood Mac, released in 1995. This album featured a unique line-up for the band featuring the addition of former Traffic guitarist Dave Mason and country vocalist Bekka Bramlett, daughter of Delaney and Bonnie, to the line-up...
.
The members of the band seemed to have gone their separate ways until Mick Fleetwood, John McVie, and Lindsey Buckingham got together again for one of Lindsey Buckingham's solo projects. Christine McVie was soon asked to sing and play on some of the tracks. Once 4/5 of the Rumours-era band was reunited, the members decided a reunion was possible. Stevie Nicks was called out of premature retirement and the resulting live album, 1997's The Dance
The Dance (album)
The Dance is a live performance by Fleetwood Mac, released on Cassette, CD and VHS in 1997, and later on DVD. It hailed the return of the band's most successful line-up of Lindsey Buckingham, Mick Fleetwood, Christine McVie, John McVie and Stevie Nicks, who had not released an album together since...
, went to #1 in the US album charts. Despite her reservations, Christine complied with the band's touring schedule, and then performed for the group's 1998 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is a museum located on the shore of Lake Erie in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States. It is dedicated to archiving the history of some of the best-known and most influential artists, producers, engineers and others who have, in some major way,...
, as well as the Grammy Awards show, and the BRIT Awards
Brit Awards
The Brit Awards are the British Phonographic Industry's annual pop music awards. The name was originally a shortened form of "British", "Britain" or "Britannia", but subsequently became a backronym for British Record Industry Trust...
in the UK. Thereafter, she retired from Fleetwood Mac altogether.
In 2006, Paste magazine
Paste (magazine)
Paste is a monthly music and entertainment digital magazine published in the United States by Wolfgang's Vault. Its tagline is "Signs of Life in Music, Film and Culture."-History:...
named McVie, together with bandmates Lindsey Buckingham
Lindsey Buckingham
Lindsey Adams Buckingham is an American guitarist, singer, composer and producer, most notable for being the guitarist and male lead singer of the musical group Fleetwood Mac. Aside from his tenure with Fleetwood Mac, Buckingham has also released six solo albums and a live album...
and Stevie Nicks
Stevie Nicks
Stephanie Lynn "Stevie" Nicks is an American singer-songwriter, best known for her work with Fleetwood Mac and an extensive solo career, which collectively have produced over forty Top 50 hits and sold over 140 million albums...
, as the 83rd greatest living songwriter or songwriting team.
Life after Fleetwood Mac
In the years after The Dance, Christine returned to England to be near her family and stepped out of public view almost completely, although in 2000 she appeared in public to receive an Honorary Doctorate in Music from the University of GreenwichUniversity of Greenwich
The University of Greenwich is a British university located in the London Borough of Greenwich, London, England. The main campus is located on the grounds of the Old Royal Naval College, a central location within the Maritime Greenwich UNESCO World Heritage Site.-History:The history of the...
, England. Sometime after leaving Fleetwood Mac, she and Quintela divorced. In a 2004 interview, she admitted to not listening much to pop music anymore and instead prefers Classic FM
Classic FM (UK)
Classic FM, one of the United Kingdom's three Independent National Radio stations, broadcasts classical music in a popular and accessible style.-Overview:...
.
In December 2003, she went to see Fleetwood Mac's last UK performance on the Say You Will tour in London, but did not join her former bandmates on the stage.
Mid-2004 saw the release of Christine's new solo album, In the Meantime
In the Meantime (album)
-Personnel:*Christine McVie - vocals, piano, keyboards, synthesizer*Dan Perfect - guitar, programming, backing vocals*George Hawkins - bass guitar, backing vocals*Steve Ferrone - drums*Lenny Castro - percussion*Luis Conte - percussion...
, her third in a career spanning five decades. Recorded in her converted barn in Kent, Christine worked on the project with her nephew, Dan Perfect, who contributed guitar-playing, backing vocals, and songwriting. There was no tour to accompany this album, though Christine consented to a limited number of press interviews in the UK and the US. In 2006, Christine was awarded the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors
British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors
British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors was founded in 1947.It represents its members within the industry, to the government and to the European Commission....
' Gold Badge of Merit at a ceremony held in London's Savoy Hotel
Savoy Hotel
The Savoy Hotel is a hotel located on the Strand, in the City of Westminster in central London. Built by impresario Richard D'Oyly Carte with profits from his Gilbert and Sullivan operas, the hotel opened on 6 August 1889. It was the first in the Savoy group of hotels and restaurants owned by...
.
Once again, in November 2009, Christine went to see Fleetwood Mac's last UK performance on their Unleashed tour in London, but did not join her former bandmates on the stage.
With Fleetwood Mac
| Year | Album | U.S. United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
Additional information |
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| 1968 | Mr. Wonderful Mr. Wonderful (album) Mr. Wonderful is the second album by the blues-rock band, Fleetwood Mac, released in 1968. An expanded version of this album was included in the box set, The Complete Blue Horizon Sessions.... |
- | 10 | First Fleetwood Mac album to feature Christine McVie as a session musician. According to Mike Vernon, Producer, Christine played piano on all of Peter Green's songs, whereas Jeremy Spencer played piano on his own. |
| 1969 | Then Play On Then Play On Then Play On is the third studio album by blues-rock band Fleetwood Mac, first released in September 1969. It was the first of their original albums to feature Danny Kirwan and the last with Peter Green. Jeremy Spencer did not feature on the album apart from "a couple of piano things"... |
192 | 6 | Christine McVie featured as a session musician on this album. Although piano appears on a few of the tracks it is not clear if it was played by Christine or Jeremy. Christine has said she contributed background vocals to the album. |
| 1970 | Kiln House Kiln House Kiln House is the fourth album by British rock band Fleetwood Mac, released in 1970. This is the first of the post-Peter Green Fleetwood Mac albums, and their last album to feature Jeremy Spencer... |
69 | 39 | Christine McVie created the album art and duetted vocals with Danny Kirwan on "Station Man" (uncredited but audible). While Jeremy Spencer is credited with all keyboard parts on the album, Christine may have played the electric keyboard on "Tell Me All the Things You Do". |
| 1971 | Future Games Future Games Future Games is the fifth studio album by British rock band Fleetwood Mac, released in 1971. It was their first album with guitarist Bob Welch and the first to feature Christine McVie as a full member... |
91 | - | First album with Christine McVie as a full member of Fleetwood Mac. She contributed and sang two songs. |
| 1972 | Bare Trees Bare Trees Bare Trees is the sixth studio album by British rock band Fleetwood Mac, released in 1972. This is their last album to feature Danny Kirwan, who was fired during the tour to support this album... |
70 | - | Included McVie's "Spare Me A Little Of Your Love" and "Homeward Bound". |
| 1973 | Penguin Penguin (album) Penguin is the seventh album by British rock band Fleetwood Mac, released in 1973. It was the first Fleetwood Mac album to feature Bob Weston and the only one to feature Dave Walker.The penguin is the band mascot favoured by John McVie.-Track listing:... |
49 | - | McVie's "Remember Me" and "Did You Ever Love Me" were selected as singles but neither charted. |
| 1973 | Mystery to Me Mystery to Me Mystery to Me is the eighth studio album by British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac, released in 1973. This was their last album to feature Bob Weston... |
68 | - | - Contains four McVie songs, on which she sings lead vocals, and a lead vocal on one of Welch's. Her voice is also featured prominently in the mix on Welch's tunes "Somebody," "Miles Away," "Emerald Eyes" and "Hypnotized". |
| 1974 | Heroes Are Hard to Find Heroes Are Hard to Find Heroes Are Hard to Find is the ninth studio album by British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac, released in 1974. This is the last album with Bob Welch, who left at the end of 1974, and was replaced by Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks. It was the first Fleetwood Mac studio album properly recorded... |
34 | - | McVie's title track was selected as the album's only single. It did not chart. She contributed and sang four songs. |
| 1975 | Fleetwood Mac Fleetwood Mac (1975 album) 2004 Re-issueOn 24 March 2004, Warner Bros. Records re-released the remastered album, with the following bonus tracks:"Jam #2" – 5:41"Say You Love Me" [single version] – 4:03... |
1 | 23 | First album with Stevie Nicks & Lindsey Buckingham. Christine McVie's own "Over My Head" became Fleetwood Mac's first radio hit in the US, peaking at #20 on the Billboard Hot 100. Her "Say You Love Me" was also a Top 20 record. "Warm Ways" was selected as the album's first single but did not chart. The uptempo blues, "Sugar Daddy" has never been performed live. |
| 1977 | Rumours Rumours Rumours is the eleventh studio album by British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac. Largely recorded in California during 1976, it was produced by the band with Ken Caillat and Richard Dashut and was released on 4 February 1977 by Warner Bros. Records. The record peaked at the top of both the... |
1 | 1 | Featured Christine's biggest charting single with Fleetwood Mac—"Don't Stop" — coming in at #3 on the US Charts. It also included her "You Make Lovin' Fun", which made the US Top Ten. Christine's signatures tune, "Oh Daddy" and "Songbird", are also included. |
| 1979 | Tusk Tusk (album) Tusk is the 12th album by the British/American rock band Fleetwood Mac. Released in 1979, it is considered experimental, primarily due to Lindsey Buckingham's sparser songwriting arrangements and the influence of punk rock and New Wave on his production techniques... |
4 | 1 | Featured her "Think About Me", which hit #20 on Billboard in 1980. Peter Green added some guitar to McVie's "Brown Eyes" |
| 1980 | Live Live (Fleetwood Mac album) Live is a double live album released by Fleetwood Mac in 1980. It was the first live album from the then-current line-up of the band, and the next would be The Dance from 1997... |
14 | 31 | Featured a new Christine McVie song—"One More Night" |
| 1982 | Mirage Mirage (Fleetwood Mac album) Mirage is the 13th studio album by Fleetwood Mac, released in June 1982.Following a hiatus of over a year after the completion of the worldwide Tusk tour, the band temporarily relocated to Château d'Hérouville in France to record this 12-track collection... |
1 | 5 | Featured Christine McVie's "Hold Me" (US#4) and "Love in Store" (US#22). |
| 1987 | Tango in the Night Tango in the Night Tango in the Night is the 14th studio album by the British-American band Fleetwood Mac. Released in April 1987, it is the fifth and final studio album from the line-up of Lindsey Buckingham, Stevie Nicks, Christine McVie, John McVie and Mick Fleetwood.... |
7 | 1 | Included Christine McVie standards "Little Lies" (UK#5, US#4), "Everywhere" (UK#4, US#14), and "Isn't It Midnight" (UK#60). |
| 1988 | Greatest Hits Greatest Hits (1988 Fleetwood Mac album) Greatest Hits is a 1988 compilation album by British-American band Fleetwood Mac. It covers the period of the band's greatest commercial success, from the mid 1970s to the late 1980s.... |
14 | 3 | Featured two new songs including Christine McVie's "As Long as You Follow As Long as You Follow "As Long as You Follow" is the title of a song by the rock band Fleetwood Mac. Written by band member Christine McVie and her then-husband Eddy Quintela, the song was one of two new tracks on the band's 1988 greatest hits album and the sleeve for "As Long as You Follow" is identical to "Greatest... " which peaked at #43 on Billboard's Hot 100, #15 on its Rock chart, and #1 on Adult Contemporary |
| 1990 | Behind the Mask Behind the Mask (album) Behind the Mask is the 15th studio album by British/American rock band Fleetwood Mac, released in 1990. It was the first album released by the band after the departure of guitarist Lindsey Buckingham. He was replaced by Billy Burnette and Rick Vito, both guitar players, singers and songwriters.... |
18 | 1 | Christine McVie's "Save Me" reached the US Top 40 in 1990. McVie stopped touring with Fleetwood Mac after the Behind The Mask tour was complete |
| 1995 | Time Time (Fleetwood Mac album) Time is the 16th studio album by British/American rock band Fleetwood Mac, released in 1995. This album featured a unique line-up for the band featuring the addition of former Traffic guitarist Dave Mason and country vocalist Bekka Bramlett, daughter of Delaney and Bonnie, to the line-up... |
- | 47 | The last studio release with Christine McVie as a full-time member. "I Do" was released as a single but failed to chart. |
| 1997 | The Dance The Dance (album) The Dance is a live performance by Fleetwood Mac, released on Cassette, CD and VHS in 1997, and later on DVD. It hailed the return of the band's most successful line-up of Lindsey Buckingham, Mick Fleetwood, Christine McVie, John McVie and Stevie Nicks, who had not released an album together since... |
1 | 15 | Christine McVie participated in her final tour with Fleetwood Mac and retired from the group thereafter. "Temporary One" was released as a single but failed to chart. |
| 2003 | Say You Will Say You Will Say You Will is the 17th album by British/American band Fleetwood Mac, released in 2003. It was the first Fleetwood Mac album in 34 years not to include tracks written by vocalist/keyboardist Christine McVie, who had left the group in 1998. McVie is featured on two songs, which had been originally... |
3 | 6 | Christine McVie was credited as an additional musician. She played keyboards and provided background vocals on "Bleed to Love Her" and "Steal Your Heart Away". |
Solo albums
| Year | Album | U.S. Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
Additional information |
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| 1970 | Christine Perfect Christine Perfect (album) Christine Perfect is the debut solo album of former Chicken Shack keyboardist/singer Christine McVie née Perfect. The album was released just after Perfect had left Chicken Shack, but before she joined Fleetwood Mac... |
- | - | Featured a cover version of Fleetwood Mac's "When You Say" |
| 1984 | Christine McVie Christine McVie (album) Christine McVie is the second solo album by the British Fleetwood Mac vocalist/keyboardist Christine McVie. It was released in 1984.It was McVie's first solo recording since her 1970 self-titled release . The album peaked at #26 on the US album charts and #58 in the UK... |
26 | 58 | Featured Christine McVie's biggest charting single outside Fleetwood Mac—"Got A Hold On Me" coming in at #10 on the US charts |
| 2004 | In the Meantime In the Meantime (album) -Personnel:*Christine McVie - vocals, piano, keyboards, synthesizer*Dan Perfect - guitar, programming, backing vocals*George Hawkins - bass guitar, backing vocals*Steve Ferrone - drums*Lenny Castro - percussion*Luis Conte - percussion... |
- | 133 | Christine McVie co-produced this album with her nephew Dan Perfect. "Friend" reached #29 on the Adult Contemporary Chart. |
With Chicken Shack
| Year | Album | U.S. Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
Additional information |
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| 1968 | 40 Blue Fingers, Freshly Packed and Ready to Serve 40 Blue Fingers, Freshly Packed and Ready to Serve -Chicken Shack:*Stan Webb – guitar, vocals*Christine Perfect – keyboards, vocals*Andy Silvester – bass guitar*Dave Bidwell – drums-Additional Personnel:*Alan Ellis – trumpet*Dick Heckstall-Smith – tenor saxophone... |
- | 12 | - |
| 1969 | O.K. Ken? O.K. Ken? O.K. Ken? is the second album by the blues band, Chicken Shack, released in 1969. O.K Ken? reached number 9 in the charts, higher than its predecessor 40 Blue Fingers, Freshly Packed and Ready to Serve.... |
- | 9 | - |
Singles
| Year | Song | U.S. Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
U.S. A/C Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks The Adult Contemporary chart is a weekly chart published in Billboard magazine that lists the most popular songs on adult contemporary and "lite-pop" radio stations in the United States... |
Album |
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| 1969 | "When You Say When You Say "When You Say" is a song by British rock group Fleetwood Mac, written by guitarist Danny Kirwan, which first appeared on their 1969 album Then Play On.... " |
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Christine Perfect |
| 1984 | "Got a Hold on Me Got a Hold on Me "Got a Hold on Me" is a 1984 song from Fleetwood Mac's keyboardist/vocalist Christine McVie. The song rose to number ten on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and it topped the Billboard Adult Contemporary and Rock Tracks charts for four and two weeks, respectively. This was McVie's only top 10 solo hit... " |
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Christine McVie |
| 1984 | "Love Will Show Us How Love Will Show Us How "Love Will Show Us How" is a 1984 song from Fleetwood Mac's keyboardist/vocalist Christine McVie. The song reached 30 Billboard Hot 100 and 32 Billboard Adult Contemporary.... " |
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Christine McVie |
| 2004 | "Friend" | |
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In the Meantime |
External links
- [ AMG Entry for Christine McVie]
- Extensive bio, links to charts, discography