The Smiley Smile Message Board

I saw Stevie mentioned as a favourite singer in the thread of that title. In my experience, people tend to have strong opinions regarding whether she or band mate Christine "does it" for them. IMO, McVie has a gorgeous voice (seems trained?) and uses it it is such a laid-back sexy way that Nicks can't even compare. I know that Nicks has the looks, the presentation, the "stuff" that makes her attractive in a commercial way, but Christine...

I'll take McVie's vox over Nicks any day.   You Make Loving Fun, Little Lies, Oh Daddy, etc

They were a perfect compliment to each other vocally. Put Buckingham in that blend and that's what made it unique.

An interesting comparison can be made with a classic old album and a new one.

Listen to that "Buckingham Nicks" pre-Mac album, then listen to the Buckingham-McVie collab that just came out last year. You'll hear what each singer brings into the larger blend, and also where the songwriting compliments the other ingredients when one of those two voices and writers is removed.

I so agree about the blend. Without one or the other, FM would not have been FM. Still, nothing that Nicks does as lead comes near, for me, McVie's performance  in, say, "Song Bird" or "Warm Ways." I guess it's McVie's blues background coming through that elevates these songs, in particular, above and beyond the more pop sound of Nicks. 

Dislike the Buckingham-led Fleetwood Mac. I like Peter Green's songs, voice & guitar playing. New line-up features no favorite singer, songs etc.

I'm more of a Stevie fan, if only on the strength of "Sara", which goes to places where few pop songs ever venture. Part of the song is in the Lydian mode, which has always done strange and exciting things to me. Infuriatingly, the Tusk version isn't on Youtube.

I've only just started listening to the Peter Green version of FM.   This version is largely unknown in the States, but I like it a lot, and Green was an exceptional guitarist. 

Interesting, do you know why?

Nice you back me up re: Peter's guitar skills. At least smb. agrees with sth. I say, ha.

I'm not really sure to be honest.   Some artists prominent in the UK never really struck a chord in the states for some reason.   Early Genesis, 1970s Scorpions, UFO, and even early 70s Beach Boys. 

The early blues based Mac never really made a dent, and I'm sure there are many who don't realize that Santana's Black Magic Woman is actually a Mac cover. 

Thanks for that info. I had no idea that Black Magic Woman as a Mac cover! Nor was I aware that Fleetwood, John McVie, and Green were part of John Mayall's Bluebreakers and Christine MvVie sang with Spencer Davis (with whom Steve Winwood sang  - Gimme Some Lovin).

Compare the two versions and you'll hear what Santana added to the song to make it a "hit". Santana kept the Latin rhythm going throughout the song, whereas Peter Green and the Mac had a lot of trippy pauses and breaks where the groove completely stops. Also, Santana streamlined the chord changes a bit to make it a more standard minor blues with less of the jazzy turnarounds in Green's original.

No doubt Green was a very influential guitarist - his Les Paul guitar is one of the iconic versions of that instrument, right up there with the other 'Burst Les Pauls wielded by Clapton, Bloomfield, Page, Richards, etc. in the 60's.

Now here's something cool to check out, more related to Santana than the Mac:

Santana segued his cover of Black Magic Woman into a piece called "Gypsy Queen" by guitarist Gabor Szabo, released in '66. Szabo had some heavy-hitters from the jazz world including Ron Carter and Chico Hamilton on that album which featured "Gypsy Queen".

But if you listen to the Szabo original, you'll hear what sounds like the foundation of the Santana sound, back in '66. No wonder Santana covered this. Add some heavier sounds, a more overdriven and louder guitar, a heavier mix, electric bass, and this track is like hearing the roots of what made Santana a superstar.

"Gypsy Queen" by Gabor Szabo, 1966:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3--HVjDk7s (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3--HVjDk7s)

Just an example of everything old becoming new again.  :)

While not nearly as iconic, Judas Priest did pretty well with an early Mac cover with The Green Manalishi.   While it's not as revered as Santana's Black Magic Woman, it's a fan favorite among Priest fans. 

Wow. I wonder if he was, in turn, influenced by Django Reinhardt, the Gypsy/Roma jazz guitarist. Certainly sounds like it.

http://www.openculture.com/2012/08/django_reinhardt_and_the_inspiring_story_behind_his_guitar_technique.html

Love how Santana imbued it with the Latin flavor.   

I've read that Szabo joined the Church of Scientology, which he later accused of kidnapping him, taking his money, and forcing him to take one of their courses which, I'm sure, was not similar to one of Dale Carnegie's!

My "wow" was in re: Santana and whether he was influenced by Szabo.

Heard this Szabo track a while back and loved it. The rest of the album doesn't make it for me (maybe not for anyone) but this is nice!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=miGRscAc3tw

It's certainly "of the times," maybe a bit after the white go-go boots era, but still catchy! I notice that Jim Gordon (Derek and the Doms) is the drummer.

Tbh, I didn't like Santana as well. :p In addition to James Taylor, Fleetwood Mac MK II, Carole King (solo. Dig some Goffin-King songs such as "Take Good Care Of My Baby"), Eric Clapton, Marvin Gaye, The Ronettes & the other 95% girl groups, Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan etc. Plenty artists I do not listen & care about.

Yes indeed. :3d

Thanks very much for that link! I had always wanted to hear the original version of "Gypsy Queen", but could never remember who did it. After listening to that song I started to look up some of his other stuff. I wish I had known about him sooner.  ;D He's highly underrated.

Both. But Stevie is my #1 favorite woman in music and one of my favorite songwriters. The Rumours lineup of Fleetwood Mac is one of my top 5 favorite bands ever and though I love everyone in that band, I have a big preference for Stevie and Lindsey. I love the music they make whether in the band or solo.

I'd just like to give a shout-out to the Bob Welch FM (1971-74). He had several truly great songs which have held up quite nicely: hypnotized, future games, sentimental lady, etc. Future games still makes my hair stand up (what's left of it). The dude had magic.

Tab Lloyd - I wholly concur.

I wouldn’t go so far as to say dislike, but I definitely prefer the Green-Spencer-Kirwan era stuff

Cool.

Well, it's there now. This is the stunning full-length version:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KOVyBhVsOV0

As for Christine, I first heard her voice when she was Christine Perfect and sang with Chicken Shack. Their gorgeous cover of Etta James' "I'd Rather Go Blind" was a UK #14 hit in 1969:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8DrAH9I0G2I

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicken_Shack (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicken_Shack)

I prefer Stevie but Christine wrote some fine pop gems, too. Dreams, Gypsy, Rhiannon, Sara, Landslide, Gold Dust Woman etc have that trademark Stevie mysticism. Also was Brian's Stevie a tribute to Nicks or Wonder?

Nicks