Christine McVie Saved Fleetwood Mac With 1 ‘Rumours’ Track
Fleetwood Mac has released more than 15 albums over the years. But few have left the indelible mark that the band’s 1977 album, Rumours, has. But while even casual fans of Fleetwood Mac will know the album’s songs, they might not realize how instrumental the late Christine McVie was in creating the iconic track that would ultimately save the band itself.
Christine McVie joined Fleetwood Mac after its second album
McVie wasn’t part of the original line-up of Fleetwood Mac, preceded by founders Mick Fleetwood, Peter Green, and Jeremy Spencer. Those three — drummer and two guitarists/vocalists, respectively — ultimately brought John McVie on board just in time for their 1967 debut album. But the band was far from done adding new members just yet.
Christine Perfect was a keyboardist and vocalist who joined the band as a session musician for the second Fleetwood Mac album, 1968’s Mr. Wonderful. That same year, Perfect married McVie, taking on his surname. And in 1970, Christine McVie became a full member of Fleetwood Mac, having left behind her previous band Chicken Shack the previous year.
Christine McVie wrote 1 of Fleetwood Mac’s loveliest songs
1977’s Rumours is undoubtedly Fleetwood Mac’s most iconic album. It comfortably sits among the best-selling albums of all time and carries several of the band’s most beloved songs. Among these is one of McVie’s most famous works, “Songbird.” The song was the B-side to the band’s biggest hit and only number one, “Dreams.” And McVie told The Guardian in 2016 all about her unique experience writing “Songbird.”
“[‘Songbird’] was a strange little baby, that one. I woke up in the middle of the night and the song just came into my head. I got out of bed, played it on the little piano I have in my room, and sang it with no tape recorder,” McVie said.
The singer compared writing the song to being visited by a spirit, adding, “I sang it from beginning to end: everything… I can’t tell you quite how I felt; it was as if I’d been visited –- it was a very spiritual thing. I was frightened to play it again in case I’d forgotten it. I called a producer first thing the next day and said, ‘I’ve got to put this song down right now.’ I played it nervously, but I remembered it. Everyone just sat there and stared at me. I think they were all smoking opium or something in the control room. I’ve never had that happen to me since. Just the one visitation. It’s weird.”
Fleetwood Mac famously faced a lot of internal conflict during the making of Rumours. But “Songbird” seemed to be a unifying experience for the band, according to American Songwriter. The song’s message of selfless love shined through and helped the band push through to its biggest success with Rumours.
Christine McVie also maintained a solo career over the years
McVie died in November 2022 at the age of 79. And while her bandmates and fans are still mourning her loss, McVie certainly left an extensive library of music for them to remember her by. In addition to her Fleetwood Mac work, McVie cultivated a successful solo career as well.
Her first solo album, Christine Perfect, was released in 1970 and featured songs like “When You Say.” But it was her 1984 follow-up, Christine McVie, that delivered the biggest hits of the singer’s solo career. “Got a Hold on Me” even cracked the top 10 on the charts.
