Christine McVie Releases Solo Collection, ‘Songbird’

While it’s not known whether Fleetwood Mac will be recording or touring again, it appears that the band has gone their own way. Its two female members have plans of their own in 2022. While Stevie Nicks doesn’t have an extended tour, per se, she has many live performance dates on her calendar. As of June 25, the songstress had 14 concerts planned this year, many of which are taking place at festivals. They span from May 7, where she was the headliner on the final Saturday of the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, through Sept. 30. Though McVie hasn’t announced any concerts, she has released a new solo collection, Songbird. The album is produced by Glyn Johns and emphasizes songs from her solo career. It arrived June 24 via Rhino. Listen to many of the tracks below.

Related: Christine McVie dies at 79

In a June 16 interview with Rolling Stone (subscription required), McVie spoke of Fleetwood Mac in the past tense. “We’ve kind of broke up now,” she said.

Fleetwood Mac last toured in 2019, with Mike Campbell and Neil Finn joining Nicks, McVie, Mick Fleetwood and John McVie. When asked by Rolling Stone whether there would be a next phase of Fleetwood Mac, Christine McVie said, “I don’t know. It’s impossible to say.”

She had said much the same thing in a 2021 interview with BBC Radio 2.

News of Nicks‘ 2022 appearances began trickling out in January, when the Bonnaroo festival announced its lineup.

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Stevie Nicks 2022 Dates (Tickets are available here and here)
Sep 04 – Snowmass, CO – Jazz Aspen Snowmass
Sep 08 – Highland Park, IL – Ravinia
Sep 10 – Highland Park, IL – Ravinia
Sep 17 – Asbury Park, NJ – Sea Hear Now Festival
Sep 24 – Bridgeport, CT – Sound on Sound Festival
Sep 30 – Dana Point, CA – Ohana Festival

Watch Nicks perform “Edge of Seventeen” at Red Rocks Amphitheatre on May 14, 2022

Related: Listings for 100s of classic rock tours

McVie‘s last studio effort was 2017’s collaboration with Lindsey Buckingham. The title track of the 2022 release originally appeared on Mac’s 1977 Rumours album. Other songs are culled from various aspects of her career, including her solo work. McVie says the songs, with a string orchestra, “sound completely different.”

The album includes a selection of songs from two of her solo albums – 1984’s Christine McVie and 2004’s In the Meantime – plus two previously unreleased studio recordings.

The first release, “Slow Down,” was originally written for the 1985 film American Flyers. Of the song, McVie says, “I was asked to write a song for a film about a cycling competition. So, I thought we’d give it a go. So that’s why the lyrics are sort of muddled up with a little bit of a love song, a little bit of cycling. And it turned out really well, but they didn’t end up using it. We thought it was a pity to waste it, so it’s on here.”

Listen to “Slow Down” from the new album

Another song that has never been released is “All You Gotta Do,” a duet that McVie recorded with George Hawkins while making In the Meantime. The track was never finished, and Johns added Ricky Peterson on Hammond and Ethan Johns on drums and guitar.

Christine McVie Songbird: A Solo Collection Track Listing
Friend
Sweet Revenge
The Challenge
Northern Star
Ask Anybody
Slow Down
Easy Come, Easy Go
Givin’ It Back
All You Gotta Do
Songbird (Orchestral)

Listen to the orchestral version of “Songbird”

The new album goes back to 1984 for a selection of tracks from Christine McVie, in which she was joined by several legendary musicians. “The Challenge” includes backing vocals by her Fleetwood Mac bandmate Lindsey Buckingham and lead guitar by Eric Clapton.

“Ask Anybody” is a song McVie co-wrote with Steve Winwood, who adds backing vocals and piano to the track.

Buckingham released a self-titled solo album in 2021, and has returned to the road. Tickets to see him perform in 2022 are available here and here.