Tango was announced
 

Lindsey just posted in his networks 37 years ago Tango In The Night was announced. He asks his fans to comment on their favorite song. Though expected, it's interesting to read different opinions, including Caroline from two fans (it's the only song I don't like from that album), though I didn't reach the end of the answers list in Twitter.

https://twitter.com/LBuckingham/stat...24557305389169

You beat me to the punch! 37 years. I remember getting an announcement on the radio that the first song from Fleetwood Mac in 5 years was coming up. I could not contain myself. When the album came out, I drove to the mall and bought the cassette.
It was an exciting time for sure!
I remember the Mac Attack on MTV too.

I was so excited and I loved the album. However its not one of my favorite albums. Its too synth pop and programmed stuff for my liking. As usual Chris brought the best songs. Although Lindsey's title track is a favorite of mine. It was not a group effort and I feel bad for what Lindsey had to go through. Stevie was barely there. She was drunk when she was there and her vocals were so bad Lindsey would delete them after she left....thus that "oooh my love" disaster.

When Nicks did go to the studio, she often felt unmotivated: "I can remember going up there and not being happy to even be there... I didn't go very often". Vocal sessions took place in Buckingham's master bedroom, where Nicks frequently recorded her parts for Buckingham and McVie's songs under the influence of alcohol; Buckingham deleted most of Nicks' vocals after she left the studio. "I'm not blaming him for that because I'm sure they totally sucked. Vocals done when you're crazy and drinking a cup of brandy probably aren't usually going to be great".

Buckingham recorded some of the vocals using a Fairlight, an early sampling synthesizer. On "When I See You Again", he re-assembled separately recorded takes of Nicks, explaining, "I had to pull performances out of words and lines and make parts that sounded like her that weren't her". "That was in my estimation when everybody in the band was personally at their worst. By the time we did Tango in the Night, everybody was leading their lives in a way that they would not be too proud of today

According to Mick's book it wa... Well I think I already posted about it few months ago. Besides I don't want to cause Homer a stroke. :lol:

But seriously, where did you read or watch that? Interesting what she said.

I bought a case of KY, and I've got my rubber gloves on. Just keep it up! :D

I posted that Family Man was my favorite song. I still love it. Did not like anything that Stevie brought to the table. At her lowest point I think. I can really understand Lindsey not wanting to tour. With Mick and Stevie they way they were, I can't imagine what a tour would have been like. I think he really though they might die on the road.

I've never understood the deep love that "Tango in the Night" gets from critics and Fleetwood Mac fans. The album's sound has definitely not aged well - it's extremely synth heavy and overproduced, like most late 80's music.

The production on Fleetwood Mac's first three albums with the Buckingham Nicks lineup is timeless - the music holds up well and it's not dated. Even "Mirage" is a far superior album to "Tango in the Night".

"Tango in the Night" definitely has some fine moments, but it's far from one of the greatest Fleetwood Mac albums.

I love when you quote the book, so please keep doing it. I love reading MICK"S "pov" haha.

Family Man. Oh :distress:
I like that everyone thinks differently.

I sort of agree. Its pretty much a Lindsey solo album and he was fascinated with all that slick stuff of the 1980s. But Lindsey really had some challenges. John needed remedial training. Stevie was drunk or in rehab. Mick was buying drugs in Lindsey's driveway. We get a nice preview of Buckingham/McVie because they really show up on this album. There was tremendous pressure on Lindsey to make it a commercially successful album to get Mick out of bankruptcy. Looking back I am glad they did it but like you I am in the minority on this board that ranks Tango below Mirage and (wait for it.....) Behind The Mask. One reason I like BTM is we hear that Mac rhythm section play and hum again. Dear Lord we hear Chris play keyboards again too. No drum machines or programmed bass. Its bluesy Mac pop rock. I will take that over the synth 80s pop any day. Having said all this, some of my all time favorite Mac tunes are on Tango: Tango In The Night, Isn't It Midnight, and Little Lies.

This^^^.
I almost like BTM and Time as well as Tango. Because IT'S PLASTIC. White thru Mirage sounds like a BAND. Tango is crap.

It’s calculated for sure. I don’t think most of it is crap. The two Stevie songs are turds. The rest is pretty well done—but most of it isn’t well done as a group…

In terms of the fairlight (sp?) and synth sounds, I always thought it odd, even dated THEN. Had it come out in 1984, it’d have been right on target. But by ‘87 it seemed like they were a bit behind the times.

Only Big Love sounds new in the sense it wasn’t following a trend as much as carving out a new space for a different kind of song.

Because there is more to songs than just their "sound". Tango had great hit songs, more than Mirage and Tusk. Ergo more people like the album and buy it. And it's hard to call a song like Everywhere or Seven Wonders or Little Lies dated when they keep appearing ad nauseum in ads etc. Seems like they're evergreen and always sound fresh and could have been produced yesterday, like some ABBA hits like Gimme Gimme.

Plus I also really like the sound/vibe and art design of the album and enjoy its cohesive vision of a dark, night-time album, and I assume there must be many other fans and critics who liked this aspect of the album in addition to the individual songs.

I don't measure great music by "hits" or by more people buying it. Top 40 radio plays an endless amount of "hits" that are nothing more than saturated crap.

That said, Tango has some good moments, but it's nowhere near as groundbreaking as the classic and sublime Tusk. No contest. Not even close.

I completely disagree, Tango has held up when in the context of current music trends. The album is incredibly influential to the current crop of synth-pop bands. Why do you think Linds is obsessed with bands like Phoenix and Empire of The Sun. I understand your point, and can easily see how the album can be viewed as dated. However, I feel the album sounds fresh and sparkles on vinyl and through headphones.

I love revisiting this article as it's a perfect document of how meticulous the process was. Tango wasn't a bunch of buttons Lindsey pushed to create a fake sound.

https://www.salon.com/2017/04/02/he-...-in-the-night/

Tango is the band's second best selling album, no? I always believed that for all of its 4 charting pop singles, the album greatly undersold in the United States. I know Tango was a sensation in Europe. Tango only reached #7 for a meager 3 weeks and then dropped from the top 10. It officially sold 3 million copies in the States by the year 2000. In the late 80s, albums were still selling like hot cakes. It was nothing for albums in the top 5 sell millions more copies. I am NOT saying the album was not successful (please don't go there). Mirage went to #1 which is something Tusk never did. At least the band beat Bella Donna's one week stand at #1, sort of bragging rights. The band pretty much walked away from Mirage and touring and the album fell off the charts. Warner milked Tango for all it was worth and the band toured the world and a major tour in the states. Yet the album barely went over double platinum (in the states). Scary to think it just sold double of the atrocious Rock A Little. The album sales in Europe sort of distort the picture I am explaining. The album had officially 6 singles released which is far more than any of their albums including Rumours. One thing that hurt both Tusk and Tango was the band was shunned again by rock stations. They played the hell out of Rumours and never really played Tusk or Tango. Rumours had the best of both worlds. It was played up and down the dial on rock and pop stations. In the late 80s rock stations still existed. They did touch Tango but soon as the songs became too pop charting dropped them from airplay. You would have thought the half decade wait for a new Fleetwood Mac album along with major MTV videos and charting singles would have easily pushed the album into the top 5 and stay in the top 10 for months making the album sell 5 million by 1988 (in the states).
The album was supposed to have 2 different producers that fell through. I wonder what the final product would have sounded like with Nile Rogers or Jason Corsaro. Nothing against Lindsey since he is an ace producer but I wonder having another producer would have given the album a more group sound instead of a Lindsey solo album.
This album truly was a preview of Buckingham/McVie because Chris said for the sessions it had been more collaborative than previous efforts. They really worked well together. Chris said that she was the only one that enjoyed making Tango and enjoyed the process.

I like Family Man, but I imagine Tango with two Lindsey songs from OOTC instead of FF and Caroline. That would really be better!

For all of you Tango lovers. This one is for you bwboy, wherever you are.

Seven Wonders stripped down to bass and vocals. She definitely sings rainbow's edge at the end of this early version
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_U3RJie0y4

I honestly don't think an outside producer for "Tango in the Night" could have handled this caravan of divas.

Nile Rodges would have had trouble just getting certain members of the band to follow instructions. Lindsey would be unwilling to listen, Stevie would be missing in action, John out on a boat, and Mick in the corner snorting lines. The only grounded member was the snarky Chrstine. A top-notch, big-name producer would have resigned and walked off the job within 4 weeks of dealing with this s**t show.

By the time Greg Ladanyi came in to produce 3 years later, Lindsey was gone, and the band was in better shape.

All true.
I wonder if one of the reasons they recorded in Lindsey's house was to avoid renting a studio to have people not show up. Stevie was famous for that during her RAL recordings. Imagine preparing and getting everything ready and people are late or don't show up. Stevie would show up at midnight on some of her RAL recordings while her crew was waiting all day and night.
The only downside is Lindsey brought all that dysfunction right into his house. Mick said he was doing more cocaine in the Tango era than the Rumours era if you can believe that. Mick was trying to get out of bankruptcy while still doing boatloads of blow and relying on Lindsey to make a successful album to help him out (so he can do more cocaine).
I was really upset when Lindsey left and could not understand it at the time. After making a successful album why not go out on the road for a few months for the fans. But looking back its a miracle he pulled it off. I remember an early Tango interview with Lindsey where he compared the making of Tango to Tusk. He said something like many of the same features were used like him exploring new sounds and working alone without the band.
I would also add that the album cover in many ways is perfect for the album. Its my least favorite Mac album cover because it says nothing about the band. Every other cover made some sort of mysterious statement about the band including Tusk. The Tusk album cover looks like a punk rock album cover which made a statement about the album. Tango is so generic. Its one of Lindsey's favorite painters or painting. I can see a frustrated Lindsey think OMG we cant even get people here to record the album. Do we really think we could for the cover? He probably wanted no part of asking people to participate. It would have been wrong to include the members on the cover since it really was not a full band effort. The music was not really worthy of a mysterious cover either. So Lindsey staring at his wall (not the stairs) sees the perfect fix.

The year-plus making Tango I think drove Lindsey up the wall. In fact, I think Mick proved to be a far bigger downer for Lindsey than Stevie was. Stevie at least was gone for months and then popped in only for a few days. Mick was lying around Lindsey’s trailer the entire time, drunk and shirtless. With Stevie gone most of the time, Lindsey didn’t have to worry about tending to her needs, but Mick needed caretaking (or corralling) every day. I think Mick was the biggest drag on Lindsey’s emotional well-being that year, because John and Stevie were mostly out of sight, out of mind.

And sure enough, at the Long Beach Sports Arena shindig in summer 1986, Mick was bopping all over the stage during Stevie’s set but didn’t interact at all with Lindsey on his set. I think 1986 was a very, very bad year for Lindsey and Mick. When Lindsey finally decided he didn’t want to tour, I think that was a scream of frustration and disappointment at Mick, not Stevie. You can avoid Stevie on a big Mac tour, but you can’t avoid Mick — he’s making too many baked decisions that affect you (and your pocketbook). By the time the band was cementing bookings, Stevie was off coke, but Mick was not. I’m sure Lindsey knew.

The real shattered friendship through the years was always Lindsey and Mick, not Lindsey and Stevie.

That makes perfect sense. Thanks for sharing. It was Stevie that took the part of trying to convince Lindsey to tour and he blew up on her. But it was not really her that probably annoyed him the most. I think in Mick's book he mentions that Lindsey threw it in Mick's face that he "did the album, was that not enough." i.e. meaning the album is a success, Mick has money...I can't take it anymore.
If I had to insert an audio clip it would be Mick on the Tango video "time bomb of human incompetence" I suppose he was talking about himself.

Did anyone mention Mick's book? :laugh:

Well I didn't find that exact phrase, maybe he wrote it in his second book (that I haven't read and never will). Lindsey's first argument about not touring, that Mick mentions was:

"I'm feeling a lot of pressure," he said quietly. "I know the band should go out, but check it out from my point of view. I just finished Tango and I'm fried. I've got my own album to do. Why should I go out and kill myself on the road?"

Mick also made it clear that having the album in the top ten was not enough for his wallet.

"C'mon, Lindsey," I said. ''If you wanna leave the band, go on the road with us and then go your own way."
Lindsey shook his head. "I don't need this," he said. He made it clear he wasn't prepared to do me any favors that is, tour to help me back on my feet financially.

As I said before, I think Lindsey should have always said I'm not in the tour! to the band and not agreed to 10 weeks and then backed out. If Mick didn't lie in this chapter, Fleetwood Mac had started rehearsing, signing on readies, confirming dates with booking agents. And then he left them. That wasn't good of him either.

I'd like to ask Lindsey about those days, to know his truth. But also the past is in the past so if I had the chance to talk with him, maybe I would ask him different questions and I wouldn't bother him.

OMG I feel like I just watched The Ring and my phone rang and someone said 7 days. What pandora's box did I just open by mentioning Mick's book.

I am Brian and the rest of the board is Stewie

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WNrx2jq184

Wait, what?

Stevie and Lindsey each played solo sets on the same bill at a Long Beach show in 1986? What was the occasion? I thought I had read it all - but I've never heard of this gig. I can imagine the two of them trying to upstage each other's set.

The Tough On Toxics benefit show. The date was close to the infamous Red Rocks show so Mick was hanging out with her.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-ctk-Ygy-0&t=2197s

wow, just when you think there were no surprises left... how did I never know about this show??

Boy her voice is SHOT on this. That Edge of 17 was just....painful to listen to.....:eek:

thanks for sharing!

such a great expression!! Love it!!!

Caravan of divas.... careening off a cliff no less....

I love it when she tells the audience she asked Don to do a few more songs than just 3 and he said NO!
You gotta love the 80s and these benefit shows. They had one for every thing post Live Aid.

the pic of Christine on that link is sooooo gorgeous. She was at her absolute most stunning then, with her longer, fuller hair.

I know this has been posted before but since we are celebrating Tango release month, this little gem should not be forgotten: filming the Big Love video.
Its the dawn of the big hair late 80s. This is the highest hair Chris has ever had, no? For Seven Wonders its a bit down from this and then straight for Little Lies. Lindsey and Mick have so much make up on even from a distance. I love the sound of Mick playing drums over the recorded track. Others can pretend to play their instruments, not Mick.
No scenes of Stevie playing that tambourine make the video. They don't look like they are enjoying the experience very much. This was their first music video together since Hold Me. Stevie's dress :eek: Gurl please! A drag queen on Rupaul's drag race would be sent home for wearing such a thing. I wonder if this dress was made especially for this video so she can pull up the sides with something to do. Its not a typical dress. It allows her to pull up the sides and dance without showing her undies. It had musical notes on it. Gurl please! When she is just standing there from the rear it looks like she would weigh over 200 pounds. She's trapped on this small stage and tries to do some sort of dance with picking up each foot a few inches. Its the goofiest thing I have ever seen. This video is so cheezy and the special effects look like something from the early 80s, not the late 80s. Does anyone know this is was a real house or just a studio lot? It looks like part of it was shot outside since John is wearing sunglasses. The best part is them at the beach and its only 2 seconds.

This is so 80s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9mq3S908WI

Hi! Now that I read all your comments, I only can blame Lindsey for all of that...

NOPE!! Hahaha just kidding :sorry:

Lindsey definitely took the production in bad moments...Tusk, because it was "not Rumours", so it's not that popular...Tango, because it was "too plastic", so it left some radio tracks and nothing else...And then OOTC, because it was "not according to the time", so it made him disappear some years before the FM returning...¡Ay caramba!

He put his best efforts on three albums that went to trash after some years because of the times they were recorded! But come on, most of the 1987 music was plastic and synth-made...Of course we can't compare TITN with the Peter Green or Welch/Kirwan times, but it's a very nice album.

Oh, and about the tweet, I posted that I love Big Love but my fav one is You & I, Part I...I think I'm the only one hehe

The fact they didn't take a promo pic when they were doing the Big Love video on the beach is an all-time tragedy.

True, I wonder who the girl was in the video. A model of some sort.

I think the point is that it doesn't hold up to the standard that White, Rumours, Tusk, and Mirage set. Those albums sound like THE BAND, not some stupid computer.

Tango is the AI for 1987!:wavey:

I thought it sounded pretty interchangeable with “Go Insane.”

I agree. It would be like comparing The Works with A Night at the Opera.

They’re definitely cousins, but I wouldn’t say interchangeable.

In the context of a FM album, Big Love sounds new, sounds different, weirder for sure, and oddly more of a solo statement than Go Insane, which is solo. The bulk of Tango sounds like cleverly-disguised reiterations of previous modes.

For what it’s worth, Stand Back is a new kind of song for Stevie. But not a FM song.

I thought If Anyone Falls and Stand Back were brilliant for Stevie.