Article re: Buckingham open to return to FM

[SteveMacD]

Originally Posted by BigAl84

It sounded like he didn't like Lindsey in the first place, before the feud.

I wonder why that is?

[BigAl84]

Originally Posted by SteveMacD

I wonder why that is?

Because Lindsey wasn't a "yes man" to the Nicks posse?

[bwboy]

Originally Posted by BigAl84

Because Lindsey wasn't a "yes man" to the Nicks posse?

Yet people say constantly here that Lindsey only said the Buck/Vie album WASN’T a FM album because he was afraid to cross Stevie, which would have made him a “yes man.” Remember, Lindsey only acknowledged what every single fan on the planet had known AFTER he had been fired. So that doesn’t seem to have been the problem.

I think SteveMacD has been right all along about what the problem was between Irving and Lindsey.

[BigAl84]

He crossed camp Stevie by releasing the album with Christine. Stevie didn't want to do a Fleetwood Mac record and she didn't want the press acknowledging her absence from the project either. The only thing that would have made her happy was if they shelved the entire project for good. It didn't matter how nice they tried to spin it and let Stevie off the hook, she was pissed that the other 4 members of the band proceeded to release the album because it ultimately made her look bad to a certain degree. Plus it displayed the power-shift that was occurring within the band. She wasn't able to call the shots on this one.

Edited:
Irving was probably pissed as well because he was banking on a Fleetwood Mac pay-day that never happened because of the Stevie-Lindsey drama. So yeah...I bet Irving blames Lindsey for Stevie not wanting to do a Fleetwood Mac album and then mucking up the big touring plans. Irving was left with a tour that costed them money between the settlement and ticket sale issues.

I think Irving was naive to think he could waltz into Fleetwood Mac and run things the way he did with The Eagles after Frey passed. The dynamics of that band are entirely different than Fleetwood Mac.

[bwboy]

Originally Posted by BigAl84

He crossed camp Stevie by releasing the album with Christine. Stevie didn't want to do a Fleetwood Mac record and she didn't want the press acknowledging her absence from the project either. The only thing that would have made her happy was if they shelved the entire project for good. It didn't matter how nice they tried to spin it and let Stevie off the hook, she was pissed that the other 4 members of the band proceeded to release the album because it ultimately made her look bad to a certain degree. Plus it displayed the power-shift that was occurring within the band. She wasn't able to call the shots on this one. Irving was probably pissed as well because he was banking on a Fleetwood Mac album pay-day and that never happened because of the Stevie-Lindsey drama, then it was released without his client (Stevie) which put more salt on the wound. So yeah...I bet Irving blames Lindsey for the collapse his big Fleetwood Mac payday. Instead he and his client (Stevie) were left with a tour that costed them money between the settlement and ticket sale issues.

We’ll just have to agree to disagree on this one. Your point that Azoff blamed Lindsey for not calling Buck/Vie a FM album, I don’t make the connection. A FM album wouldn’t make that much money, certainly not what a tour would. And wouldn’t Azoff have still made money off the album since he was Lindsey’s manager at the time? And he was left with a tour without Lindsey because the band fired him, apparently with Azoff’s approval/encouragement. The band wanted Lindsey out so much they settled almost immediately. They made so much money from the tour, even if they settled for $14 million, they still made a ton of money. And we know they settled for less than $14 million because that was what he was asking- I wouldn’t be surprised if they settled for $10 million, but they must have thought it was worth it.

No way for any of us to know for sure, but I think instead of it being one or two big issues, it was several things that happened along the way that finally led to Stevie and Irving saying enough. Doesn’t mean that it was right, but that’s my where my vote is.

[BigAl84]

Originally Posted by bwboy

We’ll just have to agree to disagree on this one. Your point that Azoff blamed Lindsey for not calling Buck/Vie a FM album, I don’t make the connection. A FM album wouldn’t make that much money, certainly not what a tour would. And wouldn’t Azoff have still made money off the album since he was Lindsey’s manager at the time? And he was left with a tour without Lindsey because the band fired him, apparently with Azoff’s approval/encouragement. The band wanted Lindsey out so much they settled almost immediately. They made so much money from the tour, even if they settled for $14 million, they still made a ton of money. And we know they settled for less than $14 million because that was what he was asking- I wouldn’t be surprised if they settled for $10 million, but they must have thought it was worth it.

No way for any of us to know for sure, but I think instead of it being one or two big issues, it was several things that happened along the way that finally led to Stevie and Irving saying enough. Doesn’t mean that it was right, but that’s my where my vote is.

I just revisited what I wrote and I did kind of contradict myself. I said Fleetwood Mac album when I meant tour.

What I meant is the release of the BuckVie album started the bad mojo between Lindsey and Stevie which eventually resulted in the Music Cares meltdown and Lindsey's departure. Irving was pissed because he had another Fleetwood Mac cash grab tour in the works and it went sideways. It was several issues, Stevie had her own issues and Irving was pissed about his business objectives being disrupted. Irving knew with Lindsey out of the picture, the tour financials could look different.

The band settling quickly had nothing to do with how much they wanted him out - it's because they literally had no case. Had it gone to court, they would have lost. Then they would be paying out Lindsey PLUS all the legal fees of going to court.

[jbrownsjr]

Originally Posted by BigAl84

The band settling quickly had nothing to do with how much they wanted him out - it's because they literally had no case. Had it gone to court, they would have lost. Then they would be paying out Lindsey PLUS all the legal fees of going to court.

Not to mention the media mess that would have only gotten worse.

[bwboy]

Originally Posted by BigAl84

I just revisited what I wrote and I did kind of contradict myself. I said Fleetwood Mac album when I meant tour.

The band settling quickly had nothing to do with how much they wanted him out - it's because they literally had no case. Had it gone to court, they would have lost. Then they would be paying out Lindsey PLUS all the legal fees of going to court.

Got it, I see what you mean now.

I absolutely agree FM had no case. If I recall correctly, and if it was true, all the contracts for the tour had been signed, and then Lindsey was fired. He should have been paid for that tour, legally and morally. I don’t think if they had gone to court it would have hurt their reputation that much- I mean, this is a band that had rampant drug use, alcoholism, affairs within and outside of the band, members that left for cults, etc, etc. I agree nasty stuff would have been alleged, and by both sides, but I don’t think those allegations would have shocked the public. “Lindsey smirked at me; Stevie didn’t like it that I wanted Say You Will to be a double album; Lindsey treated me differently than he would have Bob Dylan; Stevie refused to record with us and just wanted to tour for the money.” I mean, it’s definitely petty but hardly going to outrage the average person.