Mick Was Wrong About The Internet (1997)

[michelej1]

[Interesting that Mick was thinking of doing a tour diary back then. I would have LOVED it. If he kept notes on that short Dance tour, I wish he'd publish them now. It's been 14 years, I don't think people would be too sensitive about disclosures]

Don't Stop Thinking About Tomorrow: Mick Fleetwood's Internet About-Face

Charles Bermant
The Web, November 1997

"I WAS VERY wrong," says Mick Fleetwood, the drummer who, with John and Christine McVie, Lindsey Buckingham, and Stevie Nicks, crewed Fleetwood Mac, one of the most successful rock franchises of all time. Mr. Fleetwood's error? His "misguided and snobbish" attitude toward technology.

"It was a threat, at first," he says. "But people are now reaching out, communicating with this technology. There was a time that it was a boffin's delight; now there are zillions of people who enjoy the whole mindset. It's not just a bunch of college graduates."

Fleetwood embraces technical literacy by choice: He has never relied on it for his work. "A lot of people my age outside of music are more conversant with technology because they need it to run their business. They literally don't have any option. [Now] with technology in music, you can allow yourself to get drawn into it and create," he says.

What's got Fleetwood so amped? Beyond the obvious recreational possibilities, he's investing his energy into a musical tool that gives regular folks the means to generate professional sounds. He's promoting HotzPlay, a downloadable utility that turns any PC into a versatile musical instrument. Web surfers can download a free version of the software (at www.hotz.com) or pay $50 for the full version (also downloadable). Either way, the principle is the same: you load a song and use your computer keyboard to play along. The best part: No matter what key you press, your notes will stay in tune, guaranteed.

Fleetwood may seem like an odd spokesman for Hotz, since he is not part of the target audience; the program is designed to be a "jam-along" tool for novices. But, he explains, the Hotz player allows him to tap sounds out quickly and save them-without using an instrument. "I'm frustrated because I've lived my life through other musicians," he says. "I have all these ideas I can't get out. This makes it possible for me to create."

And the band's back to creating once again. Their latest album, The Dance, boasts four new songs, in addition to new versions of 13 classic tracks. It vaulted to the top slot on the album charts on its first week of release, and hovered in the Top Ten for several weeks – not exactly surprising since the band has sold 70 million albums worldwide, more than a third of these from sales of Rumours. Fleetwood's also written two books about the band and its history, embarrassing some band members with personal disclosures. He plans to continue this diarist role while touring, writing dispatches about each show for fans to enjoy, and (perhaps) posting excerpts from this first-person record online, at the official site.

"I hope I can be sufficiently truthful," he says. "I want to make people feel that they were there."