Lindsey Buckingham Christine McVie
Duo album by two Fleetwood Mac vocalists, released in 2017.
The cover art can be obtained from the record label. · via Wikipedia: Lindsey Buckingham Christine McVie · Fair use
In 2017, Lindsey Buckingham and Christine McVie, both singers for Fleetwood Mac, released a joint studio album titled *Lindsey Buckingham Christine McVie*, often shortened to *Buckingham McVie*. It came out on June 9. The record features four of the band’s five classic members—Stevie Nicks is the only one missing. The recording took place at The Village Recorder in Los Angeles, the same studio where Fleetwood Mac had made *Tusk*.
Work on the album started soon after McVie rejoined Fleetwood Mac in 2014. She and Buckingham first met at Studio D at The Village Recorder, with Mick Fleetwood on drums and John McVie on bass. Initially, they weren’t planning a full album—just developing some of McVie’s piano-and-vocal demos. Buckingham reworked a few of these at his home studio, and after two months, they had eight songs about 75 percent finished, including “Carnival Begin,” “Too Far Gone,” and “Red Sun.” Some of Buckingham’s material came from earlier sessions with Fleetwood and John McVie, before Christine rejoined the band. Three of those tracks had been worked on with producer Mitchell Froom and were already fairly advanced. By 2014, the duo had around 14 or 15 songs to choose from. Recording paused when Fleetwood Mac started its On with the Show tour. More than a year after the tour ended, Buckingham and McVie revisited the songs.
In 2015, Mick Fleetwood still hoped Stevie Nicks would contribute, saying the music wouldn’t go to waste and might become a Fleetwood Mac album. But Nicks said in 2016 she hadn’t decided about recording another Fleetwood Mac record. So McVie and Buckingham moved forward as a duo. Work resumed at the end of 2016, over two years after the initial sessions.
During the early stages, McVie sent Buckingham raw demos to work on remotely. She also helped develop his compositions, writing lyrics and tweaking melodies. “Red Sun” and “Too Far Gone” started that way. The lyrics for “Red Sun” came from a trip McVie took to Africa, where she wrote “When the red sun kisses the sea” on a beach, then paired it with a chord progression and melody from Buckingham. Except for the three Froom-produced tracks, all songs were recorded from scratch using the demos as guides. Throughout the process, mixes were saved and catalogued to track each song’s progress, helping with arrangement decisions.
- Artist
- Lindsey Buckingham and Christine McVie
- Album title
- Lindsey Buckingham Christine McVie
- Release date
- June 9, 2017
- Peak chart position uk
- No. 5
- Certification
- Silver in UK (November 2017, sales >60,000 units)
Lore & Background
Work on the album began soon after Christine McVie rejoined Fleetwood Mac in 2014 and resumed following the conclusion of the band's On with the Show tour. A few months after McVie rejoined, she and Buckingham met at Studio D at the Village Recorder in Los Angeles. Fleetwood Mac's rhythm section of Mick Fleetwood and John McVie played drums and bass for the sessions. Originally, the intention was not to record a full album, but rather to develop some of McVie's demos. After two months, they had recorded eight songs that were roughly '75 percent done' according to Buckingham, including 'Carnival Begin', 'Too Far Gone' and 'Red Sun'.
Some of Buckingham's material originated from recording sessions involving himself, Fleetwood, and John McVie prior to Christine McVie's return. Three of the songs had been worked on with Mitchell Froom. Recording was put on hold when Fleetwood Mac began preparations for their On with the Show tour. Over a year after the completion of the concert tour, the two decided to revisit the songs. In 2015, Mick Fleetwood was still hopeful that Stevie Nicks would contribute songs for the project, but Nicks revealed in 2016 that she was still undecided about recording another Fleetwood Mac album. McVie and Buckingham ultimately decided to proceed as a duo without Nicks.
Reader's Guide
Lindsey Buckingham Christine McVie represents a significant moment in the history of Fleetwood Mac, as it brought together two of its core songwriters for a collaborative project that excluded the band's other iconic vocalist, Stevie Nicks. The album's creation process was deeply intertwined with the band's own timeline, beginning after McVie's 2014 return and pausing for the On with the Show tour. The decision to release it as a duet album rather than a Fleetwood Mac record allowed for more experimental recording methods, as noted by engineer Mark Needham. The album debuted at No. 5 in the United Kingdom and was certified silver in November 2017 for sales exceeding 60,000 units. It sold over 22,000 units in the United States in its first week and debuted within the top 20. The album's legacy lies in its demonstration of the enduring creative chemistry between Buckingham and McVie, and its role in bridging the gap between Fleetwood Mac's classic era and the members' solo work.
Did You Know?
- The album was recorded at The Village Recorder, where Fleetwood Mac had recorded their Tusk album.
- Four of the five 'classic members' of Fleetwood Mac are featured on the album; Stevie Nicks is the sole member absent.
- The opening track 'Sleeping Around the Corner' was previously included as a bonus track on the US digital edition of Buckingham's 2011 solo album, Seeds We Sow.
More in Albums & EPs
Elsewhere in Fleetwood Mac
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced