Bethan Beddow
Fleetwood Mac’s Christine McVie died on the 30th of November 2022 after a long and successful music career. Bethan Beddow reminds us why she was such an inspirational and successful musician and highlights key moments in her career.
Everywhere, composed by Christine McVie, introduced my child self to the wonderful, glittery world of Fleetwood Mac. Her angelic and alto voice pierces through the instrumental, hypnotising a listener as she sings a story of love. As a child, I would call this masterpiece ‘the twinkly song’, for it would light me up with happiness and excitement. Sadly, the singer passed away in late November, but this song will forever remain a permanent joy.
She had a melodic power, evoking emotion in every song she appeared in
McVie possessed a talent that few people do: she had a melodic power, evoking emotion in every song she appeared in. Alongside Stevie Nicks, the other female singer in Fleetwood Mac, the two represented different sides of the band: Nicks is the ‘witchy woman’, and McVie summoned the ‘angels’. Such a combination of fantastical voices is rare to see, and McVie truly left a part of herself in every song. Here is a list of some beautiful Fleetwood Mac songs that she contributed to:
Songbird – Songbird was composed by McVie in 1977 for the band’s album ‘Rumours’ (arguably their best album). She wrote this soulful, piano-dominant song in half an hour! The singer stated that the song was a ‘spiritual experience’, and these mystical elements do resonate in her voice as you listen to the song.
The Chain – This critically-acclaimed song sold over 1,800,000 units! It is also the only song written by all five members. Influenced by hard rock, folk and country, McVie provided her own authentic harmony to the song. The lyrics represent her and the band’s resilient bond, with the ‘chain’ being metaphoric of their relationship.
She was granted freedom with the song
Little Lies – Another work of art, Little Lies was part of the 1987 ‘Tango In The Night’ album. The song is polished to perfection, with McVie’s gentle but poignant contribution causing the single to reach Number 4 on the charts.
You Make Loving Fun – You Make Loving Fun was written and sung by McVie for the band’s ‘Rumours’ album in 1977. The pop rock song was inspired by a relationship McVie had with the band’s lighting director, Curry Grant. She was granted freedom with the song, and this is seen in the jaunty tune and her expressive voice.
Don’t Stop – The final song in this list, but just as prominent as the rest! Written in the midst of a divorce with her fellow band member, John McVie, the song is seen as a love letter to an old lover who needs to move on. McVie said in The Fleetwood Mac Story: Rumours and Lies, that ‘it might have, I guess, been directed more toward John,’ yet the positive lyrics of ‘Why not think about times to come? / And not about the things that you’ve done’ is encouraging for a wide audience. Such a motivational, addictive song explains why it was so successful: McVie’s creation is the band’s second best song, having peaked at number 3 on the US Billboard Hot 100 (October 1977).
McVie’s spirit will love on through her ‘body of work’
McVie was a musical genius, and her eventful life will eternally be remembered. Her contributions to music, specifically rock, is immense and beautiful. As Lindsay Buckingham said in his remembrance note for his bandmate, McVie’s spirit will live on through her ‘body of work’ and her ‘legacy’.
Bethan Beddow
Featured image courtesy of Ebuen Clemente Jr via Unsplash. Image license found here. No changes were made to this image.
In-article image courtesy of @christinemcvieofficial via Instagram.com. No changes were made to this image.
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