Early life
Christine Anne Perfect was born on July 12th, 1943. Her father, Cyril, was a college professor and concert violinist, and mother Beatrice (called Tee) was a medium, a psychic and a faith healer. Her grandfather had played the organ in Westminster Abbey. Although Christine had been introduced to the piano at age four, she didn't really take to music until she was 11. She continued taking classical music lessons until the age of 15, when her older brother, John, brought home a Fats Domino songbook which transformed her musical interest from classical music to rock n' roll. Other early influences include The Everly Brothers and The Beatles.
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Early Music
Christine studied sculpture at an art college in Birmingham, England for 5 years, with the goal of becoming an art teacher. During that time she met a number of budding musicians in England's blues scene. During her time at college Christine joined a small blues band called "Shades Of Blue" in which she played bass, also in her spare she would sing with Spencer Davis. After 5 years Christine graduated from art college with a teaching degree. She moved to London, where she worked briefly as a department store window-dresser.
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Chicken Shack
In 1968 she met up with her friends Andy Sylvester & Stan Webb, and they invited her to play keyboards/piano and sing background vocals in their band Chicken Shack, a blues band which had difficulty finding mainstream success. Christine stayed with Chicken Shack for 2 albums and together they scored the top 10 British hit "I'd Rather Go Blind" with Christine on lead vocals. She was also given a Melody Maker award for female vocalist of the year, and she was lauded for having one of the "top 10 pairs of legs in all of Britain". Christine left Chicken Shack in 1969 after meeting Fleetwood Mac bassist John McVie.
Fleetwood Mac
Christine was a big fan of Fleetwood Mac at the time and while touring with Chicken Shack the two bands would often run into each other. Encouraged to continue her career, she recorded a solo album, Christine Perfect, which she does not feel is among her better works. As Christine McVie, she joined Fleetwood Mac in 1970, just after marrying Fleetwood Mac bass guitarist John McVie. She had already contributed backup vocals, played keyboards, and painted the cover for Kiln House. The band had just lost founding member Peter Green and its members were nervous about touring without him. McVie had been a huge fan of the Peter Green-era Fleetwood Mac, and since she knew all the lyrics to their songs, she went along. McVie quickly became an essential member of the group, and the author of some of its finest songs, a position she would continue to hold for nearly 25 years.
The early '70s was a rocky time for the band, with a revolving door of musicians, and only the albums Mystery To Me and Bare Trees scoring any successes, not to mention that a group impersonating Fleetwood Mac was touring the United States without their permission. John McVie's alcohol drinking became unbearable; Christine had an affair with a music producer, and she nearly left John and the band to make a solo album with her lover. However, he went back to his spouse, so she did the same.
In 1974, Christine McVie reluctantly agreed to move with the rest of the band to the US and make a fresh start. Within a year, Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham of Buckingham Nicks joined the band. They breathed new life into the music. Their first album together, 1975's Fleetwood Mac, had several hit songs, with McVie's "Over My Head" and "Say You Love Me" both reaching Billboard's top-20 singles chart.
In 1976, McVie began an on-the-road affair with the band's lighting director, which inspired her to write "You Make Loving Fun", a top-10 hit on the landmark smash Rumours, one of the best-selling albums of all-time. Her biggest hit was "Don't Stop", which climbed all the way to #3 and has become identified forever as the song Bill Clinton played on the Presidential campaign trail and at his 1993 Inaugural Gala (McVie and the others performed there, as well as at the Super Bowl a few days later).
By the end of the Rumours tour, the McVies had divorced. The 1979 double album Tusk produced three more top-20 hits ("Tusk," "Sara," and "Think About Me"), but it was considered a disappointment since practically nothing could top the success of the Rumours album. The group reunited three years later to record Mirage, which contained the top-5 hit "Hold Me". "Hold Me" was also the band's first music video; McVie's inspiration for the song was her tortured relationship with Beach Boys member Dennis Wilson. Wilson drowned in an accident a few years later, breaking McVie's heart.
In 1984, McVie decided to take a risk and to record a solo album, as most of the other band members had done. She created hits with the songs "Got a Hold on Me" (Top 10 pop and #1 adult contemporary) and "Love Will Show Us How". The synthesizer-heavy tracks were viewed by some as somewhat jarring in contrast to the crisp and clear singing tones of McVie. Nevertheless, McVie is quoted in The Billboard Book of Number One Adult Contemporary Hits as saying of her solo album, "Maybe it isn't the most adventurous album in the world, but I wanted to be honest and please my own ears with it."
She also met keyboardist Eddy Quintela (12 years her junior), whom she married in October 1986. They divorced a decade later. In the meantime, they wrote several songs together, two of which, "Little Lies" and "As Long As You Follow," became hits for Fleetwood Mac.
After covering the Elvis Presley standard "Can't Help Falling In Love With You" for the Howie Mandel film A Fine Mess, she rejoined Fleetwood Mac to record the Tango in the Night album. Her voice had never been better and she had one of her hits, and one of the more widely played songs of the era, "Little Lies".
In 1990 the band, minus Lindsey Buckingham, recorded Behind the Mask, but the sales were sluggish and the singles were only marginally successful. McVie had always been reluctant to go on concert tours, preferring to stay close to home with friends and family. Upon the death of her father, Cyril Perfect, that year, during the Behind The Mask tour, McVie made the decision to retire from touring altogether. Despite the departure of Stevie Nicks, McVie remained loyal to Mick Fleetwood and her former husband, recording five songs for the band's 1995 effort Time. The album, which suffered from a lack of publicity and was created by a lineup unfamiliar to the public, was a flop.
The members of the band seemed to have gone their separate ways until Christine McVie, John McVie, Mick Fleetwood, and Lindsey Buckingham got together again for one of Lindsey Buckingham's solo projects. They persuaded Christine to record and tour with them one last time. The live album, 1997's The Dance, went to #1 on the charts. McVie complied with their touring schedule, and then performed for the group's 1998 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, as well as the Grammy Awards show, and the Brit Awards. Thereafter, she retired from Fleetwood Mac altogether.
In the years after The Dance, Christine McVie stepped out of public view almost completely. In 2000 she did, however, appear in public to receive an Honorary Doctorate in Music from the University of Greenwich, England. Some years later, in December 2003, she went to see Fleetwood Mac's last UK performance on the Say You Will tour in London, but did not join her former bandmates on the stage.
Mid-2004 saw the release of McVie's new solo album, "In the Meantime", her third in a career spanning five decades. Recorded in her converted barn in Kent, England, McVie worked on the project with her nephew, Dan Perfect, who contributed guitar-playing, back-up vocals, and songwriting. There was no tour to accompany this album, though McVie consented to a limited number of press interviews in the UK and the USA. Prior to her death on 30 November 2022 at the age of 79 (after a short illness), McVie lived in the south of England and rarely left her countryside home.
RIP 2022
Christine McVie, singer and keyboardist for classic rock icons Fleetwood Mac, died at the age of 79 on Nov. 30, 2022. Her family issued a statement saying she "passed away peacefully at hospital... following a short illness." McVie and Steve Nicks were a powerful one-two vocal punch for the prolific hitmakers during the 70's and 80's.
The band had this to say about McVie's passing: "There are no words to describe our sadness at the passing of Christine MCVie. She was truly one-of-a-kind, special and talented beyond measure. She was the best musician anyone could have in their band and the best friend anyone could have in their life. We were so lucky to have a life with her. Individually and together, we cherished Christine deeply and are thankful for the amazing memories we have. She will be so very missed. - Fleetwood Mac."
Friend
Christine McVie Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Before the moon was young
And before the first love song
Had ever been sung
We both knew
Beyond a shadow of doubt
What loving somebody
Was really all about
When the sun goes down
And you are not around
I'm sailing on a prayer
Don't you know
I told everyone
I even told the rising sun
That I really need my friend
When the sun goes down
In this sleepy little town
All the world keeps spinning
And the planets turn around
All alone
Lonely as the stars
Well I just wanna be
Wanna be where you are
When the sun goes down
And you are not around
I'm sailing on a prayer
Don't you know
I told everyone
I even told the rising sun
That I really need my friend
Repeat Chorus
When the sun goes down
And you're not around
I'm sailing on a prayer
Don't you know
I told everyone
I even told the rising sun
That I really miss my friend
In "Friend," Christine McVie reflects on a long-standing friendship that has stood the test of time. Like a warm, comforting blanket, this friend has always been there to provide comfort and support when needed. The lyrics speak of a deep emotional connection rooted in a shared understanding of the joys and sorrows of life. McVie muses about the power of friendship, how it can outlast even the passage of time itself. She yearns for the presence of this person in her life, particularly during the lonely hours of the night when the world seems to stand still.
The song employs a folksy, acoustic sound with a simple guitar melody and gentle rhythm. McVie's vocals are soft and soothing, perfectly capturing the sense of vulnerability that often comes with opening up about deep emotional connections.
Overall, "Friend" is a beautiful ode to the power of friendship and the importance of maintaining close relationships throughout life's ups and downs.
Line by Line Meaning
Long ago
This situation happened quite a long time ago and is no longer relevant to the present.
Before the moon was young
This situation occurred a long time ago, even before the moon was created or existed.
And before the first love song
Even before the first song about love was ever written, this situation already existed.
Had ever been sung
Nobody had ever created a song or expressed their feelings about love before.
We both knew
Both parties involved in this situation were already aware and familiar with the feeling of being in love.
Beyond a shadow of doubt
There was no hesitation or uncertainty about their love for each other.
What loving somebody
They both understood what it meant to truly love someone.
Was really all about
They both knew the essence and meaning of true love.
When the sun goes down
During the time of day when the sun disappears, symbolizes a period of loneliness.
And you are not around
When this person is not physically present, it creates an atmosphere of solitude and sadness.
I'm sailing on a prayer
The person stuck in this situation feels powerless, and is hoping for a better outcome.
Don't you know
An expression of frustration with the situation.
I told everyone
This person has shared their feelings with others around them, even though it hasn't resulted in a change of situation or outcome.
I even told the rising sun
The feeling of loneliness is so strong that the person has even shared their feelings with the inanimate object of the sun.
That I really need my friend
This person is in desperate need of their friend to be present and spend time with them, to alleviate their feelings of loneliness.
In this sleepy little town
The location where this person resides is small and uneventful, adding to their feelings of boredom and loneliness when their friend is not present.
All the world keeps spinning
The world and life goes on, even when this person is feeling sad and lonely.
And the planets turn around
The celestial bodies in the universe continue moving and following their orbits, regardless of the feelings of this individual.
All alone
This person feels extremely lonely and isolated.
Lonely as the stars
The person feels so lonely that they compare themselves to the isolated and far away stars in the universe.
Well I just wanna be
The desire to be with the absent friend is so strong that it becomes the only thing that matters at this point.
Wanna be where you are
The only place this person wants to be is with their friend, wherever they may be.
I really miss my friend
The feeling of loss and longing for the friend has become even stronger with time, and their absence is felt even more.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: KRAIG JARETT JOHNSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
James Anderson
Love her voice! Her maiden name is Perfect and she is.
Jesse Oliva
Omg. A voice.
tanukishady
Christine's like a female Paul McCartney. She should do an album with him. I've always loved her voice and songs.
MitchMansfield
I ran across this song about 6 years ago - and couldn't believe I had never heard it before then. Such a big fan of Christine and the Mac, inexcusable on my part! Excellent song, smashing vocal!
Ed Fox
The genius of Christine! She wrote so many classics on her solo albums - her unique music genius elevated The Mac but these solo albums are incredible!
Thomas Reber
Indeed, a very authentic and professional performance !
Meb Themes
I love Christine's solo songs!
msmarlarenee1
I'm so happy to have found this album. Just bought it after listening to this song. I love Christine McVie. Miss the days of Fleetwood Mac pumping out such time standing music.
Ron E
I heard this on FM Radio in the mid 2000s here in the middle of the Pacific....and it captured me right away! I had no idea who it was and kept memorizing the words so that when I got home I'd search like heck on the net.
Luckily I found it as was pleasantly surprised it wasn't Fleetwood Mac. But then to find out it was Christie McVie from FM!!!
Super tune and wonderful voice! She's an integral part of FM that's for sure and her writing skills are just WOW!!
su Argentina
her voice is unique, magical, when I listen to Christine's songs I feel pure emotions