Christine McVie (born Christine Anne Perfect, July 12, 1943, in Birmingham,… Read Full Bio ↴Christine McVie (born Christine Anne Perfect, July 12, 1943, in Birmingham, passed away 30 November 2022) was an English singer, keyboardist, and songwriter. Her primary fame came as a member of the band Fleetwood Mac, though she has also released three solo albums. McVie is said to have become addicted to Rock and Roll from the first time she looked through a Fats Domino songbook.
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.
[edit]
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.
[edit]
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."
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.
[edit]
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.
[edit]
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."
No Road Is The Right Road
Christine McVie Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
No road is the right road
So I've got to change my plan.
You're walking up a one way street
When you only love one man.
I loved you and listened to you,
Every word you said,
I didn't even notice
When the lights were changing to red.
Well the months go by and I try
To keep up with the green,
But it sure becomes a problem
When I'm wanting to give in.
I knew you had to go away,
I really understood.
And I understand that you love me baby,
And that makes me feel so good.
Well the months go by and I try
To keep up with the green,
But it sure becomes a problem
When I'm wanting to give in.
I knew you had to go away,
I really understood.
And I understand that you love me baby,
And that makes me feel so good.
So I've got to change my plan.
You're walking up a one way street
When you only love one man.
I loved you and listened to you,
Every word you said,
I didn't even notice
Well the months go by and I try
To keep up with the green,
But it sure becomes a problem
When I'm wanting to give in.
I knew you had to go away,
I really understood.
And I understand that you love me baby,
And that makes me feel so good.
Well the months go by and I try
To keep up with the green,
But it sure becomes a problem
When I'm wanting to give in.
I knew you had to go away,
I really understood.
And I understand that you love me baby,
And that makes me feel so good.
The opening line "No road is the right road, so I've got to change my plan" is a reflection of the singer's current state. She is making the decision to change her path because she knows that there isn't any perfect or ideal way of going about life. The follow-up line "You're walking up a one way street, when you only love one man", the singer is addressing her lover, who is in a difficult and challenging position. She realizes that it's challenging to make the right decisions when you're limited by love, emotion, and attachment.
In the second verse, the singer tries to keep up with the expectations of her partner despite the red flags appearing. "I loved you and listened to you, every word you said. I didn't even notice when the lights were changing to red." She also expresses her desire to give in to love, but she knows that it can be a problem when you're trying to keep up with the pace of life.
Towards the end of the song, the singer acknowledges that her lover had to leave her, and she understands that it was inevitable, but it still feels good to know that they love her. She has to keep moving forward despite the difficulties that she's facing in life. The song ends with a repetition of the second verse and is a reminder of how difficult it can be to keep up with the hectic pace of life when you're trying to follow your heart.
Line by Line Meaning
No road is the right road
There's no one right path in life to take.
So I've got to change my plan.
I need to adapt and adjust my course of action.
You're walking up a one way street
You're pursuing a love that can't be returned.
When you only love one man.
When your heart is set on one person, it's hard to choose another.
I loved you and listened to you,
I cared for you and took your words to heart.
Every word you said,
I paid close attention to everything you said.
I didn't even notice
I was unaware and blind to
When the lights were changing to red.
The warning signs that things weren't right.
Well the months go by and I try
As time passes, I make an effort to
To keep up with the green,
Keep pace with the demands and expectations of life.
But it sure becomes a problem
It gets harder and harder
When I'm wanting to give in.
When all I want to do is give up and quit.
I knew you had to go away,
I understood that you had to leave.
I really understood.
I comprehended and empathized deeply.
And I understand that you love me baby,
And I know that you have love for me, darling,
And that makes me feel so good.
And that brings me happiness and joy.
Contributed by Molly L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Dusty Roads
All the great legends are leaving us , christine was unique for sure, sad day when she passed, but we can keep listening to her sweet voice till its our time , one of my very favorite singers . R.i.p. christine.
Ricardo Paris
Exceptional classic album. I am very proud owner of an original copy of the UK 1970 album. Killer!
Paul k
@Ricardo Paris All vinyl albums contain grooves, hence they are all 'groovy" LOL. I bought mine in 1978 after I bought Rumours ($5 new!) because I LOVED Christine McVie's voice... and still do to this day. She's simply "perfect." I also especially like "Crazy 'bout You Baby" and "And That's saying a Lot." I like them all, actually! Google this for some others you may not have heard: "christine perfect blue horizon"
Ricardo Paris
@Paul k it’s a superb album - also no road is the right road is super groovy!
Paul k
Wow. I have one, but it's from the 1976 re-release. Wouldn't trade it for anything.
Joshua Barnett
lovely song. really nails it all. terrific.
Johnny Free
Mr Tarantino, MUST hear this!... Would make a killer OST of it!... Thank you for the upload!!
Derek Gorman
No, just no. It doesn't need the recommendation of a plagiarist for mere validation. No thank you.
Joshua Toms
I would kill for new music this good
Joseph A
RIP Christine