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Christine McVie (née Perfect) died yesterday, 30 November 2022, aged 79. Most famous as a member of Fleetwood Mac Mark II, Christine Perfect started her musical career with the British blues group Chicken Shack from 1968-70.
She was the Culture Vulture's first true love. Here are his thoughts on his Perfect woman.
I first heard Christine Perfect around 1968/9 when I saw the blues group Chicken Shack perform live somewhere in Manchester when I was 18 or 19. Of course, I fell in love with her immediately. She was young, around 25, blonde and sexy. Perfect, in fact. I was especially attracted to her husky blues voice and her consummate piano playing.
She was a ground breaker in many ways at that time, being a female lead vocalist in a male blues group and a talented composer to boot.
She married John McVie of the Peter Green-era Fleetwood Mac in 1968 and joined the band in 1970 when Green left after a massive drugs bender which ruined his life and career.
Fleetwood Mac moved to the USA in 1974 and after Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham joined the three Brits, Mr and Mrs McVie and Mick Fleetwood, this “new” reincarnation of Fleetwood Mac went on to huge commercial success. Their most successful album was “Rumours” (1977) which has sold over 40 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best-selling albums of all time.
Christine McVie tired of touring and the constant disagreements, affairs and break-ups in the group and retired back to England for about 16 years. However, she did rejoin the band in 2014 to record a final album and for one more tour.
A prolific song-writer she either wrote or co-wrote some of FM’s most famous songs, including "Over My Head", "Say You Love Me", “Don’t Stop!” and “Songbird”.
Another song sung by her, a cover of an Etta James track, which dates back to her days with Chicken Shack, is “I’d Rather Go Blind”. You can listen to it here.
RIP Christine McVie. You were Perfect.
© The Culture Vulture
Tags: blues, Chicken Shack, Christine Perfect, Culture Vulture, Don't Stop, Etta James, Fleetwood Mac, I'd Rather Go Blind, John McVie, Lindsey Buckingham, Mick Fleetwood, Over My Head, Peter Green, Rumours, Say You Love Me, Songbird, Stevie Nicks