In Memoriam: Christine McVie

 

The Songbird, Christine McVie of Fleetwood Mac fame, died yesterday at the age of 79.  I'll let the BBC pay tribute.

Christine McVie was an essential member of the complicated cast of characters that made up one of the greatest bands ever.

She was deeply soulful as a singer. She could be both heartbreakingly delicate and a powerhouse as a keyboard player. But above all, she had the gift of writing beautiful, timeless pop songs.

Her melodic gift for a good chorus was among the best. She described herself as "the hook queen".

"I don't know how to write any other way," she said in a BBC documentary. "It just happens that way."

Her songs appear simple in their composition and sentiments - disarmingly direct and always sincere ... but her songs were never so straightforward that they were cliched. "That's the trick about writing a love song," she said. "You can't just go: 'I love you, you love me, where are you, I miss you.' There always has to be a bit of a twist."

There's more at the link.

I greatly enjoyed her songs in the 1970's and 1980's.  They were among the background music to civil war in South Africa, "hot" wars in Southern and Central Africa, and events that I'd just as soon never have experienced (not that I had much choice in the matter).  I can remember singing some of them to myself in moments of deep personal emotion - few of them romantic.

In her memory, and remembering one dawn in particular on the plains of Southern Africa, shared with someone special, here's "Songbird", one of her most enduring tunes.

Thanks for the music and the memories, Christine.  Rest in peace.

Peter